First Reporter: Dinglasa and cabuguas

NSTP LAW

Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the learners are expected to:

1. Define and discuss the National Service Training Program Act (9163);

2. Enumerate the different program components NSTP;

3. Discuss the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the NSTP;

4. Identify the functions of the NSRC.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9163

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
(NSTP) FOR THE TERTIARY LEVEL STUDENTS, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7077 PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1706,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSE

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “National Service
Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby affirmed the prime duty of

the government to serve and protect its citizens. In turn, it shall be the
responsibility of all citizens to defend security of the state and in fulfilment
thereof, the government may require each citizen to render personal, military or
civil service. Recognizing the youth’s vital role in nation building, the state
shall promote civic consciousness among the youth and shall develop their
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. It shall inculcate in
the youth patriotism, nationalism, and advance their involvement on public
and civic affairs. In pursuit of these goals, the youth, the most valuable
resource of the nation, shall be motivated, trained, organized and mobilized

in military training, literacy, civic welfare and other similar endeavors in the
service of the nation.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the following are
hereby defined as follows:
(a) “National Service Training Program ( NSTP)” is a program aimed at
enhancing civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by
developing the ethics of services and patriotism while undergoing training in
any of its three (3) program components. Its various components are especially
designed to enhance the youth’s active contribution to the general welfare.
(b) “Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)” is a program institutionalized
under sections 38 and 39 of Republic Act No. 7077 designed to provide military
training to tertiary level students in order to motivate, train, organize and
mobilize them for national defense preparedness.
(c) “Literacy Training Service” is 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 their service.
(d) “Civic Welfare Training Service” refers to program or activities
contributory to the general welfare and the betterment of life for the members
of the community or the enhancement of its facilities, especially those
developed to improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship,
safety, recreation and morals of the citizenry.
e) “Program components” shall refer to the service components of the NSTP
as enumerated in Section 4 of this Act.
SECTION 4. Establishment of the National Service Training Program. – There
is hereby established a National Service Training Program (NSTP), which shall
form part of the curricula of all baccalaureate degree courses and of at least

two (2) year technical – vocational courses and is a requisite for graduation,
consisting of the following service components:
(1) The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), which is hereby made
optional and voluntary upon the effectivity of this Act.
(2) The Literacy Training Services; and
(3) The Civic Welfare Training Service. The ROTC under the NSTP shall instill
patriotism, moral virtues, respect for rights of civilians, and adherence to the
Constitution, among others. Citizenship training shall be given emphasis in all
three program components. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and
technical education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in consultation
with the Department of National Defense (DND), Philippine Association of State
Universities and Colleges (PASUC), Coordinating Council of Private Educational
Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) and other concerned government
agencies, may design and implement such other program components as may
be necessary in consonance with the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 5. Coverage. – Students, Male and female, of any baccalaureate

degree course or least two (2)-year technical-vocational courses in public and
private educational institutions shall be required to complete one (1) of the
NSTP components as requisite for graduation.

SECTION 6. Duration and Equivalent Course Unit. – Each of the

aforementioned NSTP program components shall be undertaken for an
academic period of two (2) semesters. In lieu of the two (2)-semester program
for any of the components of the NSTP, a one (1)-summer program may be
designed, formulated and adopted by the DND, CHED and TESDA.

SECTION 7. NSTP Offering in Higher and Technical-Vocational

Educational Institutions. – All higher and technical-vocational institutions,
public and private, must offer at least one of the program components:
Provided, That State universities and colleges shall offer the ROTC component
and at least one other component as provided herein: Provided, further, That
private higher and technical-vocational education institutions may also offer
the ROTC if they have at least three hundred and fifty (350) cadet students.
In offering the NSTP whether during the semestral or summer periods,
clustering of affected students from different educational institutions may be
done, taking into account logistics, branch of service and geographical
considerations. Schools that do not meet the required number of students to
maintain the optional ROTC and any of the other components shall allow their
students to cross-enroll to other schools irrespective of whether or not the
NSTP components in said school are being administered by the same or
another branch of service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), CHED
and TESDA to which schools are identified.

SECTION 8. Fees and Incentives. – Higher and technical-vocational

institutions shall not collect any fee for any of the NSTP components except
basic tuition fees, which shall not be more than fifty percent (50%) of what is
currently charged by schools per unit. In the case of the ROTC, the DND shall
formulate and adopt a program of assistance and/or incentive to those
students who will take the said component.
The school authorities concerned, CHED and TESDA shall ensure that group
insurance for health and accident shall be provided for students enrolled in
any of the NSTP components.
SECTION 9. Scholarship. – There is hereby created a Special Scholarship
Program for qualified students taking the NSTP which shall be administered by
the CHED and TESDA. Funds for this purpose shall be included in the annual
regular appropriations of the CHED and TESDA.

SECTION 10. Management of the NSTP Components. – The school

authorities shall exercise academic and administrative supervision over the
design, formulation, adoption and implementation of the different NSTP
components in their respective schools: Provided, that in case a CHED or
TESDA – accredited non -government organization (NGO) has been contracted
to formulate and administered a training module for any of the NSTP
components, such academic and administrative supervision shall be exercised
jointly with that accredited NGO: Provided further, that such training module
shall be accredited by the CHED and TESDA.
The CHED and TESDA regional offices shall oversee and monitor the
implementation of the NSTP under their jurisdiction to determine if the training
are being conducted in consonance with the objectives of this Act. Periodic
reports shall be submitted to the CHED, TESDA and DND in this regard.

SECTION 11. Creation of the National Service Reserve Corps. – There is

hereby created a National Service Reserve Corps, to be composed of the
graduates of the non ROTC components. Members of this Corps may be
tapped by the State for literacy qqiand civic welfare activities through the joint
effort of the DND, CHED and TESDA. Graduates of the ROTC shall form part
of the Citizens Armed Forces, pursuant to Republic Act No, 7077.

SECTION 12. Implementing Rules. – The DND, CHED and TESDA shall have
the joint responsibility for the adoption of the implementing Rules of this Act
within sixty (60) days from the approval of this Act.
These three (3) agencies shall consult with other concerned government
agencies, the PASUC and COCOPEA, NGOs and recognized student
organizations in drafting the implementing Rules.
The implementing rules shall include the guidelines for the adoption of the
appropriate curriculum for each of the NSTP components as well as for the
accreditation of the same.
SECTION 13. Transitory Provisions. – Students who have yet to complete
the Basic ROTC, except those falling under section 14 of this Act, may either
continue in the program component they are currently enrolled or shift to any
of the other program components of their choice: Provided, That in case he
shifts to another program component, the Basic ROTC courses he has
completed shall be counted for the purpose of completing the NSTP
requirement; Provided further, That once he has shifted to another program
component, he shall completed the NSTP in that component.

SECTION 14. Suspension of ROTC requirement. – The completion of ROTC

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

SECTION 15. Separability Clause. – If any section or provision of this Act

shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions
not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 16. Amendatory Clause. – Section 35 of Commonwealth Act No. 1,

Executive Order No. 207 of 1939, Section 2 and 3 of Presidential Decree No.
1706, and Section 38 and 39 of Republic Act No. 7077, as well as all laws,
decrees, orders, rules and regulations and other issuances inconsistent with
the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed amended and modified
accordingly.
SECTION 17. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in two (2) newspapers of national circulation but the
implementation of this Act shall commence in the school year of 2002-2003.

Approved:

(SGD) FRANKLIN M. DRILON (SGD) JOSE DE VENECIA

President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representative

This Act which is a consolidation of H.B. No. 3593 and S.B. No. 1824 was
finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on December
19, 2001.

(SGD) OSCAR G. YABES (SGD) ROBERTO P. NAZARENO

Secretary of the Senate Secretary General House of

Representatives

Approved: January 23, 2002

(SGD) GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

President of the Philippines