OPENING STATEMENT
COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, TECHNICAL, AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION - SUBCOMMITTEE ON REVITALIZED ROTC ACT
January 25, 2023 (Pecson Room; 11 a.m.)

Again, good morning, everyone.

During the last hearing, this committee discussed in detail filed bills on ROTC Program and the Citizen Service Act. On these bills, the committee:

1. Determined the reasons why the ROTC Program is more viable in the Tertiary Level; 2. Discussed the consensus Bill by CHED, TESDA, DND, and PLLO; and 3. Heard the different positions from our stakeholders who are experts on this topic among others.

This committee will discuss more of these bills with the addition of the bills filed by Senators Gatchalian and Tolentino: Senate Bill Nos. 1551, 1565 and also the recently referred Bill from the House, House Bill No. 6687.

For today, I would like us to focus our discussion on the following topics based on the proposed bills and those discussed during the technical working group meeting last Monday:

1. Coverage - do we need to include those students who will be enrolled to the courses or program with less than 2 years duration? Do we need to provide exemption or just establish special or alternative program for those students who have physical limitation or under special circumstances?

2. Curriculum - do we need to establish a technical panel as proposed in the consensus bill of the DND and the CHED?

3. Registration - is there a need to mandate double registration as proposed by the CHED and the DND for harmonious deployment of reservists?

4. Incentives - what are the incentives we can provide for those who will undergo basic and advance ROTC program? How much will we need to provide those incentives?

As the Chair of this Sub-committee, I am again looking forward [to] everyone's positions, comments, and suggestions on the bills to be considered, so that this sub-committee may create a consolidated bill that will make this nation great as we invest in our youth through the reinstitution of ROTC Program.

Maraming Salamat po.