In a memorandum released by the Department of National Defense, General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines last January 16, the Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT) will now have its own unit of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), starting this year.

The ASCOT ROTC Unit will be placed under the administration and supervision of the 307th Community Defense Center, 3rd Regional Community Defense Group, Army Reserve Command, Philippine Army, effective January 5, 2023.

For the past years, the College has maintained a good level of collaboration with other colleges to ensure the success of ROTC’s implementation. ASCOT has 742 ROTC cadets this year, which is a great time to start a unit.

In an interview, ASCOT’s National Service Training Program (NSTP) Director, Mrs. Norma T. Barbasa, said that this request of the College to have its own ROTC Unit is in response to the goal of the program, which is to teach the students the values of citizenship and personal responsibility, the essential infantry skills, and help the students develop their sense of camaraderie and teamwork in preparation for their roles as future leaders of the infantry squad.

ASCOT President Dr. Eutiquio L. Rotaquio, Jr. also lauded the Director and said a budget would be prepared for procuring compliance-related equipment and supplies, such as rifles.

Reserve Officers’ Training (ROTC) is a program set up by Sections 38 and 39 of RA 7077, also known as the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act of 1991. Its goal is to give military training to college students to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national defense readiness.