The National Service Training Program was also known as “The National Service
Training Program or (NSTP) for Tertiary Level Students, it invoked the constitutional provision
regarding the “duty of the state to serve and protect its citizens,” is to promote the role of the
youth in nation-building. As such, it aims to encourage the youth to become civic and / or
military leaders and volunteers whom could be called upon by the nation in cases their services
are needed.
It will encourage the students to promote the youth in nation building and students will be
able to experience the different activities which NSTP contains.
The National Service Training Program is a curriculum requirement for all college students
taking up baccalaureate degrees or 2-year technical vocational courses starting SY 2002-2003. It
was promulgated as a Congressional action in the aftermath of the widespread nationwide
protests in 2001 calling for the abolition of the ROTC for its gross mismanagement and the harsh
bullying culture of its officers that led to fatalities among its cadet corps. The NSTP restructured
the defunct RA 7077 (AFP Reservist Act), the latter requiring ROTC as mandatory, by reducing
ROTC as merely optional and voluntary, while adding two other programs (CWTS and LTS)
from which the college students may liberally choose to undergo and be trained. The NSTP gave
importance to the enhancement of civic consciousness without compromising the national
security needs of the country in the event of war, thereby retaining the ROTC as a component
program of the NSTP instead of entirely abolishing it.
The NSTP aims to promote and integrate values education, transformational leadership, spirit of
patriotism and nationalism and sustainable social mobilization for youth development,
community building and national security.
There are various benefits of the National Service Training Program. It builds a sense of
patriotism to the individuals. You also learn teamwork and loyalty. And NSTP addresses the
need for national program of youth development and mobilization for the task of nation building.
In view of the said scheme and aims, the Program exists and operates in the context of education
and national security systems, both of which are important parts of the larger system of national
development and security policy. This potentially synergistic relationship between education and
defense needs to be understood better, in view of the systematic link between national
development and national security, a vital point relevant to enhanced national service training for
the Filipino youth. Now that it is barely seven years of NSTP implementation and abolishing it in
view of its perceived irrelevancy and mediocrity is not all a solution. Assuming for the moment
the possibility of the Program’s infirmities, prudence dictates that at the outset diagnostics are in
order. To set aside misleading biases and false impressions of the program, this assessment study
may serve as empirical evidence.
As a student, the greatest contribution that students should give to society is that of ideas.
A country can survive in the competitive world through original ideas. As students, we can also
contribute to the society through the organization of pressure groups especially in situations
dealing with the needy and future generations such as environmental issues.
I have dreams for my community and this will remain as mere dreams without actions.
And that is the reason why I am striving hard in my studies. For now, my contribution to our
community is not that evident but my simple act of studying hard is a great factor in the
development of my community not now but for the succeeding days to come.
