Title
National Service Training Program Act
Law
Republic Act No. 9163
Decision Date
Jan 23, 2002
The National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act establishes a mandatory civic and military training program for tertiary students, promoting patriotism and civic consciousness through various service components, including optional military training, literacy, and civic welfare services, as a requirement for graduation.
national service
training program
civic duty

Policy and purpose

  • The Act affirms it is the prime duty of the government to serve and protect its citizens.
  • The Act declares that it is the responsibility of all citizens to defend the security of the State and that the government may require each citizen to render personal, military or civil service.
  • The Act promotes civic consciousness among the youth and develops their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being.
  • The Act seeks to inculcate in the youth patriotism, nationalism, and advancement of their involvement in public and civic affairs.
  • The Act provides that the youth shall be motivated, trained, organized and mobilized in military training, literacy, civic welfare and other similar endeavors in service of the nation.

Key definitions under the Act

  • The Act defines “National Service Training Program (NSTP)” as 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, each designed to enhance the youth’s active contribution to the general welfare.
  • The Act defines “Reserve-Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)” as a program institutionalized under Sections 38 and 39 of Republic Act No. 7077 designed to provide military training to tertiary level students for national defense preparedness.
  • The Act defines “Literacy Training Service” as a program designed to train students to become teachers of literacy and numeracy skills to school children, out of school youth, and other segments of society in need of service.
  • The Act defines “Civic Welfare Training Service” as programs or activities contributory to the general welfare and betterment of life for community members, or enhancement of community facilities, especially those devoted to improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morals of the citizenry.
  • The Act defines “Program component” as the service components of the NSTP enumerated on Section 4.

NSTP establishment and required components

  • The Act establishes a National Service Training Program (NSTP) as part of curricula for all baccalaureate degree courses and for at least two (2)-year technical-vocational courses.
  • The Act makes the NSTP a requisite for graduation.
  • The NSTP consists of three (3) service components:
    • ROTC;
    • Literacy Training Service; and
    • Civil Welfare Training Service.
  • The Act makes ROTC optional and voluntary upon the effectivity of the Act.
  • The Act requires the ROTC under the NSTP to instill, among others, patriotism, moral virtues, respect for rights of civilians, and adherence to the Constitution.
  • The Act requires that citizenship training receive emphasis in all three program components.
  • The Act allows the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in consultation with the Department of National Defense (DND), PASUC, COCOPEA, and other concerned government agencies, to design and implement other program components necessary in consonance with the Act.

Coverage, duration, and course equivalence

  • Students, male and female, in public and private educational institutions taking:
    • any baccalaureate degree course, or
    • at least two (2)-year technical-vocational courses,
      are required to complete one (1) of the NSTP components as a requisite for graduation.
  • Each NSTP component must be undertaken for an academic period of two (2) semesters.
  • The Act authorizes a one (1) summer program in lieu of the two (2)-semester program for any component, which may be designed, formulated and adopted by DND, CHED and TESDA.

Offering rules, student cross-enrollment, and ROTC thresholds

  • All higher and technical-vocational institutions, public and private, must offer at least one NSTP program component.
  • State universities and colleges must offer the ROTC component and at least one other NSTP component as provided in the Act.
  • Private higher and technical-vocational education institutions may offer the ROTC only if they have at least three hundred and fifty (350) cadet students.
  • In offering the NSTP during semestral or summer periods, institutions may cluster affected students from different educational institutions by considering logistics, branch of service and geographical considerations.
  • Schools that do not meet the required student number to maintain the optional ROTC and any NSTP components must allow their students to cross-enroll to other schools, regardless of whether the NSTP components in those schools are administered by the same or another branch of service of the AFP, CHED and TESDA to which schools are identified.

Fees, incentives, and insurance obligations

  • Higher and technical-vocational institutions must not collect any fee for NSTP components except basic tuition fees.
  • Basic tuition fees for NSTP components must not exceed fifty percent (50%) of what the school is currently charging per unit.
  • For ROTC, DND must formulate and adopt a program of assistance and/or incentive for students taking the ROTC component.
  • Schools, and concerned, CHED and TESDA must ensure group insurance for health and accident is provided for students enrolled in any NSTP component.

Scholarships and scholarship administration

  • The Act creates a Special Scholarship Program for qualified students taking the NSTP.
  • The Act assigns administration of the scholarship program to CHED and TESDA.
  • Scholarship funds must be included in the annual regular appropriations of CHED and TESDA.

Management, supervision, accreditation, and reporting

  • School authorities exercise academic and administrative supervision over the design, formulation, adoption, and implementation of NSTP components in their schools.
  • If a CHED- or TESDA-accredited NGO is contracted to formulate and administer a training module for any NSTP component, academic and administrative supervision must be exercised jointly with the accredited NGO.
  • Any such training module must be accredited by CHED and TESDA.
  • CHED and TESDA regional offices oversee and monitor implementation under their jurisdiction to determine whether trainings are conducted in consonance with the Act’s objectives.
  • Periodic reports must be submitted to CHED, TESDA and DND regarding such monitoring.

National Service Reserve Corps

  • The Act creates a National Service Reserve Corps composed of graduates of the non-ROTC components.
  • The State may tap members of this Corps for literacy and civic welfare activities through the joint effort of DND, CHED and TESDA.
  • ROTC graduates form part of the Citizens’ Armed Force pursuant to Republic Act No. 7077.

Implementing rules timeline and content

  • DND, CHED and TESDA jointly adopt implementing rules within sixty (60) days from the approval of the Act.
  • These agencies must consult with other concerned government agencies, PASUC and COCOPEA, NGOs, and recognized student organizations in drafting the implementing rules.
  • The implementing rules must include guidelines for:
    • adoption of the appropriate curriculum for each NSTP component; and
    • accreditation of the NSTP component curricula/modules.

Transitory provisions on ROTC requirement

  • Students who have yet to complete Basic ROTC, except those falling under Section 14, may either:
    • continue in the program component they are currently enrolled in, or
    • shift to any of the other program components of their choice.
  • If a student shifts to another program component, the Basic ROTC courses already completed must be counted for completing the NSTP requirement.
  • Once a student shifts to another program component, the student must complete the NSTP in that component.

Suspension of ROTC requirement for graduates blocked

  • Completion of ROTC training as a requisite for graduation is set aside for students who, despite completing all their academic units as of the effectivity of the Act, have not been allowed to graduate.

Separability, amendments, and repeals

  • Section 15 provides separability: if any section or provision is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining sections and provisions continue in full force and effect.
  • Section 16 provides amendatory modifications by deeming the following amended and modified accordingly:
    • Section 35 of Commonwealth Act No. 1;
    • Executive Order No. 207 of 1939;
    • Sections 2 and 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1706;
    • Sections 38 and 39 of Republic Act No. 7077;
    • all laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, and other issuances inconsistent with the Act’s provisions.

Issuance labels and approval signatures

  • The Act was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on December 19, 2001.
  • The Act’s approval on January 23, 2002 is signed by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Philippines.

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