ROTC in the K-12 Curriculum

The inclusion of ROTC as a subject in Senior High School is a great move by

the government on introducing students to basic military knowledge. The approved
HB 8961 since the 26th of May 2019, states that the conduct of military training under
ROTC “shall apply to all students in Grades 11 and 12 in all senior high schools in
public and private educational institutions.” My initial impression with this news is that
I agree with pushing the bill further to become more than mandatory. This bill is the
perfect tool for every Filipino citizen to have a taste of patriotism and development
for nationalism.
First, now in 2022, elected Vice President Sarah Duterte-Carpio has made
multiple proposals regarding the approved ROTC bill from the last 3 years. She says
that besides making ROTC training mandatory for every SHS student, she also
states that ROTC training shall also be mandatory to every Filipino citizen at the age
of 18 years. “Dapat lahat kapag tumuntong ng (Everyone, once they reach) 18 years
old, you will be given a subsidy, you will be asked to serve the country,” Duterte-
Carpio said. She further states that "to become disciplined, active, responsive,
participative, and patriotic citizens and able defenders of our country." Seeing a fresh
leader of our country already making actions especially regarding the education and
welfare of the youth is amazing.
Second, as a matter of fact, the Department of Education also agreed with
this bill. DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones' also mentioned that “I am in favor of the
mandatory ROTC." I am happy that the department views the bill positively. Though
Sarah Duterte has also mentioned that ROTC training has nothing to do with DepEd,
I am still glad that the head of the department still supports the bill.
Furthermore, not only does ROTC training give us a sense of patriotism,
leadership, and preparation for future services, but it also comes with a variety of
benefits from different aspects. For example, you have a chance to compete for
scholarships for college, up to full tuition; in my opinion, that is already a big deal
especially if you were to be joining around your senior years in high school. And from
what I've heard from people with military related professions, including my own
father, you can get a stipend that is worth ₱22,000 every month upon joining on your
senior high school year.
However, the points mentioned are correct, but there are still cons and
oppositions present within this topic. First, the Army is not for everyone; and social
media proves it. I have seen a lot of articulate posts of people expressing their
oppositive opinions and reasons for not agreeing to mandatorily join ROTC training.
One of the notable opinions includes Senator Risa Hontiveros' statement. She states
that most students enrolled in senior high school have ages around 16-17 years old.
"They are minors" she further said. "I am curious as to why we look to mandatory
militarism as a way to promote nationalism, whilst at the same time removing
National Language and Panitikan as mandatory courses in schools?". She ends the
statement by mentioning that mandatory militaristic courses do not have the
monopoly of inculcating love of country. Instead, love of country should be an
expression of a deeper understanding of social responsibility.
Nevertheless, I still stand with my own opinion. ROTC training has far more
"pro's" than the "con's" that is present in it. You can make lifelong friends and gain
invaluable experience and skills, and you can get into shape by going to morning PT
(physical training) and working out with your ROTC friends. And if possible, upon
graduation, you will have a stable job for the next several years if you choose to
continue your military path. The only downside that I can think of is that you have to
make a commitment to the Army. You will need to sign a contract during your
training to continue with the program. With that said, the addition of ROTC will focus
on "practical and truly useful" competencies and skills in civic duty, individual survival
and safety skills, mass/community emergency and disaster response and
management, and citizen soldier training as stated by the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED). But then again, for me, ROTC training is about gaining practical
experience, credibility, and job opportunities. So, passing the ROTC training bill as a
law would be helpful, interesting, and new to younger generations.
On the whole, some may claim that patriotism cannot be taught, and that
youth cannot be acquainted in it. Perhaps one of the better ways to safeguard the
peace is to teach them the arts of military engagement. We have a better chance of
averting potential foreign attack if we establish a capable and well-trained citizen
armed force. Because there is no single path to patriotism, we may not become it
overnight. Sometimes we must take the arduous and challenging path to impart it in
our experiences. The ROTC bill, I believe, achieves just that by teaching our young
generation the how, why, and wherefores of arming themselves.