To the School Principal, __________________________, distinguished teaching

and non-teaching personnel, guests, and students, Good Morning!

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps or ROTC, I know that its not new to us. I
assumed that all of us are familiar of this program. In the previous Academic years in
college, ROTC was only being selected and enrolled by students who were willing to be
part of it. Now, it has been proposed to be mandatory. As mentioned by our President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his first State of the Nation Address, reinstating the Reserve
Officers’ Training Corps program, better known as the ROTC, in public and private
Senior High School was among the priority legislative agendas he had proposed. He
said that “Its aim is to motivate, train, organize and mobilize the students for national
defense preparedness including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-
related situations”.

Mandatory ROTC in Senior High School has several benefits, including fostering
commitment to a military career. It provides students with opportunities to develop self-
discovery and independence, as well as engage in extracurricular activities and mini-
course. As stated by Department of National Defense Officer-In-Charge Secretary
Carlito Galvez Jr. that this program would allow trainees to beef up their resilience and
character qualities that are believed to foster good mental health.

My dear students, as a public officer, let me inculcate in your minds that ROTC is
not a program to be fear of nor it is one of the best leadership and adventure training
course that essentially teaches practical life skills. It will teach you the importance of
leadership, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
Moreover, ROTC will build your character hone full potentials. Thus, I’m encouraging
you all that as you joined the ROTC, treat it seriously because it would be great help for
you to develop your knowledge and skills as well as to prepare yourself when you join
the military service in the future. It is indeed an opportunity for you to lead and make a
difference. Once again, Thank you and Good Morning!