ROTC to help youth become mentally resilient – Galvez

MANILA, Philippines — The revival of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program can help reduce mental health issues among the youth by not only providing them with practical skills, but also making them mentally resilient to difficult situations, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said yesterday.

Galvez issued the statement before members of the Senate committees on higher education and on national defense and security, which held their last hearing on seven bills seeking to reinstate the ROTC program.

He expressed belief that the program is much better than the National Service Training Program (NSTP) in molding students to be patriotic and responsible citizens.

“I’m also an educator. I train people. By vocation, I’m fond of teaching. What I see in the ROTC program, its training is experiential. That’s what makes it different from the NSTP. The mental health problem that we have, it can be cured because the frustration tolerance of the person will go up,” he said partly in Filipino.

“It will create experiences, like ‘why am I complaining when others have it worse,’” he added.

A majority of military personnel are trained to be mentors, leaders and counselors to help young soldiers or recruits cope with their problems, according to the defense chief.

“Being a combat leader, in my experience, we were able to give counseling that help people change,” Galvez said.

He added that the NSTP did not achieve its objective of inculcating among the youth the sense of nationalism and commitment to serve the country.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who chairs the defense committee, agreed with Galvez that the ROTC program could help the youth develop mental fortitude and possibly reduce incidents of suicide, citing his training at the Philippine Military Academy.

“Your attitude development, tolerance level (against problems) goes up and not commit suicide,” Dela Rosa told reporters in Filipino.