COME initiates training for the next COC officers
26 students from the College of Maritime Education (COME) participated in the Corps of Cadets (COC) Training on March 5, 2022. It was the first face-to-face training since the pandemic.
According to Corps Commander Diosdado Ben Dumlao, conducting the COC training is a way of preparing the upcoming officers to be disciplined, especially in obeying the rules and regulations of their college as well as the institution.
“This is a way to improve their skills to become good leaders [for] their fellow cadets,” he added.
Lester Gaces, a first-year BS Marine Engineering student, and Zei Carl Tandoc, a first-year BS Marine Transportation student, also expressed their insights and experiences towards their participation in the training.
“Being in the maritime industry exposes you to a variety of external and internal elements that put your abilities to the test and strengthen various qualities and characteristics that you might not expect…The training is exactly what I need to elevate myself further. At first, I questioned myself, “Can I do this? Or do I possess the necessary qualities?” Now, I believe that there is no other road to [success] except to stand up and fight for what you want. I believe that there is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure,” said Gaces.
Zei Carl Tandoc shared that his first week had been very challenging.
“It is likened to CAT, or Citizen Army Training, awhile back in my junior high. I’m hoping that this training [will] be harder when [the] time comes. I’m not saying that this is easy. For me, my body can handle this kind of training since I worked out motivationally,” he concluded.
The purpose of COC training is to search for students who have the attitude of robust determination. It cleanses the cadets’ minds and transforms the trainees into disciplined leaders. In addition, it is a foundation to build the next officers to become physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared. The benefit of this event to the college is that it continues the reputation of being one of the most disciplined organizations on campus.
