Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO._73'7

Introduced by Honorable EDUARDO R. GULLAS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The defense of the State is not only the concern of the government but of the people as
well, It is important that we prepare our citizens carly by instilling in them the values of
patriotism, discipline and love for the country. Under this context, we should required students to
undergo compulsory ROTC as a requirement for their graduation. In this way, we prepare a
generation of young people who are ready to defend the country in any eventuality.

This bill seeeks to reinstate the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for
all male tertiary students enrolled in all private and public colleges and universities and similar
learning institutions, repaeling Republic Act (RA) No. 9163, otherwise known as the National
Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2010

RA 9163 is aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the
youth by developing the ethics of service and patriotism while undergoing training in any of its
three (3) program components. Its various components are specifically designed to enhance the
youth's active contribution to the general welfare particularly to the improvement of the quality
of education in the country. While the wisdom of the present law (RA 9163) cannot be doubted,
the retention of the literacy service and civic welfare components of the program are offered in
preparation for the youth to become teachers and social workers, and these are currently offered
as separate courses and are thus superfluous.

Restoring ROTC will motivate, train, organize and mobilize our students for national
defense preparedness thus positively shaping their character to become more responsible and
dependable citizens, Thus, in the event of government's call 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.
7

EDUARDO |ULLAS


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 7 37

Introduced by Honorable EDUARDO R. GULLAS

AN ACT
REINSTATING THE MANDATORY RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS
(ROTC) IN ALL PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND SIMILAR
LEARNING INSTITUTIONS REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO,
9163, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
(NSTP) ACT OF 20190 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - this Act shall be known as the “Mandatory Reserve Officer's
Training Corps (ROTC) Act of 2010

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 fulfillment 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 be applicable to
all male tertiary students enrolled in colleges, universities and similar institutions of learning. It
shall form part of the curricula of all baccalaureate degree courses and of two-year technical or
vocational courses as a requisite for graduation: Provided, That, female students may likewise
undergo such ROTC Training on a voluntary basis.

SEC. 4. Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). - The Reserve Officers!
‘Training Corps (ROTC) is hereby declared mandatory for all male students enrolled in colleges,
universities and similar institutions of learning. Such colleges, universities and similar
institutions of learning shall request for the conduct of military training in their institutions,
through the Secretary of National Defense, who shall direct the conduct of military training for
the students of such institutions for the purpose of producing enlisted and officer reservists.


2

‘The program of instruction shall be prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense and
may include instruction to prepare female students for military service: Provided, That 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 officer reservists which shall include as 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
to as basic ROTC while the second two (2) years after said basis 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 nomianted 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 officer's training, they shall further be subject to competitive
‘examination in order to select the best material. 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:

(1) Students who are physically or psychologically unfit as certified to by the medical
personnel of the university or institution concerned;

(2) Those convicted by final judgement of criminal offenses involving moral turpitude;

(3) Students of colleges, universities and similar learning institutions who have
undergone or still undergoing ROTC or similar training as recognized by the military
authorities as among those undergoing training to qualify as reservist; and

(4) Those persons who are members of affiliated units of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of Education, in
coordination with the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of National
Defense, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implentation of this Act.

SEC. 8. Transitory Provision. - This Act shall apply in the next school year following the
approval of this Act. Any student who is currently enrolled under RA No. 9163, otherwise known
as the “National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2049, may continue the program
component of their choice under the said law.


SEC. 9, Repealing Clause. - For purposes of this Act, Republic Act No. 9163 is bhereby
repealed. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, other executive issuances, or parts
thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10, Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fiteen (15) days afler its publication in at
least two (2) newspapers of national circulation.

Approved,