‘ROTC to become optional next year’

The Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC) will no longer be mandatory for male college students starting next school year.

Sen. Renato Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on education, gave this assurance yesterday as he revealed that President Arroyo has formally certified the bill seeking to make the ROTC voluntary or optional for college students, thus ensuring the measure’s approval within the month.

The Senate resumes its regular sessions on Nov. 12 after a two-week break.

Beginning June 2002, Cayetano said college students will have the option to take alternative civic, social welfare or community service courses.

In lieu of the ROTC, Cayetano said college students can opt to serve as "ecological warriors" and help in the rehabilitation of waterways, render services in aid of disaster and relief operations and provide support for traffic management.

They can also help implement barangay livelihood support projects, serve as teaching assistants in public schools, or work as interns in national or local government offices.

Cayetano said students now on their first or second year in college can opt to wait until next school year so they can take the alternative service courses, instead of the ROTC.

"We must stress that college students will still be required to take a service course that is meant to instill nationalism and the basics of good citizenry among the youth," he said.

The campaign to reform the ROTC reached its peak shortly after the abduction and murder of cadet Mark Welson Chua by a syndicate engaged in the illicit sale of course units at the University of Santo Tomas. — Aurea Calica