BACOLOD City – The Visayas leg of the 2024 Philippine ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) Games kicked off yesterday, May 26, at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan here.
The week-long ROTC Games 2024 has the theme, “Husay ng ROTC, Husay ng Kabataan.”
About 1,938 student-athletes are competing in the 14 sports disciplines : aquatics/swimming, arnis, athletics, boxing, e-sports, kickboxing, sepak takraw, taekwondo, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, target shooting, chess, and raiders competition. The Search for Miss ROTC 2024 will also be held.
Sen. Francis Tolentino, who graced the opening ceremony, said as the repeated tensions in the West Philippine Sea continue to simmer, he is confident that his proposed bill (Senate Bill 1565) seeking to revive the ROTC for Filipino students will soon be signed into law.
“ROTC is an effective way to foster teamwork, discipline, and patriotism, potent tools which can effectively hone productive citizens and future leaders of our country,” Tolentino said.
Also present were Carlos Hilado Memorial State University president Dr. Norberto Mangulabnan and Bacolod City’s Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran.
The Philippine ROTC Games was conceived by Sen. Tolentino, an Army Brigade commander in the 1501st Ready Reserve Brigade.
The event is a joint collaboration of the Commission on Higher Education(CHED), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Department of National Defense (DND), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
ROTC games aim to promote and strengthen the ROTC program throughout the country, as well as fortify and promote sports education and create an avenue to showcase abilities in a competitive yet supportive environment, while instilling value formation and character building in the lives of participating students./PN