ROTC stands for “Reserve Officers' Training Corps,” and its goal is to train senior high and college

students for future services. fundamentals of military service in order to generate capable reservists for

the Philippine Armed Forces. The component of this program is to provide military training to tertiary

students to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national defense readiness. This course is

designed to prepare students with the information, abilities, and attitude necessary to perform national

service in the event of national emergencies and to contribute to the country's socio-economic

development.

ROTC training in the country dates back to our colonial past. During the British invasion of the

Philippines in 1762, some 200 students from the University of Santo Tomas were organized to aid the

Spanish forces in defending Manila. Later on, the native contingent was professionalized and the cadets

were given access to military training. As time goes by, in 2001 ROTC program became an optional

program with the National Service Training Program Act (Republic Act 9163). Then there was an issue

that a UST ROTC student was killed, his name is Mark Chua. His death brought clamor for the abolition

of the mandatory ROTC, resulting in the passage of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) law

that offers other service options to students that do not involve military training.

Fifteen years later. With the presidency of Rodrigo Roa Duterte, ROTC is making a comeback with

advocates wanting it to be restored as a mandatory program

The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is responsible for training and developing college

and senior high students in the fundamentals of military service in order to generate capable

reservists for the Philippine Armed Forces. A component of the program provides military

training to tertiary students to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national defense

readiness. This course is designed to prepare students with the information, abilities, and attitude

necessary to perform national service in the event of national emergencies and to contribute to

the country's socio-economic development.