Understanding

National Service
Training Program
NSTP 1
The Evolution of the National
Service Training Program

 Commonwealth Act No. 1, - otherwise known as

the National Defense of 1935. It is a legislative
act providing basis for the national defense of
the country under the government of Pres.
Manuel L. Quezon. The law requires college
students, particularly males, to finish two years,
equivalent to 4 semesters, of military training as
a modality to institutionalize the reservist system
in the Philippines national defense.
 In 1980, the National Defense Act was amended to give
existence to Presidential Decree No. 1706, otherwise known
as the National Service Law. It mandated compulsory
national service to all Filipino citizens. It was composed of
three main program components:
A. Civic Welfare Service (CWS)
B. Law Enforcement Service (LES)
C. Military Service (MS)
 College students were given an option to choose one from
among these components in compliance with this
requirement for tertiary education.
 The implementation of the National Service Law, except the
provision of the Military Service was suspended by Presidential
Memorandum Order No. 1 under the incumbency of former
Pres. Corazon Aquino, paving the way for the
conceptualization of the basic Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
(ROTC), embodied under Republic Act No. 7077, effective
school year 1986-1987.

 The ROTC program aimed to realize the constitutional mandate

of developing a strong civilian base to supplement the
professional military in the nation’s defense system. It was
designed to initiate the ROTC trainees in the rudiments of
soldiership, installing to them discipline and correct deportment.
The objective of the said program was to train all able-bodied
tertiary students for military skills in case of war.
➢ ROTC was only made optional under the National
Service Program (NSP), conceiving the so-called
Expanded ROTC (E-ROTC). The E-ROTC was
characterized by deviation from the rigid tactical
training offering alternatives like rendering civil auxiliary
sources in the form of helping maintain law and order,
assisting socio-economic development projects and
delivery of basic health services or aiding in addressing
local insurgency.

➢ In view of the options, it gave the students the choice,

among the following components: Military Service
(MS), Civic Welfare Service (CWS) and Law
Enforcement Service (LES).
➢ In December 2001, the NSTP Act, envisioned to
address public clamor for reforms in the ROTC and
NSP Programs, was signed into law by then Pres.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as an aggressive
modality toward making the former national service
training that is military in nature, relevant to the
changing needs of the time.
Main objective of NSTP

➢ to stress the significant role played by youth, male

and female alike, in the task of developing our nation
via national service training.

➢ it aims to develop the youth to become civic or

military leaders and volunteers through a modified, re
structured and reinforced training package who
could be called upon by the nation in cases their
services are needed and in the event of disasters or
emergencies.
 NSTP Act ensured that three components – Civic Welfare
Training Service (CWTS), Literacy Training Service (LTS) and
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) – are given the same
and equal implementation in educational institutions.
 The non-military program components of NSTP – the CWTS and
LTS are committed to the realization of the following objectives:
 1. strengthen the values and traits of the youth;
 2. improve their skills and knowledge on various endeavors;
 3. develop their interest in community service; and
 4. make them responsible for peace and development to
ensure harmony and growth in the Filipino communities.
LEGAL BASES OF NSTP

 1. The Philippine constitution of 1987

 2. Commonwealth Act No. 1 (National Defense Act) of
1935
 3. Presidential Decree No. 1706 (National Service Law) of
1980
 4. Republic Act No. 7077 of 1991 (The Citizen Armed Forces
of the Philippines)
 5. Republic Act No. 9163 (NSTP Act of 2001)
FAQs about
National Training
Service Program
What is the NSTP Law?

 The national Service Training Program (NSTP)

Law as embodied in Republic ACT 9163 is a
program aimed at enhancing civic
consciousness and defense preparedness in
the youth by developing the ethics of service
and patriotism while undergoing training in any
of its three program components specifically
designed to enhance the youth’s contribution
to the general welfare
What are the Components of the
NSTP?
a. Reserve Training Officers Training Corps
(ROTC)
b. Literacy Training Service (LTS)
c. Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)
ROTC

 Designed to provide military training to

tertiary level students in order to motivate,
train, organize, and mobilize them for
national defense preparedness.
LTS

 It is designed to train students to teach literacy

and numeracy skills to school children, out-of-
school youth and other segments of society in
need of their service.
CWTS
 Itrefers to the activities contributory to the
general welfare and the betterment of life for
the members of the community.

 Italso refers to the enhancement of its facilities,

especially those developed to improving
health, education, environment,
entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and moral
of the citizenry and other social welfare
services.
Who shall take the NSTP

 All incoming freshmen students, male and

female, enrolled in any baccalaureate and in
at least two-year technical-vocational or
associate courses, are required to complete
one NSTP component of their choice as a
graduation requirement.
How will the NSTP be taken up?

 Each of the NSTP components shall be

undertaken for an academic period of two
semesters and credited for three units per
semester with 54 to 90 training hours per
semester.
What if the NSTP cannot be taken
up during the regular semester
A one summer program in lieu of the two
semester program may be designed,
formulated, and adopted by the DND,
CHED, and TESDA subject to capability of
the school and the AFP to handle the
same.
What if the NSTP program component chosen
by a student is not offered in your school?

 Schools that do not meet the required number of students

in order to conduct a program component or do not offer
the component chosen by their students shall allow them
to cross-enrol to other schools irrespective of whether that
school is under CHED or TESDA and for ROTC, whether they
are managed by different AFP branches of service.

 These students, however, shall be subjected to the existing

rules and regulations of their original school and accepting
school.
Are currently-enrolled students
covered by NSTP?
 Male students currently enrolled but have not
taken any program component of the
previous Expanded ROTC (E-ROTC)/National
Service Program (NSP) are covered by the
NSTP.
Will a student who has completed all the
acad. req. of his course except ROTC be
allowed to graduate?
A student who has completed all his
academic requirements except for ROTC
will be allowed to graduate provided that
he is a certified candidate by the school
on or before the effectivity of the NSTP
which is March 23, 2002.
What if a male student has completed
two semesters of E-ROTC/NSP?

 He is deemed to have complied with the

NSTP requirement.
What if a male student has only taken 1 sem.
of Basic ROTC and E-ROTC/NSP?

 He shall take one more semester of any

of the NSTP components to qualify for
graduation.
What will become of NSTP Graduates?
Graduates of the non-ROTC components?

 It shall belong to the National Service

Reserve Corps (NSRC) that could be tapped
by the State for Literacy and Civic Welfare
activities. Graduates of the ROTC
component shall form only part of the AFP
Citizen Armed Force, subject to DND
requirements.
How can a student continue to qualify for
enlistment in the AFP Reserve Force?

 He/she may qualify for enlistment in the AFP

Reserve Force as long as he/she has
completed the two semesters of Basic ROTC.
How much fee will be charged for
an NSTP component?
 No fees shall be collected for any of the NSTP
component except basic tuition fees, which
should not be more than 50% of the charges
of the school per academic unit.
What student incentives can be
provided by the NSTP?
 A program of assistance/incentives for ROTC students from DND
which will be in accordance with existing laws and regulations
and subject to the availability of funds.
 School authorities concerned, CHED and TESDA shall ensure that
health and accident group insurances are provided to student
enrolled in any of the NSTP components.
 A special scholarship program for qualified NSTP shall be
administered by CHED and TESDA subject to the availability of
funds.
Who is responsible for supervising
the NSTP?
 School authorities shall exercise academic and
administrative supervision over the design, formulation,
adoption and implementation of the different NSTP
components in their respective schools.

 In the case of ROTC, the school authorities and DND

shall exercise joint supervision over its implementation.
What lead agencies will monitor
the implementation of the NSTP?
 CHED Regional Offices, TESDA Provincial and
District Offices and the DND-AFP, through the
major Service Reserve Commands and the
ROTC Units, shall oversee if the trainings
conducted are in consonance with the
Republic Act.
Is the NSTP available in all schools
and universities?
 All higher and technical vocational educational
institutions shall be offering at least one of the
NSTP components, while State Universities and
Colleges (SUCs) will offer the ROTC component
and at least one other NSTP component.
SELF-CHECK
1. National Defense Act
2. National Service Law
3. NSTP Act of 2001
4. The Citizen Armed Forces of A. Republic Act No. 9163
the Philippines B. Presidential Decree No. 1706
C. Republic Act NO. 7077 of 1991
5. Pres. Manuel L. Quezon D. Commonwealth Act No. 1 of 1935
E. The Philippine Constitution of 1987
6. Pres. Corazon C. Aquino
7. Pres. Gloria Macapagal –
Arroyo
8 – 10. Three Components of
NSTP