BACOLOD – The expanded second edition of the Philippine Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Games unfolds Sunday with the Visayan qualifying leg ushered in by a simple opening ceremony graced by Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos early morning to be held at the Panaad Park and Stadium here.
Abalos is expected to formally declare the 2024 Philippine ROTC Games open in the sportsfest featuring school cadets from the Philippine Army, Air Force and Navy that was conceived by Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino, a PA Brigade Commander in the 1501st Ready Reserve Brigade.
Also invited to grace the occasion are Negros Occ. Gov. Eugenio Lacson, Bacolod City Mayor and Philippine Badminton Association president Albee Benitez, Defense Undersecretary Pablo Lorenzo, Commission on Higher Education Executive Director Atty. Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro and Commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo, representing Philippine Sports Commission Richard Bachmann.
Dr. Norberto Mangulabnan, Carlos Hilado Memorial State University President, will do the welcome remarks of the five-day meet that now consists of 14 disciplines, with swimming and raiders competition, an obstacle course race, target shooting, and 5×5 basketball among those making their debut.
The other sports on tap are athletics, arnis, the national sport, boxing, chess, esports, kickboxing, sepak takraw, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.
Spicing up the meet is the Ms. ROTC Visayas pageant while hostilities begin on Monday with the staging of the swimming competition at the Victorias City Aquatic Center in neighboring Victorias City, 31.8 kilometers northeast of the Negros Occidental capital.
No less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been a strong advocate of restoring the ROTC program as part of the regular academic curriculum, citing it as one of his main planks during his inaugural State of the Nation Address two years ago.
“The aim is to train, motivate, organize and mobilize students for national defense preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations,” said the Chief Executive in batting for its restoration.
A recent Pulse Asia conducted nationwide showed that 69 percent support the mandatory ROTC program among the youth, with 79 percent from Mindanao getting the most support, 74% in the Visayas, 67 % in the National Capital Region and 63 % from the rest of Luzon.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the powerful Senate Ways and Means Committee, is the co-author of Senate Bill No. 2034, the ROTC Act, which aims to institutionalize mandatory basic ROTC training in higher education and technical vocational institutions.
