ROTC CADETS AS FUTURE LEADERS. 7th Regional Community Defense Group commander, Colonel Ricky Bunayog speaks before Army Reservists and Basic Citizens Military Training cadets during his assumption of office on Oct. 26, 2019, at the 53rd Engineer Brigade Multi-Purpose Hall. Bunayog, a 2017 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino awardee, said that a stronger mandatory Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program will produce dynamic leaders for the future Philippine society. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – A stronger mandatory Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program will produce future dynamic leaders, who can assure inclusive development in terms of economy and security, a ranking Army officer, who is also a 2017 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino awardee said on Tuesday.
Col. Ricky Bunayog, chief of the 7th Regional Community Defense Group (7RCDG) of the Army Reserve Command in Region 7, said the younger generations are beginning to open up and see for themselves the significance in taking up ROTC rather than the other components of the National Service Training Program under Republic Act 9163.
He said that the rising number of college students in both public and private universities and colleges in Central Visayas proves that the younger generation is getting abreast of how they can contribute to nation-building through the ROTC program.
“The 7RCDG has noticed an increase to 71.57 percent of enrollees in Basic ROTC and 38.70 percent in Advance ROTC programs in Region 7. It might be too early to tell, but I like to believe that the school administrators, the parents, and most especially the youth who are quite aware of their future of they are cadets,” he told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.
Records showed that the ROTC program in school-year 2019-2020 started with 16,261 basic cadets and 540 advance cadets, which is way higher than in 2018-2019 that culminated with only 11,639 basic cadets and 209 advance cadets from the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental.
The 7RCDG is a unit under Arescom that supervises the ROTC program in the four provinces in Central Visayas. It oversees the four Community Defense Centers spread throughout the region.
Although the objective of the reserve force development which starts in ROTC in schools is to prepare the citizenry in case of invasion or calamities and to reinforce their sense patriotism, Bunayog said the youths are now seeing the service training program in the perspective of “direct and indirect contribution to the society” being disciplined members of the populace.
“In that manner, hindi lang ma-train ang ating kabataan sa (not only we can train our youth in) disaster preparedness and being protectors of our vital structures such as the power grid, water lines, et cetera, they also feel that they could contribute to the overall development and well-being of the Filipinos and how they can contribute to the improvement of the Philippine society,” he added.
The chief of 7RCDG underscored the countries with strong ROTC and mandatory military service programs to their youth as economies.
He cited Israel, Singapore and South Korea where the youth are obliged to serve the military for a certain number of years.
“Not everyone becomes soldiers. But what can be left of these young people are their military background that becomes vital for the future development of the country with them as leaders at the helm,” he said, adding that aside from producing disciplined leaders, ROTC also produces good followers.
Bunayog also linked the popularity of ROTC training among the young generation nowadays to the high trust rating of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as well as the showing on local television of Korean dramas where actors highlight the importance of serving in their military.
Also, the Arescom, he said, has made an effort to enhance the warfighting training facilities for the Army reservists and ROTC cadets at Camp Riego de Dios in Tanza, Cavite under the command of Major General Bernie Langub, as well the enhancement of the teaching methods and program of instructions of the ROTC and its strict selection of soldiers who would become competent instructors to the cadets.
“Yes, the high trust ratings of the AFP are contributory. But the youth are now beginning to be aware that negative activism contributes nothing, especially if what the negative activists are trying to convey is to fight against the duly constituted government. The youths are seeing now that in positive activism, they get themselves involved in programs that are geared towards nation-building,” he said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087728
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