Bill filed strengthening ROTC component in NSTP

A lawmaker wants the service components of the National Service Training Program modified into “more relevant” areas to suit the defense needs of the country in the wake of growing security concerns in the West Philippine Sea.

House Bill 5865 filed by Camarines Sur Rep. Felix William Fuentebella proposes to strengthen the country’s defense and security structure by, among others, changing the NSTP’s service components as stated under Republic Act 9163, or the National Service Training Program Act of 2001.

Under the measure, the program shall consist of the following service components:
Reserve Officers’ Training Service, Enlisted Reservists’ Training Service,
Disaster Preparedness Training Service and Humanitarian Aid and Other Assistance Training

At present, the program’s components are: the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS), and the Literacy Training Service (LTS).

HB 5865 requires state universities and colleges to offer the Reserve Officers’ Training Service and Enlisted Reservists’ Training Service, and at least one of the two other components provided in the measure.

Those who undergo the training for reserve officers and enlisted reservists shall be granted preference in joining the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police subject to other requirements of existing laws, rules and regulations.

NSTP shall remain part of the curricula of all undergraduate degree courses and of at least two-year technical vocational courses.

In addition to changing the NSTP’s components, the measure also seeks the upgrade of the country’s defense system by appropriating the necessary funds to improve the AFP and PNP’s capabilities in manpower, equipment and facilities.

The measure provides for a budgetary support annual General Appropriations Act for each of the AFP and PNP in the amount not less than one percent of the total national budget, which will be administered by the Secretary of National Defense and the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, respectively.

'War games'

In a separate statement, Batangas Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza urged the Commission on Higher Education and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to include “war games” exercises and “guerrilla tactics” training in the Reserve Officers Training Corps to encourage them to sign up for the program and improve their ability to defend the country in case of war.

Citing data from CHED, Mendoza noted that only 1.4 million chose ROTC as their NSTP component of the estimated 10 million college students who enrolled from 2002 to 2012.

Majority of the college students, or 8.7 million, took up CWTS while the rest chose LTS.

“Majority of the country’s college students have shown little interest in ROTC not just because of the Mark Chua case but also because it does not appeal to the youth,” the lawmaker said.

  “We have to inculcate to our youth that military training is significant part of patriotism and loyalty to one's country,” he added.

Chua was a student of the University of Sto. Tomas murdered in 2001 for exposing the alleged extortion activities in the ROTC program. His death, which generated public outrage, eventually resulted in the abolition of mandatory ROTC training.

Mendoza made the proposal following China’s deployment earlier this month of missiles in disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea. — APG, GMA News