National Service Training Program (NSTP)

• National Service programs and initiatives are where individuals serve their country and community in various ways.
• These programs can be mandatory or voluntary depending on the country's policies, with the aim to promote civic engagement, develop skills and address societal needs.

Evolution of NSTP:

• In 1935, Commonwealth Act No. 1 (National Defense Act) was created.
• In 1980, Commonwealth Act No. 1 was amended to give existence to Presidential Decree No. 1706, known as the "National Service Law".
• In 1986, the implementation of the National Service Law, excluding provisions on Military Service, was suspended by Presidential Memorandum Order No. 1 under President Corazon C. Aquino.
• In 1994, the Basic ROTC Program was modified into the Expanded ROTC Program.
• On March 15, 2001, Mark Welson Chua disappeared and three days later, on March 18, 2001, his hog-tied dead body was found in Pasig River.
• In December 2001, the NSTP Act was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Republic Act No. 9163 (NSTP Act of 2001):

• This Act is a consolidation of H.B. No. 3593 and S.B. No. 1824, and was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 19, 2001.
• NSTP enhances civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by developing ethics of service and patriotism, requiring training in one of three program components.

Three Components of NSTP:

• Reserve-Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a program institutionalized under Sections 38 and 39 of Republic Act No. 7077, that provides military training to tertiary students to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national defense preparedness.
• Literacy Training Service (LTS) is a program which trains students to become literacy and numeracy teachers for school children, out-of-school youth, and other segments of society in need of their service.
• Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) includes programs or activities that contribute to the general welfare, the betterment of life for community members, or the enhancement of facilities, particularly initiatives focused on health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation, and morals.

Republic Act No. 9163 (NSTP Act of 2001):

• All students, male and female, in any baccalaureate degree course or at least two-year technical-vocational courses in public/private educational institutions, must complete one NSTP component as a graduation requisite.
• All higher and technical-vocational institutions, both public and private, are required to offer at least one of the program components.
• State universities and colleges (SUCs) must offer the ROTC component, alongside at least one other NSTP component.
• Private higher education and technical-vocational institutions have the option to offer the ROTC program if they have a minimum of 350 cadet students.

Offering of NSTP:

• NSTP may be offered during regular semesters or summer periods, with clustering of students from different educational institutions, considering logistics, branch of service, and geographical factors.
• Schools unable to meet the student number requirements for ROTC and other NSTP components allow students to cross-enroll in other schools, regardless of whether NSTP components are administered by the same/another branch of the AFP, CHED, or TESDA to which those schools are recognized.

Republic Act No. 9418 (Volunteer Act of 2007):

• A volunteer is someone who willingly offers their time, effort, and skills to help others or support a cause without expecting monetary compensation.
• Volunteerism involves offering time, skills, and services freely to assist others or contribute to a cause without expecting financial compensation.

Republic Act No. 9418 (Volunteer Act of 2007):

• The Volunteer Act of 2007 was established to promote the participation of various sectors of Filipino society, including international and foreign volunteer organizations, in public and civic affairs.
• It aims to strengthen volunteerism as a strategy for national development and international understanding, rekindling the Filipino tradition of bayanihan to foster social justice, solidarity, and sustainable development.