THE HOUSE Committees on Higher and Technical Education and Basic Education and Culture approved the consolidation of 27 measures that seek to reinstate the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps and to institute or expand the national service training program.

The panels headed by Baguio City Representative Mark Go and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo consolidated House Bills 503, 639, 2174, 2628, 3035, 3045, 3513, 3613, 3637, 4019, 4083, 4105, 4500, 6136, 1159, 1692, 2339, 2759, 3090, 3437, 3450, 4872, 4308, 5217, 4590, 6078 and HB 6486 principally authored by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

The joint panel also approved the committee report, subject to style and the consideration of all amendments and discussion during the joint meeting.

HB 6486 seeks to institute a national citizens service training program in all public and private tertiary education institutions and repeal Republic Act 9163 or the National Service Training Act.

In his sponsorship remarks, co-author TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said that under HB 6486, the state will enhance the capacity of its citizens to mobilize and perform their constitutional duty to render personal military or civil service to the State in times of calamities and disasters, national or local emergencies, rebellion, war or invasion by the establishment of a unified, comprehensive and holistic national citizens service training and mobilization system.

Acidre further said that in the implementation of the national citizens service training and mobilization system, strict monitoring, evaluation, and accountability will be observed to prevent all forms of abuses, corruption, hazing, torture, data privacy rights violation, and all forms of violation of human rights.

“Any incident or report of abuses, corruption, hazing, torture, data privacy rights violation or any form of violation of human rights would be immediately investigated, addressed, as well as the maximum penalty imposed on any proven perpetrator or violator,” he said.

Atty. Spocky Farolan, Director of the Commission on Higher Education legal and legislative service, informed members of both committees that the CHED, Department of National Defense, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Education and some other relevant agencies like the National Youth Commission, have come up with a consensus bill which is embodied in the bill filed by Romualdez.

“This is already a product of the discussion and deliberations made by the different agencies which is supposed to implement this new program that we want to introduce to strengthen the citizen service program in the Philippines,” he said.