The Corps has generally five (5) types of activities:
- Regular training day (Sunday)
- Administrative Activities
- Parades and Reviews
- Non-Parade Projects
- Training-Related Activities
Regular training encompasses the wide spectrum
of activities aimed at imparting knowledge to the cadets on a regular training day (Sunday) at a regular training area (i.e.,
UP Manila premises or HNCRRCDG). These could come in the form of lectures, demonstrations, physical training (e.g., bayonet
training with joust sticks). Such training maybe conducted by any of the following:
- cadet officer
- DMST personnel
- non-organic Philippine Army officer (e.g., an Explosives and Ordnance
Disposal personnel giving lecture to Strike Force cadets)
- Advance ROTC Alumnus (i.e., a member of the UP Vanguard, Inc.)
- specialized cadet or NCO (such as a Medic cadet giving lecture on
First Aid)
Administrative activities happen literally
everyday, and both cadet officers are highly interactive in this activity. Frequently, it is the Corps G1’s point project,
but is not infrequent that all the other officers assist him. The Corps G1’s main arm here is the non-Sunday admin cadets,
which render six (6) hours of activity per week in the Corps office. On Sundays, the Admin section, together with the rest
of the Service Support Unit, facilitate this aspect of ROTC training. Always, the officer fulfill their responsibilities,
as command is half of officer-life in the field, and half in the table with paperwork.
Parades and Reviews are what the Corps of
Cadets and the ROTC are known for. With snappy moves, crispy uniforms, simultaneous movements and sharp commands, the young
Corps never fails to dazzle its audience. What it lacks in size and equipment (it is only two battalions with no armory),
it makes up with quality performance.
The UP Manila Corps of Cadets has two parades every year: Presentation
of Sponsors, which is done to honor and introduce its partner organization, the Corps of Sponsors, to the cadets and the UP
Administration; and the Turnover of Command (TOC), when the outgoing Corps Commander transfers the command of the organization
to the new leader. Sometimes, a third parade is executed, commonly in the first semester (the previous two are done only in
the second semester). This is the Testimonial Parade, a presentation honoring the UP Manila Administration officials for its
support to the ROTC program.
Non-parade projects encompasses all activities
which are executed to either bring practical non-parade application to lessons learned during regular training days, or demonstrate
them to the non-ROTC part of the UP Manila community to foster communication and understanding. As the UP ROTC is a tough
and paramilitary organization, these activities connect the very classical organization to its environment in which it lives,
and the community which it serves.
Non-parade projects include the marches and bivouac to a military
camp, bloodletting, visiting of orphanage, tree-planting and cleaning, Christmas party (in partnership with the COS), Cadet’s
Day, ROTC Awareness Week (RAW), Alay Lakad, and the likes.
Training-Related Activities include very
specific activities which are rather related to unit-specializations. An example of this would be the Kampilan Battle Group’s
urban warfare exercise PAGSASANAY which is done to prepare before the jungle warfare culminating activity, MARKAHAN, and the
Rayadillo’s close-order drill which assists in Silent Drill exercises.
