Implementing the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in colleges and universities will require an annual budget of P8 billion, according to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. The estimate was provided by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro during a recent discussion about the proposed bill making military training compulsory in schools.
Escudero raised concerns about the allocation, emphasizing that the government needs to determine whether it can afford the P8 billion cost, which could otherwise be used for education or healthcare. He also pointed out that fully rolling out mandatory ROTC between 2025 and 2029 would amount to P27.12 billion.
While the House of Representatives has already approved its version of the bill, the Senate continues to debate it. Escudero mentioned that Congress must carefully consider budget priorities and allocate resources effectively.
Another concern raised by the senator is the provision to automatically enlist students who complete basic ROTC into the reserve force, which could overwhelm the current system already struggling with a backlog under the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
Though Escudero remains opposed to the bill, he clarified that he will not block its passage if the majority supports it. ROTC became optional in 2002 after the death of Mark Welson Chua, a University of Santo Tomas student, who exposed corruption within the program.
To address concerns about abuse and violence, the bill includes provisions to create a National Grievance and Monitoring Committee to investigate complaints within ROTC units.
