𝗒π—₯π—–π—”π—Ÿπ—˜π—¦ π—₯π—”π—œπ—¦π—˜π—¦ π—£π—Ÿπ—œπ—šπ—›π—§ 𝗒𝗙 β€œπ—’π—©π—˜π—₯𝗕𝗨π—₯π——π—˜π—‘π—˜π——β€ 𝗑𝗦𝗧𝗣 π—¦π—§π—¨π——π—˜π—‘π—§π—¦

BAGUIO CITY – (June 2, 2021) – Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, Sangguniang Kabataan President, has raised to the city council the plight of university students who claim they are β€œoverburdened” due to their school requirements under the National Service Training Program (NSTP).

Receiving numerous complaints from fatigued students, Orcales invited the NSTP coordinators to attend a forum with the city council to clear things up.

β€œStudents complain that their NSTP subjects are even more demanding than their major subjects,” Orcales relayed.

Grace L. Duenas, Director of Extension and Community Outreach Services of the University Baguio, said that while the NSTP is affective/reflective in nature rather than academic/scholarly, students are still obliged to pass school requirements as the program is an integral part of the curriculum.

Mariano Bagasol, NSTP Coordinator of the University of Cordilleras, said that most activities under the program require collaboration.

He speculated that some students might have failed to establish β€œgood rapport” with their group which could have led to inefficiency in accomplishing the school requirements.

Shine Queri, NSTP Coordinator of the University of the Philippines-Baguio, attributed the plight of students to the revised minimum standards for the NSTP modules issued by the Commission on Higher Education.

She claimed that the components of the NSTP module are β€œcrammed” with prescribed topics that need to be covered for 54 hours in one semester.

Under the revised minimum standards for the NSTP modules, students of NSTP 1 are required to complete 24 hours for the β€œCommon Module” with five topics (Citizenship Training, Drug Education, Disaster Awareness Preparedness and Management, Environmental Protection, and Other national Security Concerns); and 29 hours for the β€œSpecific Modules” with another set of topics (Self and Filipino Society, Volunteerism, Peace Education, Dimensions of Development for Civic Welfare Training Service or Literacy and Numeracy Skills for Literacy Training Service, and Introduction to Community-Based Management).

Queri further argued that students are hard-pressed to finish their multiple requirements under these topics considering the constraints they experience due to the ongoing pandemic.

Meanwhile, Cristopher Depnag, NSP Focal Person of Commission on Higher Education-CAR, disclosed that the topics and activities designed for face-to-face learning are the ones being applied under the current flexible learning since the guidelines for the conduct of NSTP classes under the new normal are still being finalized.

Depnag said higher education institutions will be invited to attend the orientation on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the said guidelines where they can raise their concerns such as the overload of topics and requirements that causes excessive stress to students.

Orcales also urged the NSTP coordinators to adhere to the policy that SK officials shall be exempted from attending their NSTP-CWTS subject.

The SK President said he likewise received complaints from SK officials who were allegedly not granted the said privilege.

Under the Joint Memorandum Circular of the CHED and the National Youth Council, β€œall SK Officials who opted to take the NSTP-CWTS are required to enroll. However, they may be exempted from attending classes and joining activities.”

The NSTP coordinators disputed the allegation, claiming their schools have always been compliant with the said policy. –Jordan G. Habbiling

PRESS RELEASE