Module 1 – NSTP Program R.A.

9163 January 23,

2002 will be remembered in the Philippine history
as the birth date of the long sought reforms in the
LEARNING Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). This is in
OBJECTIVES response to the clamor of parents, students and the
academe for the amendment of the program.
After studying this module, you as a NSTP Graduates Republic Act 9163 was put into law creating the
should be able to:
National Service Training Program, which took
1. Differentiate the three components of NSTP; effect in SY 2002-2003. This is a landmark
2. Identify the teaching learning experiences legislation as it superseded three laws in a span of
cantered in the NSTP subject; 65 years.
3. Understand the legal basis of NSTP;
4. Develop a sense of appreciation regarding the
implementing rules and regulations of the NSTP;
and Evolution of NSTP
5. Recite explicitly the different Rules and sections
embodied in the NSTP Act of 2001.
Commonwealth Act No. 1 or National Defense
TOPIC Act of 1935 (December 21,better known as the
National Service Law 1935) provides for the first
OUTLINE
legal basis for national defense training among
students. Sec. 35 of the law, as amended, provides
1. Republic Act 9163
for the establishment and maintenance of ROTC
2. Program Implementation
program in colleges and universities as this will
provide a pool of reservist for military service.

OVERVIEW
After 45 years another ROTC law was passed with
Pursuant to Section 12 of Republic Act No. some modifications. Presidential Decree 1706,
9163, otherwise known as the National Service Training
which was made into a law on August 8, 1980. It
Program (NSTP) Act 2001, the Commission on Higher
was the first specific measure towards alternative
Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of services, such as non-military options. The law
National Defense (DND), in consultation with concerned recognizes “the citizens of our country particularly
government agencies, the Philippine Association of the youth as the most valuable resource of our
State Universities and College (PASUC), the nation” and, therefore, they need to be motivated,
coordinating Council of Private Education Association of trained, developed, organized, mobilized, and
the Philippines (COCOPEA), Non-Government utilized in regard to their responsibilities as citizens.
Organizations and recognized student organizations, The law was not fully implemented.
hereby jointly issue, adopt and promulgate the following
implementing rules and regulations to implement the
provisions of the Act
Batas Pambansa Bilang 232, also called the
Education of 1982, reiterates that it is the duty and
responsibility of students to “participate actively in
civic affairs and be involved in the promotion of the
general welfare particularly in the social, economic
and cultural development of the community”.
REPUBLIC ACT 9163

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The 1987 Constitution provides a stronger legal The Three Components of NSTP
basis for a non-traditional ROTC program. Art. II,
Sec. 4 of the fundamental law states, “The prime
duty of the Government is to serve and protect the 1. Reserve Officers Training Corps- ROTC
people in return, the government may call upon the 2. Literacy Training Service - LTS
people to defend the State and, in the fulfillment 3. Civic Welfare Training Service - CWTS
thereof, all citizens may be required, under
conditions provided by law, to render personal,
military, or civil service”. GUIDING PRINCIPLE

Republic Act 7077 also known as the AFP The prime duty of the government is to
Reservist Act of 1991, added flesh to the serve and protect the citizens and in turn it shall be
innovative skeletal framework of the fundamental the responsibility of all the citizens to defend the
law. It provides for mandatory military training for security of the state and in fulfillment thereof, the
student enrolled in colleges, universities and similar government may require each citizen to render
institutions of learning. Sec 63 specifies the need personal military or civil service.
for reservist to render either civic auxiliary service
or military auxiliary service. It was likewise not fully
implemented. Recognizing the role of the youth in nation
building, the state shall promote civic
consciousness among the youth and shall develop
Republic Act No. 9163 otherwise known as the their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and
National Service Training Program Act of 2001 social well-being. It shall inculcate the ideals of
was created to amend the first ROTC program. It patriotism, and nationalism, and advance their
refers to a program aimed at enhancing the civic involvement in public and civic affairs.
consciousness and defense preparedness of the They shall be motivated, trained, organized
youth by developing their ethics of service and and involved in military, literacy, civic welfare
patriotism while undergoing training in any of the programs and other similar endeavors in the
components. service of the nation.

The said NSTP Law is an aggressive measure DEFINITION OF TERMS:

toward making the former military service program
relevant to the needs of the present generation.

1. Civic Welfare Training Service [CWTS] –

This refers to a program or activities
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9163 contributory to the general welfare and the
betterment of life for the members of the
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL community or the enhancement of its
SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM (NSTP) FOR facilities, especially those devoted to
TERTIARY LEVEL STUDENTS, AMENDING FOR improving health, education,
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 77 AND environment, entrepreneurship, safety,
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1706 AND FOR recreation and morals of the citizenry.
OTHER PURPOSES

2. Literacy Training Service [LTS] – refers to

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 the program component designed to train shall allow their students to cross-enroll to other
the students to become teachers of literacy schools, whether the said school is under CHED or
and numeracy skills to school children, TESDA, for students taking the ROTC whether the
out-of-school youths and other
two semesters shall be taken from different schools
segments of society in need of their
services. as long it is administered/managed by different
branches of service of the AFP.

3. Reserve Officers Training Corps [ROTC]

– refers to the program component,
institutionalized under section 38 and 39 of Students who cross-enroll shall be subject to the
Republic Act No. 7077, designed to provide existing rules and regulations of the school of origin
military training to tertiary level students in and the accepting school.
order to motivate, train, organize and
mobilize them for national defense
preparedness.
PROGRAM
IMPLEMENTATION
4. Program Component – refers to the
service components of the NSTP

5. Clustering - refers to the grouping of WHO ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ONE

student’s enrolled in different schools and
NSTP COMPONENT OF THEIR CHOICE AS A
taking up the same NSTP component into
one group under the management and GRADUATION REQUIREMENT
supervision of a designated school.

6. Cross Enrollment – refers to a system of a. All incoming freshmen students, male and
enrollment where a student is officially female, starting enrolled in any
enrolled in an academic program of a baccalaureate and at least two-year
school but is allowed to enroll in the NSTP technical-vocational or associate courses,
component of another school are required to complete one NSTP
component of their choice, as a graduation
requirement.
7. Non-Government Organization – refers to
any private organization duly accredited by
CHED or recognized by TESDA b. Each NSTP program components shall be
undertaken for an academic period of two
(2) semesters. It shall also be taken in one
Clustering and Cross-Enrollment summer program in lieu of the two (2)
semester’s program.

Clustering of students from different education c. All higher and technical vocational
institutions during semester periods may be done educational institutions, public and private,
must offer at least one of the NSTP
or any of the NSTP components.
components.

d. State Universities and Colleges [SUC’s],

Schools that do not meet the required number of
shall offer the ROTC component and at
students to maintain the optional ROTC and any of least one other NSTP component.
the NSTP components, or do not offer the
component chosen by the students,

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 e. The Philippine Military Academy (PMA),
Philippine Merchant Academy (PMMA),
Philippine National Police Academy Graduates of the non-ROTC components
(PNPA), and other SUC’s of similar nature, shall belong to the National Service Reserve
are exempted from NSTP in view of the Corps (NSRC), which could be tapped by the
special character of this institutions. state for literacy and civic welfare activities.
Graduates of the ROTC component shall form
f. Private higher and technical-vocational part of the AFP Citizen Armed Force, subject to
education institutions with at least 350 DND requirements.
student cadets may offer the ROTC
component and consequently
establish/maintain a Department of Military
Science and Tactics (DMST), subject to the Guidelines for the Establishment of the National
existing rules and regulations of the Armed Service Reserve Corps (NSRC)
Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

CHED – Commission on Higher Education Sec. 11 of RA 9163 or the National

Service Training Program Act 2001 specifically
TESDA–Technical Education and Skills provides for the creation of a National Service
Development Authority Reserve Corps, composed of graduates of the
non-ROTC Components; the Civic Welfare Training
DND–Department of National Defense
Service, Literacy Training Service. Members of this
PASUC–Philippine Association of State Corps may be tapped by the State for literacy and
Universities and Colleges civic welfare activities, through the joint efforts of
DND, CHED, and TESDA.
COCOPEA–Coordinating Council of Private
Educational Association of the The National Service Reserve Corps [NSRC]
Philippines

g. Fees and Incentives and Scholarship -

A. Mission
Higher and Technical Vocational Institutions
shall collect basic tuition fee not more than
fifty percent (50%) of what is currently
charged by schools per unit. In case of To provide a trained and motivated
ROTC, the DND shall formulate and adopt a
manpower pool that can be tapped by the State for
program of assistance and/or incentive to
those students who will take the said civic welfare, literacy and other similar endeavors in
component. the service of nation.

The school authorities concerned, CHED

and TESDA shall ensure that group
insurance for health and accident shall be
provided for students enrolled in any of the
NSTP components.

What will become of NSTP graduates?

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 B. Functions
1. To assist in the disaster preparedness,
mitigation, response and rehabilitation
programs.
2. To serve as an auxiliary to the Disaster
Coordinating Council (DCC) response
units
3. To assist in the promotion of civic
welfare activities
4. To assist in the implementation of
literacy programs
5. To assist in socio-economic
development
6. To assist in environmental protection
7. To perform other similar endeavors
C. Composition

The NSRC shall be composed of the

graduates of the Civic welfare Training Service
(CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS)
components of the NSTP.

Organization

The NSRC is organized under the umbrella

of the National Disaster Coordinating
Council (NDCC). It shall have a national,
regional, provincial and city/municipal level
of organization parallel to the Disaster
Coordinating Council (DCC) structures
levels.

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