UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS

Tuguegarao City

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, ARTS and SCIENCES

Summer Semester
A.Y. 2020-2021

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

NSTP 1013 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
(Civil Welfare Training Service & Literacy Training Service)

Prepared by:

NSTP-1 Course Instructors

Reviewed by:

RAY T. OBISPO, Ph.D

Anthony P, Angeles, MST
NSTP Coordinator

Approved by:

EMMANUEL JAMES PATTAGUAN, Ph.D.

Vice President for Academics
 NSTP 1013 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 1
MODULE 2: Introduction To National Training Service Program NSTP
Topics: ● Introduction To National Training Service Program NSTP
● NSTP Framework
● Course Goals and Policies
● The 1987 Constitution
● Civic Welfare Training Service
● Republic Act 9163 and NSTP Implementing Rules and Regulations
● State Policies

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. recognize the role of USL as a public-service university, and Louisians as public servants;
2. discuss the rationale behind and the rules governing the conduct of the NSTP;
3. explain the purpose of the 1987 Philippine Constitution;
4. apply the principles of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and its state policies to specific cases and
issues involving the socio-economic welfare of the people;
5. explain the history and significance of the NSTP in the purview of national security and development:
and
6. support NSTP-related activities and endeavor.

Lesson Proper:

NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM

✔ Republic Act (R.A.) 7722 – also known as The Higher

Education Act of 1994
o Republic Act 7722 is the act creating the
Commission on Higher Education which covers
both the public and private institutions of higher
education as well as degree-granting programs
in all post-secondary educational institutions, be
it public or private. One of the powers and
functions of this act which is in line with the goal
of National Service Training Program [NSTP] is
to identify, support and develop potential centers
of excellence in program areas needed for the
development of world-class scholarship, nation
building and national development.
✔ Republic Act (R.A.) 9163 – also known as National
Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001
o Republic Act 9163 is an act establishing the
National Service Training Program (NSTP) for
tertiary level students, amending for the purpose
Republic Act 7077 and Presidential Decree 1708 and for other purposes.
o R.A. 9163 – enacted on January 23, 2002- also the date of approval and signature of former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
National Service Training Program refers to the 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.

Program Components
a. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). It refers to the program that is designed to provide military
training to tertiary level students in order to maintain, train, organize, and mobilize them for national
defense preparedness.
b. Literacy Training Service (LTS). It refers to the program that is designed to train the students to teach
literacy and numeracy skills to school children, out-of-school youths and other segments of society in need
of their services.
c. Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS). It refers to the program that is designed to contribute to the
general welfare and betterment of life for the members of the community or the enhancement of its
facilities. It is devoted to improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and
moral of the citizenry.

Guiding Principles/ Importance

a. Guiding Principle. All citizens should defend the security and promote the general welfare of the State
through military or civil service.
i. Section 2 of R.A. 9163 affirmed that it is the prime duty of the government to serve and protect its
citizens. In turn, it shall be the responsibility of the 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.
b. Role of Youth
i. In recognition of the vital role of the youth in nation-building, the State shall promote civic
consciousness among them and shall develop their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social
well-being. It shall inculcate the ideals of patriotism, nationalism, and advance their involvement in
public and civic affairs.
ii. As the most valuable resources of the nation, they shall be motivated, trained, organized, and
involved in military, literary, civic welfare programs and other similar endeavors in the service of the
nation.

Program Implementation
🞐 All incoming first year students, male and female, starting School Year 2002- 2003, enrolled in any
baccalaureate and in at least two (2) year technical-vocational or associate courses, are required to
complete one (1) NSTP component of their choice, as a graduation requirement.
🞐 All higher and technical-vocational education institutions must offer at least one (1) of the NSTP
components.
🞐 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), shall offer the ROTC component and at least one (1) other
NSTP component
🞐 The Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), and the
Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) are exempted from the NSTP.
 🞐 Private higher and technical-vocational education institutions with at least 350 student cadets, may offer
the ROTC component and consequently establish and maintain a Department of Military Science and
Tactics (DMST), subject to the existing rules and regulations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP).

NSTP Values
🞐 Citizenship
🞐 Patriotism
🞐 Moral Virtues
🞐 Respect for the rights of civilians
🞐 Adherence to the Constitution

Duration and Equivalent Course Unit

🞐 Each of the NSTP components shall be undertaken for an academic period of two (2) semesters. It
shall be credited for three (3) units per semester, for fifty-four (54) to ninety (90) training hours per
semester.
🞐 Earned NSTP units shall not be included in the computation of Grade Point Average (GPA) grades of
college graduating students.

Organization of NSTP Graduates

🞐 Graduates of non-ROTC components of NSTP shall belong to the National Service Reserve Corps
(NSPC), and could be tapped by the State for literacy and civic welfare activities, especially in times of
calamities through joint efforts of DND, CHED, TESDA, in coordination with DILG, DSWD, and other
concerned agencies/ associations.
🞐 Graduates of the ROTC program shall form part of the Citizens Armed Force pursuant to RA 7077,
subject to the requirements of DND

Historical Context of NSTP

1. National Defense Act/ Commonwealth Act No. 1: This act highlighted the necessity of national
defense of the country against colonizers considering the historical background of massive military
advancement of adventurist and power-driven Western nations poised to extend their territories and
resources. This took effect on the auspices of the US government and was still working its way towards
achieving full independence.
This act emphasized:

a. The preservation of the State as the obligation of every citizen.

b. The employment of the nation’s citizens and resources for national defense through national
mobilization, which included the execution of all measures necessary to pass from a peace to a
war footing.
c. The supremacy of the civil authority and the responsibility of the President of the Philippines, as
Commander-in-Chief of all military forces to see to it that the mobilization measures are
prepared at all times.
d. A national mobilization in any case of threatened or actual aggression
This act mandated:

a. All Filipinos are liable to military service, for which they are obliged to go through Preparatory
Military Service (PMT) beginning with youth in school, starting at the age of ten years until he
reached age of twenty-one years.
b. It authorized the establishment and maintenance of Reserve Officer Training units at colleges and
universities.
 2. Citizen Armed Forces/ Republic Act No. 7077. This act is summarized as follows:
a. The maintenance of a standing or regular military forces in times of peace consonant to its
adequate and actual needs for the security of the State but which can be rapidly executed by
the well-disciplined Citizen Armed Force in the event of war, invasion, or rebellion.
b. Maximum opportunity for the CAF to participate in safeguarding the security of the State and in
assisting socioeconomic development.
c. Organization, training and maintenance of the CAF to ensure their readiness to immediately
respond to the call to service.
d. Promotion and development of public support to the important role of CAF as the protector of
the people and the State
Military training for students enrolled in colleges, universities and similar institutions of learning is
mandatory pursuant to the provisions of the National Defense Act and the 1987 Constitution.

3. National Service Training Act/ Republic Act No. 9163. This act made ROTC as an optional
component and included female students in the training program.

Understanding the 1987 Constitution

Meaning of Constitution
Constitution is that written instrument by which the fundamental powers of the government are established,
limited, and defined and by which these powers are distributed among the several departments or branches for
their safe and useful exercise for the benefit of the people.

The purpose of a constitution is to establish the fundamental framework for governance and the legal structure
of a nation or organization. It delineates the organization of government, defining the separation of powers
among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to ensure a balanced distribution of authority. By setting
forth the core principles and values such as democracy, liberty, equality, and justice, the constitution serves as
the foundational guide for all laws and policies, ensuring they align with these ideals. Furthermore, it
safeguards individual rights and freedoms through provisions that limit government power and protect civil
liberties. The constitution also upholds the rule of law, providing a legal framework within which laws are
created, interpreted, and enforced, thereby maintaining social order and justice. It offers stability and
predictability in governance, ensuring continuity and consistency while allowing for managed responses to
crises. By outlining democratic processes such as elections and representation, it facilitates citizen
participation and ensures governance by the consent of the governed. Additionally, the constitution promotes
national unity and identity by articulating shared goals and values, serving as a symbol of sovereignty and
collective will. Finally, it includes mechanisms for amendment, balancing rigidity with flexibility to adapt to
changing needs and circumstances, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness over time.

Note: The three essential parts of a Constitution are: the bill of rights, governmental organization and
functions, and method of amendment.
Nature and Purpose of the Constitution
1. Serves as the supreme or fundamental law. It
is binding on all individual citizens and all organs
of the government. It is the law to which all other
laws must conform and in accordance with
which all private rights must be determined and
all public authority administered.
2. Establishers basic framework and underlying
principles of government. It prescribes the
permanent framework of the system of
government and to assign to the different
department or branches, their respective powers
and duties, and to establish certain basic
principles on which the government is founded.

Kinds of Constitution
🞐 Origin and History
1. Conventional or enacted. One which is enacted by the constitutional assembly or granted by a
monarch to his subjects.
2. Cumulative or evolved. One which is a product of growth or a long period of development
originating in customs, traditions, judicial decisions, etc., rather than from a deliberate and formal
enactment.
🞐 Form
1. Written. One which has been given definite written form at a particular time by a specially
constituted authority.
2. Unwritten. One which is entirely the product of political evolution, consisting largely of a mass of
customs, usages and judicial decisions together with a smaller body of statutory enactments of a
fundamental character, usually bearing different dates.
🞐 Manner of Amending
1. Rigid or inelastic. One regarded as a document of special sanctity, which cannot be amended or
altered except by some special machinery more cumbrous than the ordinary legislative process.
2. Flexible or elastic. One which possesses no higher legal authority than ordinary laws and which
may be altered in the way as other laws.

Note: The Philippine Constitution is classified as conventional or enacted, written, and rigid or inelastic.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Written Constitution

1. It has the advantage of clearness and definiteness over an unwritten one. This is because it is prepared
with great care and deliberation.
2. Its disadvantage lies in the difficulty of its amendment. This prevents the immediate introduction of
needed changes and may retard the healthy growth and progress of the state.

Requisites Of A Good Written Constitution

🞐 Form
1. Brief. In a few provisions, it outlines the structure of the government of the whole state and the rights of
the citizens.
2. Broad. It describes the powers and functions of the government, and of the relations between the
governing body and the governed as comprehensive as possible.
3. Definite. It is clear enough to draw opposing interpretations of essential features of the constitution.
🞐 Contents
 1. Constitution of the Government. This part deals with the framework of government and its power. It also
defines the electorate.
2. Constitution of Liberty. This sets forth the fundamental rights of the people and imposes certain
limitations on the powers of the government as a means of securing the enjoyment of these rights.
3. Constitutions of Sovereignty. This points out the mode or procedure of amending or revising the
Constitution.

CONSTITUTION DISTINGUISHED FROM STATUTE

Constitution Statute
It is legislation from the people. It is a legislation from the people’s representative.
It states the general frameworks of the law and It provides details of the subject of which it treats.
government.
It is intended not merely to meet existing conditions It is intended primarily to meet the existing
but to govern the future. conditions only.
It is the supreme or fundamental law of the land. It conforms with the Constitution.

THE HIERARCHY OF LAWS

Respect for the hierarchy of laws is fundamental to the rule of law, as it dictates how the different levels
of law will apply in practice. In general, the fundamental levels of hierarchy consist of: a constitution or
founding document; statutes or legislation; regulations; and procedures.

The Hierarchy of Laws – A Snapshot

Constitution ✔ Establishes the innate characteristics of the state and its sovereignty; outlines the rights
and responsibilities of its citizens – as such it is the supreme law.
✔ Establishes the country’s governance structure.
✔ All other laws must adhere to the constitution.
✔ The constitution should reflect and adhere to a country’s international obligations.
✔ Trans-border agreements that have different impacts on the country’s law, depending
International on the treaty language and the way a country’s constitution manage them.
Laws ✔ Sometimes only a limited degree of compliance with treaties, and some treaties that
enshrine fundamental rights are not always followed through in the signatory nation’s
constitution, or through domestic enforcement.
Statutes / ✔ Statutes are enacted by the legislative branch of government, and govern a wide range
of issues that require regulation in a modern, democratic state – including elections.
Legislation ✔ Must adhere to the constitution and international law.
✔ Amended by the same process as first enacted, and enforced by a country’s
enforcement agencies.
✔ Common law is law made by the courts, not legislature, and is not a level of hierarchy
per se.
Common
✔ It consists of the judgments of courts, to interpret the wording of statute law, to protect
Law / Case
the principles of natural justice, to fill a gap in the law, or to deal with an unforeseen
Law
situation not covered by statute.
✔ A judgment of a court may award damages, punishment, sanction or other remedial
action, enforced by a country’s enforcement agencies.
 ✔ A form of delegated legislation, developed and enacted by ministers, department
heads, or by an independent body or commission, to administer their responsibilities.
Regulations ✔ Must adhere to the constitution, international law, and governing statute, and can be
enforced in the same way as statutory law.
✔ Provide detail on the administration of principles in the law.
✔ A violation of a regulation can be treated as an offense and enforced as such.
✔ A procedure is a description of the required steps necessary to complete a process.
✔ Procedures are generally written by an administrative body to ensure that the law and
Procedure regulations are applied consistently and fairly to all parties.
✔ Enforcement of a procedure is generally achieved by requesting compliance as a
condition of completing a process or receiving a benefit (for example, candidacy) –
rather than sanction or punishment.
✔ A written set of rules, principles or standards to govern the behavior of certain groups.
Codes of
✔ Enforcement of codes of conduct depends on whether they are considered “soft” or
Conduct “hard” law. Codes of conduct are considered “soft law” when they are not passed by a
lawmaking body and thus rely on voluntary compliance.
✔ Terms such as “guidelines” and “instructions” are uncertain in meaning and can result in
Guidelines,
ambiguity, particularly with regard to enforceability.
Instructions, ✔ “Policies” are broad, informative statements of intent regarding principles to be followed,
priority programs.
and Policies ✔ These should not be used as if they were elements of the structure of the hierarchy of
laws.

Note: In terms of the basic elements of the hierarchy, a constitution states the grounding legal and
democratic principles that its government is obligated to uphold, and because of this is considered the
supreme law in a country or state to which all other laws must adhere. A statute is a law enacted by a
legislature to govern society, and its authority is derived from the constitution or founding document of a
country, which authorizes the legislature to enact it. Regulations are issued under the authority of a statute by
a division of the government or by a special body, such as BIR, DENR, NEDA and others. For this reason, they
are sometimes referred to as “delegated” legislation, and they provide administrative and technical detail to
carry out the purpose of the statute. Finally, procedures describe the required steps necessary to complete a
process, and are generally written by an administrative body to ensure that the law and regulations are applied
consistently and fairly to all parties.

BASIC PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE 1987 CONSTITUTION

The Constitution is founded upon certain fundamental principles of government which have become
part and parcel of our cherished democratic heritage as a people. Among these principles are as follows:

1. Recognition of the aid of the Almighty God

2. Sovereignty of the People
3. Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy
4. Supremacy of Civilian Authority over the Military
5. Separation of the Church and the State
6. Recognition of the Importance of the Family as the Basic Social Institution and of the Vital Role of the
Youth in Nation-Building
7. Guarantee of Human Rights
8. Government through Suffrage
 9. Separation of Powers
10. Independence of the Judiciary
11. Guarantee of Local Autonomy
12. High Sense of Public Service Morality and Accountability of Public Officers
13. Nationalization of Natural Resources and Certain Private Enterprises affected with Public Interest
14. Non-suability of the State
15. Rule of the Majority
16. Government of Laws and Not of Men

Rule Of The Majority

The observance of the rule of the majority is an unwritten law of popular government. The wishes of the
majority prevail over those of the minority. The devise of the majority is practicable rule of law based on reason
and experience. Democracy assumes that in a society of rational beings, the judgment and experience of the
few; and hence, that the verdict of the majority will more likely be correct than that of the minority.

Government of Law and Not of Men

Rule of Law is meant that no man in this country is above or beyond the law. Every man, however high
and mighty his position may be, possesses no greater rights than other man in the eyes of the law.

State Policies

Section 9. The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that
will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the
people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social
service, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an
improved quality of life for all.

Just and dynamic social order

The Preamble calls for the “establishment of a just and humane society.” Such
a society must insure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free
the underprivileged and the marginalized sectors of our population from poverty.

The goal is to reduce the political and economic power of a privileged few by
equalizing widely differing standards and opportunities for advancement and to
raise the masses of our people from the poverty to a qualitative worthy of human
dignity.

With the eradication of mass poverty, the State solves at the same time a chain of
social problems that comes with it- social unrest, breakdown of family systems,
diseases, ignorance, criminality and low productivity.

Section 10. The State shall promote social justice in all phases of national
development.
Social Justice

The State must give preferential treatment to the welfare of the less fortunate members of the community- the
poor, the underprivileged, those who have less in life.

Section 11. The State values dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect of human
rights.

Human Dignity and Human Rights

In a democratic state, the individual enjoys certain rights which cannot be modified or taken away by the
law-making body. This rights are recognized or guaranteed because of the belief in the inherent dignity and
worth of every human person.

The value accorded to human dignity is measured by the extent of respect of human rights. In pursuit of this
constitutional policy, it is the duty of the State to enact measures and develop programs that will promote
human dignity and protect the people from any threat of violence or use of force or deception for the purpose of
exploitation.

Section 12. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family
as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mothers and the life of
the born from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth
for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the
Government.

Strengthening the family as a basic autonomous social institution

The State is mandated to recognize the sacredness of family life and to strengthen the family. Under the
provision, the government may not enact any law or initiate measures that would break up or weaken the
family as a social unit or in the guise of protecting the family, interfere in purely internal family maters which
does not involve the social order or any public policy.

The Civil Code of the Philippines lays down the general principles which sustain the solidarity of the family not
only for the guidance of the courts and administrative officials but also for their wholesome influence upon the
members of the family.

Rearing the Youth for Civic Efficiency and Development of Moral Character

1. A duty both of parents and government. – The common welfare of society as well as the good of the
individual depends to a great extent upon the proper education and training of children. The youth of
today will be tomorrow’s citizen. These citizens will be as they have been prepared and guided in the
youth. The government, therefore, should equally, share in the inherent right and duty of parents in the
training of their children to be good, useful, and worthy citizens by giving them support to prepare their
children for future positions of responsibility.
 2. Right of State to interfere with education of children. – The State cannot by law compel the parents to
make their children accept instruction in public schools only. Such a law constitutes an unreasonable
interference with the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing of parents to direct the upbringing and
education of children under their control. The State, however, has the power reasonably regulate all
schools, their children and pupils; to require that all children of proper age attend school, that teachers

shall be of good moral character and patriotic disposition, that certain studies plainly essential to good
citizenship must be taught, and that nothing be taught which is manifestly inimical to pubic welfare.
3. The State and Parental Obligations. – While the primary responsibility for educating the chid rests in the
family, the State has a distinct interest in this matter since a proper education- humanistic, vocational,
moral, religious, civic- is necessary for social well-being. It is the duty of the State to see that these
obligations are fulfilled by parents, and to supply the essential educational facilities which private initiate
is unable to furnish.

Section 13. The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and
protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth
patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.

Role of the Youth in Nation Building

1. Today’s youth, more knowledgeable and intelligent. – Today’s youth are better educated and far more
well-informed and articulate and politically conscious.
2. Duty of the State. – The youth constitute a rich reservoir of productive manpower. Recognizing their
vital role in shaping the country’s destiny, the Constitution lends it support to the promotion of their
welfare. It is the duty of the State to enable the youth to develop physically, morally, spiritually,
intellectually, and socially, in a wholesome and normal manner, and thus, transform them into healthy,
upright, intelligent, and useful citizens and potential community leaders. It shall inculcate in the youth,
patriotism and nationalism, promote positive personal and social values among them, and encourage
their active involvement and participation in public and civic affairs to the fullest extent possible.
3. Today’s youth, tomorrow’s leaders. – By harnessing the enterprising spirit and progressive idealism of
the youth, young people can become effective players in our collective effort to build a modern
Philippines and, properly trained and guided, will in time, assume dignity and honor the places of their
elders in the high councils of the nation.
Section 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of
workers and promote their welfare.

Section 22. The State recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities within
the framework of national unity and development.

Rights Of Indigenous Cultural Communities

Indigenous cultural communities refer to those non-dominant groups in our country which possess and
wish to preserve ethnic, religious, or linguistic tradition or characteristics markedly different from the rest of the
population.

The State must promote their rights. The State is bound to consider the customs, traditions, beliefs and
interests of indigenous cultural minorities in the formulation and implementation of state policies and programs.

REFERENCES

✔ RA 9163, NSTP IRR, NSRC IRR

✔ RA 7077
✔ RA 7722
✔ 1987 Philippine Constitution