According to the latest Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, as of January 2020, there were already 19.8 million Filipinos within the 15-24 age range.
Potentially, around 20M Filipinos will be part of the mandatory military training proposed by Davao City Mayor and vice-presidential candidate Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio shall she be elected into office. It can be recalled that in January 21, the newsstands headline the proposed mandatory military training for every Filipino once reaching the age of eligibility. At 18 years old, Duterte-Carpio explained that each will be subsidized and will be tasked to serve the country under the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Furthermore, the said program will be different from the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), a voluntary college program. As the elections drew near, candidates and their respective platforms will invade the airwaves. Many will pronounce their motherhood statements as to convince their supporters of what they intend to do when elected, of what they are capable to do. Platitudes so palatable, though vague, that will surely tickle the thinking box of every voter and could influence their choices come Election Day. The proposed mandatory military training and service could be of the purest intentions especially as to instill patriotism and the sense of responsibility of today’s youth. The future of the motherland, as our national hero prophesized, will depend on the quality of upbringing that will mold them. A youth with utmost patriotism burning in the depths of their hearts will surely be a colossal game-changer as this country moves forward. But while the initiative is laudable, the railroad towards its realization will be arduous and challenging. For once, it will labor under the scrutiny of the bicameral legislative bodies.
The thinkers and the honorable members of Congress and Senate will surely critique on the nitty-gritty of this advocacy. The friction though will determine if such can be sustainable, probable or feasible. Accordingly, each will be subsidized. Of how much and for how long will be crucial. A sample size of 10M youth aged 18 years old will demand P10B on a P1000.00 monthly subsidy alone.
That’s 120B for a year. The 2022 approved budget for agriculture is P95B only while national defense has P222B. Escalate it up to P5000.00 monthly and that’s 600B annually, a few notches shy of the education’s budget of P788B.
From this, the guidelines must be clear as to which department these military trainees will fall. The ailing national and local economies must be vivid as to its expenditures.
With the ballooning national debt coupled with the economic uncertainties brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and the ill-effects of climate change, the country will be hard-pressed to deliver quality services to its constituents. It cannot afford to waste any centavo. Then there’s the question of what training will these cadets undergo? Will the nation equip them with firearms? Will the state issue their uniforms? That will clearly demand another deal of budget. Will their families be subsidized too? Just so, youth especially in the countryside are their parent’s immediate workhand and lending them to the state for military training will cripple their manpower and productivity.
It must also specify if such mandatory military training will or can impede the education of the youth. Can they juggle collegiate education and their conscription? Can they perform extra-curricular activities, engage into sports and vie for scholarships and others while on training? Then the endgame.
After the training, what’s next for them? Will they be absorbed into the nation’s military force? Until when they’ll be subsidized? Moreover, how long will the training be for everyone involved?
The advocacy of mandatory military training drew praises especially from the Duterte faithful. Yet, it is unclear if the remorse of the past will be corrected with this plan as many are also mindful if the military hazing, abuses and issues of corruption of the past will be put in the dustbin. Others are also wary as special trainings like the ones endured by celebrities and influential personalities will be a possible scenario for the privileged. What a blissful Philippines to have an empowered and patriotic youth. The future will surely be bright and promising. Securing the advocacy within the parameters of transparency, honesty and decency is a tall order. Or will be a continuous subject of motherhood statements aimed to earn the interest and votes of the voting populace. Envisioning the future of our country backboned on the results of this mandatory military training without cleansing the present quagmire that plagued our nation today is another daydreaming. Robbery in broad daylight. Just that, voters must be vigilant enough to weigh the probability of platforms to be realized. Duterte-Carpio’s advocacy may have garnered off-the-charts approval but how to materialize it will make a difference.
We have seen it in her father’s federalism program. That federalism dream that failed to gain ground as the guidelines were left to the fate of interpretation of those also securing their personal interests.
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