By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
Iloilo City is set to welcome more than 1,000 Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) cadets from Central, Eastern, and Western Visayas on August 13 to 19 for the Visayas leg of the inaugural ROTC games.
The Iloilo City Government, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of National Defense, and West Visayas State University (WVSU) signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Monday.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, represented by Special Assistant to the Mayor Ma. Mathilde Treñas, noted that ROTC has been crucial in molding the character and leadership qualities of young people over the years.
“It instills discipline and a sense of duty and develops the skills necessary for them to become productive citizens. These young cadets represent the future of our nation, and it is heartening to witness their dedication to service,” he added.
WVSU president Joselito F. Villaruz said the event is “one way of promoting health and wellness among our youth and our students.”
“West Visayas State University is in full support of this initiative. We want human resources for [a] country that is healthy and alert. And that is why this ROTC game that is about to happen next week will achieve its objective of producing citizens that will be partners of the government for nation-building,” he added.
WVSU will be the host school of the ROTC games. Its College of Education building will serve as billeting quarters for athletes.
The ROTC games will be composed of arnis, athletics, basketball, boxing, e-sports, kickboxing (by weight categories), and volleyball.
Venues for the games include SM City Iloilo, Iloilo Sports Complex, University of San Agustin, and Robinsons Place Jaro.
The ROTC games consist of a three-phased competition: recruitment and sports clinics that started in February, followed by regional games slated for August, and culminating in the national games scheduled for October this year.
Senator Francis N. Tolentino, honorary chairman of the ROTC Games and a brigadier general in the Army reserve, led the launching of the event at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on December 2022.
CHED said the ROTC games will give cadets a chance to compete in Olympic-level sporting events and international tournaments, all while contributing to the collective objective of establishing grassroots sports programs aimed at the youth.
“ROTC is not just mobilizing young Filipinos during times of peace and war, but it also needs to produce physically fit and healthy individuals,” De Vera said.
“CHED under my watch will ensure the fulfillment of our mandate, making sports as one of our priority programs to promote total human development geared towards good citizenry and the honing of world-class Filipinos,” he added.
