Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino today said he intends to file a bill against the mandatory ROTC proposal which will instead focus on the strengthening of the community service components of the National Service Training Program (NSTP).

According to Palatino, the proposal to make ROTC mandatory under the pretext of the need for an active citizenry and nation service ignores the fact that there is a current NSTP program with service components: Literacy Training Service (LTS) and Community Welfare Training Service (CWTS).

“The youth should appreciate volunteerism and love of country without the unneccessary initiation to fascistic military tradition,” says the youth solon.

Under the LTS, the youth are trained to be literacy and numeracy teachers to younger students, out-of-school youths in communities, indigenous people and other sectors in the society who needs their instructional assistance while the CWTS implements programs that address the social services of the people in the community such as the enhancement of facilities intended for improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morals of the citizenry.

Palatino’s proposal will contain specifications which will include in the NSTP curriculum disaster preparedness trainings, hands-on teaching in communities, medical missions, livelihood trainings among others.

“If the AFP urges that we need more machinery for disaster response and relief operations, then we should make that as a major component of the NSTP, in fact, some schools at present teach disaster preparedness trainings under NSTP,” said Palatino.

“Ultimately, the service training program should be an enlightening and empowering experience which will breed nationalism among our youth and genuine intent to serve the poor and oppressed. The ROTC obviously failed in that aspect during the time of its implementation; it bred hatred, corruption, violence and docility. There is no reason to revive it,” he said. ##