National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES
METRO MANILA
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July,2001.
(REPUBLIC ACT 9163)
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM (NSTP) FOR THE TERTIARY
LEVEL STUDENTS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO 7077 AND PRESIDENTIAL
DECREE NO 1706 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSE
Be enacted by the senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
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
citizen. In turn it shall be the responsibility of all citizens to defend the security of the State and in fulfillment thereof, the
Government may require each citizen to render personal military or civil service.
Recognizing the youths virtual role in nation building, then state shall promote civic consciousness among the youth and
shall develop their physical moral, spiritual intellectual and social well-being.
It shall inculcate to the youth patriotism, nationalism and advance their involvement in public and civic affairs. In pursuit
of this goals the youth the most valuable resource of the national shall motivate trained organized and mobilized in
military training, literacy civic welfare and other similar endeavors in the service of nation.
SECTION 3. Definition of Term. For purpose of this Act the following are hereby defined as follows:
National Service Training Program (NSTP) is a program aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense
preparedness in the youth by developing the ethic of service and patriotism while undergoing training in any of its three
(3) program components. Its various components are specially designed to enhance the youths active contribution to the
general welfare.
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is program institutionalized under Section 38 and 39 of RA No. 7077
designed to provide military training to tertiary level students in order to motivate, train, organized and mobilize them for
national defense preparedness.
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.
Civic Welfare Training Service refers to programs of activities contributory to the general welfare and the betterment
of life for members of the community or the enhancement of its facilities, especially those devoted to improving health,
education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morals of the citizen; and
Program Component shall refer to the service components of the NSTP as enumerated in Section 4 of this Act.
SECTION 4. Establishment of the National Service 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 twoyears technical vocational courses and is a requisite for graduation, consisting of the following service components: The

Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) which is hereby made optional and voluntary upon the effectivity of this Act;
The Literacy Training Service; and 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 other, Citizenship Training shall be given emphasis in all three (3) 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 Association of the Philippines (COCOPAP) and other concerned government agencies,
may design and implement such other program components as maybe necessary in consonance with the provisions of this
Act.
SECTION 5. Coverage. Students, male and female of any baccalaureate degree course or at least two (2) year technical
vocational courses in public and private educational institutions shall be required to complete one (1) of the NSTP
components are requisite for graduation.
SECTION 6. Duration and Equivalent Course Unit. Each of the aforementioned NSTP Program components shall be
undertaken for and academic period of two (2) semesters. In lieu of the two-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 Educational Institutions. All higher and technical and
vocational institutions, public and private, must offer at least one of the program components, provided that state
universities and colleges shall offer the ROTC components and at least one other component as education institution may
ROTC if they have at least three hundred and fifty (350) cadets 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 shall allow their students to cross enroll to other school
irrespective of whether or not the NSTP components in said schools 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 Incentive. Higher and technical-vocational institutions shall not collect any fee for any of the
NSTP components, except basic tuition fees, which shall be more than fifty (50%) percent of what is currently charged by
schools per unit.
In case of ROTC, the DND shall formulate and adopt a program of assistance for health and accident shall be provide for
students enrolled in any of the NSTP components.
SECTION 9. Scholarship. There is hereby created a special scholarship program for qualified students taking NSTP
which shall be administered by CHED and TESDA funds for this purpose shall be include in the annual regular
appropriations of CHED and TESDA.
SECTION 10. Management of 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 administer a training module for any of the NSTP components, such academic and
administrative supervision shall be exercised jointly with the accredited NGO.
Provided further, that such training module shall be accredited by CHED and TESDA.

SECTION 11. Creation of the National Service Corps. There is hereby created a National Service Corps to be
composed of the graduates of the non-ROTC components Members of this corps may be tapped by the State for Literacy
and civic welfare activities through the joint effort of DND, CHED and TESDA.
Graduates of the ROTC shall form part of the Citizen Armed Force, 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 with sixty (60) days from the approval of this Act.
These are three (3) agencies shall consult with other concerned government agencies, PASUC and COCPAP, NGOs and
recognized students 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 Provision. Students, who have yet to complete the Basic ROTC, except those failing under
Section 14 of this Act, may either continue in the program component they are currently enrolled or shift to any of the
another program component, the Basic ROTC courses he has completed further.
That once he has shifted to other program component, he shall completed further.
That once he has shifted to other program component, he shall completed the NSTP in the 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 all their academic units as of effectivity of this Act have been allowed to
graduate.
SECTION 15. Separability Clause. If any section or provision of this act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid,
the other section or provision not affected thereby remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 16. Amendatory Clause. Section 35 of Commonwealth Act No. 1 Executive Order No. 207 of 1930.
Section 2 and 3 of Presidential Degree No. 1706 and Section 38 and 39 RA No. 7077 as well as all laws decrees order
rules and regulations and other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed 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 2002-2003.
Approved,
s/t FRANKLIN M DRILON
President of the Senate
s/t JOSE DE VENECIA
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 Representative
and the Senate on December 19, 2001.
s/t OSCAR G TABES
Secretary of the Senate
ROBERTO P NAZARENO
Secretary General House of Representative
Approved,

s/t GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

President of the Philippines