Eight in 10 Filipinos or 78 percent support the implementation of the proposed mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in college institutions, the latest Pulse Asia Survey has shown.
The poll, commissioned by Senate Committee on Basic Education chairperson Sherwin 'Win' Gatchalian, revealed that the majority of those who are in favor were from Mindanao with 92 percent, followed by Visayas with 80 percent, National Capital Region (NCR) with 77 percent, and Luzon with 72 percent.
When asked the reasons they support mandatory military training, the majority, or 71 percent answered that "young people will learn discipline and responsibility."
Sixty percent of Pinoys also said the proposed program will "train students so they are prepared to defend the country" and about 59 percent said, "the youth will learn leadership or develop leadership skills."
Only 13 percent of Pinoys declared that they will not support the mandatory ROTC.
Among the reasons that some are not favored is that the program will only increase "cases of hazing, abuse, and harassment" (75 percent), it will waste "the time of the youth [who] should be dedicated to studying" (56 percent) and that this will only become an "instrument of power for leaders and officers" (44 percent).
At least 8 percent of Respondents cannot say if they agree or disagree and 0.3 percent were unaided or did have not enough knowledge on the topic to comment.
