This Act affirms that the prime duty of the government shall be to serve and protect its citizens. In turn, it shall be the responsibility of all citizens to defend the security of the State; thus the government may require each citizen to render personal, military or civil service.

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.

In the pursuit of these goals, the youth shall be motivated, trained, organized and mobilized in military training, literacy, civic welfare and other similar endeavors in service to the nation.

National Service Training Program (NSTP)

This program is 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 its three (3) program components, namely

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) - designed to provide military training to tertiary level students in order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize them for national defense preparedness.

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.

Literacy Training Service (LTS) – 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.

            Starting Academic Year 2002-2003, all male and female students enrolled in any baccalaureate or of at least two (2) year technical/vocational courses are required to complete the equivalent of two (2) semesters of any one of the NSTP components listed above as a requisite for graduation.

Each NSTP component shall be undertaken for a period of two (2) semesters, with fifty-four (54) training hours and student load credit of 3 units per semester.

Under the NSTP law, state universities are required to offer ROTC and at least one other NSTP component. Schools may collect not more than 50% of the current basic tuition for NSTP courses.

NSTP in NEUST

Program Concept

“Serving Our People, Building Our Nation” is the goal of the NSTP in NEUST Cabanatuan City.  The NEUST NSTP program assumes the students’ innate potential which the NEUST through its academic and student support programs, has the obligation to develop. The students go through the process of self-awareness  which enables them to take a realistic view of themselves in relation to others such as family, friends and their country.

Three dimensions have been identified which are deemed necessary in the goal of developing the self for the service of the nation.

Citizenship – this will tackle the meaning of citizenship and the essence of being a Filipino citizen

Volunteerism – this is an integral part of the service to the nation as exemplified in the “Iskolar ng Bayan” concept among NEUST students as they apply their NEUST education in the service of humankind and the nation.

Career exploration and development – linking career to service to the nation will make the Filipino citizen realize what he can do for his country, how he can actualize or go about expressing what he wants to do for his nation. The career exploration allows them the opportunity to take a second look at their reasons for opting for a career field and either reinforce their choice or cause a change in their career plans.