VP Sara, Senator Tolentino grace ROTC Games in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte on Sunday arrived here to grace the opening of the weeklong Philippine ROTC Games (PRG) Mindanao Regional Qualifying Leg.

Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Stadium in Zamboanga City. (Photo by Al Jacinto)

ROTC refers to Reserve Officers' Training Corps which is tasked to train and develop college students in the rudiments of military service in order to produce capable Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reservists.  

Duterte, also the Education secretary, was welcomed by Senator Francis Tolentino, the honorary chairman of the PRG. Over 13,000 college students from different schools in the southern Philippines, including over 1,000 ROTC cadets and cadettes, participated in the tournament at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Stadium. 

Police frisk college students entering the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Stadium in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines where Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Francis Tolentino grace the opening Sunday, August 27, 2023 of the weeklong Philippine ROTC Games (PRG) Mindanao Regional Qualifying Leg. (Photo by Al Jacinto) 

Security was tight at the stadium where police, supervised by members of the Presidential Security Group, frisked everyone getting inside the complex. Even bottled water was not spared and confiscated. Anti-riot policemen and police commandos were spotted guarding the venue. 

Duterte, the guest speaker at the event, thanked the crowd for supporting her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in the 2022 national elections. 

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa tulong ninyo, sa suporta ninyo, sa kampanya ninyo at sa boto ninyo sa akin at sa suporta inyo sa kanya (Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos) at napakalaki ng kanyang pasasalamat sa tulong ninyo sa kanyang pagkapanalo at sa suporta ninyo sa kanyang 8-point socio-economic agenda para sa bagong Pilipinas. Ipinapa-abot ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos ang mainit na pagbati para sa inyong lahat. Ang pagpapasalamat ko po ay mula sa aming pamilya, ang pamilya Duterte. Malaki ang utang na loob namin sa inyong lahat sa pagkakataon na ibinibigay ninyo sa amin na makapag-lingkod sa ating pamahalaan,” she said. 

Duterte, who strongly campaigned last year for the mandatory ROTC in all colleges, added: “The Philippine ROTC games demonstrate your indomitable spirit as Filipinos and this shows your commitment to participate in nation building. This shows that there is hope, maraming salamat sa inyong pagmamahal sa ating bayan. Thank you for showing that there is hope na may pag-asa at may maasahan sa ating mga kabataan.” 

Tolentino said Duterte’s presence at the opening of the tournament’s Mindanao leg “truly adds great significance since the Vice President is a genuine advocate of youth and sports development through military service.”

Duterte's presence in the PRG is a big boost in raising awareness for the tournament, considering that she is the incumbent Education secretary and an active colonel in the military reserve force herself.

After Duterte’s speech, she went around taking photos from cell phones before leaving the venue. Tolentino followed shortly after a brief interview with journalists. 

Pooled photos from the Office of Senator Francis Tolentino show Vice President Sara Duterte taking "selfies" after her speech at the opening Sunday, August 27, 2023 of the weeklong Philippine ROTC Games (PRG) Mindanao Regional Qualifying Leg.

Tolentino arrived here on Saturday and was guest speaker at the first-ever Miss ROTC 2023 – Mindanao held at the Western Mindanao State University gymnasium. The event, part of the opening ceremony of the PRG Mindanao Regional Qualifying Leg, was represented by ROTC cadets and cadettes from all over Mindanao. The pageant was participated by 21 cadettes from different colleges.

Tolentino's arrival in the afternoon was warmly welcomed by students, who cheered as he was ushered through the packed gymnasium.  “The purpose of this (ROTC Games Mindanao) is to promote ROTC through sports. Ito lang ang collegiate level na sports bukod doon sa PRISAA, NCAA and UAAP,” he told reporters before the opening of the pageant, referring to Private Schools Athletic Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. 

“Itong mga atleta sa ROTC games puwede natin ilaban sa Southeast Asian Games. Our goal here is to promote ROTC, promote discipline and love of country through sports. This ROTC game is the first in the Philippines and first in history,” Tolentino said, adding by next year, he will also push for the revival of the baseball and softball where Zamboanga athletes excel.  

The Mindanao leg of the PRG came a week after the successful hosting of the inaugural regional tournament in Iloilo City in western Visayas, which featured cadet athletes from various provinces in the region who participated in different sports such as track and field, basketball, kickboxing, boxing, arnis, and volleyball.

Tolentino added that the lessons learned in the tournament in Iloilo City will serve as a guide and benchmark for the organizers in the upcoming tournaments. He lauded the successful hosting of the first regional leg of the PRG Games in the Visayas region. 

The Mindanao regional games will be followed by the Luzon leg, which will be held in Tagaytay City from September 17 until 23. The cities of Manila and Pasig will host the National Capital Region leg from October 8 to 14 as well as the National Championships from October 22 to 27.

Tolentino, who is the brainchild of the tournament, hailed the leadership of the Commission on Higher Education, as well as the AFP and the Philippine Sports Commission, for making the sports tournament possible. 

The PRG, spearheaded by Tolentino, aims to promote the ROTC by specifically encouraging the development of grassroots sports programs; training young athletes for international competitions;  promoting physical education; and fostering self-discipline, teamwork and excellence. It involves the ROTC units of the main AFP service branches - the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. (Mindanao Examiner)