“Sumisigaw siya, Jumbo!” It was a name used not in jest but as a mockery among various hazing-style humiliations on the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) campus grounds.
‘Jumbo’ was often used to refer to Dio when he was still heavier. What began as an insult eventually became a cue for him to be alert or a prompt to assemble their battalion. For him, it wasn’t just a nickname but a symbol of the deep-seated culture of public shaming and harassment under the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.
Dio’s narrative is not new or an isolated experience. Instead, it reflects the grim reality of such a program that many students across the Philippines have faced and continue resisting.
“Mayroon pa silang tradition na sila yung maggugupit, iistiluhan nila yung ulo mo na hindi mo gusto. Like kung anong gusto nilang design, panget man o ano, dapat tatanggapin mo. Isa yun sa mga naging ayaw ko. And ayun nagpakalbo rin ako actually. Pero hindi naman sa kanila. Ako nalang kasi ayoko yung mapag-tripan nila,” Dio lamented.
From the forced head shavings to the culture of toxic obedience, Dio revealed how ROTC has become a symbol of coercion and repression rather than civic duty.
No room for choice
Mandatory ROTC, once abolished following the murder of whistleblower Mark Welson Chua in 2001, has found its way back into national debate. Since 2022, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and the Department of National Defense (DND) have been vocal in pushing for its return, citing nationalism and discipline.
“May susundin kang bagay kahit taliwas sa paniniwala mo,” Dio shared. “Sumunod ka lang. Bawal kang magtanong. Bawal kang magreklamo.”
ROTC’s demand for so-called obedience, even at the cost of one’s principles, is a standing argument raised by students and various progressive youth groups in the streets and the legislation.
Under the National Service Training Program (NSTP), students are supposed to choose between ROTC, Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS), or Literacy Training Service (LTS). Yet Dio’s experience indicates otherwise.
“Nagulat na lang kami, marami kaming nagbabalak mag CWTS nung time na yun pero nakalista na kami sa ROTC. Ang explanation nila samin ang nangyari daw is per department or sobra na daw yung magc-CWTS. Hindi na daw kayang i-accommodate yung population. Naisip namin bakit ganun? Parang sabi nila pwede kaming mamili pero in the end ROTC kami lahat.” Dio shared.
Such coercion was institutional, masked as a default assignment. And with that came mandatory drills, gun replica handling, physical regimentation, and verbal abuse.
“Mayroon pa akong nakikita na parang may dala sila. Parang imitation lang daw yun. Nagdala sila ng replicas ng gun kasi part pala siya ng curriculum namin. Hindi na lang siya sinabi sa lahat,” Dio added.
He also recounted an alarming experience in which a supposed ROTC field trip required students to sign parental waivers to travel to Fort Bonifacio and participate in live-fire exercises.
“Pinapapirma lang kami ng permit sa parents namin… then ayun, pupunta kami doon tapos bibigyan kami ng chance na bumaril. Ako, nag-request talaga ako na hindi sumali kasi takot ako sa gunshots. Pero marami pa rin ang sumali kasi may grades na nakataya,” Dio said.
Even female cadets faced scrutiny and were often assigned roles influenced by gender stereotypes.
Dio shared that female cadets would often become medics; worse, they would be called ‘lady sponsors’. These cadets act as models or pageant competitors every time ROTC programs host events. As lady sponsors, they are responsible for accommodating and entertaining guests during ROTC events in and outside the school.
ROTC as Trojan Horse for campus militarization
With the Marcos Jr. administration intensifying its push for mandatory ROTC, youth groups highlighted significant and deeper issues embedded within the program, including militarization, red-tagging, and the silencing of dissent.
During one ROTC assembly in TUP’s gymnasium, a session was framed as part of a community engagement requirement. Many students were caught off guard when told to expect an exam; instead, they were subjected to an hour-long lecture denouncing activism and justifying military presence in schools.
Dio further recalled a so-called former New People’s Army member who was a guest speaker and told students that activism itself is a gateway to rebellion.
“Sinabi niya na ‘di na raw maganda maging aktibista,” Dio recounted. “Pero para sa akin, hindi siya applicable sa lahat ng bagay. Mahalaga na napapakinggan ang lahat. Since parte tayo ng demokratikong bansa, mas maganda na naa-appreciate ‘yung kalayaan ng bawat isa.”
“Tama lang naman kasi na may kalayaan ang mga tao na ipaliwanag o ikwento sa lahat, sabihin kung ano yung gusto nilang sabihin, i-express na may mali. Mahalaga na, as a country na mayroong gumaganang demokrasya, mayroon nagpo-point out ng mali. Kasi hindi naman tayo magpoprogress kung patuloy lang tayo sa iisang sistema. Ang sistema ay patuloy na magbabago kasi ang mundo ay patuloy ding nagbabago,” he added.
What the numbers reveal
Dio’s experiences under the program revealed a two-pronged culture that ROTC is promoting: militaristic conformity for men and objectification for women. In either case, individuality is stripped away at the expense of fundamental human rights and dignity.
Even when he rose through the ranks to become a battalion leader, the psychological toll had already mounted in his senses.
“Nalipat-lipat ako and ayun nung una member lang ako ng mga batalyon na yun hanggang sa ako yung nasa harapan kaya na-feel ko yung pagiging sundalo parang ganung sundalo moment given na yung environment namin is napapaligiran kami ng mga nakafatigues and may mga commander pa na somehow medyo nakakatakot that time para sa akin,” Dio furthered
By the end of the semester, he was burned out.
“Actually para sa akin sobrang hirap mentally that time kaya somehow na-shape niya yung fortitude ko. Kumbaga yung way ko na ano ba, paano ako makaka-adapt na wala na lang akong pakielam sa mga bagay like sige, umabot ako sa point na sumusunod na lang ako ganyan for the sake na kahit ayoko or tinatamad ako or talagang pagod na ako,” Dio lamented.
He also noted the economic precarity many students undergoing ROTC face as they are required to purchase fatigue uniforms. As a battalion leader, Dio knew most cadets could not afford them.
“Dapat may kalayaan pa rin kami so I suggested na if ever ay magpahiram sila, ayun nalang sana,” Dio suggested.
But even after making suggestions, the issue remained unresolved in a way that would have spared students from spending on a uniform.
With these mental health concerns and economic restraints, many youth advocates see mandatory ROTC contributing to increased stress and even suicidal ideation.
In 2023, DND Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. claimed that mental health problems can be “cured” through the training provided under the ROTC program.
The National Union of Students of the Philippines NCR slammed Galvez, emphasizing that the program’s dark history, such as physical and mental abuse, will ultimately lead to mental health problems and not fix them.
The group also expressed grave concern over the Department of Education’s (DepEd) data stating that 1,686 learners died by suicide between School Year (SY) 2017-2018 and SY 2022-2023, while 7,892 learners attempted suicide.
Just last month, various groups trooped to the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) to denounce a recent hazing incident involving the PLM ROTC.
Maria Beatrix Louise Danille Dela Cruz, an aspiring ROTC COCC officer, was reportedly subjected to several instances of excessive physical abuse by her batch commanding officer and fellow ROTC student cadets last November 2024.
Dela Cruz’s family decried that despite internal investigations being conducted, no sanctions have been imposed on the alleged perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Kabataan Partylist continues to condemn House Bill 6486 or the National Citizens Service Training (NCST) Program Act, which seeks to reinstate mandatory ROTC in tertiary education.
Manuel noted that the NCST is mandatory ROTC in disguise, citing provisions on citizen soldier training (Section 7), designating NCST graduates as National Service reservists and AFP reservists (Section 13), and outlining the process for sourcing volunteers in the event of armed conflict (Section 21).
Makabayan solons also pointed to budget priorities, notably when the Marcos administration proposed a P61.2 billion fund for ROTC. Lawmakers noted this as staggering in a country with crumbling public schools and underpaid teachers, especially when many state universities would also face P14.4 billion in budget cuts by 2025.
“Why not allocate these funds for classrooms, mental health services, or campus infrastructure?” Manuel added.
Furthermore, a 2023 survey by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) also showed that 53% of students oppose mandatory ROTC, while only 28% support it. The rest were undecided.
ACT Teachers Partylist asserted that this merely demonstrates students’ preference for democratic and community-based civic education over militarized training.
“We urge the Filipino people, especially the youth, to reject this proposal to instill a culture of violence and corruption in schools and register our call for safe school opening and access to quality education,” Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas added.
Demand to resist
Despite completing the semester, Dio doesn’t dismiss the discipline ROTC tries to teach, but he challenges the method.
“Pwede ka naman maging disiplinado nang hindi ka dinidiktahan. Pwede kang matutong mag-lead nang hindi ka binabastos o tinatakot. I-value naman nila na ang ROTC ay something na you built on or nagbuild ka ng courage to do so.” he added.
For many students like Dio, opposition to mandatory ROTC is not just about military drills. It is about the culture of continuing academic repression in schools where rules meant to promote “professionalism” often violate students’ rights.
Inside their campus, for example, student leaders have long been pushing to revise the outdated student handbook.
“Masyado siyang focused sa professionalism to the point na kahit yung simple na pagsuot ng pants na maluwag. Imagine, ma-O-OSA ka sa ganun. Bibigyan ka or mahahatulan ka ng punishment na community service dahil lang nagsuot ka ng maluwag na pants,” Dio lamented.
The same applies to expression through appearance. From restrictive grooming rules to outdated curricula and deteriorating classrooms, students like Dio feel abandoned by an institution intended to nurture them.
“Marami pang bagay na dapat pagtuunan nang pansin yung TUP. Hopefully ma-address nila yung ganitong mga isyu. Hindi lang sila mag-focus sa kung saan lang yung maganda na lugar. Dapat in general, hindi lang isang lugar yung umuunlad lang o yung nag-improve yung situation. Dapat lahat. Ang institution, hindi mo siya nabu-build lang over a day, sa isang pillar lang. Mas lumalakas siya kapag mas nadagdagan pa actually yung pillar niya, ang supporting figures niya sa loob ng isang school,” Dio concluded.
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