The National Service Training Program (NSTP)

- Is a mandated program in the curricula of all baccalaureate programs and in

at least two (2) years of technical-vocational or associate course in all state
universities and colleges (SUC’s), and private higher and technical-vocational
educational institutions.
- This law started to be implemented in all colleges and universities in 2002.
The NSTP Act of 2001 was conceptualized by the former CHED Secretary Ester
A. Garcia, now the President of the University of the East. This is better known as
Republic Act of 9163 that has been signed into law by Her Excellency, President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo in response to the public clamor of reform in the Reserve Officers’
Training Corps (ROTC).
Program Components of the NSTP
The students are free to choose any one of the following programs:
1. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
- In this program it is designed to provide military training to tertiary-level
students to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national
defense preparedness.
2. Literacy Training Service (LTS)
- This program train the students to teach literacy and numeracy skills to
school children, out-of-school youths, and any other segments of
society in need of this service.
3. Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)
- This program designs activities that will contribute to the general
welfare and betterment of life for the community, as well as enhance
its facilities and improve the health condition of its member. This can
be done by focusing on providing community members with basic skills
on health, environmental sanitation, entrepreneurship, safety,
recreation, and enhancing their moral values.
This programs as stipulated in the law, each of the components shall be taken for an
academic year of two (2) semester and shall be credited for three (3) units per semester
with fifty-four (54) to ninety (90) training hours a semester.

The Republic Act No. 7077

- This act known as the “Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist
Act” aims to organize, train, develop, and maintain a support unit to the Armed Forces f
Philippines to help protect our country and citizens in the event of war, invasion or
rebellion; assist in relief and rescue during disaster or calamities; in socioeconomic
development; and in the operation and maintenance of essential government or private
utilities in the furtherance of overall mission.

Pursuant to this act, graduates of ROTC component shall form part of the Citizen
Armed Force subject to Department of National Defense (DND) requirements whereas,
graduates of the non-ROTC components; CWTS and LTS, shall belong to the National
Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) and could be tapped by the State for literacy and civic
welfare activities in times of calamities.

Other terms related to NSTP Program

 Program Component – Refers to the service components of NSTP.
 Clustering – Grouping of students enrolled to different schools into taking up the
same NSTP component into one group under the management and supervision
of a designated school.
 Cross-Enrollment – Refers to a system of enrollment where a student is
officially enrolled in an academic program of an origin school but is allowed to
enroll in the NSTP of another accepting school.
 Non-Government Organization – Refers to any private organization duly
accredited by CHED or recognized by TESDA.
 Student Cadet – Refers to a student enrolled in the ROTC component.