National Service Training Program 1 – Key Terms & Course Policies

Evolution and Legal Bases of NSTP

• Chronological development of laws and policies that created, suspended, or refined the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
• Shows how Philippine national‐service policy evolved from purely military orientation to a balanced civic–military paradigm.
• Emphasises that each statute responded to specific political, social, and security contexts of its time, reflecting changing views of youth participation.

National Defense Act of 1935

• Enacted under President Manuel L. Quezon.
• Provided the first comprehensive legal framework for Philippine national defence.
• KEY PROVISIONS
  • Required college students—particularly males—to complete 2 years of military training.
  • Established the Reserve Force concept, planting the seed for later ROTC structures.
• SIGNIFICANCE
  • Cemented the idea that higher education should contribute directly to defence preparedness.
  • Reflected the pre-WWII geopolitical climate and imminent threats to sovereignty.

National Service Law of 1980 (Presidential Decree 1706)

• Mandated compulsory national service for all Filipino citizens, transcending gender.
• Introduced three program components:
  1. Civic Welfare Service (CWS)
  2. Law Enforcement Service (LES)
  3. Military Service (MS)
• RATIONALE
  • Broadened the concept of service beyond armed defence to include civic and law-enforcement dimensions.
  • Aimed to mobilise the entire population for nation-building.

Republic Act 7077 of 1991

• Also known as the “Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act.”
• CONTEXT
  • Former President Corazon C. Aquino suspended the National Service Law.
  • Shifted focus toward professionalising the reserve force through educational institutions.
• OUTCOME
  • Conceptualised the basic ROTC, implemented starting SY 1986–1987.
  • Institutionalised volunteerism within a defence framework rather than blanket compulsion.

Republic Act 9163 of 2001 – The NSTP Act

• Core objective: Highlight the vital role of both male and female youth in nation-building.
• GOALS
  • Develop youth into civic or military leaders and volunteers.
  • Provide three components with uniform implementation across higher-education and tech-voc schools.
• Three reaffirmed components:
  • Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
  • Literacy Training Service (LTS)
  • Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)
• ETHICAL/PHILOSOPHICAL SHIFT
  • From obligation to empowerment, stressing ethics of service, civic consciousness, and gender inclusivity.

National Service Training Program (NSTP) – Concept Overview

• Defined as a program that enhances civic consciousness and defence preparedness among the youth by cultivating an ethics of service.
• Anchored in Philippine Constitution provisions on citizen soldiery and civic duty.
• Balances community development with national defence imperatives.

NSTP Components

• Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
• Literacy Training Service (LTS)
• Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)
• Each component satisfies the NSTP unit requirement but targets different competencies and career paths.

Objectives of the Three Components

• Strengthen youth values and traits (e.g., patriotism, social responsibility).
• Improve skills and knowledge in multiple domains (leadership, pedagogy, first-aid, etc.).
• Foster interest and participation in community service projects.
• Make students accountable for peace and development within local and national contexts.

Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)

• Focuses on activities that contribute to the general welfare and life-quality enhancement of community members.
• SAMPLE AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT
  1. Improving health services
  2. Environmental stewardship
  3. Educational support (e.g., tutorial programs, instructional-material enhancement)
  4. Entrepreneurship promotion
  5. Safety and disaster preparedness
  6. Recreation and morale-boosting events
  7. Social services for vulnerable groups
• Pedagogy includes lectures, workshops, and actual community immersion, enabling students to implement projects that showcase institutional expertise.
• Philosophical underpinning: Youth as community assets whose personal growth parallels societal advancement.

Literacy Training Service (LTS)

• Trains students to become teachers of literacy and numeracy for:
  • School children
  • Out-of-school youth
  • Other underserved sectors
• Addresses functional illiteracy and promotes inclusive education by expanding the pool of volunteer tutors.
• Amplifies the multiplier effect: each trained student potentially educates dozens more.

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)

• Provides military education and training designed to prepare students for mobilisation in national defence scenarios.
• CURRICULAR CONTENT
  • Basic soldiery skills, drill and ceremonies
  • Disaster response and relief operations
  • Leadership, discipline, and military ethics
• Produces enlisted reservists and potential commissioned officers, bridging civilian academia with the Armed Forces.

Dimensions of NSTP-CWTS Service

1. Safety and Security
2. Education
3. Recreation and Wellness
4. Values Formation and Moral Recovery
5. Industry and Entrepreneurship
6. Care for Health
7. Environmental Awareness

• These dimensions serve as thematic lenses for planning community projects.

Significance and Impact of CWTS & LTS

• Redirects and reinforces positive values among students (empathy, altruism, nationalism).
• Offers experiential learning, proving that youth can “create a difference” in tangible ways.
• Encourages appreciation of multi-layered responsibilities—family, community, nation.
• Generates ripple effects: empowered students mentor peers, improve local facilities, and raise civic standards.

Inspirational Closing Thought

• “Do not let what you cannot do stop you from doing what you can do.” – A call to focus on capabilities rather than limitations, resonating with NSTP’s ethos of actionable service.