By Cyrus A. Natividad

The CPU ROTC Unit in one of the tactical drills competition.

Many Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduates were admittedly disappointed when Congress moved to repeal the program. It has been a long period of time since ROTC was made optional in college. In a dialogue with Ret. Col Peter C. Bedoña, CPU ROTC Commandant, he referred to House Bill No. 8961- that seeks to revive mandatory ROTC for Grades 11 and 12; the ROTC training will be required for both male and female students.

Bedoña explained, “The goal behind the proposed 2-year mandatory ROTC is to produce well-trained and prepared reservists for military and civic service. The ROTC training is aimed to install patriotism, love of country, moral and spiritual values, respect for human rights, and adherence to the constitution (spirit of nationalism, nation-building and national preparedness).

The proposed measure will also reinforce the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserved Force as well as the capacity of the government to respond to threats on national security and during emergency. Furthermore he clarified that under the bill, only students deemed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines or his/her medical doctor as physically or psychologically unfit for the ROTC Program in accordance with the recommendation of the educational institution where the concerned student is enrolled will be exempted.

Bedoña who is a graduate of Advance ROTC in CPU, emphasized that “the aim is to safeguard students from recruitment by unscrupulous groups inside the school campus. By this measure, students will be guided accordingly on what is happening around them and not succumbed to deception.