National Service Training Program

Chapter 1

Citizenship Training
Chapter 1 Topic 1

Citizenship Training
The National Service Training Program in the Philippines: A Historical Account.

Introduction
Pursuant to Section 12 of Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known as the National
Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001, the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED), Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) and the
Department of National Defense (DND), in consultation with concerned government
Agencies, the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), the
coordinating Council of Private Education Association of the Philippines (COCOPEA),
Non-Government Organizations and recognized student organizations, hereby jointly
issue, adopt and promulgate the following implementing rules and regulations to
implement the provision of the Act.

Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

- To be knowledgeable of the history of NSTP

- To have better understanding in NSTP Program
- To be knowledgeable of the implementing riles and regulations of the PRMSU-NSTP Act
of 2001
- To analyze the IRR of PRMSU-NSTP will guide students in involving for the community
development
- To develop civic consciousness among students
-

Duration

Chapter 1: Citizenship Training = 2 weeks, 5 hrs discussion; 1

hours assessment)

THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES:

A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
The imposition of the national program for service and training of the youth in the
Philippines began with the creation of Commonwealth Act No. 1, otherwise known as the
National Defense Act. It is a legislative act providing the basis for national defense of the country,
punishing certain violations thereof, appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes under
the government of President Manuel L. Quezon in 1935. The same law that required college
students, particularly males, to finish two years, equivalent to 4 semesters, of military training as
a modality to institutionalize 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 namely: Civic
Welfare Service (CWS), Law Enforcement Service (LES), and 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 President Corazon Aquino, paving the way for the conceptualization of the Basic Reserve
Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), embodied under Republic Act No. 7077 (The Citizen Armed
Forces of the Philippines Reservist Law), 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, instilling in them discipline
and correct deportment. The lofty objective of the said program was to train all able-bodied
tertiary students for military skills in case of war. It cannot be disputed, however, that the law
mandatory military training for male Filipino students that existed for more than sixty (60) years
seemed to have become anachronistic.
The goof intentions of ROTC were tainted with anomalies and irregularities in the advent
of the post- Marcos era, thus, defeating the purpose upon which this military training program
was anchored.
As a away to offer a measure in neutralizing people’s aversion to this military program
during the school year 2001-20021, ROTC was only mase optional under the NSP, conceiving
the so-called Expanded ROTC (E-ROTC) characterized by deviation from the rigid tactical
training, and offering alternatives like rendering civil auxiliary sources in the form of helping
maintain law and order, assisting socio-economic development projects and delivering basic
health services or aiding in addressing local insurgency.
In view of the options, the students were given the choice, among the following
components: Military Service (MS), Civic Welfare Service (CWS) and Law Enforcement Service
(LES)
Manny, if not all, of the Higher Education Institutions, found the enforcement of NSP
confusing and unmanageable though, Hence, in December 2001, the NSTP Act, envisioned to
address public clamor for reforms in the ROTC and NSP Programs, was signed into law by
President 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.
The primary objective of NSPT is to highlight the role of the youth in building a strong
Republic, invoking gender equality and development though inclusion of female students in
national service training. As such, (through a modified, restructured and reinforced training
package) it aims to develop the youth to become civic or military leaders and volunteers who
could be called upon by the nation in cases when their services are needed and in the event of
disaster or emergencies.
Compared with ROTC, the NSTP Act insured that the three components – Civic Welfare
Training Service (CWTS), Literacy Training Service (LTS) and Reserve Officers Training Corps
(ROTC), are given the same equal implementation in educational institutions. Moreover, it
defined the different NSTP components, the duration of the training coverage and others.
 It can be summarized that NSTP as a form of citizenship training, affords its student-
trainees the opportunity to demonstrate practical and functional knowledge as well as life skills,
especially problem-solving in daily life that the program offers to them on the course training
The non-military program components of NSTP, that is, the CWTS and LTS, are
committed to strengthening the values and traits of the youth, improving skills and knowledge on
various endeavor, developing interest in community service and making them responsible for
peace and development to ensure harmony and growth in the Filipino communities. (Towards
Effective and Relevant NSTP Implementation, Vidal , Labuguen, Balajadia et.al)

FAQs about NSTP

(Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the National Training Service Training Program?

The National Service Training Program (NSTP) Law or Republic Act 9163, promulgated
in 2001, 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 (3) program components specifically designed to enhance the youth’s active contribution to
the general welfare.

What are the Program components of the NSTP?

First is the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) which is designed to provide military
training to tertiary level students in order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize them for
national defense preparedness.
Second is the Literacy Training Service (LTS) which is designed to train the student to
teach literacy and numeracy skill to school children, out-of-school youth and other segments of
society in need of their services.
Third is the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) which refers to 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 developed to improving health, education,
environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morale of the citizenry and other social
welfare services.

Who shall take NSTP?

All incoming freshmen students, male and female, 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 graduation requirement.

How will the NSTP be taken up?

Each of the NSTP components shall be undertaken for an academic period of two (2)
semesters and credited for three (3) 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 (1) summer program in lieu of the two (2) semester program may be designed,
formulated and adopted by DND, CHED and TESDA subject to the 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 any 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-enroll
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 regulation of their
school of origin and the accepting school.
Are currently - enrolled students covered by the 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 academic requirements 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

Will a student who has completed all the academic requirements if his course except ROTC
be allowed to graduate?
A student who has completed all his academic requirements except ROTC will be allowed
to graduate provide 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 requirements.

What if a male student has only taken one (1) semester 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 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 requirement.

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 tow (2) Semester of Basic ROTC.

How much fee will be charged for an NSTP component?

 No fees shall be collected for any of the NSTP components except basic tuition fees, which
should not be more than fifty percent (50%) of the charges of the school per academic unit.

What student incentives can be provided for by the NSTP?

The following incentives to students are to be provided for when they take up NSTP:
1. A program of assistance/incentives for ROTC students from DND which will be
accordance with existing laws and regulations and subject to the availability of funds.
2. School authorities concerned, CHED and TESDA shall ensure that health and accident
group insurances are provided to students enrolled in ani of the NSTP components.
3. A special Scholarship Program for qualified NSTP shall be ad mistered by CHED and
TESDA subject to the availability of funds.

Who is responsible for supervising the NSTP?

School Authorities shall exercise and administrative supervision over the design,
formulation, adaptation 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 Command and their ROTC Units shall oversee whether of the
training 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
(1) of the NSTP component and at least one other NSTP component.

(Towards Effective and Relevant NSTP Implementation, Vidal , Labuguen, Balajadia et.al)