Hi sa mga nag ROTC/ sumali sa CoS! Ano kwentong corps niyo?
Dahil madaldal ako, i’ll start! I didn’t really sign up for ROTC haha pero ito yung kwento:
Nung uso pa Tumblr back in 2010, nakita ko yung post na lahat daw ng mag e-enroll sa MilSci1 for AY 2010-2011 free ang OD pants at boonie hat (naenganyo ako dun haha) eh sakto kailangan ko mag NSTP that year, so i signed up for CWTS MilSci1 (CWTS kasi may rappelling at masaya daw with Sir Jas & the Kampo Uno folks). Ok naman come June, joint yung training ng CWTS & ROTC. Kaso bawat saturday training kumukonti na yung mga nagpapakita from CWTS. Come the 5th training day, ako na lang yung nag-iisang taga CWTS na dumating anyway mabait yung officers, the batch comm and the rest of the ROTC group tas they convinced me to changemat, so i did. Super saya nung corps year na yun and no regrets talaga. Tas kami yung batch na nabiyayaan ng renovation ng Cadets’ Lounge. MilSci1 bulok pa yung room tas nung MilSci2 sobrang ayos na kaya ang saya tumambay lagi pag break or after classes!
Sa corps ko rin naranasan first love & first heartbreak ko HAHA! Keri lang. Really happy rin na sa corps ako nakahanap ng friends for life! nagkakausap pa rin kami ng batchmates ko til now.
Bilang Univ Grad, namiss ko mag Rayadillo and magdala ng college flag at makaakyat sa Quezon Hall! Ang saya nun kasi (nung time ko) may P500 na cheque kada gig!
It’s your corps, my corps, the best corps! The UP Cadet Corps!
I heard nga na voluntary na ang ROTC and from my Vanguard friend, maganda na ang training program at enthusiastic ang mga sumasali. Unlike nung time namin nung 90s. Back then we just wanted to just get it over and done with. Incoming COC officers are just basically drafted, i.e. they basically pass out a sig-sheet and sign your name if you were an officer back in HS or in the Boys Scouts. I got drafted but dropped out. By the second sem though, my friend CO recognized me and another guy and made us platoon sergeants. Then something happened during the second year, 2nd sem (there was a dearth of officers) and all COs & NCOs were promoted to a higher rank. By the time of graduation I was now a P2LT and in command of the company as my CO friend got kicked up the ranks. He invited me to sign up for the rest of the program, promised to go easy hehe as I practically know everything anyway. BUt I said naah, I’m done, besides I need to go full-time student already.
Last year there was alot of noise about ROTC becoming mandatory again. And there was alot of clamor for it, especially among millenials. But I’m not for it, at least not in the way I remember it. Don’t get me wrong I am for national defense. But not in the way ROTC was run back then. For me its either you keep it voluntary like now (which is going great in terms of training), or you do it like SoKor, Singapore or Israel where very few exemptions and completion opens up opportunities in terms of employment when you get out. I also suggest a parallel civil defense program (rescue, fire fighting, EMS, etc.) for those who find serving in the military contrary to their religious or moral convictions.
I got nominated by a HS classmate who was in ROTC. I loved the UPCoS uniform - creamy, classic elegance, powerful. It was really my main motivation at the start.
I showed up at the Interview and that year was the best year of my life (I was the youngest sponsor of our batch). I learned about worksmanship, attention to detail, how to handle your self when meeting with different people - from UP president to government officials, to the cleaning people of DMST. I learned that being a woman is full of power and you must handle yourself always with grace under pressure. I learned how to give importance to the smallest detail and to have foresight in everything you do.
We are the best buds with the corps. The officers were all good to us and we get along very well. Great friends I’ve met along the way.
I am proud to be part of the UPCoS. It was an adventurous and an honor.
I was also nominated a year after i was with ROTC! Passed the interview, attended trainings, but i backed out eventually. Akala ko kakayanin but i was already in fourth year then so pre- thesis na and sabay sa practicum.
But that was really the dream.
Super hanga ako sa CoS, ma’am! Ang bagsik ng training haha!
Aww yes the uniform had the privilege and honor of donning it a handful of times pag nangangailangan sila ng extra. My favorite was during UP’s 99th Alumni Homecoming back in 2012. Kapuy lang yung matagal nakatayo at naka heels mas keri ko yung matagal nakatayo + combat boots combo haha
The Sponsors made wearing heels & standing for hours look easy, ma’am! Ni isa sa kanila walang sumisimangot haha. Windang ako pag nakukuha akong extra, sobrang hirap pala hahahaha nag paltos galore paa ko
anyway mabait yung officers, the batch comm and the rest of the ROTC group tas they convinced me to changemat, so i did. Super saya nung corps year na yun and no regrets talaga. Tas kami yung batch na nabiyayaan ng renovation ng Cadets’ Lounge. MilSci1 bulok pa yung room tas nung MilSci2 sobrang ayos na kaya ang saya tumambay lagi pag break or after classes!
nagkakausap pa rin kami ng batchmates ko til now.
had the privilege and honor of donning it a handful of times pag nangangailangan sila ng extra. My favorite was during UP’s 99th Alumni Homecoming back in 2012. Kapuy lang yung matagal nakatayo at naka heels 
mas keri ko yung matagal nakatayo + combat boots combo haha 
