After a four-year hiatus from participating in the Local Annual General Tactical Inspection (LAGTI), the cadets of the DLSU 247th Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Unit (NROTCU) once again claimed glory when they were crowned first runners-up last March 24 at Naval Station Jose Francisco, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
The competition, held at the same venue a day prior, was composed of various events such as knot tying, first-aid practical, line throwing, and map reading to evaluate the tactical military proficiency of different NROTCUs around the region.
Demonstrating skills developed during their Military Science 1 (MS1) course, the 247th NROTCU obtained an overall score of 89.0, 0.4 points shy of surpassing the four-year reigning champion, the 270th NROTCU of University of Makati, who scored a total of 89.4.
Radioing on the win
“I am very proud of my cadets and my cadet officers,” expressed 247th NROTCU Corps Commander Carmela Sulit (BS-PSYC, 18’). She further added that her unit only took up the MS1 course, but still managed to be at par with other schools who already took up Military Science 2.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program Coordinator Anna Bandagosa also commended the training cadets and their dedication to the course. “Kung malalaman mo lang how [the students] practiced every day, kahit hindi na training day. They are so serious in competing sa LAGTI,” she praised.
(If you only knew how [the students] practiced every day, they even practiced when it was not a training day. They are so serious in competing in LAGTI.)
Fighting for the highest score, the 247th NROTCU’s specialized units scored 99, 98.8, and 85 for the Flag Identification, Semaphore Signaling, and Knot Tying activities, respectively. They also scored 81.5, 87, and 97.8 for First Aid, Map Reading, and Rank Inspection.
Constant vigilance
Although the unit’s win as first runner-up was considered a big step up for the National Service Training Program (NSTP) and Formations Office (NFO), both Sulit and Bandagosa disclosed that they still had their fair share of hardships during the LAGTI 2019 training and ROTC program arrangements.
One factor Bandagosa shared was the uncertainty of when activities were supposed to be scheduled, stating LAGTI itself took place long after the MS1 course ended. Fearing most cadets were unwilling to participate again outside the NSTP component, Bandagosa was surprised by the turnout of students who volunteered to participate in the inspection.
“Nakita ko yung pagpupursige [at] dedication ng mga basic [training] cadet na estudyante—Na talagang to be part of the LAGTI, because this is not about them, but this is about the ROTC unit; this is about DLSU as a community—as an institution,” she declared.
(I saw the perseverance and dedication of the basic [training] cadets who really wanted to be part of the LAGTI, because this is not about them, but this is about the ROTC unit; this is about DLSU as a community—as an institution.)
Sulit, on the other hand, shared her dilemma of being the only cadet officer who had any formal experience in a tactical inspection. She had previously been part of the 2015 LAGTI, while the other five members of her Corps of Cadet Officers, and even the program coordinator herself, only experienced LAGTI for the first time this year.
Bracing up for next year
Discussing plans for the following years, Bandagosa shared that they intend to formalize and streamline the component’s documentation processes to ease the workflow in preparing for future tactical inspections.
Bandagosa also stated the difficulty her office experienced in balancing the course’s lecture and training preparations for LAGTI, hoping to find a compromise in the following academic years.
Sulit, on the other hand, pressed that the unit should aim even higher for next year’s general inspection. She stated, “If we knew that kaya naman pala ng MS1 cadets makakuha ng first runner-up, [then] why not push harder and get the championship?”
(If we knew that MS1 cadets can actually get first runner-up, [then] why not push harder and get the championship?)
Bandagosa also aimed to break the stigma of people perceiving ROTC as being about brute force and physicality. “We are trying to change the image of ROTC na talagang formation siya. We are forming Lasallian cadets na maging mas makatao—gamitin yung skills nila sa pag-improve ng ibang tao at ng society,” she stressed.
(We are trying to change the image of ROTC to be about formation. We are forming Lasallian cadets that are humanitarian—to use their skills for the betterment of others and society.)
She added, “Iyon yung goal namin ngayon: na makita ang ROTC na may puso.”
(That is our goal right now: to show that ROTC has a heart.)
