wet “SED
"Re CEIVED “

Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A fs
Quezon City i > ote: HAR 15
1
\\ +, at:
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

House Bill No. 530 5

Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT INSTITUTING THE CITIZEN TRAINING COURSE, ESTABLISHING THE
CITIZEN SERVICE CORPS, CREATING THE CITIZEN SERVICE MOBILIZATION
COMMISSION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Today, with the growing number of emergencies and contingencies in the form of
natural and man-made calamities and national and internal security threats which have
confronted our people in recent years, it has become indispensable for the State to
unsheathe its vital resource — the youth — and mobilize them in service to the nation,

Indeed, no less than the 1987 Constitution, through Article II, Section 13, expresses the
State's recognition of the vital role of the youth in nation-building and encourages the
State to inculcate in them patriotism and nationalism and to encourage their
involvement in public and civic affairs.

This measure seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for the training and
mobilization of our youth and implements the constitutional vision of drawing them into
the mainstream of national life by providing avenues for their participation in public and
civic affairs, primarily through the establishment of the Citizen Service Training Course
(CSTC).

Under the CSTC, a Basic Citizen Service Training Course shall be mandatory for all
tertiary-level students enrolled in baccalaureate degree courses or technical vocational
courses in all public and private colleges, universities, and similar learning institutions.
The CSTC retains external and territorial defense training as a foundational component,
akin to envisioned goal of the creation of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
under Republic Act No. 7077, as amended. In addition, the course expands its scope by
also providing trainings in internal security and peace and order as well as disaster risk
reduction and management, which assimilate the flexibility provided by the National
Service Training Program (NSTP), created through Republic Act No. 9163.

The controversies involving abuse and corrupt practices that have marred the ROTC
and NSTP programs in the past are also addressed in this bill through the institution of
safeguards, which include the creation of the Citizen Service Mobilization Commission
that is empowered to conduct an audit of the utilization of the fees collected for the


CSTC, and to investigate reported incidents of corruption, graft, hazing,
harassment, and other abuses in the program

In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

2"™District, Pampanga

sexual


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5305

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT INSTITUTING THE CITIZEN TRAINING COURSE, ESTABLISHING THE
CITIZEN SERVICE CORPS, CREATING THE CITIZEN SERVICE MOBILIZATION
COMMISSION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

ARTICLE |
TITLE
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Citizen Service
Act”
ARTICLE II
DECLARATION OF POLICY
SECTION 2. Statement of Policy.— |t shall be the policy of the State:

a) To institutionalize the vital role of the youth in nation-building, promote and
protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being; to
inculcate in them patriotism and nationalism; and to encourage their involvement
in public and civic affairs;

b) To constitute the youth in to a major component of the citizen reserve envisioned

in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, which shall undergo
training and may be called upon to defend the State and to render personal

military or civil service under conditions provided by law; and

°)

To train, equip and organize the youth, within the current frameworks of national

and territorial defense, law enforcement and peace and order and national
disaster risk reduction and management, to prepare them for rapid mobilization
at the soonest possible time in order to address national and/or local
contingencies which may require manpower beyond the capabilities of existing

national government agencies or local government units.


ARTICLE I
INSTITUTION OF CITIZEN SERVICE TRAINING COURSE

SECTION 3. Basic Citizen Service Training Course. — There is hereby
instituted a Basic Citizen Service Training Course (Basic CSTC) which shalll form part of
the curricula of all baccalaureate degree courses and all technical vocational courses
(which may be completed in at least two (2) years).

The Basic CSTC shall have a duration of at least four (4) semesters over two (2)
school years, unless otherwise allowed by the Citizen Service Training Board. Except
for justifiable causes, the Basic CSTC must be completed, as far as practicable, within
the first two (2) years of all baccalaureate degree courses and technical vocational
courses.

The Basic CSTC is hereby declared as a requisite for graduation in the said
courses.

SECTION 4. Coverage. - All tertiary-level students, male and female, enrolled in
baccalaureate degree courses or technical vocational courses (which may be
completed in at least two (2) years in all public and private colleges, universities, or
similar learning institutions shall be required to undergo the Basic CSTC

SECTION 5. Special CSTC for Students under Specific Circumstances. —
There shall be no exemptions from the Basic CSTC. However, the Citizen Service
Mobilization Commission shall prescribe Special CSTC to address the peculiar needs
and circumstances of students under the following circumstances:

a) Those who are classified and officially registered as persons with disabilities;

b) Those whose religious beliefs prohibit the use of firearms in rendering service
to the country; and

c) Those who have been convicted by final judgment of crimes involving moral
turpitude;

Provided, that foreign citizens enrolled in baccalaureate degree courses or
technical vocational courses where CSTC is required shall also undergo a Special
CSTC prescribed by the Citizen Service Mobilization Commission that would deepen
their understanding and appreciation of the Philippines, its people, society, culture and
government, and harness their potential as bridges to improve their respective
countries’ ties with the Philippines.

SECTION 6. Advance CSTC. - There is also hereby instituted an Advance
CSTC which may be pursued by all graduated of the Basic CSTC, except those who
have been convicted by final judgment of crimes involving moral turpitude; and who
have successfully finished a one-semester officer qualifying course within the first two
(2) years of their baccalaureate degree courses or technical vocational courses. The
officer qualifying course shall include leadership and management training, which will
equip the graduates thereof to themselves administer the Basic CSTC; shall be
completed in one (1) semester, and shall consist of at least one hundred and twenty-
eight (128) hours of lecture, practical training and field exercises in extemal and
territorial defense, internal security and peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and
management.

It shall be mandatory for all public and private colleges, universities and similar
learning institutions offering baccalaureate degree courses to offer the Advance CSTC
in all their campuses, which shall have a duration of at least eight (8) semesters over
four (4) school years, unless otherwise allowed by the Citizen Service Training Board


However, enrolment thereunder shall be voluntary. Graduates of the Advance CSTC
shall be posted to leadership roles in the Citizen Service Corps established herein.

SECTION 7. Preparatory CSTC.— There is hereby further instituted a
Preparatory CSTC which shall be administered and implemented by the Department of
Education (DepEd) to all students, male and female, enrolled in Grades 11 and 12 in all
public and private learning institutions. The Preparatory CSTC shall be an
introductory/orientation course to the Basic CSTC and is hereby declared a requirement
for enrolment in all baccalaureate degree courses or technical vocational courses
(which may be completed in at least two (2) years in all public and private colleges,
universities, and similar learning institutions.

ARTICLE IV
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITIZEN SERVICE CORPS

SECTION 8. Citizen Service Corps. — There is hereby established a Citizen
Service Corps (Corps) which shall be composed of all the graduates of the CSTC and
may be called upon and mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and
instrumentalities, and the local government units in their functions related to external
and territorial defense, internal security and peace and order, and disaster risk reduction
and management.

ARTICLE V
CREATION OF THE CITIZEN SERVICE MOBILIZATION COMMISSION

SECTION 9. Citizen Service Mobilization Commission. — There is hereby
created a Citizen Service Mobilization Commission (Commission), which shall oversee
the CSTC and the Corps, and implement the objectives and purposes of this Act. The
President shall appoint the Chairperson and the four (4) Commissioners as provided
herein within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act. The Commission must
organize itself in accordance with the provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days from
the appointment of all its members. The Commission shall be an attached agency of the
Office of the President.

The Commission shall ensure the full implementation of this Act within one (1)
year from the effectivity of this Act.

SECTION 10. Composition of the Commission. — The Commission shall be
composed of a Chairperson and four (4) Commissioners, namely the Commissioner for
External and Territorial Defense, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Peace and
Order, the Commissioner for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, and the
Commissioner for Educational Institutions. The Secretary of the Department of National
Defense (DND), the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), the Chairperson of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED), and the
Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA),
or their duly-authorized representatives with a rank of at least Assistant Secretary for
the DND and DILG, Commissioner for CHED, or Board Member for TESDA, shall be ex-
officio members of the Commission.

The Chairperson and the Commissioners shall be citizens and residents of the
Philippines, at least thirty-five (35) years of age, of good moral character, of recognized
probity and independence, and, through their training, experience, and education, must
have distinguished themselves as best-suited to discharge the duties of their offices.
They must not have been candidate for any elective national or local office in the
immediately preceding elections, whether regular or special. The Chairperson and the
Commissioners, who shall have the rank equivalent of cabinet secretary and
undersecretary, respectively, shall be appointed by the President.


SECTION 11. Quorum. —Five (5) members of the Commission shall constitute
a quorum and the affirmative vote of at least a majority of those present, there being a
quorum, shall be necessary for the adoption of any rule, ruling, order, resolution,
decision, or other acts of the Commission; Provided, that the affirmative vote of at least
five (5) members of the Commission shall be necessary for the exercise of the powers
and functions of the Commission under Section 13(a), (d), (f), (j), and (k), as well as
those under Section 18, paragraph 4, Section 27, and Section 29.

SECTION 12. Term of Office. — The term of office of the Chairperson and the
Commissioners shall be four (4) years, subject to reappointment: Provided, that no
person shall serve as Chairperson or Commissioner for more than two (2) consecutive
terms.

Of those first appointed, the Chairperson and the two (2) Commissioners first to
be appointed shall hold office for four (4) years, while the two (2) Commissioners last to
be appointed shall hold office for two (2) years. Appointment to any vacancy shall only
be for the unexpired term of the predecessor.

SECTION 13. Powers of the Commission. — The Commission shall have the
following powers:

a) Design, prescribe and/or approve the programs of instruction for the CSTC,
including special courses for students under specific circumstances;

b)

Ensure the proper administration of the CSTC;

ic)

Exercise supervision and control over all agencies, offices and persons,
directly implementing the CSTC;

d) Recommend to the President of the Philippines the general, nationwide or
large-scale mobilization of the Corps;

e)

Approve, as required under this Act, the deployment of a limited number of
the Corps to national government agencies and local government units to
assist in regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay level disasters,
emergencies and other contingencies;

f) Approve the regular deployment of a limited number of the Corps to the
Atmed Forced of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP)
and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to serve as reservists and active duty
cadres to meet the peace time stand by reserve requirements of said
agencies. To complement the existing AFP Reserve Force, the Commission
is hereby authorized and mandated to organize the reserve components of
the PNP and the OCD within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act.
Thereafter, the administration, operational control and funding of the newly
organized reserve components shall be vested upon the PNP and the OCD,
respectively. However, the Commission retains the authority to determine the
allocation of the Corps to each of the reserve components;

Investigate or secure the services or assistance of the appropriate agencies
to investigate cases of corruption, graft, hazing, sexual harassment and other
abuse in the conduct of the CSTC, mobilization of the Corps and the
implementation of this Act;

g

h) Issue serial numbers to all graduates of the CSTC;

i) Maintain a registry of all trainees and graduates of the CSTC;


j) Promulgate the appropriate rules and regulations, in accordance with Section
36 hereof, to fully implement the provisions of this Act;

k)

Appoint, fix the compensation and determine the status, qualifications, and
duties of the staff of the Commission. The members of the technical staff,
except those performing purely clerical functions, shall posses at least a
baccalaureate degree;

1) Generate and utilize resources to fully implement the provisions of this Act;

m) Audit the utilization of the fees collected by public and private colleges,
universities and similar learning institutions under Section 32 of this Act; and

n) Exercise such other powers as necessary or essential to fully implement the
provisions of this Act.

SECTION 14. Organization of the Commission. — The Commission shall have
a Citizen Service Training Board and a Citizen Service Mobilization Board.

SECTION 15. Citizen Service Training Board — The Citizen Service Training
Board (Training Board) shall be composed of the Chairperson as head, the four (4)
Commissioners, the Chairperson of the CHED and the Director General of the TESDA,
or their duly authorized representatives, which shall be a Commissioner for the CHED
and a Board Member for the TESDA.

The Training Board shall come up with the initial CSTC Programs for Instruction
(CSTC POI), including the officer qualifying course, within sixty (60) days from the
organization of the Commission. For this purpose, the Training Board is hereby directed
to tap the technical expertise of the AFP, the PNP and the OCD, the expertise and
experience of stakeholders in both public and private sector, and the curriculum
development expertise of the CHED, the TESDA and the DepEd, as well as public and
private colleges, universities and similar learning institutions. The CSTC POI shall be
Subject to the approval of the Commission. The Training Board shall also supervise the
continuous development of the CSTC POI

Thereafter, the Commission, through the Training Board, shall ensure the
incorporation of the CSTC POI in the curricula of all baccalaureate degree courses and
all technical vocational course (which may be completed in at least two (2) years)
offered by public and private colleges, universities and similar learning institutions, and
in the curricula of Grade 11 and Grade 12 in all public and private learning institutions.

The Training Board shall adopt guidelines, which shall be incorporated in the
rules and regulations of the Commission, for the organization of a Department of Citizen
Service Training in every public and private colleges, universities and similar learning
institutions. For colleges and universities with multiple campuses, there shall be a
Department of Citizen Service Training for each campus.

SECTION 16. Citizen Service Mobilization Board. —The Citizen Service
Mobilization Board (Mobilization Board) shall be composed of the Chairperson as head,
the four (4) Commissioners, the Secretary of the DND, the Secretary of the DILG, and
the Secretary of the Social Welfare and Development, or their duly authorized
representatives, with a rank of at least Assistant Secretary, and the Chie of Staff of the
AFP and the Director General of the PNP or their duly authorized representatives with a
rank of at least Brigadier General, Commodore or Chief Superintendent, as the case
may be.

The Mobilization Board shall administer the process of deployment of the Corps
in accordance with the provisions of this Act.


ARTICLE VI
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITIZEN SERVICE TRAINING COURSE

SECTION 17. Components of the CSTC. — The CSTC shall have the following
basic components:

a) External and Territorial Defense Training;
b) Internal Security and Peace and Order Training; and

c) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Training,

In addition to the foregoing basic components, the CSTC shall instill upon the
youth the ideals of patriotism, nationalism and respect for human rights. These
‘components shall be incorporated into four (4) modules which shall be administered in a
span of at least four (4) semesters over at least tow (2) years, unless otherwise allowed
by the Training Board, and for at least sixty-four (64) hours every semester and sixteen
(16) hours of field training exercises every year.

The trainees shall be organized by squads, platoons, companies, battalions,
brigades and divisions similar to military units. Military-type of discipline, organization
and trainee movement shall be observed in the conduct of the CSTC.

SECTION 18. Department of Citizen Service Training. - Tasked with the
primary duty and responsibility of fully implementing the CSTC in their respective
campuses, an autonomous department within each campus of their respective
institutions shall be established in all public and private colleges, universities and similar
learning institutions in accordance with the structure and organization provided in the
ules and regulations of the Commission. The head of each campus and/or learning
institution shall appoint a department head within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of
the rules and regulations implementing this Act. This department shall be known as the
Department of Citizen Service Training (DCST), which shall be directly under the office
of the head of each campus and/or learning institution.

The DCST shall be civilian in character and shall administer the CSTC. However,
it is understood that personnel of the AFP, PNP and the Bureau of Fire Protection shall
not be disqualified from being appointed as heads of the DCST.

The head of the DCST shall be chosen by the head of the learning institution fro
among candidates who by reason of their training, experience and/or education in the
fields of external and territorial defense, internal security and peace and order and/or
disaster risk reduction management is best qualified to be the head of the DCST. The
Commission shall have the authority to prescribe the qualifications for the head of the
DCST.

Should a learning institution fail to organize a DCST and/or appoint a DCST head
within the period stated above, the Commission shall cause the establishment of a
DCST and/or appoint the head thereof.

SECTION 19. The University of the Philippines as Curriculum and
Development Center-The University of the Philippines (U.P.), as the National
University, through its various DCSTs in each of its campuses, shall serve as the CSTC
POI research and development center for the Commission. For this purpose, there shall
be created a U.P. Center for Citizens Service Training (CCST) which shall be an
autonomous unit under the Office of the U.P. President and shall have the following
powers:

a) Undertake studies, surveys, and research to assess and/or enhance the
implementation of the CSTC;

b) Design and develop CSTC subjects and modules for the review and
approval of the Commission;


c) Pilot test CSTC subjects, modules and programs if designed and
developed within the U.P. system for purposes of assessment; and

The U.P. CCST shall be located at the U.P. Diliman DCST.

SECTION 20. Development of the CSTC POI. - The U.P. CCST shall propose
improvements to the CSTC POI, which shall undergo pilot-testing in each of the U.P.
campuses. The pilot-tested CSTC POI shall be submitted for the assessment,
consideration and approval of the Commission within thirty (30) days from the last day
of the pilot-testing semester.

The Commission and the U.P. CCST shall ensure the participation of third-party
stakeholders and experts in the fields of external and territorial defense, internal security
and peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and management in the continued
development and improvement of the CSTC POI

ARTICLE VII
DEPLOYMENT OF THE CITIZEN SERVICE CORPS

SECTION 21. Requests for Deployment.—-The Corps may be called upon and
mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and instrumentalities and the
local government units in their functions related to external and territorial defense,
internal security and peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and security and
peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and management, through requests for
deployment by the heads of such national government agencies or local government
units submitted to the Mobilization Board. The requests shall contain a justification for
the deployment of the Corps and shall contain information as may be required by the
Commission, including the nature of the national or local contingencies to be addressed,
the purpose of the requested deployment, the number of personnel requested to be
deployed and the period of deployment

SECTION 22. Evaluation of the Requests for Deployment. -The Mobilization
Board shall evaluate the requests for deployment. When the number of personnel
requested does not exceed one hundred and fifty (150) and the period of deployment
does not exceed sixty (60) days, the Mobilization Board shall decide whether to approve
or disapprove the request within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt thereof. When the
number of personnel requested exceeds one hundred and fifty (150) or the period of
deployment exceeds sixty (60) days, the Mobilization Board shall make a
recommendation to the Commission within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the
request. The Commission shall decide whether to approve or disapprove the request
within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the recommendation of the Mobilization
Board.

In case of the approval of the request for deployment, the Mobilization Board
shall issue an Order of Deployment requiring the Corps, or a number thereof, to assist
the national government, its agencies and instrumentalities and the local government
units in their functions related to external and territorial defense, internal security and
peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and management.

SECTION 23. Deployment in Case of a Declaration of a Sate of War, State of
Lawless Violence or State of Calamity; Nationwide Mobilization. — in case of a
declaration of a state of war, state of lawless violence or state of calamity, the
Commission may motupropio recommend the mobilization of the Corps to the President
of the Philippines. The President of the Philippines, by himself, shall also have the
power to order the mobilization of the Corps to territorial defense, internal security and
peace and order and/or disaster risk reduction management.

SECTION 24. Mobilization Centers.—There shall be established in each
province and city as many mobilization centers as needed according to the number and


geographical distribution of the Corps, where they will report in case of deployment. The
local government units shall provide an office, which shall be known as the Citizen
Service Office, which shall handle the administrative aspects of mobilization

In case of mobilization, the equipment of the Corps shall be supplied in close
coordination with the AFP, the PNP and the OCD, with the end view of achieving rapid
mobilization.

SECTION 25. Lines of Command.-Upon deployment, operational control over
the Corps shall be vested upon the head of the requesting national government agency
or local government unit: Provided, that, in case of deployment for purposes of external
and territorial defense, when the Corps is mobilized to expand the AFP in the event of
war, invasion, rebellion or similar circumstances, operational control shall be vested
upon the AFP.

SECTION 26. Expenses of Deployment. -The role of the Commission shall be
to provide and marshal the required personnel to address national or local
contingencies involving external and territorial defense, internal security and peace and
order, and national disaster risk reduction and management. Upon deployment, the
national government agency or the local government unit to which the Corps is
deployed shall shoulder the operational expenses of deployment.

SECTION 27. Operationalization of Deployment. —The Mobilization Board,
subject to the approval of the Commission, shall promulgate the specific mechanisms
by which deployment is efficiently implemented, including the organization of the Corps
to be deployed, their territorial assignments, how deployment orders are communicated
to each member of the Corps and to which mobilization center they will report.

SECTION 28. Serial Numbers and Registry-Upon completion of the Basic
CSTC, the graduates shall be issued individual serial numbers, which shall serve as
their identification in case of deployment.

The Commission shall maintain and update a registry containing information on
the members of the Corps, assigning to them identification numbers and categorizing
them according to their competencies and capabilities. For this purpose, all public and
private colleges, universities and learning institutions shall annually transmit their
records of the graduates of the CSTC to the Commission, in the form as may be
determined by the Commission.

SECTION 29. Termination of Deployment. — Upon the expiration of the
requested period of deployment, without an extension having been requested and
approved by the Commission, the Corps shall be discharged of its duties. The
deployment may also be terminated earlier upon a determination by the Commission, in
consultation with the requesting national government agency or local government unit,
that such deployment is no longer in accordance with the objectives and purposes of
this Act.

ARTICLE Vill
FUNDING OF THE CITIZEN SERVICE CORPS

SECTION 30. Citizen Service Fund.-A Citizen Service Fund is hereby
established exclusively for the implementation of the objectives and purposes of this
‘Act. The Office of the President shall monitor and evaluate the activities and the
balances of the Fund.

SECTION 31. Appropriations.-All funds previously appropriated for the
establishment, maintenance, and operation of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
Program of the AFP, established under Republic Act No. 7077, as amended, and which
will subsequently and hereafter be appropriated for such purpose shall be used


exclusively for the implementation of the objectives and purposes of this Act. All funds
appropriated for the implementation of the National Service Training Program under
Republic Act No. 9163 shall also be used exclusively for the implementation of the
objectives and purposes of this Act.

An initial funding of Fifty million pesos (P50,000,000,00) shall be allocated from
the President Social Fund to sustain the operation of the Commission and the
implementation of this Act for the first year of its effectivity. Thereafter, the Citizen
Service Fund shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).

SECTION 32. School Fees. -Public and private colleges, universities and similar
learning institutions shall not collect any fee for the CSTC, except basic tuition fees,
Which shall not be more than fifty percent (50%) of what is charged per academic unit.
All such fees collected by the learning institution shall be used exclusively for the direct
training costs of those undergoing the CSTC in the said learning institution.

SECTION 33. Incentives for Students Pursuing Advance CSTC. -Students
pursuing the Advance CSTC shall be entitled to tuition fee discounts according to the
following schedule:

a) Successful graduates of the officer qualifying course shall be entitled to
fifty percent (50%) discount on their tuition fees effective the semester after their
completion of the officer qualifying course until their completion of the Basic CSTC
provided they serve as officers of the CSTC; and

b) During the training under the Advance CSTC, they shall be entitled to one
hundred percent (100%) discount on their tuition fees.

For this purpose, public colleges, universities and similar learning institutions
shall issue tuition waivers in favor of the said students serving as officers of the CSTC.
For private colleges, universities and similar learning institutions, the tuition fees
discounts shall be subsidized from the Fund

Officers of the CSTC shall likewise be entitled to a uniform allowance, which shall
be provided and given in kind by the Commission

Furthermore, upon completion of the Advance CSTC, the graduates shall be
entitled to a reserve commission as second lieutenant or its equivalent in the AFP, PNP,
or OCD; Provided, that they shall have obtained their baccalaureate degree courses
within four (4) years from such completion, failing which their reserve commission shall
be deemed revoked by operation of law.

The Commission shall ensure that an adequate portion of the Funs is allocated
for the above incentives. The budget of the Commission to be submitted to the
President shall likewise incorporate such allocation.

ARTICLE IX
PENAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 34. Failure to Respond. — a) Failure to respond to the order of
deployment for external and territorial defense shall be punishable in accordance with
the Articles of War, and shall, upon conviction by a court-martial, be punishable by
imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than two (2) years.

b) Failure to respond to the order of deployment for internal security and peace
and order or disaster risk reduction and management shall, upon conviction
by a civil court, be punishable as follows:


First Offense: One hundred and twenty (120) hours of community
service

Second Offense: Two hundred and forty (240) hours of community
service; and

Third and Subsequent Offenses: Six (6) months imprisonment and four hundred
and eighty (480) hours of community service.

SECTION 35. Corruption, graft, hazing and other abuses. ~ For acts already
penalized under existing laws such as corruption, graft, hazing, sexual harassment, and
other abuses committed by persons authorized to administer the CSTC and deployment
of the Corps, the maximum penalty imposable under existing laws shall be imposed

ARTICLE X
IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

SECTION 36. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The Commission
shall be tasked to formulate and approve the necessary rules and regulations to
implement the objectives and purposes of this Act within sixty (60) days from its
organization. The rules and regulations shall include provisions on the structure and
organization of the Corps under Section 8, the structure and organization of the
Department of Citizen Service Training under Section 18, the specific mechanisms for
the efficient mobilization and deployment of the Corps under Section 27, the incentives
for students pursuing Advance CSTC under Section 33, and such other matters as the
Commission may deem necessary or essential to fully implement the objectives and
purposes of this Act.

ARTICLE XI
TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

SECTION 37. Transitory Provisions. — To ensure efficient transition and to
enable all public and private colleges, universities and similar learning institutions to
adopt the necessary structural changes within their units in accordance with the
provisions of this Act, the CSTC shall be administered in all public colleges, universities,
and similar learning institutions after the Commission has formulated the necessary
implementing rules and regulations described in Section 36.

The Training Board shall ensure that the initial set of program managers who
shall instruct and train the first sets of enrollees in the CSTC in all public and private
colleges, universities and similar learning institutions are properly trained and equipped
For this purpose, the Training Board shall develop a Program Managers Training
Course. All covered institutions are required to send program managers in a number
sufficient to implement the CSTC

In all cases, students who are currently enrolled under the curriculum
implemented by virtue of Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known as the National
Service Training Program Act of 2001, shall be allowed to finish the curriculum and be
deemed to have satisfied the requirement for graduation after completion thereof.

ARTICLE Xi
FINAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 38. Repealing Clause. — Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known

as the National Service Training Program Act of 2001, is hereby repealed. The relevant
provisions of Republic Act No. 7707, otherwise known as the Citizen Armed Forces of


the Philippines Reservist Act, are hereby amended as appropriate. All orders, rules,
regulations and other issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act,
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly

SECTION 39. Separability Clause.— Any provision of this Act declared
unconstitutional shall not affect the validity of the other provisions thereof.

SECTION 40. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in two (2) newspapers of national circulation.

Approved,