Rules on NDCP Organization and Operations

Legal basis and cited issuances

The Circular anchors its rules on Chapter 10, Subtitle II, Title VIII, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987) (Section II, 2(a)).
It recognizes Presidential Decree No. 190 dated May 11, 1973, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 451 dated May 13, 1974 (Section II, 2(b)).
It references Office of the President Memorandum Circular No. 1161 dated September 12, 1979 for participant allowances (Section III, 13).
It treats candidate-listing mechanics as pursuant to Section 6 of Presidential Decree No. 452 (Section III, 10).
It frames academic and institutional administration within the direction, supervision, and control of the Secretary of National Defense (Section II, 5).

Purpose and objectives of NDCP

NDCP exists to prepare and develop the skills and competence of potential national defense leaders, civilian government officials, and selected private-sector executives.
NDCP trains participants in the formulation and implementation of national security policies and prepares them for higher responsibilities (Section II, 3).
NDCP conducts strategic and international studies as a basis for national policies (Section II, 3).
NDCP implements its objectives through an academic program, research and studies program, and an extension program (Section II, 4).

Scope, direction, and internal structure

NDCP is under the direction, supervision, and control of the Secretary of National Defense (Section II, 5).
The College is headed by a President who administers NDCP affairs with assistance from an Executive Vice-President, a Vice-President for Academic Affairs, a Vice-President for Administrative Affairs, and a Vice-President for Research and Special Studies (Section II, 6(a)).
The Executive Vice-President acts for the President in the absence of the President and performs additional functions assigned by the President (Section II, 6(a)).
The Vice-President for Academic Affairs is responsible for development, implementation, supervision, and evaluation of academic programs, while the Vice-President for Administrative Affairs handles overall administrative support and the Vice-President for Research and Special Studies handles research and special studies (Section II, 6(a)).
NDCP includes an Academic Board to assist the President in supervising academic affairs and recommending academic policies and personnel for academic matters (Section II, 6(b)).
The detailed organization of the College is determined by the President subject to approval of the Secretary of National Defense (Section II, 6(c)).

Academic Board and officer qualifications

The Academic Board supervises academic affairs, recommends academic consultants and resource persons, and recommends programs, policies, and courses of study (Section II, 6(b)(1)-(4)).
The Academic Board recommends to the President the conferment of the degree of Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) and other degrees when participants satisfy course requirements (Section II, 6(b)(5)).
The Academic Board performs other duties directed by the President (Section II, 6(b)(6)).
The Academic Board is composed of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs as Chairman and Heads of various academic disciplines as members, designated by the President subject to approval of the Secretary of National Defense (Section II, 6(b)).
The President and Executive Vice-President must be holders of the MNSA degree and preferably a relevant masteral degree (Section II, 7(a)).
The Vice-President for Academic Affairs and the Vice-President for Research and Special Studies must hold the MNSA degree and preferably a doctoral degree in a relevant area (Section II, 7(b)).
Heads of academic departments must hold a relevant masteral or doctoral degree (Section II, 7(c)).

Academic program, MNSA degree powers

NDCP is empowered to confer the degree of Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) upon those who satisfactorily complete prescribed course requirements (Section III, 8(a)).
The MNSA is the primary component of the College’s Academic Program and is also known as the Regular Course of the College (Section III, 8(a)).
NDCP conducts the MNSA and special courses according to standards of comparable outstanding educational institutions in the Philippines and abroad (Section III, 17(a)).
The President may prescribe other special courses of study under the Academic Program within NDCP’s general objectives, subject to approval of the Secretary of National Defense (Section III, 16(a)).

Admissions, admission board, and candidate selection

NDCP creates a Board of Admission to screen and select qualified candidates for the MNSA and other courses under the Academic Program (Section III, 9(a)).
The Board of Admission is composed of five (5) members chosen by the President, with three (3) outstanding MNSA graduates representing the military, civilian government, and private sector (Section III, 9(a)).
Admission for Military Personnel requires: at least Lieutenant Colonel or Commander, Philippine Navy (PN); GSC eligible or assigned to a high-responsibility position enabling expertise from actual formal GSC schooling; a bachelor’s degree; and not more than fifty-one (51) years of age upon admission with at least three (3) years of service remaining prior to compulsory retirement, reckoned from the date of graduation (Section III, 9(b)(1)).
Admission for Civilian Government Personnel requires: at least Division Chief position (or equivalent); at least ten (10) years of government service; a bachelor’s degree; and age not less than thirty-five (35) nor more than fifty-five (55) years upon admission (Section III, 9(b)(2)).
Admission for Candidates from the Private Sector requires: age not less than thirty-five (35) nor more than fifty-five (55) years; a bachelor’s degree; and qualification as any of the following: a key policy/decision-making position within a vital industry/business/national organization recommended by the head of the organization and/or professional association; an executive of a national organization dedicated to social, economic, or cultural activities of such importance for national policy formulation; or an executive of an outstanding educational institution of higher learning (Section III, 9(b)(3)).
The Secretary of National Defense may issue waivers of admission requirements on a case-to-case basis upon recommendation of the President (Section III, 9(c)).
NDCP maintains a Standing List of NDCP Candidates based on the submission by heads of departments and agencies and Armed Forces of the Philippines officers, following the mechanism under Section 6 of Presidential Decree No. 452 (Section III, 10(a)).
The Standing List is updated annually, published by NDCP, kept up-to-date in consultation with concerned departments and agencies, and candidates are recommended by the President to the Secretary of National Defense for admission selection (Section III, 10(a)).
The President recommends quota allocations for each course to the Secretary of National Defense (Section III, 11(a)).
The President circularizes student quota spaces for selected private-sector executives not later than ninety (90) days prior to the opening of each class to: chambers of commerce, industry, agriculture and similar organizations of national scope, and national civic and professional organizations (Section III, 12(a)).

Participant benefits, graduate privileges, and incentives

Participants are entitled to collect from their respective agencies five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to cover the cost of research work, thesis writing, and other incidental expenses (Section III, 13(a)).
Participants are entitled to collect per diems beyond ninety (90) days but not to exceed the duration of the course in accordance with existing auditing rules, provided that per diems do not apply to participants whose offices are located within Metro Manila (Section III, 13(b)).
Participants are entitled to a clothing allowance of six hundred pesos (P600.00) (Section III, 13(c)).
MNSA graduates are authorized to use the abbreviation “MNSA” after their names (Section III, 14(a)).
MNSA graduates are authorized to wear the NDCP badge and pin (Section III, 14(b)).
MNSA graduates receive preferential consideration and/or credit points in the grade of class for purposes of promotion to key and sensitive positions in the military and civilian offices (Section III, 14(c)).
MNSA graduates from the military sector and the Philippine National Police receive preference in assignment to positions of higher responsibility (Section III, 14(c)).
Civilian MNSA graduates receive commissioned-rank handling through specific AFP and Presidential approval requirements: if the graduate already holds a commission in the Reserve Force, the rank is readjusted to Lieutenant Colonel/Commander (PN); if the graduate does not hold a Reserve commission, the graduate is appointed/commissioned in the initial grade of Lieutenant Colonel/Commander (PN) (Section III, 14(d)(1)-(2)).
The Chief of Staff, AFP must extend support/assistance so reserve commission/readjustment is approved on time and ready for presentation to the civilian graduates on their graduation day (Section III, 14(d)(2)).
A Placement Committee composed of members designated by the Secretary of National Defense is created to formulate a placement and utilization plan for MNSA holders so their competence and expertise benefit the Department of National Defense and government and participating private agencies, subject to the Secretary’s approval for proper implementation of incentives to MNSA holders (Section III, 15(a)).

Research, extension, and annual program planning

The College conducts a Research and Studies Program designed to enhance the quality and effectiveness of national security formulation and management, prepared annually by the President subject to approval of the Secretary of National Defense (Section III, 18(a)).
The College runs an Extension Program for each fiscal year consisting of short courses, seminar-workshops, policy conferences, and public fora on national security issues, prepared annually by the President subject to approval of the Secretary of National Defense (Section III, 19(a)).
The Extension Program is intended to supplement the Academic Program and the Research and Studies Program (Section III, 19(a)).

Administrative rules, funding, and honoraria

The President recommends to the Secretary of National Defense the detail to NDCP of commissioned officers, officials, and employees from various government departments, offices, and agencies, with commissioned officers detailed primarily to perform instructor’s duty (Section IV, 20(a)).
NDCP faculty and other academic personnel (including lecturers, academic consultants, thesis advisers, and members of oral examination panels) must be outstanding professionals in their fields of specialization drawn from military and civilian branches of government, government and private educational institutions, and industrial, commercial, and professional establishments (Section IV, 21(a)).
NDCP funding is carried in its annual budget under the Department of National Defense (Section IV, 22(a)).
The President may hire qualified individuals as heads of academic departments and research assistants on a full-time basis for a term of one (1) year, renewable annually subject to the Secretary of National Defense’s approval; appointees receive salaries and allowances under the national compensation plan issued by the Department of Budget and Management (Section IV, 23(a)).
The President appoints members of the Academic Staff and pays the following honoraria/fees:
- Consultants/Lecturers: P100 to 250 per hour (Section IV, 23(b)(1))
- Thesis Advisers: P1,000 per thesis (Section IV, 23(b)(2))
- Members of the Thesis Oral Examination Panel: P100 to 250 per hour (Section IV, 23(b)(3))
Qualified civilian officials detailed with NDCP who deliver lectures, serve on resource panels, or correct examination papers, reports, and others receive additional service payments at the same rates as lecturers/resource persons, but the maximum is limited to a total corresponding to sixteen (16) hours a month (Section IV, 23(b)).
Civilian officials whose normal functions in NDCP already include instructor duty and all military personnel detailed with NDCP are not entitled to the additional payment for those additional services (Section IV, 23(b)).
AFP commissioned officers detailed with NDCP as faculty and staff receive a monthly college incentive allowance equivalent to twenty-five (25) percent of their base pay, provided they satisfy the aggregate minimum monthly instructional load of forty eight (48) hours (Section IV, 24(a)).
Instructional load computation provides that one (1) hour of actual classroom instruction equals one instructional hour, and research/training management time is converted as follows: one and a half (1 1/2) hours of research work or two and a half (2 1/2) hours of training management activities equals one instructional hour (Section IV, 24(a)).
If the aggregate minimum monthly instructional load is not satisfied, subject officers receive a monthly allowance at ten (10) percent of their base pay (Section IV, 24(a)).
Training management activities include supervision of classroom or field activities by instructors and module/course directors but exclude staff, guard, or administrative duties at NDCP (Section IV, 24(a)).

Constitutional limitation and rescission

The Circular prohibits any construction that would authorize appointing/designating a military person in active service to a civilian position in NDCP, because the Constitution prohibits that appointment/designation (Section IV, 25(a)).
Ministry Circular No. 07 dated August 22, 1979, as amended, and all other publications contrary to the Circular are rescinded (Section V, 26(a)).