AN OFFICIAL from the City College of Davao (CCD) announced that the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) will be offered starting August 2024.
Dr. Wenefredo Cagape, president of the city college, said during the radio interview on Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR), on Wednesday morning, February 21, 2024, that they already signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Col. Josue Caberto, commander of the 11 Regional Community Defense Group (11RCDG), regarding the ROTC program.
“Although we encourage our students to be part sa ROTC kay ingon si Mayor [Sebastian Duterte] last Friday nga iyang gi-encourage gyud nga mag-ROTC, so makita namo diri nga base sa mga response sa mga bata kay mostly sa mga bata sa City College of Davao kay gusto nila ang ROTC (We encourage our students to join the ROTC as Mayor Sebastian Duterte emphasized last Friday, urging them to participate. Judging from the students' responses, especially those from the City College of Davao, it's evident that they have a keen interest in the ROTC),” Cagape said.
He assured that the school's spacious one-hectare grounds in the temporary campus of CCD in Catalunan Pequeño would facilitate the drills.
There are about 320 students in CDD and most of them will participate in the ROTC.
He, however, clarified that ROTC is voluntary, providing students with options such as the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and the Literacy Training Service (LTS) under the National Service Training Program.
For those not inclined towards ROTC, the school accommodates them and opens programs for CWTS or LTS.
Cagape underscored that participating in ROTC doesn't limit students to a military path; they can apply their skills in Civic Welfare and Disaster Response, involving activities like flood response, firefighting, and coastal clean-ups.
“They can do a lot of things aside from military training they can still be part of civic engagements,” he said, adding that students can develop leadership and discipline not only through ROTC but also through CWTS and LTS. RGP