MANILA – Contrary to President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos is pushing to make the Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program optional in college.
In her Senate Bill 413 or “Citizen Services Program” filed recently, Marcos said the ROTC program will be a college option rather than a high school requirement for graduation.
“The total absence of community service subjects in the proposed ROTC curriculum, and its very name alone, made it an overtly military program,” Marcos said.
“You can’t legislate nationalism or force kids to be soldiers,” she added. “The country will also be able to comply with international agreements if ROTC was not made a graduation requirement for high school.”
Marcos said military officials pushing to revive the ROTC program in high school were paying mere “lip service” to the program’s stated civilian goals of encouraging civic consciousness among the youth and voluntary service to the community.
“I am not against ROTC as I prescribed it as an option for college students in my bill,” said Marcos, adding her bill offered incentives of free health and life insurance to all ROTC student participants, plus stipends for ROTC officers.
Duterte earlier urged lawmakers to support the proposed mandatory ROTC program in public and private senior high schools as it will help instill patriotism among Filipino youths.
Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said that in order to perpetuate the culture of patriotism and heroism, it is the responsibility of each Filipino to teach the youth about the love of country and service to countrymen.
“I believe that ROTC can teach our youths leadership, discipline, respect for authority and service to country,” Lorenzana said.
“The highest tribute we can give our heroes is to perpetuate their legacy by ensuring that their good deeds are not forgotten but instead perpetuated and emulated,” he added.
“The act of defiance against foreign domination by our forefathers despite overwhelming odds planted the seed of Filipino nationhood that evolved to become what we are now,” said Lorenzana./PN
