Arianne Riza B.

Abella Comm 01
BS in Accountancy 1D MWF 11-12
MANDATORY ROTC: A NEED OF OUR COUNTRY

According to R.A. 9163, otherwise known as the National Service Training

Program Act of 2001, the youth need to have an enhanced civic consciousness and
defense preparedness by developing their ethics of service and patriotism while
undergoing training under any of the 3 programs: Civil Welfare Training Service,
Reserve Officers Training Corps, and Literacy Training Service. College students have
their own say regarding the decision on whether to enter the ROTC Program or not, it is
their choice.

However, recent news about the implementation of the mandatory ROTC has
evoked various, contrasting opinions about the subject. Oppositions emphasized that
the said program does not necessarily create war-ready, disciplined individuals as there
are many other activities out there that could teach us, youth, about disciplinarian
behaviors, cooperative and dedicated attitude, and the significance of being socially and
physically active. But, if asked what other undertakings these are, they cannot provide a
single answer but enumerates a whole bunch of equally tiring activities. Thus, why not
try to considerate the implementation of mandatory ROTC?

Those who agree to this proposal, including myself, stress the need for
individually competitive yet teamwork-oriented youth in our nation. ROTC does not only
address the disciplinarian aspect of a student, but also the essence of camaraderie,
importance of cooperation and love for others. It could also train us in a way that
whenever and wherever defense is needed, students could participate in fighting to
keep order and peace, thus, lessening the problems of lack of soldiers, policemen, and
even health workers. Basic first aid and survival skills are also being taught in this
matter. Moreover, physical readiness of students which is a need in times of natural
disasters is being well taken care of. This is why if ever the suggestion for mandatory
ROTC is approved, it will greatly benefit everyone will be involved in it. Not just
students, not just the society around them, but the whole country. This subject area
deals with numerous problems in our community, the more reason that it should be
implemented.

Employing mandatory ROTC will hit countless birds with one stone. This is a
need of our country given its current situations wherein war and bombings are
everywhere, the youth are engaged in crimes and illegal drug activities, natural
calamities are constantly visiting, and division of opinion is very rampant. We, the youth,
need to unite to tackle our future as we are the hope of the future. We are the future.
And with ROTC, we will be ready.
Arianne Riza B. Abella Comm 01
BS in Accountancy 1D MWF 11-12
STUDENT RALLIES: Do They Deserve Educational Scholarship?

Yes. The Free Tertiary Education Act has been approved and implemented to all
state university and colleges since the first semester of the school year 2018-2019.
However, some of these colleges and most private schools haven’t adhered to this law
because they are not covered by its provisions. In result thereof, student-activists had
been piling up in front of Malacañang, shouting cries for justice on free education
whatsoever. National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairman Ronald Cardema had been
issued regarding his words when he suggested that those who are rallying against the
government should be excluded in the free education scholarship program. However,
Cardema, in his defense, said that he was only pertaining to those who are anti-
government that had entered in to rebellious groups or communist parties like leftist
New People’s Army. Although he righted his mistake, student rallying groups had
already made the issue a big deal and began tackling about discriminating rights.

Yes, students deserve free education. But, some certain students who
continuously bad rant about the government’s policies are all talk, mostly are just
bandwagon. Why all talk? It is because they cannot see what the government has been
done. There is already an act, what are they still trying to prove? Yes, the money that
funds the free tertiary education comes from the people and not from the government,
so what is the problem? Students, blinded by the prejudices of their peers and
influencers, are nagging on things that do not really have a problem. Now, why do some
students just follow the bandwagon? Because, again, they just react on whatever they
read from social media or whatever they had heard from someone without an educated
judgment. Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago said “It is alarming that Cardema
wants to discriminate our rights to education and trample on the youth’s victory by
denying us our rights both on free education and free speech.” This is the problem. Free
education is currently being implemented that is why I can’t see any discrimination here,
in contrast to Elago’s words. Moreover, this statement exhibits the overreaction of
someone who had voiced out her opinion freely, but still, blusters about the
discrimination of free speech.

What I want to emphasize here is that, the government’s side and the student
rallies’ side are both committing mistakes. The government should not release
statements that can evoke contrasting opinions and comments from the mass media,
especially now that activists and government-defenders are all oversensitive about
social issues. But students should not solely rely on being bias on their political views.
Yes, students, anti-government or not, deserves free education. It is their right. When a
person is anti-government, he is entitled to his own opinion. I respect that. But when a
person rallies on a certain topic without further research or enough background
knowledge on the issue, well, free education is being enjoyed by the ignorant after all.