Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1783
HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE JUMEL ANTHONY I. ESPIN

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

This measure seeks to institutionalize a mandatory Reserve Officers’ Military
Education and Training Service (ROMETS) course for all Filipino college students,
amending for the purpose the provisions of Republic Act 9163 or the National Service
Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001 and strengthening the Citizen Armed Force of
Reserve Force in Republic Act No. 7077, also known as the Citizen Armed Forces of the
Philippines Reservists Act

Section 4, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides:

“Section 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.”

However, with the enactment of Republic Act 9163, (National Service Training
Program of 2001), this constitutional provision has been consigned to, more or less, oblivion
as it had been very difficult to require able bodied Filipino male to undergo military
education and training services, thereby putting to naught the rationale of the Citizen Armed
Force enshrined in the Philippines Reservists Act.

Statistically, most college students under the NSTP prefer the other forms of civic
course over the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), thus making it unimaginable for
our country not to have sufficient reserve officers and manpower to call, to render military
services when warranted by national exigencies, whether as a response to any national
security threat or national emergency.

With the passage of this bill, it will give flesh and blood to the national policy
envisioned by Section 4, Article II of the 1987 Constitution and that of the Philippine
Reservists Act which provides for the organization, training, development and maintenance

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of a Citizen Armed Force, to ensure their readiness to immediately respond to the call to
service in times of war, invasion or rebellion.

Presently, this constitutional provision has never been more truthfully a necessity and
timely inlight of recent events wherein the Philippines is most imminent duty-bound to
defend its territory over incursions of world and regional powers.

In view of the importance of this matter, we urgently ask for the passage of this bill



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1183
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE JUMEL ANTHONY I. ESPINO

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE MANDATORY RESERVE OFFICERS’ MILITARY
EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICE (ROMETS) FOR FILIPINO MALE
STUDENTS IN ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES AND
SIMILAR LEARNING INSTITUTIONS.

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

SECTION 1. Short Tittle. — This Act shall be known as the “Reserve Officers’ Military
Education and Training Service (ROMETS) Act of 2019.”

SECTION 2. State 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, in the fulfilment thereof, all
citizens may be required, under conditions provided by law, to render personal, military or
civil service.

SECTION 3.Coverage—The mandatory Reserve Officers’ Military Education and
Training Service (ROMETS) shall apply to all male tertiary students enrolled in public or
private universities, colleges and similar institutions. It shall form part of the curriculum of all
baccalaureate degree courses and two (2)-year technical or vocational courses as requisite for
graduation. The universities, colleges and similar learning institutions shall request for the
conduct of military education and training in their respective schools through the Secretary of
National Defense for the purpose of preparing enlisted and officer reservist.

SECTION 4. ROMETS Program Course — The program instruction shall be prescribed by
the Secretary of National Defense to prepare male students for military service. Such course
of instruction shall not exceed sixty (60) hours of instructions and training in the case of
enlisted reservist and four (4) academic years in the case of officer reservists, which shall
include the necessary summer or probationary training of not more than thirty (30) days.


SECTION 5. Acceptance for Advance ROMETS — Students who volunteer for Advance
ROMETS shall be screened by a ROMETS Board of Reception which is hereby created for
the purpose, composed of the Commandant of the ROMETS unit, a representative of the
school nominated by the school administration, and a military physician.

The student volunteer shall be physically fit for training as certified by the school
physician. Where the student is below eighteen (18) years of age, he shall be required to
obtain parents’ or guardian’s consent.

In the case of students volunteering for reserve officers’ training, they shall further be
subjected to competitive examinations. ‘Ihe students undergoing Advance ROME'S shall be
referred to as Advance ROMETS Cadets,

SECTION 6. Persons Disqualified or Exempted. — The following students are
disqualified oe exempied from the coverage:

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

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

¢. Students of universities, colleges and other similar learning institutions who have
undergone or are still undergoing ROMETS or similar military traing as
recognized by the Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the
Philippines as among those undergoing training to qualify as reservists.

SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within six (6) months from the
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) shall, in
coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of
National Defense (DND), shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the
objectives of this Act.

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

SECTION 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall be effective fifteen (15] days following the
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation,

Approved