MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will soon roll out an enhanced version of the National Service Training Program (NSTP), which replaced the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps program in 2001.
CHED chairman J. Prospero de Vera III said the commission is partnering with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of National Defense (DND) to roll out an improved and strengthened NSTP that will produce students with civic consciousness and defense preparedness, and will act as first responders during national emergencies.
De Vera recently signed an agreement with TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña and Defnse Secretary Delfin Lorenzana for the creation of a technical working group that will review the existing implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9163 or the NSTP Act of 2001.
The review will ensure that the program is uniformly implemented in all higher education institutions (HEIs), according to De Vera.
The CHED chief noted that the lack of uniform implementation resulted in the high turnover of NSTP coordinators, concerns about the safety and security of the students during the community immersion, and weak sanctions for HEIs that violated the law and its IRR.
“In many areas, NSTP students did not have insurance coverage during their out-of- school activities, and many HEIs did not offer the full range of NSTP options, particularly ROTC,” he said.
There is a need for CHED, DND and TESDA to work together to review the implementation and craft new guidelines to realize the objective of the NSTP law to produce an active National Service Reserve Corps that will serve the nation, according to De Vera.
“Recent developments such as the implementation of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and its effect on the NSTP fund, shift in academic calendar, impact of the K to 12 Basic Education Program and current national security concerns makes the review and revision of the IRR an urgent imperative,” De Vera said.
“The Commission is serious in making the NSTP supportive of the initiatives of the government and the needs of our country. The draft memorandum order is now being subjected to zonal consultation,” he added.