The Philippine Society of NSTP Educators and Implementers, Inc. (PSNED), the umbrella organization of all National Service Training Program (NSTP) implementing institutions in higher education, conducted the seminar/workshop entitled National Capacity Enhancement Training in the Successful Implementation of NSTP for HEIs held at the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) in Ermita, Manila, on 29th-30th July 2013.

The training/workshop was attended by NSTP directors, coordinators, trainors, faculty, and facilitators all over the Philippines. Ms. Agnes Sagaral, the Program Coordinator of the NSTP/CWTS, under the Arrupe Office of Social Formation, attended the training/workshop representing the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU).

The two-day activity was intended to update all NSTP implementing schools regarding the recent development of the NSTP Core Module and the organization of the school-based National Service Reserved Corp (NSRC).  This new development, especially regarding the NSRC, draws attention to the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act (RA) 9163 (otherwise known as the NSTP Law) which included the provision for the implementation of NSRC.

The training also included the need to enrich knowledge, capability and skills training for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), especially in view of the much needed but appropriate responses to disaster and risk incidents in the community. Corollary to this, the training also tackled laying down the foundation in the preparation of the institutional Manual of Operation (MOP) of DRRM to be used by all NSTP implementing schools.  Moreover, the training also saw the need to strengthen the existing networking among NSTP advocates to make NSTP more responsive, especially in the delivery instructional modules covering common and other topics. (By M. Isabel S. Actub, Arrupe Communications & Advocacy)