Chiz dares ROTC proponents to validate claims NSTP failed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Francis Escudero has asked the proponents of Senate Bill 2034 to present a scientific study to validate their claim that the current National Service Training Program (NSTP) was a “total failure” hence, the proposal to replace it with the reinstatement of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.

The senator said a formal study based on facts was necessary to convince the public that there was a need to scrap the NSTP, which was created under Republic Act 9613, making ROTC a mandatory requirement for all students.

Solon vows to solve MUP pension poser

THE chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations has vowed to find a “viable solution” to the Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP) Pension problem before the yearend or when Congress adjourns in December. Rep. Elizaldy Co made the statement as he rallied behind Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for a swift passage of the Marcos Jr. administration’s priority bills, including the MUP measure.

that the NSTP Law has failed, a conclusion that he strongly supports.

However, he pointed out that if the bill were to be passed into law, this should be backed up by formal studies and not just some informal statements from pro-ROTC advocates.

“Can the gentleman furnish me a copy of a study, not merely the position of the (CHED) chairman, but a study that says NSTP actually failed,” said Escudero, chair of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education.

“As the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, it is my utmost duty to work in collaboration with Speaker Romualdez and our esteemed colleagues to ensure that the priority bills gain the momentum they deserve. These bills hold the key to our nation’s progress and prosperity,” Co said.

“I assure everyone that, before the end of 2023, we will find a viable solution to issues surrounding the MUP Pension that benefits everyone involved,” he added. Maricel V. Cruz

ROAD PAVERS. Workers from the Department of Public Works and Highways add another layer of asphalt on Roxas Blvd. to repair the damages caused by the recent typhoons. Norman Cruz

During yesterday’s interpellation at the plenary session, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, the bill’s sponsor, said the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has determined

In defending SB 2034, Dela Rosa asserted that the NSTP law failed because “it is not producing the needed reserved force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and it fails to achieve its envisioned goal, which is to organize a national reserve corps that can also be mobilized in times of disaster and calamities.”