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Mutually exclusive: Sen. Win Gatchalian allays fears of student groups that the education crisis in the Philippines will affect the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program, saying these programs are mutually exclusive. Gatchalian pointed out during the continuation of the public hearing on several measures seeking to reinstate the ROTC program Monday, February 6, 2023 that the ROTC program doesn’t intend to train students to become full-time soldiers. “What we envisioned here is to provide basic training to college students, meaning these students have already progressed from basic education to higher education. So they will have the mental wherewithal to be trained with basic ROTC training,” Gatchalian explained. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)