Sereñas in favor to make ROTC course mandatory for studes

AN official of the Police Regional OfficeNorthern Mindanao (PRO-10) has backed the move of the House of Representatives to make the Reserved Officers Training Program (ROTC) mandatory for senior high school students.

PRO-10 spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Surki Serenas yesterday said there is a need to engage senior high school students in meaningful activities like training them in disaster response, medical first aid, national defense and many other useful skills.

“We believe it helps in instilling discipline and patriotism in the minds of the youth; particularly now that most of their time are spent on online games and gadgets,”Serenas said.

“There must be safeguards that it will not be an instrument of abuse and corruption,”he added.

The measure that would make ROTC mandatory for senior high school students was approved on third and final reading in the lower house last Monday.

Once it is enacted into law, Grades 11 and 12 students will be required to undergo the basic ROTC program as a pre-requisite for graduation.

The Philippine National Police has earlier express support on the legislation that seeks to revive the ROTC program as part of the regular academic curriculum.

“We are convinced that the ROTC program is designed to build a solid foundation to instill patriotism and nationalism among the youth to become useful citizens who possess the skills, knowledge and the heart to uphold and defend the country’s national institutions and sovereignty,”the PNP said in a statement.