Parents Perception in the Mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps in Senior High

School

Introduction

The Reserve Officers' Training Corps program trains students to become military

leaders while also teaching them academic subjects, enabling them to become the responsible

leaders of the future. The Reserve Officers' Training Corps, also known as ROTC, is an academic

program that blends exceptional leadership training with real-world experience. The ROTC

program also aids students who want to join the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) as officers in

achieving success in their chosen fields in college.

The ROTC program's goal is to equip high school students with leadership skills and

educate them about their rights, responsibilities, and privileges (Quezada, 2020). Moreover, the

ROTC program is seen as a way to instill discipline, accountability, and character development

while enhancing students' leadership abilities (Philippine Information Agency, 2022).

Furthermore, the ROTC is a program which aims to teach the youth about discipline and love of

country through military training. They will also learn about leadership and patriotism. Some of

those who oppose ROTC say that it only leads to bad experiences such as hazing, abuse,

harassment and corruption in schools. (Gregorio, X., 2023)

The ROTC program in the Philippines was originally established in 1935 under the

leadership of Manuel L. Quezon, as mandated by Executive Order No. 207, to develop young

people's ability to protect the nation from external threats (Yabes & Nazareno, 2001). It is a

crucial component of the National Service Training Program (NSTP), which includes ROTC,

Literacy Training Service, and Civic Welfare Training Service, all aimed at promoting civic
awareness, defense readiness, and values like service and patriotism among youth (Department

of Military Science and Tactics, 2020). The NSTP curriculum emphasizes the importance of

responsible citizenship with a focus on societal issues (Atillano et al., 2022).

Hazing or the use of violence in ROTC has become norm in order to "test the courage,

fortitude, and integrity" of cadet. Hazing or the use of violence in ROTC has become norm in

order to "test the courage, fortitude, and integrity" The 2001 hazing and killing of university of

Santo Tomas student Mark Nelson Chua was the particular incident that resulted in the

enactment of NSTP Law of 2001.

In accordance with House Bill No. 2559, the ROTC program gives life to the declared

State policy as stated in Section 13, Article II of the Constitution, which states that "the State

shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in

public and civil affairs." In the absence of the ROTC course being made mandatory for students

in grades 11 and 12, the declared State principle stated in Section 4, Article II of the Constitution,

which states that "the Government may call upon the people to defend the State and, in the

fulfillment thereof, all citizens may be required, under conditions provided by law, to render

personal military, or civil service, "would be nullified and meaningless

A study conducted by Pacatang and Montallana (2022) examined the impact of the NSTP

ROTC program on student cadets' behavioral formation. The study included participants aged 15

to 26. The result showed that the program had a positive influence on various aspects, including

self-improvement, physical well-being, humility, obedience, and maturity

In a study conducted by Capstone-Intel research firm, a whopping 71% of Filipinos favor

the return of mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in the country. Top reasons
for favoring mandatory ROTC include discipline (88%), leadership training (73%), and

teamwork experience (71%).

A recent study by Brecio, Bravo, Delina, and De Vera (2023) found that both students

and parents agreed that the ROTC program would effectively contribute to social development,

disaster preparedness and national security. However, they expressed uncertainty regarding its

effectiveness in instilling patriotism and potential risk to overall well-being.

This research study aligns with Sustainable Development Goal No. 4, which focuses on

Quality Education. The study suggests that ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) can play a

significant role in contributing to SDG 4 by offering students valuable attributes. Firstly, it

emphasizes the cultivation of discipline and responsibility, fostering qualities that are crucial for

academic achievement and future success. Additionally, ROTC is seen as a platform for honing

leadership skills, teaching students how to lead effectively and collaborate with others skills

essential in various professional fields. Moreover, the program is identified as a means to

enhance problem-solving abilities by encouraging critical thinking and creative solution

development. In essence, integrating ROTC into educational settings has the potential to

positively impact students' personal and professional development in alignment with the goals of

quality education outlined in SDG 4.

To comprehensively investigate and analyze the perceptions of parents regarding

mandatory ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) programs implemented in educational

institutions, with a focus on understanding their attitudes, concerns, and perceived benefits. This

study intends to give detailed insights on how parents view the role of required ROTC in their

children's education, while also investigating factors that may impact their perceptions and

providing significant information to educational officials and institutions.

Statement of the Problem
This aims to explore the perceptions of parents towards mandatory basic ROTC program

in the Philippines.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

 What are the demographic profiles of the respondents in terms of:

a. Age

b. Gender

c. Religion

d. Educational attainment

 Determine the perception of parents of senior high school students at Daragutan East

National High School

 What are the factors that hinder parents from supporting mandatory ROTC?
 Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Profile of the  Gathering data  Parents may see

respondents through survey the program as a
 Perception of questionnaire positive influence

parents regarding  Tabulation of on their children's

the parents’ physical health

implementation of responses and readiness for

mandatory basic  Statistical life by teaching

ROTC analysis of data basic survival

 Various factors and interpretation skills and first aid

obstruct parents
from supporting
mandatory ROTC.

FEEDBACK

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

Input – Process – Output provides this framework for conceptualizing the study. This IPO

model suggest that many factors influence the study’s cohesiveness. IPO provides a way to

understand how the researchers perform and how they maximize their performance in gathering

the data and produce output.

 This framework provides a starting point for understanding the complex landscape of

parent perception regarding mandatory ROTC. It highlights the various factors that influence

opinion and calls for further research and thoughtful deliberation of diverse viewpoints when

making policy decisions.

Scope and Delimitation

The scope of the study is the perception of parents of senior high school students of

Daragutan East National High School.

The study will not explore the perception of parents with children exempt from ROTC

participation due to disabilities or religious beliefs.

Significance of the Study

Understanding parental perceptions of the mandatory ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training

Corps) program in the Philippines holds significant value for various stakeholders:

For Educational Policymakers. The study can identify the parental concerns regarding

the ROTC’s effectiveness, impact on students, and alignment with educational goals. This

feedback can inform policy changes and program modifications to addressed those concerns,

potentially leading to more effective and well-received program.

For School Administrators and ROTC Program Implementers. Understanding

parental concerns allows administrators and program leaders to addressed them directly and

openly. This transparency can foster trust and collaboration between schools, parents, and

students leading to a more supportive environment for ROTC implementation.

 For Future Researchers. The study can contribute to the existing body of research on

ROTC programs and educational policy in the Philippines. This can inform future research

efforts and provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers worldwide.

Definition of Terms

ROTC or Reserve Officer Training Corps is a program that consists of military instruction

through training, interviews, and physical training located on many campuses across the country.

Mandatory is something that is required, obligatory, or compulsory.

Hazing refers to the conducting rituals, challenges, and other activities involving harassment,

abuse or embarrassment used as a way of starting a person in group.

Perception it is an observation awareness, or realization, usually based on physically sensation

or experience.

Chapter II

Review of the Related Literature

This chapter reviews the related literature which supports and gives credence to the

details of this research. Some related literature and studies which have a bearing on the present

study are presented. The researchers anchored this comprehensive study to different viewpoints

and perspectives notion from scholarly researchers and articles that related to the Perception of

Parents in Reserve Officer Training Corps Mandate. This chapter also presents related literature

and studies undertaken by the different researchers which provide a background of the subject

under study.
 The perceptions of parents of high school students at a public school located within the

Northeast section of the United States towards the Junior Reserve Training Corps (JROTC)

program offered in their children’s school. The focus of this research was on understanding

parent perceptions about the JROTC program, and by extension, their likelihood of allowing

their children to enroll and participate. The conceptual and theoretical frameworks which

informed this study were Vroom’s motivational theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Lindsey

(2022).

Blake (2016) stated that high school principals perceived participation in the JROTC

program as having a positive influence on the cadets’ social development, cadets’ behaviors, and

the overall school environment. Additionally, the study concluded that the strongest

concentration of statistical significance based on demographics appears in the items measuring

cadets’ social development. Findings resulting from the quantitative and qualitative data

collected by open-ended survey questions suggest that the JROTC does more than merely

prepare students for a successful military career. Findings from this study suggest that principals

in schools with JROTC find the program to be effective in helping cadets meet goals and satisfy

needs.

In Stampley's study from 2022, she looked at general education teachers' opinions about

the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program and how it helps high school

students develop their discipline, leadership skills, and civic duty. Cook County, Illinois. The

findings reveal three main themes leadership qualities, responsibilities, and discipline each with

three sub-themes that represent general education teachers' opinions of a high school's JROTC

program. The success of the JROTC program is essentially demonstrated by a study of the data
gathered from the general education teachers: pupils demonstrate discipline in the classroom, are

responsible and respectful, and assume leadership responsibilities.

According to the study of Supler (2019) he examines the perceptions of the high school

principals regarding the effectiveness of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC)

program within the State of Mississippi. There were 42 principals who responded to the survey.

Principals had a high level of praise, even though it showed no statistically significant difference

in their perception based on location, age, race, gender, and years of experience. The findings

again showed, illustrated through descriptive statistics, that most participants found the JROTC

curriculum to be beneficial.

According to Grant Sr. (2019), the study concluded that there was no significant

difference between non-JROTC and JROTC students in terms of GPA, the total number of class

days suspended, or attendance. According to the study, participation in JROTC did not influence

the discipline of the students. Nonetheless, the lack of statistical significance was attributed to

the small sample size used in the study. The JROTC program had set high standards that needed

to be met and maintained for one to achieve extended participation.

As stated by Stanton (2019), his study found that JROTC socioeconomic students had

higher attendance rates than non-JROTC students, but only non-Hispanic JROTC students had

worse attendance records. Discipline and academic achievement rates showed no statistical

significance for all students. AFROTC had the lowest discipline incidents, while NJROTC had

the highest. Non-JROTC students had a direct relationship with lower discipline incidents,

predicting higher academic performance.

 In the Philippines, the majority of parents believe that the ROTC program can teach their

children responsibility and discipline, according to we' findings. The program is effective at

fostering the kids' sense of self-discipline, leadership, and responsibility, according to their

common responses. They could also use what they have learned as a form of self-defense to keep

themselves safe. However, there were also concerns raised regarding the program. These are

issues such as the students' age and strength to undergo the program; the program's possible

effect on their academic studies; and acts of violence like hazing that are said to be the reason

why the mandatory implementation of the program was abolished. Thus, the majority of parents

in the Philippines are in favor of the senior high school ROTC program being implemented.

Malaguial, P. A. (2023).

NSTP courses are effective and they influenced the self-improvement, performance,

community involvement, and demonstration of abilities and skills of the students to an extent.

The students are also able to continue to demonstrate the different competencies they learned or

acquired from NSTP courses. Moreover, this study reveals that the students often encountered

many difficulties while they were enrolled in the NSTP courses. Balmeo et al. (2015)

According to Janrey Estribor et al. (2023). The level of perception and attitude of senior

high school students is high. Furthermore, significant relationships between the variables were

measured, and the data have shown a positive correlation between the perception and attitude of

senior high school students toward mandatory ROTC.

The most often terms in parents’ attitudes regarding the senior high school mandatory

ROTC program, as generated by the World Cloud in Orange software, are ROTC, discipline, yes,

mandatory, military, good, student, youth, country, and need, according to the study by Caangay
et al. (2023). The study also revealed that parents in the Philippines believed that ROTC taught

pupils values and prepared them for combat, and that it was appropriate for the country.

As stated by Barrios (2023), most, or 94%, of them strongly agree that the ROTC

program can motivate and train students to become government partners in the preservation and

development of the state. They strongly agree that in the event of a national mobilization, it can

assist in mobilizing and organizing students to respond to national security. Although a

significant difference was noted among respondents in their attitude toward the ROTC program,

they totally support the idea of making it mandatory.

In the study by Brecio, Bravo, Delina, and De Vera (2023) found that both students and

parents agreed that the ROTC program would effectively contribute to social development,

disaster preparedness and national security. However, they expressed uncertainty regarding its

effectiveness in instilling patriotism and potential risk to overall well-being.

In the study of Ramirez (2018). All the respondents agreed to the implementation of the

mandatory ROTC, they said that they can enhance their abilities in both physical and social

skills. Leadership has the most common answers by the respondents as they said, ROTC can

make Filipino to be more patronized. And it should be implemented when the students start their

high school education and it should be both male and female, and they should make sure that the

students learned to use their skills in terms of protection and not to harm others.

The results indicated that ROTC participants were more sensation seeking than non-

ROTC participants. In addition, ROTC participants were more impulsive than participants who

did not have relatives in the military and were more individuated than non-ROTC participants.

The implications of these results are discussed. Nielsen (2014).

 According to the study of Mackenzie Piatka (2022), this showed that there are significant

relationships between mental skills training and Army ROTC fitness scores and that the

intervention was effective in improving the use of mental skills during training, but especially

during fitness testing.

Chapter III

Methodology

This chapter presents how the study will be conducted. It shows the research design,

locale of the study, research instrument, context and participants, data gathering procedures,

population and sampling, and ethical considerations.

Research Design

The researchers employ a Quantitative research approach. In particular, a descriptive

research design was utilized in this study. By examining subjects without changing the variables

or the attributes required of respondents, descriptive research seeks to characterize people or a

population (Siedlecki, 2020). The research design was suitable as it allowed for a review of

participant perceptions, especially regarding parents whose children are in grades 11 and 12.

Locale of the Study

The study will be conducted in Daragutan East National High School located at

Daragutan East, San Mariano Isabela. The researchers choose them because they were the ones

who will give better information needed in this study.

Research Instrument

The researchers will employ a Likert-scale questionnaire with the following descriptive

scales: 1 (strongly disagree), 2 (disagree), 3 (unsure), 4 (agree), and 5 (strongly agree). The

questionnaire consisted of two sections. The first section consisted of profiling the respondents.

The remaining section included statements aimed at assessing the perceptions of parents

regarding the implementation of the Mandatory Basic ROTC program.

Context and Participants

The participants of this study were the parents of Grade 11 and 12 students in Daragutan

East National High School. To ensure the validity of the collected data, the researchers

established specific criteria for the respondents. The parents should have children currently

enrolled in grades 11 or 12 levels, planning to pursue college education in the Philippines. These

characteristics were chosen because the Mandatory Basic ROTC Program proposals aim to

implement the program in higher-level or college education.

Data Gathering Procedures

The primary data collection method will be structured survey/questionnaire distributed

electronically or in person. Participants will be asked to rate their perceptions using a Likert scale

or similar quantitative measures.

Population and Sampling

To investigate the perception of parents regarding the implementation of mandatory Basic

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), a random sampling method was employed, selecting

93 respondents from the larger population of parents.

Ethical Considerations

Participants will be fully informed about the study’s purpose and their voluntary

participation, and their identities will be kept confidential to ensure privacy. Lastly, the research

will be conducted with utmost respect for the participants’ opinions and perspectives.

References
Journals

Abad, T. (2019, May 26). ROTC Bill approved on final reading. Retrieved from

http://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=11494&key=rotc

Brecio, T. A, G. A. B., Delina, M. H., & Vera, F. N. V. D. (2023, July 6). The Perception of

Parents and Students on the implementation of the mandatory basic ROTC program in

the Philippines. Zenodo. https://zenodo.org/records811648

Balmeo, M. L., Falinchao, J. P., Biay, K. K. L., Ebes, J. K. M., Eclarino, J. G., & Lao-ang, I. G.

P. (2015). The Effects of NSTP on the Lives of Saint Louis University Students. IAFOR

Journal of Education, 3(1), 77-91.

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program in high school (Doctoral dissertation, Union University).

Gregorio, X. (2023, April 11). Gatchalian poll suggests majority of Filipinos favor mandatory

ROTC. Philstar.com. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com

Malaguial, P. A. (2023). Parents’ viewpoint on the proposed Philippine Mandatory Reserve

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ROTC CADETS’PHYSICAL FITNESS SCORES.

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Quezada, J. (2020). The Perception of Administrators, Parents and Non-participating Students

on the Purpose and Impact of MCJROTC at One High School [Dissertation]. St.

Thomas University.

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Internet sources

House Bill No. 2559, 18th Congress of the Republic, Senate of the Philippines Legislative

Reference Bureau. Retrieve from: https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/house

bill-no-2559-18th-congress-republic Accessed: 07 December 2023.