Module 1 – NSTP Program R.A.

9163 the

provisions of the Act

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
After studying this module, you as a NSTP
Graduates should be able to:
REPUBLIC ACT 9163
1. Differentiate the three components of NSTP;
2. Identify the teaching learning experiences
cantered in the NSTP subject;
January 23, 2002 will be remembered in the
3. Understand the legal basis of NSTP;
Philippine history as the birth date of the long sought
4. Develop a sense of appreciation regarding
reforms in the Reserve Officers Training Corps
the implementing rules and regulations of
(ROTC). This is in response to the clamor of
the NSTP; and
parents, students and the academe for the
5. Recite explicitly the different Rules and
amendment of the program. Republic Act 9163 was
sections embodied in the NSTP Act of 2001.
put into law creating the National Service Training
Program, which took effect in SY 2002-2003. This
is a landmark legislation as it superseded three laws
TOPIC
in a span of 65 years.
OUTLINE

1. Republic Act 9163

2. Program Implementation Evolution of NSTP

Commonwealth Act No. 1 or National Defense

OVERVIEW Act of 1935 (December 21, 1935) provides for the
first legal basis for national defense training among
Pursuant to Section 12 of Republic Act No. students. Sec. 35 of the law, as amended, provides
9163, otherwise known as the National Service for the establishment and maintenance of ROTC
Training Program (NSTP) Act 2001, the Commission program in colleges and universities as this will
on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education provide a pool of reservist for military service.
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the
Department of National Defense (DND), in
consultation with concerned government agencies,
After 45 years another ROTC law was passed with
the Philippine Association of State Universities and
some modifications. Presidential Decree 1706,
College (PASUC), the coordinating Council of Private better known as the National Service Law which
Education Association of the Philippines was made into a law on August 8, 1980. It was the
(COCOPEA), Non-Government Organizations and first specific measure towards alternative services,
recognized student organizations, hereby jointly such as non-military options. The law recognizes
issue, adopt and promulgate the following “the citizens of our country particularly the youth as
implementing rules and regulations to implement the most valuable resource of our nation” and,

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therefore, they need to be motivated, trained,
developed, organized, mobilized, and utilized in
regard to their responsibilities as citizens. The law The said NSTP Law is an aggressive measure
was not fully implemented. toward making the former military service program
relevant to the needs of the present generation.

Batas Pambansa Bilang 232, also called the

Education of 1982, reiterates that it is the duty and REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9163
responsibility of students to “participate actively in
civic affairs and be involved in the promotion of the
general welfare particularly in the social, economic AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL
and cultural development of the community”. SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM (NSTP) FOR
TERTIARY LEVEL STUDENTS, AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO.
The 1987 Constitution provides a stronger legal 7077 AND PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1706
basis for a non-traditional ROTC program. Art. II, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Sec. 4 of the fundamental law states, “The prime
duty of the Government is to serve and protect the
people in return, the government may call upon the The Three Components of NSTP
people to defend the State and, in the fulfillment
thereof, all citizens may be required, under
conditions provided by law, to render personal,
1. Reserve Officers Training Corps -
military, or civil service”. ROTC
2. Literacy Training Service - LTS
3. Civic Welfare Training Service - CWTS
Republic Act 7077 also known as the AFP
Reservist Act of 1991, added flesh to the innovative GUIDING PRINCIPLE
skeletal framework of the fundamental law. It
provides for mandatory military training for student
enrolled in colleges, universities and similar
institutions of learning. Sec 63 specifies the need for The prime duty of the government is to
reservist to render either civic auxiliary service or serve and protect the citizens and in turn it shall be
military auxiliary service. It was likewise not fully the responsibility of all the citizens to defend the
implemented. security of the state and in fulfillment thereof, the
government may require each citizen to render
personal military or civil service.

Republic Act No. 9163 otherwise known as the

National Service Training Program Act of 2001
was created to amend the first ROTC program. It
refers to a program aimed at enhancing the civic
consciousness and defense preparedness of the youth
by developing their ethics of service and patriotism
while undergoing training in any of the components.

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 Recognizing the role of the youth in nation 5. Clustering - refers to the grouping of
building, the state shall promote civic consciousness student’s enrolled in different schools and
among the youth and shall develop their physical, taking up the same NSTP component into
one group under the management and
moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. It
supervision of a designated school.
shall inculcate the ideals of patriotism, and
nationalism, and advance their involvement in public
and civic affairs. 6. Cross Enrollment – refers to a system of
enrollment where a student is officially
They shall be motivated, trained, organized enrolled in an academic program of a school
and involved in military, literacy, civic welfare but is allowed to enroll in the NSTP
programs and other similar endeavors in the service component of another school
of the nation.
7. Non-Government Organization – refers to
any private organization duly accredited by
DEFINITION OF TERMS: CHED or recognized by TESDA

Clustering and Cross-Enrollment

1. Civic Welfare Training Service [CWTS] –
This refers to a program or activities
contributory to the general welfare and the
betterment of life for the members of the Clustering of students from different education
community or the enhancement of its institutions during semester periods may be done or
facilities, especially those devoted to any of the NSTP components.
improving health, education, environment,
entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and
morals of the citizenry.
Schools that do not meet the required number of
students to maintain the optional ROTC and any of
2. Literacy Training Service [LTS] – refers the NSTP components, or do not offer the
to the program component designed to train component chosen by the students, shall allow their
the students to become teachers of literacy
students to cross-enroll to other schools, whether the
and numeracy skills to school children,
out-of-school youths and other segments said school is under CHED or TESDA, for students
of society in need of their services. taking the ROTC whether the two semesters shall be
taken from different schools as long it is
administered/managed by different branches of
3. Reserve Officers Training Corps [ROTC] service of the AFP.
– refers to the program component,
institutionalized under section 38 and 39 of
Republic Act No. 7077, designed to provide
military training to tertiary level students in Students who cross-enroll shall be subject to the
order to motivate, train, organize and existing rules and regulations of the school of origin
mobilize them for national defense
and the accepting school.
preparedness.

4. Program Component – refers to the service

components of the NSTP PROGRAM
IMPLEMENTATION

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 existing rules and regulations of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

WHO ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ONE CHED – Commission on Higher

NSTP COMPONENT OF THEIR CHOICE AS Education
A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT
TESDA – Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority

a. All incoming freshmen students, male and DND – Department of National Defense
female, starting enrolled in any
baccalaureate and at least two-year PASUC – Philippine Association of State
technical-vocational or associate courses, Universities and Colleges
are required to complete one NSTP
component of their choice, as a graduation COCOPEA – Coordinating Council of Private
requirement. Educational Association of the
Philippines
b. Each NSTP program components shall be g. Fees and Incentives and Scholarship -
undertaken for an academic period of two Higher and Technical Vocational
(2) semesters. It shall also be taken in one Institutions shall collect basic tuition fee not
summer program in lieu of the two (2) more than fifty percent (50%) of what is
semester’s program. currently charged by schools per unit. In
case of ROTC, the DND shall formulate and
adopt a program of assistance and/or
c. All higher and technical vocational incentive to those students who will take the
educational institutions, public and private, said component.
must offer at least one of the NSTP
components.
The school authorities concerned, CHED
and TESDA shall ensure that group
d. State Universities and Colleges [SUC’s],
shall offer the ROTC component and at least insurance for health and accident shall be
one other NSTP component. provided for students enrolled in any of the
NSTP components.

e. The Philippine Military Academy (PMA),

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

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Guidelines for the Establishment of the National The NSRC shall be composed of the
Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) graduates of the Civic welfare Training Service
(CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS)
components of the NSTP.
Sec. 11 of RA 9163 or the National Service
Training Program Act 2001 specifically provides for
the creation of a National Service Reserve Corps, Organization
composed of graduates of the non-ROTC
Components; the Civic Welfare Training Service,
Literacy Training Service. Members of this Corps The NSRC is organized under the umbrella
may be tapped by the State for literacy and civic of the National Disaster Coordinating
welfare activities, through the joint efforts of DND, Council (NDCC). It shall have a national,
CHED, and TESDA. regional, provincial and city/municipal level
of organization parallel to the Disaster
The National Service Reserve Corps [NSRC] Coordinating Council (DCC) structures
levels.

A. Mission
LEARNING
ACTIVITY 1
To provide a trained and motivated
manpower pool that can be tapped by the State for
Answer the following questions in a
civic welfare, literacy and other similar endeavors in
piece of paper or in a form of a document word.
the service of nation.
1. Enumerate 9 teaching learning experience
centered in the NSTP subject.
B. Functions
2.If the government has the prime duty to serve
and protect its citizen, in return, and as a youth,
1. To assist in the disaster preparedness,
mitigation, response and rehabilitation what is your responsibility to the state?
programs.
2. To serve as an auxiliary to the Disaster 3.The government gives emphasis and
Coordinating Council (DCC) response importance to the youth in nation building ?
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 SUMMARY

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 The National Service Training Program 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. These various component are
specially designed to enhance the youths
active contribution to the general welfare
that include : the Reserve Officers’ Training
Corps, the Civic Welfare Training Service,
and the Literacy Training Service.

This special program is designed for the

general welfare and the betterment of life for
the members of the community as well as
the enhancement of its facilities, especially
those devoted to improving health,
education, environment, entrepreneurship,
safety, recreation and moral of the citizenry
and other social services.

REFERENCES

Prepared by:

JERRY J. DICHOSO
PROGRAM HEAD, NSTP

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