CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY - A photo of the Cavite State University - Don Severino Delas Alas , its main campus located in Indang, Cavite. (Photo grabbed from Cavite State University - Main Campus Facebook page)
INDANG, Cavite - A senior official of the state-run academic institution here fully supports the proposed mandatory inclusion of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program in their school's curriculum, saying it will instill discipline among students.
However, Cavite State University (CvSU) Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Camilo A. Polinga believes the program is more appropriate in college than the Congress version pushing for its application among Grades 11 and 12 students, or senior high school, citing that college students have higher level of maturity to handle the program.
Polinga was interviewed by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on the sidelines of the General Inception Meeting on Project HECTOR (Higher Education Cooperation Towards Transnational Education Open Resource) at the university's Hostel Tropicana here on Monday.
"Kung ako ang tatanungin, mas maganda i-apply sa college (ang program), mas mataas ang level of maturity, not sa senior high school (level) na more on skills orientation at training (For me, it would be better to apply the program to college students who have higher level of maturity, not in senior high school which is more focused on skills orientation and training)," he said.
He said the senior high is a crucial school level, which prepares students in acquiring skills that will equip them if they decide to pursue a college education or proceed to work or do business on their own.
Right now, CvSU is offering the ROTC program to college freshmen on an optional basis, as students can choose if they prefer ROTC or the Community Welfare Training Service (CWTS).
While the ROTC is purely military training (handled by officers from the Philippine Army Reserve Command or ARESCOM), the CWTS delves more on community relations and outreach projects.
If ROTC becomes mandatory, Polinga said: "By all means, we will support it because of the discipline it will instill to our students".
To drum up support for the proposed mandatory inclusion of the ROTC for senior high school students in both public and private schools nationwide, the Office of the President (OP) through the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and Presidential Security Group (PSG), in coordination with the Department of National Defense (DND) and the AFP, through the Office of the Reservist and Retiree Affairs (OJ9), is organizing a summit at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila on December 20, starting at 9:00 a.m.
Around 2,500 ROTC cadets from selected colleges and universities and uniformed personnel in the country will attend.
The activity will feature the silent drill competition among the best cadets in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), Philippine Army Officer Candidate School (PAOCS), Philippine Navy Officer Candidate School (PNOCS), and Philippine Air Force Officer Candidate School (PAFOCS).
The units are vying for the top prize of P300,000; PHP200,000 for the second placer and the third will get PHP100,000.
A PHP50,000 consolation prize will be given for each of the other participating units. (PNA)
