National Service Training Program

The National Service Training Program (NSTP) is a civic education and defense
preparedness program students instituted by the Government of the Philippines on
July 23, 2001.
Under the NSTP Program, both male and female college students of any baccalaureate
degree course or technical vocational course in public or private higher
educational institutions are obliged to undergo one of three program components for
an academic period of two semesters. The students, however, are free to choose
which particular program component to take. The three NSTP Program components are:

Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)

This program component is designed to provide students with activities contributory
to the general welfare and betterment of life of the members of the community
especially those developed to improve social welfare services.

Literacy Training Service (LTS)

This program component is designed to train students in teaching literacy and
numeracy skills to schoolchildren and out-of-school youths. The hope is to continue
learning on a peer - to - peer interaction.

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)

This program component is designed to provide military education and training for
students to mobilize them for national defense preparedness. This is also a glimpse
for young people to see how military life is and encourage them into service.

Commonwealth Act No. 1, otherwise known as the "National Defense Act", was enacted
by the National Assembly of the Philippines on December 21, 1935. It provided for
obligatory military service for all male citizens of ages between 18 and 30.

Republic Act 7077, otherwise known as the "Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines
Reservist Act", was enacted by the 8th Congress of the Philippines on June 27,
1991. The Reservist Act provided for organization, training and utilization of
reservists, referred to in the Act as "Citizen Soldiers". The primary pool of
manpower for the reservist organization are graduates of the Reserve Officers'
Training Corps basic and advance courses.