The City College of Davao (CCD) will begin offering the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) to its students in August.
This was announced after the CCD signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the 11th Regional Community Defense Group (11RCDG) at the CCD temporary campus in Catalunan Pequeño on February 16.
CCD President Wenefredo Cagape said the training course will be offered to its second year students, instead of freshmen, as part of the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
“Gi-offer ni siya sa mga second-year … tungod kay dili man gud mi ready atong first-year operation so we thought ‘why not offer it to second-years?’ (This is offered to second year students … because we were not yet ready during our first-year operation so we thought why not offer it to second-years?),” Cagape said.
He said majority of CCD students have expressed their enthusiasm over the training course. Cagape estimated that over two-thirds of the current 320 CCD students will most likely choose to take ROTC over the other two NSTP programs being offered-- Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS).
Col. Josue Caberto, Commander of the 11 RCDG, said the 11RCDG together with CCD faculty have developed a comprehensive ROTC curriculum that is geared at providing the “youth the opportunity to develop leadership skills.” He also cited the many benefits of the training, including scholarships and other incentives for outstanding ROTC cadets.
Mayor Sebastian Duterte, in a message during Friday’s MOA signing, said the ROTC is not only aimed at effectively inculcating discipline, leadership and command skills, and other military values but would also instill “solidarity amongst us Filipinos.”
He said the history of armed conflict in Mindanao, compounded by the rising tensions in the world stage, has heightened the incentive for the creation of a well-prepared military reservist population in the country. CIO
Source: Madayaw Davao