In this article, I delve into the perception and engagement of millennial students with ROTC as a crucial requirement during their formative years. Through comprehensive exploration via quick interviews, I shed light on their perspectives, experiences, and attitudes towards ROTC involvement. I also include their parents’ stand on this concern.
ROTC Meaning
What does ROTC imply? It stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. The aim of ROTC is to train the students in college for future military service in the air force, army, navy.
Table of Contents
Introduction
For the past quondam decades, Army ROTC Programs have been officially subsisting for both the public and private schools alike for the college students in the Philippines. Subsequently to a time, it was stopped, and then restored to its former state in the school institutions—in colleges.
It was merely a few years back when some schools have once more embraced the Army ROTC Programs in their schools for the college students. These have varying replications from amongst the community, both for the students and the parents themselves.
How does the Millennial Students Cognize the Army ROTC Programs? How does the community reverberate the Army ROTC Programs in this time and era? Does the Army ROTC program and trainings have advantages and disadvantages, or benefits for the learners? What are the specific trainings that go with the ROTC Programs?
I present my findings in the next sections listening to millennial students and their parents.
How Do Millennial Students Cognize the Army ROTC Programs?
- The millennial female students vehemently disavow to have the college Army ROTC Programs in a specific manner due to their monthly period characterized by the relative remarkable discomfort and abdominal pains during those days and feel “luya”.
- The millennial female single mothers refuse to acknowledge the college Army ROTC Programs as succeeding after attending classes at the school premises. They barely have the sufficient quantity of dynamism anymore to take care of their infant babies’ way back home. Similarly, they don’t have pertinent period spent in sleeping, taking care of their babies, thus the following day they don’t have the essential enormous energy for rigid Army ROTC Program trainings.
- Some of the lower class and the middle-class millennial students negate having the Army ROTC Programs as most of them work by having part time jobs to somehow be able to dutifully support their studies and thereby financially help parents.
- The lower-class millennial students want to repeal the college Army ROTC Programs as after school they need to go home early and help their parents “sa nayong Filipino/bukid” farm specially the men while the women have to take care of younger siblings, tutor younger siblings and do household chores with their mother.
- Millennial students in the cities revoke the ROTC Programs as they give heed and need to prioritize studies, study for test and exams, do assignments and school projects and reports and deadlines to meet.
- A few men millennial students like ROTC Programs so they can further be trained and learn the basics of guns and armories—but said their only apprehensions are that their body physique gets tired and worn out with the ROTC Programs and trainings.
- Some middle-class students said they recede the idea of the Army ROTC Program as they vehemently help their parents in their family business after school so it would be quite difficult for them to juggle time.
- Some millennial students want it to be dissolved as they said they are only young and are therefore not inclined to have some army rotc trainings and programs.
Parents Stand on the Army ROTC Programs
- Most of the parents expressed they strongly uphold that their male children or sons have to undergo the Army ROTC Programs but not on weekends. As they said on Saturdays, their children do their school assignments, school projects and study lessons. Moreover, Sundays are considered as being their imperative family day.
- Most parents declared they support and advocate the Army ROTC Programs but only for their male children, not the female children belonging to the weaker sex.
- Some parents have verbalized they support their children having the Army ROTC Program but on shortened time and only on early mornings say from 7 am to 9am only when it’s not yet too hot as upon going home they children looked burnt out already from the rigid ROTC trainings and heat of the sun.
- Some parents vocalized that if, for instance, the Army ROTC Program is scheduled in the morning, then the afternoon should be given as their rest day.
- Many of the male parents specifically stated their intentions to enlist in the Army ROTC training themselves, if necessary, as backup or reserve military and defend the beloved country of the Philippines correspondingly like what the Ukraine people are remarkably doing for their country.
- Many female parents or mothers’ desires to enlist in the reserve military too and or Army ROTC Programs to defend their country Philippines yet have apprehensions as they are the ones vehemently who are taking good care of the kids at home.
- Some male parents or the fathers expressed their intentions to join the reserve military and or ROTC Programs in the Army with a bit of compensation and benefits as being the head of the family they need to feed them as well.
- The grandfathers with ages ranging from 60s to 70s would like to enlist in the reserved military and or Army ROTC Program as well, if need be; saying they too would defend the country and would desire for their grandchildren to experience how it is to have the lasting freedom and liberty in their own country.
Male Community
- Most of the male community from the taxi drivers, the bus drivers, the male workers at the malls, the male workers at the market, the male school employees and workers, the male jobless people from the Covid-19 onslaught, the male office employees have stated they would enlist support the country if need be.
It is so moving, heartwarming, stirring deeply in a way that evokes a strong emotional response and how a nation will come and journey altogether as one to defend and support their own country in the Philippines.
Although the Philippines is a small country, it may be able to fight a larger aggressor. It is possible with God’s help. Just like what the bible say about the story of David and Goliath which I highlight here.
Small David Defeats Giant Goliath
In 1 Samuel 17: 43-50 Goliath said to David, “What’s that stick for? Do you think I’m a dog?” And he called down curses from his god on David. Come on, he challenged David, and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat.
David answered, “You are coming against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. This very day, the Lord will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, and everyone here will see that the LORD does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.
Goliath started walking toward David again, and David ran quickly toward the Philistine battle line to fight him. He reached into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke the skull, and Goliath fell face downward on the ground. And so, without a sword, David defeated and killed Goliath’s sword out of its sheath and cut off his head and killed him.
God’s Message:
Giant powerful Goliath laughed at David, but David responded that even though Goliath, along with his many Philistine groups, has the great armory, yet David came in the name of the LORD Almighty— creator of heaven and earth, the Alpha and Omega. Henceforth, no one can ever stand against the Holy God.
David sufficiently trusted in the ever Powerful God. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God in all his might has never lost any battle yet. God loves his children and will invariably be there for them for those who perpetually call on him and draw nearer to Him. (1 THESSALONIANS 5: 16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”)
EPHESIANS 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s scheme.”
Useful Links to Other Education-Related Articles
- 14 Challenges of Modular Learning to Students and Teachers. May 14, 2022
- K12 Education in the Philippines: Ineffective? June 29, 2022
- Hybrid Learning vs. Online Classes: 37 Key Points to Ponder. July 11, 2022
- The Essentials of EMI English as Medium of Instruction. October 01, 2022.
- 25 Best Medical schools Near Me: Ph & US. April 27, 2023
- Best Engineering Schools Near Me: US (25) & Asia (44). April 30, 2022
References
Gabriel, E. and C. Powden (2020). Benefits and Barriers Associated with Intention to Participate in Injury Prevention Programs in ROTC Cadets. (2023). Retrieved 30 April 2023, from https://www.sciencegate.app/document/10.21203/rs.3.rs-84399/v1
Montesi, J. (2018). ROTC Benefits: The Financial and Personal Advantages of Participation. (2023). Retrieved 30 April 2023, from https://www.apu.edu/articles/rotc-benefits-the-financial-and-personal-advantages-of-participation/
