INTRODUCTION TO NSTP

(1 Hour)

Introduction:
National service programs are a global phenomenon. Contrary to the claims
of vocal opponents to compulsory service, the nation that recognizes civic duty,
through one form of mandatory service or another, span the political, economic and
cultural spectrum.
In keeping with the concept of national service, the 1987 Philippine
Constitution enshrined in its Declaration of Principles that the Filipinos are duty-
bound to protect the country and, as such, they may be subjected to undergo service
programs. This requirement is premised on the constitutional provision, which
provides that, “The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people.
The Government may call upon the people to defend the state, and in fulfillment
thereof, all citizens may be required, under conditions provided by law, to render
personal military or civil service”. (Art. II, Sec. 4, ThePhilippine Constitution)
Along this line of thought, the same Constitution, under its State Policies
prescribes the involvement of the young generation in the community affairs in
order to secure the nation. Article II, Section 13, is clear, to wit: “The State
recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and
protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. It shall
inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement
in public and civic affairs.

Modular UNIT I
THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGHRAM
At the end of this modular unit, you are expected to:
1. Explain the history and significance of the NSTP in the purview of national
security and development.
2. Appreciate the value of NSTP as citizenship training
3. Support NSTP-related activities

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 Overview
The Philippine Constitution provides that the defense of the state is a
prime duty of the government and the people, and in fulfillment of this duty,
all citizens may be required by law to render personal military or civil
service. It further states that it is the duty of the citizen to contribute to our
country’s development in the attainment and preservation of a just and
orderly society. The National service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001
mandates all citizens, both male and female, to fulfill this civic duty.
Responding to the urgent needs of our developing country today and
in the foreseeable future, it is equally vital to develop and enhance civic
consciousness among the young generation to ensure national security and
development. NSTP, therefore, enables the youth, as the most valuable
resource of the Filipino nation, to be motivated, developed and utilized in
regard to their responsibilities as citizens and in fulfillment of their civil
obligations.
Discussion:
Input No. 1: The Evolution of the National Service Training Program

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 basis for the
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 the reservist system in the Philippines national defense.

In 1980, the National Act was amended to give existence to Presidential

Decree No. 1706, otherwise known as the National Service Law. It mandated
compulsory National Service Law .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 a 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 in
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.

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 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 soldier
ship, instilling in them discipline and correct deportment. The objective of the said
program was to train all able-bodied tertiary students for military sills in case of
war. It cannot be disputed, however, that the law on mandatory military training for
male Filipino students that existed for more than sixty (60) years was tainted with
anomalies and irregularities in the advent of the post-Marcos era that culminated to
the unprecedented death of UST ROTC cadet officer Mark Welson Chuafor alleged
anomalies of some erring ROTC officials in 2001, thus, defeating the purpose upon
which this military training program was anchored in.

As a way to offer an alternative in neutralizing people’s aversion to this

military program during the school year 2001-2002, ROTC was only made optional
under the National Service Program (NSP), conceiving the so-called Expanded ROTC
(E-ROTC) 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).

Many, 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 NSTP Programs,
was signed into law by then 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 main objective of NSTP is to stress the significant role played by youth,
male and female alike, in the task of developing our nation via national service
training. As such, it aims to develop the youth to become civic or military leaders
and volunteers through a modified, re- structured and reinforced training package
whom could be called upon by the nation in case their services are needed and in
the event of disasters or emergencies.

Compared with ROTC, the 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. Moreover, it defined the different NSTP components, the
duration of the training, coverage and others.

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

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and knowledge on various endeavors, developing interest in community service and
making them responsible for peace and development to ensure harmony and
growth in the Filipino communities.

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Learning EXERSICES 1.1
Name: GILBERT CAUILAN Course: ELECT-1H Time: _____________
Teacher: BENJAMIN ARAO Jr. Date: ___________________ Rating: ____________

The Evolution of National Service Training Program

Illustrate a diagram that will explain the legal bases and chronology of events
in the passage of the RA9163 (NSTP Act of 2001) 20 points

Spanish Colonialism There was similar training course the same to RTC at UST

1912 Modern ROTC begin when the military instruction was

conducted in the UP

National Defense
Act 1935 (Common
Wealth Act 1
Passed by the National Assembly of the Philippines on
December 1935 by Pres. Manuel L. Quezon to create an
Independent Philippine Army

World War II Showed that the product of ROTC was called to the colors,
they proved their worth in the battle field

Post War Training Executive NO. 59 states that ROTC course is made to
mandatory for all colleges in their respective curricula

Post Marcos Era Pres. Decree No. 1706 aka National Service Law was
(1980) signed by Ferdinand Marcos on August 1980. Made
national service obligatory for all Filipino citizen and
specified 3 categories; civic welfare, law enforcement
service and military service

Corazon Aquino RA 7077 aka Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippine Reservist
Time (1991) Act enacted on June 1991. Providing for the organization,
administration, training, maintenance, and utilization of the
citizen armed force of the armed forces of the Philippines
and for other purposes

National Service
Establishing NSTP for tertiary level students amending the RA
Training Program 7077and PD 1706
Act of 2001

Civic Education and defense preparedness program for

Filipino tertiary education students instituted by the
government of the Philippines on January by the virtue of RA
9163 aka National Service Training Program Act of 2001
NSTP ACT: RA 9163

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Input No. 2: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about NSTP

1. What is the National Service Training Program 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 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.
2. What are the Program components of the NSTP?
a. The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is designed to provide
military training to tertiary level students in order to motivate, train,
organize, and mobilize them for national defense preparedness.
b. The Literacy Training Service (LTS) is 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.
c. The Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) 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 moral of the citizenry and other
social welfare services.
3. Who shall take the 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 a graduation requirement
4. 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 semesters with 54 to 90 training hours per semesters.
5. 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 capability of the
school and the AFP to handle the same.
6. What if the NSTP program component chosen by the student is not offered in
his/her 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 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 the accepting school.
7. Are currently-enrolled students covered by the NSTP? Male students
currently enrolled but have taken any program component of the previous
Expanded ROTC (E-ROTC)/ National Service Program (NSP) are covered by
the NSTP.
8. 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

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 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.
9. What if a male student has completed two semesters of E-ROTC/NSP? He is
deemed to have complied with the NSTP requirement.
10. What if a male student has only taken one (1) semesters of Basic ROTC and E-
ROTC/NSP? He shall take one more semester of any of the NSTP components
to qualify for graduation.
11. 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 the literacy and civic welfare activities.
Graduates of the ROTC component shall form only part of the AFP Citizen
Armed Force, subject to DND requirements.
12. How can a student continue to qualify for enlistment in the AFP Reserved
Force? He/she may qualify for enlistment in the AFP Reserved Force as long
as he/she has completed the two (2) semesters of Basic ROTC.
13. How much fee will be charge 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 fifty percent (50%) of the charges of the school per
academic unit.
14. What student incentives can be provided by the NSTP component? The
following incentives are to be provided when they take up 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 students enrolled
in any of the NSTP components.

A Special Program for qualified NSTP shall be administrated by CHED and

TESDA subject to the availability of funds.
15. 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.
16. What lead agencies will monitor the implementation of the NSTP? CHED
Regional Offices and the DND-AFP through the major Service Reserve
Commands and their ROTC Units shall oversee if the trainings conducted are
in consonance with the Republic Act.
17. Is the NSTP available in all Schools and Universities? All higher and Technical
Vocational Educational Institution shall be offering at least one (1) of the
NSTP components and at least one other NSTP component.

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UNIT TEST
The National Service Training Program
I. Write on the space provided AGREE if the statement is true; DISAGREE
if false.
DISAGREE 1. Of the tree (3) program components of NSTP, ROTC is the
graduation requisite for male students
DISAGREE 2. Since the implementation of RA 9163, CWTS and LTS
program components replaced ROTC.
AGREE 3. The implementation of NSTP Act of 2001 as embodied in RA
9163 commenced in school year 2001-2002.
DISAGREE 4. Former President Fidel V. ramos signed Ra 9163 into law on
January 23, 2002.
AGREE 5. As provided for NSTP Law, all incoming freshman students
enrolled in any baccalaureate degree or at least two-year technical
vocational course are mandated to enroll in NSRC.
AGREE 6. The implementation of NSTP shall be jointly supervised by the
Department of National Defense (DND), Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority(TESDA).
AGREE 7. As per provision of the NSTP Law , student-trainees shall be
required to complete the NSTP program component of the choice of the
school/higher education institution (HEIS)
AGREE 8. Private higher educational institutions and technical-vocational
schools, as stipulated in the IRR of RA 9163, may offer ROTC if they muster
at least three hundred fifty (350) cadets.
AGREE 9. Graduates of the non-ROTC components shall belong to the
National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) who may not tapped by the State
for literacy and civic welfare activities.
DISAGREE 10. In order to fulfill the requirements of NSTP, a student-
trainee has to complete a total of 108 to 180 hours for any of the three
program components .
II. Identify the word or phrase described in each item below. Write the
answer on the space provided before each item
National Service Training Program 1. Program aimed at enhancing
civic-consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by
developing the ethics of service and patriotism.
Reserve-Officers’ Training Corps 2. Program components of NSTP
designed to provide military training to tertiary-level students in order
to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national defense
preparedness.
Civic Welfare Training Service 3. Refers to activities contributory to the
general welfare and the betterment of life for the members of the
community or the enhancement of facilities.

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 Literacy Training Service 4. NSTP component designed to train the
students to teach literacy and numeracy skills.
Reserve Officers Training Corps 5. A program option for students who
can not take NSTP during the regular semester.
The school authorities 6. It is responsible to exercise academic and
administrative supervision over the design, formulation, adoption and
implementation of the different NSTP components in their school.
1 NSTP COMPONENT 7. Number of NSTP program component that a
student-trainee is required to complete as a graduation requirement.
2 SEMESTERS 8. Number of semester(s) NSTP will be taken by a
student.
54 – 90 hours 9. Number of hours per semester that a student must
take the NSTP component of his/her choice.
Citizens' Armed Force 10. Organization where graduates of the ROTC
component shall form part.
III. Read the statement carefully. Encircle the letter that corresponds to
your answer.
1. RA9163 is also known as:
a. NSRC c. NSP
b. NSTP d. CWTS
2. As per constitutional mandate, the prime duty of the government is
to:
a. Protect every member of the community
b. Serve and protect the citizen
c. Defend the rights of the Filipinos
d. Serve the Filipinos
3. The following are program components of NSTP, except:
a. CWTS c. LTS
b. LES d. ROTC
4. The responsibility of the Filipino citizen to the state is to:
a. Defend the security of the state
b. Secure and serve the community
c. Serve the government
d. Defend the citizen
5. The government may require each citizen to render:
a. Personal, military or civil service
b. Spiritual and emotional help
c. Political and economic assistance
d. All of the above
6. The vital role of the youth as per RA9163 is:
a. Nation building
b. Protection of our patrimony
c. serve as auxiliary member of the AFP
d. defend our country
7. To promote civic consciousness among the youth through NSTP,
the state shall develop their:

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 a. Artistic ability c. professional competence
b. Intellectual capability d. none of these
8. NSTP shall inculcate in the youth the values on:
a. Ethics of NSTP c. both a and b
b. Patriotism d. none of these
9. In pursuit of the goals of NSTP , the youth, in service of the nation,
shall be:
a. Motivated c. both a and
b. trained d. none of these
10. In service of the nation, the youth may be tapped for:
a. Literacy training only
b. Military training, literacy training and civic welfare services
c. Civic welfare services only
d. Military training only
IV. The following is an excerpt of the NSTP Law. Fill in the blanks with the
correct word of phrases based on the provisions of the law.
Section 4. Establishment of the National Service Training Program-
there is hereby established a National Service Training Program
(NSTP), which shall form part of the curricula of all 1. baccalaureate
degree courses and of at least 2. two (2)-year technical-vocational
courses and is prerequisite for graduation consisting of the following
services components 3. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), 4.
The Literacy Training Service and 5. Civic Welfare Training Service
The ROTC under the NSTP shall instill 6. patriotism, 7. moral virtues
And 8. adherence to the Constitution patriotism among others. 9.
Citizenship training shall be given emphasis in all three (3) program
components.
The 10. Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and 11. Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in consultation
with government agencies, may design and implement such other
program component may be necessary in consonance with the
provisions of this act.
Section 5. Coverage –Students, 15. male and 16. female of any
baccalaureate degree course or at least 17. two (2)-year technical-
vocational courses in public and private educational institutions shall
be required to complete one (1) of the NSTP components as requisite
for graduation.
Section 6. Duration and Equivalent Course Unit- Each of the
aforementioned NSTP program components shall be undertaken for an
academic period of 18. two (2) semesters.
In lieu of the two(2) semester program for any of the components of
NSTP, a one (1) summer program maybe designed, formulated and
adopted by 19. DND, 20. CHED and 21. TESDA

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Section 7. NSTP Offering in Higher and Technical-Vocational
Educational Institution- All higher and Technical –vocational education
institutions, public and private, must offer at least one of the program
components. Provided, that 22. STATE and 23. UNIVERSITIES shall
offer the ROTC component and at least one other component as
provided herein: Provided further that24. Private Higher 25.
Techinical Vocational education ROTC if they have at least 26. 350
cadet students.
In offering the NSTP whether during the semestral break or summer
periods. 27. Clustering of affected students from different educational
institutions may be done taking into account 28. logistics, 29. branch of
of service and to maintain the optional ROTC and any of the NSTP
components shall allow their students to cross –enroll to other schools
irrespective of whether or not NSTP components in said schools are
being administered by the same or another branch of service of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and TESDA to which schools are
identified.

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