THE Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Games—a milestone in the government’s ROTC program—was launched recently in a formal memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing ceremony at the Lapu-Lapu Grandstand inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino, himself a brigadier general in the Army reserve corps, witnessed the launch of the inaugural ROTC Games which are tentatively scheduled for September next year.
“I always believe that the ROTC program has been a potent tool for attaining the country’s overall integrity, honor and health” Tolentino said. “These ROTC Games signal the beginning of our quest for young Filipino athletes who will not only excel in sports but, more importantly, showcase to the world that the Filipino has a heart of a champion.”
With Tolentino during the ceremony were Department of National Defense Undersecretary and OIC Jose Faustino Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Commission on Higher Education chairman Dr. J. Prospero De Vera III and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala.
“Our goal is to promote camaraderie, teamwork and sportsmanship, which are important in building bodily strength and character,” Tolentino said. “This competition will not be a glorified intramurals, but we aim to develop a pool of disciplined elite athletes.”
Faustino was appointed chairman of the Philippine ROTC Games Executive Organizing Committee, with Philippine Olympic Committee legal head Atty. Wharton Chan representing the private sector.
“The games are meant to foster national pride, self-discipline, teamwork and excellence while serving as a new spawning ground for outstanding athletes for international play,” Bacarro said.
Eala praised the establishment of the ROTC Games.
“The utilization of sports as a platform to propagate the ROTC program is both remarkable and brilliant for developing a healthy and alert citizenry,” Eala said. “The Games do not only provide a viable format in training our young people towards their basic patriotic duty to the country but is also an avenue for a new, diverse and massed platform for our country’s grassroots development program.”
Brig. Gen. Doroteo Jose Jalandoni, a principal proponent of the ROTC Games, said that the program among ROTC cadets involve three phases—sports clinics where cadets will learn the sports basics, regional meets and the National Games.
Jalandoni said competitions will be in athletics, obstacle sports, swimming, boxing, arnis, weightlifting, kickboxing, esports, basketball, volleyball and target shooting. Gymnastics will be a demonstration sport.
The games will involve cadets from the Army, Air Force and Navy. The venue will be announced early next year.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza
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