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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City {

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Eighteenth Congress we

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.__ 3712

Introduced by Honorable Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Section 4, Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides:

“SEC. 4. The prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people. The
government may call upon the people to defend the State and, in the fulfilment thereof, all
citizens may be required, under conditions provided by law, to render personal, military, or civil
service.”

This constitutional provision affirms that the defense of the State is primarily the concern
not only of the government but of the people as well. It shall be the responsibility of every
Filipino citizen to defend the security, freedom and independence of the Philippine Republic be
rendering personal, military of civil service. Thus, Republic Act No. 7077, otherwise known as
the “Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservists Act,” mandated the military training for
students enrolled in colleges, universities and similar institutions of learning and established the
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) units for the purpose of producing enlisted and officer
reservists.

Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known as the National Service Training Program
(NSTP) Act of 2001,” however, made ROTC optional and voluntary. Since the passage of RA
9163, the number of ROTC enrolees and graduates has declined causing concems over the
sustainability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reserve manpower supply and,
consequently, on the capacity of the government to respond to any national security threat or
national emergency. Reservists are often mobilized to respond to national emergencies, disasters
and calamities.



This bill, therefore, seeks to reinstate the mandatory ROTC for all tertiary students
enrolled in all public and private universities, colleges and similar learning institutions.
Restoring ROTC will motivate, train, organize and mobilize our students for national defense
preparedness. This will also positively shape their character to become more responsible and
dependable citizens. Thus, should the government need to defend the State, our people will be
well prepared for the contingency to render personal, military or civil service.

Hence, early approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

. AUMENTADO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._3712

Introduced by HonorableErico Aristotle C. Aumentado

AN ACT
REINSTATING THE MANDATORY RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS
(ROTC) FOR STUDENTS IN ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES,
COLLEGES AND SIMILAR LEARNING INSTITUTIONS

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress of the Philippines
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. ~ This Act shall be known as the “Mandatory Reserve Officers’
Training Corps (ROTC) Act.”

SEC. 2. Statement of policy — it is the policy of the State to serve and protect the people.
The government may call upon the people to defend the State and in the fulfilment thereof, all
citizens may be required, under conditions provided by law, to render personal, military or civil

service.

SEC. 3. Coverage. ~ The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) shall apply to all
male tertiary students enrolled in public or private universities, colleges and similar learning
institutions. It shall form part of the curricula of all baccalaureate degree courses and two-year

technical or vocational courses as a requisite for graduation.


SEC. 4. Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). ~ The Reserve Officers”
Training Corps (ROTC) is hereby declared mandatory for all male students enrolled in any
private or public university, college and similar learning institutions. Universities and colleges
and similar learning institutions shall request for the conduct of military training in their
respective schools, through the Secretary of National Defence for the purpose of producing
enlisted and officer reservists.

The program of instruction shall be prescribed by the Secretary of National Defence to
prepare male students for military service. Such course of instruction shall not exceed two (2)
academic years in the case of enlisted reservists and four (4) academic years in the case of
enlisted reservists and four (4) academic years in the case of officer reservists which shall
include the necessary summer or probationary training of not more than sixty (60) consecutive

days.

The first two (2) years of ROTC training, which is mandatory shall hereafter be referred
toas basic ROTC while the second two (2) years after said basic ROTC, which is voluntary, shall
hereafter be referred to as Advance ROTC. The allocation of ROTC units to the various major
services of the AFP shall conform to the projected manpower needs of their respective reserve

components.

SEC. 5. Acceptance for Advance ROTC. — students who volunteer for advance ROTC
shall be screened by an ROTC Acceptance Board which is hereby created for the purpose,
composed of the commandant of the ROTC unit, a representative of the school nominated by the
school authorities, and a military physician. The student volunteer shall be physically examined
for fitness for training and shall further be made to execute in writing a testament that he
volunteered for training of his own volition. Where the student is below eighteen (18) years of
age, he shall be required to obtain his parent’s or guardian’s consent. In the case of students
volunteering for reserve officers training, they shall further be subject to competitive
examination. ‘The students undergoing Advance ROTC shall be referred to as Advance ROTC
cadets.

SEC. 6. Persons Disqualified or exempted. ~ The following students are disqualified or

exempted from the coverage.


a. Students who are physically or psychologically unfit as certified to by the medical
personnel of the university or institution concerned;

b. Those convicted by final judgement of criminal offenses involving moral turpitude;

c. Students of universities, colleges and other similar learning institutions who have
undergone or still undergoing ROTC or similar military training as recognized by the
military authorities as among those undergoing training to qualify as reservists; and

d. Those person who are members of affiliated units of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — within six (6) months from the
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Education and the Department of National Defence, issue

the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the objectives of this Act.

SEC. 8. Repealing Clause, — For the purposes of this Act, the pertinent provisions of
Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known as the “ National Service Training Program Act of
2001” is hereby deemed amended. All other all laws, executive orders presidential decrees, rules
and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby repealed,

amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 9. Effectivity.- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication

in the Official Gazette or any two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,