The National Service Training Program (NSTP) was established through a series of presidential decrees and laws starting in 1935. It originally mandated military training for male college students but later allowed choice between military, civil welfare, and law enforcement training. In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed the NSTP into law, comprising the Civic Welfare Training Service, Literacy Training Service, and Reserve Officer Training Corps to encourage youth civic participation and national defense preparedness. The NSTP aims to develop ethics of service, patriotism, and leadership in youth through its various training components.
The National Service Training Program (NSTP) was established through a series of presidential decrees and laws starting in 1935. It originally mandated military training for male college students but later allowed choice between military, civil welfare, and law enforcement training. In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed the NSTP into law, comprising the Civic Welfare Training Service, Literacy Training Service, and Reserve Officer Training Corps to encourage youth civic participation and national defense preparedness. The NSTP aims to develop ethics of service, patriotism, and leadership in youth through its various training components.
The National Service Training Program (NSTP) was established through a series of presidential decrees and laws starting in 1935. It originally mandated military training for male college students but later allowed choice between military, civil welfare, and law enforcement training. In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed the NSTP into law, comprising the Civic Welfare Training Service, Literacy Training Service, and Reserve Officer Training Corps to encourage youth civic participation and national defense preparedness. The NSTP aims to develop ethics of service, patriotism, and leadership in youth through its various training components.
The History of National Service Training Program (NSTP)
In 1935, the President Manuel L. Quezon established the National Defense
Act or Commonwealth Act No. 1 which obliged student in college to undergo a four semesters of Military Training to prepare for National Defense. Commonwealth Act No. 1 requires College Students, specifically males and Finish 2 years or 4 semesters of Military Training to be reserved cadets of the national defense of the country. In 1980, the President Ferdinand E. Marcos has announced the National Service Law or Presidential Decree No. 1706. It mandates compulsory national service to all citizens of the country. It also allowed students to have a freedom to choose between the three main components to comply as a requirement of tertiary education. This are the the three main components: Civil Welfare Service, Law Enforcement Service and Military Service. Moreover, in 1986 due to the Martial Law, the President Corazon C. Aquino has announced a Presidential Memorandum Order No. 1 (1986-1987) which tackles about the suspension of Civil Welfare Service and Law Enforcement Service except the Military Service and it became Basic Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). In 1991, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 7077 modified the Basic ROTC Course to Expanded ROTC Program as mandated. The modification is composed of military subject in the first year and any of the following components: MTS, CWTS, and LES in the second year curriculum. In 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos extended the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program and was categorized into two curriculums. In 1st Curriculum Year, the student are still ought to undergo the Military Service while the 2nd Curriculum Year would be optional (whether to continue Military Service or other components). In 2001, the President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has suspended the ROTC Program for temporary due to the protest about irregularities in ROTC particularly the death of Mark Welson Chua, 19 years old and an Engineering Student from University of Santo Tomas (UST). He was found wrapped in a carpet and floating in the Pasig River. His face was wrapped in packing tape and the face were bounded. He was reportedly a victim of illegal ROTC practices lead to a massive protest of the college student and concerned parents against the ROTC program. Furthermore, in January 23, 2002 the Expanded ROTC Program morphed into National Service Training Program (NSTP) or Republic Act (RA) 9163 and was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. It was an Act Establishing The National Service Training Program (NSTP) for Tertiary Level Students, enabling the government to create a program that will encourage the youth to actively participate in civic welfare and literacy initiatives as well as defend the country in times of war. It comprises of three program components: Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS), Literacy Training Services (LTS) and Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) which designed to provide military training to tertiary level student in order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize.Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) which consist of projects and activities designed to encourage the youth to contribute in the improvement of general welfare and the quality of life of the local community and its various institutional components, more particularly in terms of health, education, safety, recreation and morale of the citizenry. Literacy Training Services (LTS) which is designed to teach literacy and numeracy skills to school children, Out-of-School youth and other segments of society need of their services.
Background of National Service Training Program (NSTP)
National Service Training Program is the meaning of NSTP. ROTC, CWTS and LTS are some of its programs. It aims to promote and integrate values education, transformational leadership, spirit of patriotism, nationalism and sustainable social mobilization for youth development, community building and national security. National Service Training Program (NSTP) is 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 program components. These various components are specially designed to enhance the youth’s active contribution to the general welfare. It is a curriculum requirement for all college students under Republic Act (RA) No. 9163. the law provides an opportunity for the youth to directly contribute in nation building.