Former Rep. Frederick Siao and incumbent mayor of Iligan City has asked the Department of Education to give the senior high school students the informed choice regarding the proposed ROTC program.
Siao, who is also a reserve officer of the Army, said:
mo"My idea for ROTC is to make it one of the academic tracks [for] Grade 11 students when they enter senior high school. Many high school students are interested in careers in the military, police, and other armed services.
“The armed services agencies should be able to take part in career orientation activities for junior high school students in Grade 10, so they can convince them to choose the academic track that has ROTC in it,” Siao added.
Siao said he prefers giving Filipino youth the opportunity to choose the ROTC or Armed Service Track in senior high school because “it is their career and life, so we give them the way to make informed choices.”
“Communities around the schools need youngsters properly trained in relief aid mobilization, first aid, community outreach, and other civic operations. The barangay officials need them. Households need them when there are emergencies right inside their homes. Proper and relevant ROTC training will empower the youth who would choose SHS tracks with ROTC,” he said.
Siao is confident his ideas about EDCOM II would enlighten his former colleagues in Congress, and the DepEd so that a “fertile middle ground where the goals of the ROTC proponents and those with concerns and apprehensions can be achieved.”
“Let us allow EDCOM II to work and do its job as an enacted law, RA 11899,” he also said.
“While the bills on ROTC are still pending in Congress, I suggest we give the Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM II the opportunity to tackle the ROTC bills and other education bills now pending in Congress,” Siao said.
Tags: #Siao, #IliganMayor, #ROTC, #DepEd