The National Service Training Program (NSTP)

ABOUT
The National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001 (R.A. 9163) was enacted in
response to public clamor for reforms in the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC)
Program. This act affirms that the prime duty of the government shall be to serve and
protect its citizens. In turn, it shall be the responsibility of all its citizens to defend the
security of the State; thus, the government may require each citizen to render personal,
military or civil service. In the pursuit of these goals, the youth shall be motivated,
trained, organized, and mobilized in military training, literacy, civic welfare, and other
similar endeavors in service to the nation.
The NSTP 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 program components.
Its various components are specially designed to enhance the youth’s active
contribution to the general welfare of the nation. All male and female students enrolled
in any baccalaureate or in at least two (2)-year technical/vocational or associate
courses are required to complete the equivalent of two (2) semesters of an NSTP
Common Module for the period of at least 25-hours and any one of the NSTP
components listed below as a requisite for graduation:
     1) Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
     2) Literacy Training Service (LTS)
     3) Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)
Under the NSTP law, state universities are required to offer ROTC and at least one
other NSTP component. Furthermore, for NSTP courses, schools may collect not more
than 50% of the current basic tuition.
Reference: Republic Act. No 9163 (NSTP Act 2001)
a. Reserve Officer’s Training Corps [ROTC] - refers to the program component,
institutionalized under Section 38 and 39 of Republic Act No. 7077, designed to provide
military training to motivate, train organize and mobilize them for national defense
preparedness.

b. Civic Welfare Training Service [CWTS] - refers to the program component or

activities contributory to the general welfare and the betterment of life for the members
of the community or the enhancement of its facilities, especially those devoted to
improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and
moral of the citizenry and other social welfare services.
 

c. Literacy Training Service [LTS] - refers to the program component designed to train
the students to teach literacy and numeracy skills to school children, out-of-school youth
and other segments of society in need of their services.

What is the legal basis of the National Service Training Program (NSTP)? The
National Service Training Program (NSTP) Law or RA 9163 also known as “An Act
Establishing the National Service Training Program (NSTP) for tertiary level students,
amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 7077 and Presidential Decree No. 1706,
and for other purposes.” was enacted last January 2002 to amend the Expanded
ROTC. This program aimed to enhance civic consciousness and defense preparedness
in the youth by developing the ethics of service and patriotism while undergoing training
in any of its three (3) program components, specifically designed to enhance the youth’s
active contribution to the general welfare
Who are covered by the NSTP Law?

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A.      All incoming freshmen students, male, female, starting school year (SY) 2002-
2003, enrolled in any baccalaureate and in at least two (2) year technical-vocational or
associate courses, are required to complete one (1) NSTP component of their choice,
as a graduation requirement;

B.      All higher and technical-vocational education institutions must at least offer one
(1) of the NSTP components.

C.      State universities and colleges (SUC‘s), shall offer the ROTC component and at
least one (1) other NSTP component.

D.     The Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine Merchant Marine Academy
(PMMA), Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), and other SUC‘s of similar
nature, in view of the special character of these institutions, are exempted from the
NSTP.

E.      Private higher education and technical-vocational education institutions with at

least 350 student cadets may offer the ROTC component and consequently establish /
maintain a Department Of Military Science and Tactics (DMST), subject to the existing
rules and regulations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY NSTP?

NSTP or the National Service Training Program is needed in a college's curriculum
because it instills in our youth a sense of patriotism for our country. It also prepares
them to be socially aware and responsible individual members of the community.
What is your expectation on this subject NSTP?
For environment, the NSTP students will of course assess the environmental matters
within the community and can implement ways to somewhat solve the crisis. ... The
students can also conduct lectures to pre-schoolers by this we can help empower the
minds of the students. And lastly, entrepreneurship.
What you can expect from the Philippine National Service Training Program
When you say NSTP (National Service Training Program), what readily springs forth
into your mind?
Soldier type of training? I’m afraid not. Shirt you can be proud to put on? I guess so.
Training for resourcefulness? Sure. Community Immersions? Definitely.
When we say NSTP, it’s not just about the shirt we put on every Saturday of the week
nor is it just about the places we go to during community immersions but relatively, it is
about the contributions a student can give for the general welfare and the betterment of
the members in the community.
Naturally, students who attend this subject don’t really give a thing about this but little
did they know that by participating on the activities laid out for this subject, they’ve
somewhat contributed for the betterment of the community. Now let’s get back to the
real thing, let’s articulate what ordinary people can expect in the National Service
Training Program.
 First, we can assure that through our little means we can at least provide service to the
members in the partner community we’re immersing. Through the little projects
organized in this program, we can at least provide service in the fields of: health,
environment, education and entrepreneurship.
In health, the students can conduct lecture demonstrations on nutrition and hygiene
which can really help mothers safeguard their children from certain diseases (e.g.
dengue, lbm, typhoid fever and etc.).
For environment, the NSTP students will of course assess the environmental matters
within the community and can implement ways to somewhat solve the crisis. For

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example, the community experiences waste disposal problems; the students can at
least do a clean-up drive and a lecture demonstration on how to avoid such problem.
The students can also provide sample trash bins to work out on waste segregation.
In education, the program readily conducts donation drives that will enhance the
learning of the children within the partner communities covered in this program. The
students can also conduct lectures to pre-schoolers by this we can help empower the
minds of the students.
And lastly, entrepreneurship. There is a vast choice of activities the students can do
together with the members of the community. They can do income-generating activities
such as paper making or vase painting.
 
You see, there are a wide variety of benefits the common people can get from NSTP. It
doesn’t only benefit the students from the said program but also the beneficiaries that
will be receiving the services from the students.