MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of National Defense (DND) have started exploratory talks on a “more comprehensive” Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program in senior high school.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, DepEd Assistant Secretary for youth affairs and special concerns Dexter Galban shared details of his meeting with DND Undersecretary Ignacio Madriaga and officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Galban stated that the agencies are exploring the creation of a joint Preparatory Citizenship Training program, which he described as a “prelude to a multi-tiered, well-safeguarded, multi-faceted citizenship program.”
Among the areas that may be covered by the program are public safety training; basic and advanced first aid; basic leadership training; personal security measures; basic map reading; drug use prevention education; physical fitness, health and sanitation; basic survival techniques; road safety and discipline; crime prevention; voter education, and volunteerism and community service.
“Facilitated by military trained teachers and DepEd personnel and monitored by child protection units and fact-finding committees, we endeavor to help reform and enhance this program to better achieve its intended goals,” he added, saying the new ROTC will not just be marching.
According to DepEd spokesman Michael Poa, there are still no concrete plans on the matter as the meeting between the DepEd, DND and AFP officials was only exploratory.
On Thursday, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte commended the Schools Division of Aurora and the AFP’s 91st Infantry Battalion for partnering to launch an information awareness campaign against the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.
