A Parent’s Tale in the ROTC Mandate

Introduction

The Reserve Officers' Training Corps program trains students to become military

leaders while also teaching them academic subjects, enabling them to become the responsible

leaders of the future. The Reserve Officers' Training Corps, also known as ROTC, is an

academic program that blends exceptional leadership training with real-world experience.

College students taking military science classes will be better equipped to respond to their

community's catastrophe risk reduction program by developing their leadership, discipline,

and sense of community. The ROTC program also aids students who want to join the

Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) as officers in achieving success in their chosen fields in

college.

The ROTC program in the Philippines was originally established in 1935 under the

leadership of Manuel L. Quezon, as mandated by Executive Order No. 207, to develop young

people's ability to protect the nation from external threats (Yabes & Nazareno, 2001). It is a

crucial component of the National Service Training Program (NSTP), which includes ROTC,

Literacy Training Service, and Civic Welfare Training Service, all aimed at promoting civic

awareness, defense readiness, and values like service and patriotism among youth

(Department of Military Science and Tactics, 2020). The NSTP curriculum emphasizes the

importance of responsible citizenship with a focus on societal issues (Atillano et al., 2022).

The ROTC program's goal is to equip high school students with leadership skills and

educate them about their rights, responsibilities, and privileges (Quezada, 2020). Moreover,

the ROTC program is seen as a way to instill discipline, accountability, and character

development while enhancing students' leadership abilities (Philippine Information Agency,

2022)
 In a study conducted by Capstone-Intel research firm, a whopping 71% of Filipinos

favor the return of mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in the country. Top

reasons for favoring mandatory ROTC include discipline (88%), leadership training (73%),

and teamwork experience (71%).

The ROTC is a program which aims to teach the youth about discipline and love of

country through military training. They will also learn about leadership and patriotism. Some

of those who oppose ROTC say that it only leads to bad experiences such as hazing, abuse,

harassment and corruption in schools. (Gregorio, X., 2023)

A recent study by Brecio, Bravo, Delina, and De Vera (2023) found that both students

and parents agreed that the ROTC program would effectively contribute to social

development, disaster preparedness and national security. However, they expressed

uncertainty regarding its effectiveness in instilling patriotism and potential risk to overall

well-being.

This Research study is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals No. 4 (Quality

Education).

ROTC can contribute to SDG 4 by providing students with the following:

 Discipline and Responsibility: ROTC can help students develop self-discipline

and a sense of responsibility, which are important qualities for success in

school and beyond.

 Leadership Skills: ROTC can help students how to lead and work effectively

with others, which are essential skills for success in any field.

 Problem-Solving Skills: ROTC can help students develop their problem-

solving skills by teaching them how to think critically and come up with

creative solutions.
 This aims to explore the perceptions of parents towards mandatory basic ROTC

program in the Philippines.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

 Determine the perception of parents of senior high school students at Daragutan East

National High School

 What is the respondents’ perception towards the ROTC program concept in terms of

motivating, training, organizing, and mobilizing the youth?

 Do parents believe that mandatory ROTC has impact on a student’s mental well-

being?