My first taste of military training was when I took up the Cadet Officers’ Candidate Course (COCC) of the Citizens’ Army Training (CAT). Being an officer of the CAT-I in high school was a prestigious position which every student-leader aspired especially if you are fighting for honors in the graduation.
That was in the month of January 1978, when we took the entrance examination for the COCC. We were third year students then and our senior officers were the CAT officers from the fourth year. Our grades were also screened and there should be no grades below 80% in all subjects. There were physical examinations also like push-ups, pull-ups, set-ups and running. Of course a medical certificate is required to be physically fit for the training.
Amidst all discouragements and insults because of my frail physique, I was able to qualify for the COCC training. All types of humiliation were given to us. Our haircut was army cut or white side wall. We wore dog tags whenever we were in the campus. We always saluted our senior officers whenever we met them at the campus or even on the streets.
We were given difficult assignments like looking for roses, chocolates, gifts, and other items for the officer’s girlfriends or idols. We made some of their assignments. We cleaned our dummy rifle and if it was not clean we were made to lick the rust. We took turns leading the flag ceremony and the pledge of allegiance to the flag. We were made the laughing stock of the whole campus.
Hazing was very common during Saturdays. After the usual lecture and drills, we were taken to some close classrooms and we underwent physical contacts from our officers. We ate bananas passed from on mouth to another. We pushed up on smelly toilet bowls in the school comfort rooms.
Snake crawls, squat thrusts, mountain climbing, roll like a barrel and even helicopters were part of our initiation. There was road run every morning. It was like we were training for the real Philippine Army.
After more than one month, the COCC was suspended because of the reports of how we were treated reaching the administration. It was continued during summer and our training was purely military, minus the hazing. After another one month plus of training we were “baptized” at Pugaling Beach. We ate square meals and made to drink tuba with chilli. At last we became full-pledged CAT Officers!
I was designated as Staff or S2 in charge of Intelligence with a rank of Cadet Captain. Our CAT-I Unit, the Bloodhound Battalion of Saint Joseph College, was the number one unit in the whole of Southern Leyte. Our Commandant was Second Lieutenant Eduardo Sibi. We had CAT training every Monday and Tuesday. Wednesdays were for Music and Health and Fridays were for Physical education. We were the Annual Tactical Inspection champions in the whole province.
During college I took up the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), the military program for college students, intended to train them to prepare for national defense. It included problem solving, military discipline, systematic planning, proper ethics, and leadership skills.
I did not take up the COCC in ROTC and preferred to be only among the ordinary cadets. I was just a squad leader with a rank of Cadet Sergeant. I was not tempted to pay a considerable sum of money for my ratings in ROTC to be exempted from training and just get good grades. That was the most common corruption in ROTC during our time.
We had half day ROTC training in the first semester and whole day in the second semester done every Sunday. We were able to dismantle and assemble the Garand or US Rifle Caliber .30 M1. We had road run every Tuesday and Thursday early morning. We also experienced marches and bivouacs. The Annual Tactical Inspection was done at the later part of the school year. After two years I was able to graduate ROTC in March 1981.
Just as we had just passed the two years college military training, the Philippine Army through its Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM) recruited reservists during the first ever mobilization test and training at the Tomas Oppus Pilot School Oval right after ROTC. We prepared thoroughly for the mobilization by jogging every morning and refrain from drinking too much.
We organized the first Southern Leyte Reserve Battalion together with ROTC graduates and ex-armies throughout the province. We underwent lectures, drills, and exercises for one week. We had road runs every morning. We were able to fire the ArmaLite M16 assault rifle. It was one hell of an experience for we had to sleep in tents and train like real armies. When I passed the training, my reserve rank was Corporal.
In 2001, Republic Act No. 9163 established the National Service Training Program (NSTP), which allowed students to choose to undergo training for civic service other than the ROTC. They may choose from the ROTC program which provides military training, the Literacy Training Service which gives training on teaching basic reading and math, and the Civic Welfare Training Service which enables students to be active in community welfare, such as caring for the environment, public safety, health, sports, and entrepreneurship. The ROTC program was made optional and voluntary.
After I graduated ROTC, I was also inactive in my paramilitary life. Until the call to be commissioned as a reserve officer came. With the position as City Mayor, my rank in the Philippine Army would be Major. So I processed my application with all the clearances from the barangay, city, police, court, and NBI. Plus medical and dental certificate and scholastic records were also required.
After three months, my reservist rank was approved. On March 2, 2012 I was donned in time for the opening of the reservist training of some city hall employees. I became Major Maloney Samaco of the Army Reserve Command. While the employees underwent Special Basic Citizens Military Training (SBCMT) Class 01-12 every Saturday and Sunday which is equivalent to one month.
It served as part of our program in disaster preparedness. The group also undertook socio-civic activities. Thus one company was formed from the city hall employees consisting of enforcers, rescue team, and men at the frontline of disaster.
"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living. Today's military rejects include tomorrow's hard-core unemployed." These are the words of United States President John F. Kennedy.
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