MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday renewed his push to revive the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program in schools, saying the Filipino youth need to learn disaster-preparedness skills in light of the recent magnitude 7 earthquake that jolted parts of Northern Luzon earlier this week.

Marcos, who visited quake-hit provinces, said he saw the need for more hands in disaster zones.

“Mas marami rin tayong maihahanda na sibilyan sa ganitong disaster response sa pamamagitan ng ROTC program,” he said in his weekly vlog.

“Hindi lang naman national defense ang tinuturo sa kanila kung ‘di disaster preparedness at capacity building para dito sa risk-related situations na tinuturo sa kanila,” he said.

“Although likas na sa ating mga Pilipino ang maging matulungin, iba pa rin pag may training at tamanag paghahanda sa pagresponde,” he added.

• Sara Duterte hopes mandatory ROTC a priority for Congress

Marcos further made his case for the renewal of the ROTC program by noting that the Philippines is a disaster-prone country.

“Ang bansa nating ay nasa Ring of Fire, typhoon belt. Tayo rin ang pinakamataas sa risk sa mga epekto ng climate change,” he said.

“Takaw sakuna ang ating lokasyon kaya hindi tayo dapat magkulang sa paghahanda,” he said.

He first pushed for the ROTC’s revival during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this week.

In his first report to Congress, Marcos said he wanted to make ROTC “a mandatory component of senior high school programs in all public and private tertiary-level educational institutions.”

“The aim is to motivate, train, organize and mobilize the students for national defense preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations,” he said in his SONA.

The ROTC was removed from schools in 2002 after a student from the University of Santo Tomas was killed over his alleged exposé on the anomalies in the training corps.

Aside from underscoring the need for the revival of the mandatory ROTC, Marcos also said that the government is working to ensure that areas damaged by the recent quake would be disaster-proof when restored.

“Bukod sa mga kalye at mga gusali ay matindi rin ang pinsala sa ating mga heritage sites lalong lalo na yung mga katedral, mga simabahan. Ito ay nasira at kailangan irestore agad,” he said.

“Kaya naman lahat ng ating mga itatayong na mga bago ay dapat disaster proof na mula sa mga kalye, mga building, pati na rin yung heritage sites, eskuwelahan, ospital, mga bahay ng ating mga mamamayan,” he said.

Most of the major roads have been cleared of debris, and only one bridge remains closed, the President said.

“Sa Bangued, yung provincial hospital nila nagkaroon ng sira kaya lahat ng provincial hospital sa ngayon ay nasa ilalim ng mga tent kaya minamadali namin ang pag-ayos sa ospital at pagpapdala ng mga generator para mapaandar na,” he said.

“‘Yung mga evacuees, maayos naman ang kalagayan. Kumpleto naman ang pagbigay sa kanilang mga pangangailangan,” he said.

“Sila ay nag-aantay na lang na mainspeksyon ang kanilang mga bahay para matiyak na maaari na nila itong balikan,” he added.

The President ended his vlog by thanking private individuals who extended aid to quake victims in Luzon.

“Maraming maraming salamat. Lahat yan ay nagamit na ng mga biktima,” he said.

“Gaya ng iba pa nating nilampasan na pagsubok, tiyak na hindi tayo magpapatinag dito sa nakaraang trahedya,” he said.

“Mag-ingat po tayong lahat at laging tandaan na sa anumang atin pang haharapin, ang diwa ng ating pagka-Pilipino ay mananatiling maningning.”

Watch more News on iWantTFC