REVISED IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9163, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE

NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM ACT OF 2001
Pursuant to Section 12 of Republic Act No. (RA) 9163, otherwise known as
the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001, the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) and Department of National Defense (DND), through the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in
consultation with concerned government agencies and non-government
organizations such as the Philippine Association of State Universities and
Colleges (PASUC), Coordinating Council of Private Educational
Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA), and the Philippine Society of
NSTP Educators and Implementers Inc (PSNEII), hereby jointly issue, adopt,
and promulgate the following implementing rules and regulations to
implement the provisions of the Act
Rule I – GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Section 1. Responsibility of all Citizens
While it is the prime duty of the government to serve and protect the people,
the Constitution also provides that it shall be the responsibility of all citizens
to defend the security and promote the general welfare of the State. In
fulfillment thereof, the government may require each citizen to render
personal, military, or civil service.

Section 2. Role of the Youth

a. In recognition of the vital role of the youth in nation-building, the State
shall promote civic consciousness and defense preparedness among them and
shall develop their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-
being. It shall inculcate the ideals of patriotism, nationalism, volunteerism,
and advance their meaningful involvement in public and civic affairs.
b. As the most valuable resource of the nation, the youth shall be motivated,
trained, organized, and mobilized in civic, military, literacy, welfare
programs, and other similar endeavors in the service of the people.

Rule II – DEFINITION OF TERMS

Section 3. As used in this Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), the
following terms shall mean:
a. Annual Administrative and Tactical Inspection (AATI) refers to the tool
designed by the Department of National Defense-Armed Forces of the
Philippines (DND-AFP) and conducted by the AFP Major Services to
annually evaluate the ROTC units' implementation of the Reserve
Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Program;
b. Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) refers to programs or activities
contributory to the general welfare and the betterment of life for the
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 citizenry:
c. Clustering - refers to the grouping of students enrolled at different
schools and taking up the same NSTP component into one (1) group under
the management and supervision of a designated school by TESDA for
TVIs and CHED for HEls
d. Cross-Enrollment - refers to a system of enrollment where a student is
officially enrolled in an academic program of an origin school but is allowed
to enroll in the NSTP component of another accepting school:
e. Higher Educational Institutions (HEls) refers to universities, colleges,
and other educational institutions offering higher education
f. Literacy Training Service (LTS) - refers to the program designed to
train students to become capable non-licensed instructors of functional
literacy and numeracy skills to school children, out-of-school youths, and
other segments of society in need of their service:
g. (LUCs) refers to any public institution of higher learning established
and managed by local government units (LGUs):
h. Major Service Reserve Commands (MSRC) refers to the units of the
AFP Major Services mandated to develop their respective Reserve Forces
and supervise the implementation of the ROTC Program as mandated under
RA 7077 (AFP Reservist Act of 1991);
i. Mobilization refers to the official act of calling upon ROTC Reservists
and NSRC Reservists and NSRC units to report to their respective
mobilization centers to perform duty as volunteers:
j. National Service - refers to the civic consciousness and defense
preparedness service rendered by all the citizens of the Philippines:
k. National Service Reserve Corps Trainee refers to a student enrolled in
the CWTS or LTS component:
l. National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) - refers to an organization
composed of graduates of CWTS and LTS components of the NSTP as
mandated by Republic Act 9163 (NSTP Act of 2001);
m. National Service Training Program (NSTP) refers to the 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 the three (3) program components which are specially
designed to enhance the youth's active contribution to the general welfare
of the country:
n. Non-Government Organization (NGO) - refers to any private
organization duly accredited by CHED, TESDA, and DND to formulate
and administer training modules for CWTS and LTS;
o. Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs) - refers to private
colleges and other educational institutions offering higher education;
p. Program Components refers to the ROTC, CWTS, LTS, and other
NSTP programs as the CHED and TESDA, in consultation with the DND,
may hereinafter approve and implement
q. Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) refers to the program
institutionalized under Sections 38 and 39 of RA 7077 (Citizen Armed Force
or AFP Reservist Act of 1991), designed to provide military training to
tertiary students in order to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them
for national defense preparedness;
q.1. Basic Reserve Officers Training Corps - refers to the one (1) year
ROTC training based on the amendment by RA 9163 (2002) of Sections 38
and 39 of RA 7077
q.2. Advance Reserve Officers' Training Corps refers to the two (2)-year
training program after the basic ROTC training, subject to the provisions
under Sections 38 and 39 of RA 7077;
r. ROTC Cadet refers to a student enrolled in the ROTC Program
component:
s. School-Based NSRC Units (SBNU) - refers to the organization of
students or graduates of the CWTS or LTS components of the NSTP who
are still enrolled in the HEIs and TVIs;
t. School-Based Ready Reserve Units (SRRU) refers to the organization of
students or graduates of the ROTC components of the NSTP who are still
enrolled in the HEIs and TVIs
u. State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) refers to any public institution
of higher learning established by the national government and governed by
their respective independent governing boards:
v. Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) refers to the
education process designed for post-secondary and lower tertiary levels,
officially recognized as non-degree programs aimed at preparing
technicians, paraprofessionals, and middle-level workers by providing
them with general education, scientific and technological studies, and job
skills training.
w. Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) - refers to an institution
(public or private) offering TVET programs. This includes TESDA
Technology Institutions, public and private technical vocational
institutes, HEIs, SUCs, LUCs, training centers, and enterprises offering
TVET programs,
x. Tripartite Agreement refers to the agreement between CHED, TESDA,
and DND relative to the NSTP; and
y. Trust Fund - refers to the collected NSTP fee which shall be exclusively
used for the implementation of the NSTP Law and operation of the
Program, including allocation for a reasonable contingency fund, as
provided for in this IRR

RULE III - PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

Section 4. Coverage
a. Incoming first year level students of any baccalaureate degree program
or of at least two (2) year TVET programs in public and private
educational institutions and enterprises shall be required to complete one
(1) of the NSTP components as a requisite for graduation, in accordance
with RA 9163.
The above provision however does not cover the following:
a.1. Students who have completed their NSTP requirement who will finish
or graduate from a baccalaureate degree or two (2) year TVET program
and pursuing or enrolled in another or additional baccalaureate degree or
TVET:
a.2. Students who completed any of the three (3) NSTP components but
have transferred or shifted to another academic course or educational
institution:
a.3. Pursuant to Section 16(2) of RA 10742, otherwise known as the
"Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015" and Joint Memorandum
Circular No. 1, s. 2019, all Sangguniang Kabataan officials who comply
with the prescribed requirements and in good standing, whether elected or
appointed, shall, during their incumbency, be exempted from taking the
NSTP-CWTS subjects. Further, as stipulated in Section 16(2) of RA 10742,
the concerned SK officials shall submit written reports, preferably with
photographs, or documentations of their participation in the
implementation of programs, projects, and activities as outlined in the
Comprehensive Barangay Investment Program, and
a.4. Foreign students or aliens.
b. All HEIs, including SUCs, LUCs, and TVIs must offer at least one (1)
NSTP component.
As stated in RA 9163, or the NSTP Act of 2001, SUCs are required to offer
the ROTC component. Further, SUCs with constituent universities or
campuses shall offer both the Basic and Advance ROTC Programs in all its
constituent universities or campuses, subject to the provisions stipulated in
Section 39 and Section 40 of RA 7077.
In cases that the enrollment of ROTC Cadets in private higher and
technical vocational institutions is less than 350, the provisions of
clustering in Section 7 hereof shall be followed.
In coordination with HEIs, the DND shall conduct additional training
periods for volunteer prospective Advance ROTC cadets.
c. Students enrolled in the first semester of their first year shall undergo a
common module phase for 25 hours training period. Subjects covered are
citizenship training, drug education, disaster risk reduction and
management (DRRM), environmental protection, and other national
security concerns. Appropriate materials for the 25-hour common module
such as informational videos shall be developed by the CHED, TESDA,
DND and other concerned agencies. The common module may also be
incorporated in the training curriculum of the different program
components to ensure continuity and consistency in the implementation of
the program components.
The CHED and TESDA, for non-ROTC NSTP program components, and
the DND, for the ROTC program component, shall ensure that the
common modules are properly incorporated in the program components
they are mandated to supervise.
The CHED and TESDA shall issue guidelines for additional subjects to be
covered for the enhancement of the non-ROTC NSTP curriculum.
The TVIs programs are encouraged to incorporate the 25-hour common
module in their short duration courses to provide period allocation for
citizenship training.
d. All PHEIs, LUCs, and TVIs offering the ROTC program component
with at least 350 ROTC cadets, must establish or maintain a Department of
Military Science and Tactics (DMST), subject to existing rules and
regulations. The DMSTs that have been approved and activated prior to the
approval of this IRR shall retain its status regardless of the number of
cadets. However for DMSTs that will be created after the approval of this
IRR, a minimum requirement of 350 cadets shall be satisfied. In cases
where the number of cadets will be lesser than 350, the provisions of
clustering in Section 7 hereof shall be followed.
e. The Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine Merchant Marine
Academy (PMMA), Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and
Maritime Academy for Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) are exempted from
the NSTP, in view of the special character of these institutions. Other
HEIs of similar nature will be exempted but will be subject to approval of
the CHED, TESDA and DND and subject to the guidelines which may
hereinafter be issued.
Section 5. Program Components
a. The NSTP shall have the following components from which the students
can choose from, as defined in Rule II, Section 3 hereof: ROTC, LTS, and
CWTS
b. All program components shall give emphasis on citizenship training and
shall instill patriotism, moral virtues, respect for the rights of civilians,
and adherence to the Constitution.
c. The CHED and TESDA, in consultation with the DND, Philippine
Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), Coordinating
Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), and other
concerned government agencies may design and implement other non-
military training components as deemed necessary, in consonance with the
provisions of RA 9163.
d. A one (1)-day orientation regarding the three (3) NSTP components
shall be offered to incoming first year college students prior to their
enrollment for them to effectively comprehend each component. The
orientation shall form part of the advocacy campaign to be led by CHED,
TESDA, and DND in collaboration with the Department of Education
(DepEd).
e. Appropriate strategies and materials for the one (1)-day orientation such
as informational videos highlighting the three (3) NSTP components shall
be developed by the CHED, TESDA and DND, in consultation with the
DepEd.

Section 6. Duration and Equivalent Course Unit

a. Students for each of the NSTP components shall undergo the NSTP
Program for an academic period of two (2) semesters and credited for
three (3) units per semester. CHED and TESDA shall determine the
equivalent course unit and training hours for HEIs and TVIs, respectively.
b. A One (1) Summer Program (OSP) in lieu of the two (2) semester
program of ROTC, CWTS, and LTS shall be designed, formulated, and
adopted by the DND, CHED, and TESDA, subject to the capabilities of the
school and the AFP.
c. CHED and TESDA shall issue guidelines stating that the earned NSTP
units shall not be included in the computation of the Grade Point Average
(GPA) of graduating students.

Section 7. Clustering and Cross-Enrollment

a. Clustering of students from different education institutions during
semestral or summer periods may be done for the ROTC component,
taking into account the logistics, Branch of Service, and geographic
locations. The host school shall be responsible in managing the Program.
b. NSTP students shall be allowed by the concerned HEI/TVI to cross-
enroll in any CHED or TESDA recognized institution. For schools that do
not meet the required number of students to maintain the optional ROTC or
any of the NSTP components, students shall be allowed to cross-enroll to
other schools, regardless of whether the NSTP components in the said
schools are being administered by the same or another Branch Service of the
AFP, CHED, and TESDA.
c. Cross-enrolling students shall be subject to the existing rules and
regulations of the school of origin and the accepting school.

Section 8. Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation

a. Management
a.1. 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, subject to the
provisions hereof.
a.2. There shall be an NSTP Office in each SUC, LUC, TVI, and PHEI
headed by an NSTP Director or its equivalent position responsible for the
implementation of the Program. Each of the NSTP components is
considered a distinct and/or separate unit under the NSTP Office, and the
head of the unit shall report directly to the NSTP Director or its equivalent
position.
a.3. A functional chart of the NSTP Office shall be structured based on the
capability of the institution to sustain the program component being
offered based on the number of enrollees.
a.4. The DND-AFP, through the Major Service Reserve Commands
(MSRC), shall formulate and administer the training modules for the
ROTC Program.
a.5. In the case of ROTC, the school authorities and the DND, through the
AFP, subject to the policies, regulations, and programs of the DND on the
military component of the training, shall exercise joint supervision over its
implementation.
a.6. The CHED, TESDA and DND shall establish NSTP Joint Committees
at the national, regional, provincial and city levels. A Tripartite
Agreement shall be executed by the CHED, TESDA and DND within sixty
(60) days from the effectivity of this IRR to create and provide the general
operational guidelines of the NSTP Joint Committees. The NSTP Joint
Committees shall coordinate and establish linkages and substantive
engagements with DRRM Councils at the provincial, regional, and
national levels on matters of training and mobilization.
a.7. Non-government organizations (NGOs) contracted by the school must
secure a joint accreditation from CHED and DND or TESDA and DND to
formulate and administer training modules for CWTS and LTS
components.
a.8. The CHED, DND, and TESDA shall jointly exercise academic and
administrative supervision over such accredited NGOs. Within forty-five
(45) days from approval and issuance of this IRR, CHED, TESDA and
DND shall issue the necessary guidelines for the accreditation of NGOs, as
well as the training modules to be utilized by these NGOs. The training
modules to be utilized by these NGOs shall be in consonance to the
approved and prescribed Program of Instruction. Further, the NGOs must
be accredited by the Provincial NSTP Joint Committee and the Provincial
DRRMO.
b. Monitoring and Evaluation
b.1. The created NSTP Joint Committee at the provincial, regional, and
national levels shall be responsible for monitoring all the program
components in all HEIs and TVIs.
b.2. The CHED Regional Offices, TESDA Regional Offices and the DND-
AFP through the MSRC, shall oversee and monitor the implementation of
the NSTP under their respective jurisdictions, to determine if the trainings
conducted are in consonance with the NSTP Act. These offices shall submit
periodic reports to the NSTP Regional Joint Committee to be furnished to
the NSTP National Joint Committee for consolidation.
b.3. The Regional NSTP Joint Committee, along with other concerned
government agencies, shall conduct meetings at least thrice a year
scheduled every end of the first semester, end of the second semester, and
before the enrollment for the next Academic Year.
b.4. An Annual NSTP Performance Evaluation (ANPE) shall be conducted
towards the end of the school year to evaluate and determine the
achievement of the training objectives of the three (3) NSTP program
components. CHED, TESDA, and DND (through the MSRC) shall
formulate the respective evaluation parameters on program
administration and implementation which shall jointly form part of the
minimum standards.
b.5. The Regional Annual Administrative and Tactical Inspection (AATI)
shall be conducted by the Major Services of the AFP as the evaluation of
performance parameters for the ROTC program.
b.6. The CHED Regional Offices and TESDA Regional Offices shall
conduct an annual evaluation of the implementation of NSRC at HEIs and
TVIs, respectively. Further, the guidelines for the NSRC annual evaluation
shall be formulated by CHED and TESDA.
b.7. A joint evaluation assessing the implementation of the three (3) NSTP
components at HEIs and TVIs shall be conducted by the CHED, TESDA,
and DND. Guidelines and procedures on the conduct of the joint
evaluation shall be formulated by CHED, TESDA, and DND.
b.8. At the end of every academic year, the HEIs and TVIs shall submit an
Annual Report to the CHED and TESDA Regional Offices, respectively,
copy furnished the CHED Office of Student Development and Services
(CHED-OSDS) and the TESDA Planning Office-Labor Market
Information Division in electronic template, indicating the following:
b.8.1. Names and Serial Numbers of those who finished under each NSTP
component.
b.8.2. For the students who have undertaken Advance ROTC, the reserve
unit and mobilization center assigned to them.
b.8.3. The programs, projects, and activities with photographs and other
documentation as far as practicable.
b.8.4. Financial statements on the funds collected and utilized. The annual
report on NSTP by the SUC/TVI shall be made available to faculty,
students, and the general public through the NSTP Office.
In regions with universities and colleges having two or more campuses, the
university concerned shall consolidate all the reports before submitting to
CHED Regional Offices.
b.9. The CHED, TESDA and DND shall exercise their inherent powers and
issue additional guidelines, if needed, to discipline HEIs, enterprises,
accredited NGOs and other persons found to be in violation or non-
compliant with the provisions of RA 9163 and this IRR
RULE IV – FEES AND INCENTIVES
Section 9. Fees
a. No fees shall be collected for any of the NSTP components except basic
tuition, which should not be more than fifty percent (50%) of the charges of
the school per academic unit.
The NSTP fees of students of SUCs, qualified LUCs, and TVIs shall be
covered by RA 10931, otherwise known as the Universal Access to Free
Quality Tertiary Education Act.
b. The collected NSTP fees shall constitute a Trust Fund, which shall be
exclusively used for the implementation of the NSTP Law and operation of
the Program, including allocation for a reasonable contingency fund,
particularly in support to activities not originally included in the Program of
Expenditures (POE) prepared by the ROTC Commandant, the
CWTS/LTS Coordinator, and the NSTP Director and approved by the
school head.
The funds derived from NSTP-related operations shall serve as
augmentation to sustain unprogrammed activities of the NSTP.
d. The unspent fund balance shall be carried over to the next semester,
provided that the NSTP funds shall not be converted into savings at the
expense of the proper implementation of the program.
e. Subsidies from the government and/or from any legal agency or
institution appropriated for NSTP shall be included in the preparation of the
POE and report on the utilization of funds by the schools.
f. Expenditures/disbursement shall be subjected to periodic audits by the
proper school authorities for private entities and in accordance with
government accounting and auditing rules for public entities and
concerned NSTP Offices.
g. The NSTP Component (ROTC/CWTS/LTS) Coordinators shall submit
a comprehensive report on the utilization of the NSTP Funds to their
respective NSTP Directors two (2) weeks after the end of every semester.
The ROTC Commandants shall submit the same report to their respective
MSRCs.
h. The NSTP Director or its equivalent shall submit a consolidated
comprehensive report on the utilization of the NSTP Funds by program
component to the school head, within 30 calendar days after the end of
every semester.
i. Rental space of school and other similar expenses shall be shouldered by
the SUCs/TVIs.

Section 10. Incentive, Insurance, and Protection

a. Incentives
a.1. A program of assistance/incentives for ROTC students shall be
provided and administered by the DND in accordance with existing laws and
regulations and with the funds for the said purpose to be included in its
annual regular appropriations, subject to the availability of funds.
a.2. A Special Scholarship Program and incentives for qualified NSTP
students shall be administered by the CHED and TESDA, with the funds
for the said purpose to be included in the annual regular appropriations of
the two agencies, subject to the availability of funds. A scholarship
program specifically for the ROTC cadets shall be provided by the CHED
and AFP.
a.3. The SUCs may provide scholarship and other forms of assistance and
incentives to qualified and deserving NSTP students, the funding of which
shall come from available NSTP funds of the school.
a.4. Personnel involved in the NSTP shall be provided an honorarium and
other incentives based on the standard policy set forth by the HEIs and TVIs
implementers.
b. Insurance and Protection
b.1. School authorities concerned, CHED, and TESDA shall ensure that
health and accident group insurances are provided to the students enrolled
in any of the NSTP components.
b.2. Schools that already provide health and accident group insurances and
collect the necessary fees from their students for the purpose, as per the
effectivity of these rules, are deemed to have complied with this requirement.

RULE V – ORGANIZATION OF NSTP GRADUATES

Section 11. Organization of NSTP Graduates
a. Graduates of the non-ROTC components of the NSTP shall belong to the
National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) and may be mobilized by the
State for literacy and civic welfare activities, especially in DRRM, through
the joint efforts of DND, CHED, and TESDA, in coordination with the
network and members of or through the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Councils at the National, Regional and Local Levels, as well
as other concerned agencies, organizations, and NGOs.
b. Within 30 days from the approval of this IRR, the CHED, TESDA, and
DND, in consultation with other concerned government and non-
government agencies, shall issue the necessary guidelines for the
establishment, organization, maintenance, and utilization of the NSRC.
c. Graduates of the ROTC program shall form part of the Citizen Armed
Force pursuant to RA 7077, subject to the requirements and policies of the
DND.
d. ROTC graduates shall be organized into School-Based Ready Reserve
Units (SRRU) to sustain training and respond to contingencies with their
campuses as their mobilization centers with the proper and necessary
coordination with HEIs or TVIs, in accordance with the rules, regulations
or appropriate orders from the DND and AFP.

RULE VI – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 12. Certificate of Completion
Certificates of Completion with corresponding Serial Numbers issued by
CHED, TESDA or DND, shall be awarded by the SUCs, TVIs, LUCs, and
PHEIs to students who have successfully complied with the program
requirements. Such Serial Numbers shall be indicated in the official
Transcript of Records of each NSTP graduate.
Section 13. Information Dissemination
The CHED, TESDA, and DND, with the assistance of the DILG, NYC,
PIA, OCD and ULAP, PASUC, COCOPEA, PSNEI, DepEd and other
NGOs, shall provide information on the NSTP Act of 2001 and its Revised
IRR to all concerned publics through different modes of information
dissemination.
Section 14. Amendatory Clause
a. Section 35 of Commonwealth Act No. 1, s-1953, Executive Order No.
207, s-1939; Sections 2 and 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1706, s-1980; and
Sections 38 and 39 of RA 7077, s-1991; as well as all laws, decrees, orders,
rules and regulations, and other issuances by CHED, TESDA, and/or the
DND which are inconsistent with the provisions of RA 9163 and this IRR
shall be deemed amended or repealed and modified accordingly.
b. These Rules may be amended, modified, or replaced jointly by CHED,
TESDA, and DND, in consultation with PASUC, COCOPEA, NGOs, and
recognized student organizations.
Section 15. Separability Clause
If any provisions hereof shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the
other sections or provisions not affected, thereby shall remain in full force
and effect.
Section 16. Effectivity
These Rules shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a
newspaper of general circulation or publication in the online official
gazette and shall remain in force and effect until revoked or amended.
Adopted and Issued: In witness whereof, the Parties herein hereby affix
their signatures this 23rd day of November 2011.