ILIGAN MEDICAL CENTER COLLEGE

CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature and Related Studies

This chapter presents the different readings which deemed important and related to

the present study.

Related Literature

These serve as links between the readers and the studies already done, tells about

aspects that have been already established or concluded by other authors and also give

chances to appreciate the evidences that have already been collected by previous researches

and projects the current research work in the proper perspective.

The following were the selected related literatures:

National Service Training Program: An Overview

The National Service Training Program is a curriculum requirement for all college

students taking up baccalaureate degrees or 2-year technical vocational courses starting S.Y

2002-2003. It was promulgated as a Congressional action in the aftermath of the widespread

nationwide protests in 2001 calling for the abolition of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps

(ROTC) for its gross mismanagement and the harsh bullying culture of its officers that led to

fatalities among its cadet corps. The NSTP restructured the defunct Republic Act 7077 (AFP

Reservist Act), the latter requiring ROTC as mandatory, by reducing ROTC as merely optional

and voluntary, while adding two other programs (Civic Welfare Training Service and Literary

Training Service) from which the college students may liberally choose to undergo and be

trained. The National Service Training Program gave importance to the enhancement of civic

consciousness without compromising the national security needs of the country in the event
of war, thereby retaining the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) as a component

program of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) instead of entirely abolishing it.

In addition, the National Service Training Program (NSTP) aims to promote and

integrate values education, transformational leadership, sprit of patriotism and nationalism,

sustainable social mobilization for youth development, community building and national

security (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, 2009).

National Service Training Program – Civic Welfare Training Service

One of the principal aims of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) is to instill

in the minds of the young Filipinos the culture of volunteerism. But developing a high sense

of volunteerism is not enough to make the young citizens become effective agents of

development. In order to become an effective community worker, each student of Civic

Welfare Training Service (CWTS) must possess not only the ability to identify the problems of

a community. He must also exhibit the ability to understand causes and effects of those

problems which will provide great help in formulating the kind of intervention needed to

confront them.

The task of student community workers is not easy, especially on the part of those

still in the process of gaining accurate perspective of the dynamics of the community. Each

community is characterized by various complexities of socio-cultural realities. That is indeed

the reason why the authors believe that there can never be one written material capable of

providing complete answers to the issues of even one community. But even so, this

reference text hopes to share relevant information that will encourage young individuals to

become empowered members of the society to which they belong. Empowerment would
mean being always ready to initiate actions instead of just being plain participants in any

community building efforts (Espinas, 2015).

Civic Engagement

Civic engagement involves “working to make a difference in the civic life of one’s

community and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to

make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both

political and non-political processes.” Civic engagement includes both paid and unpaid forms

of political activism, environmentalism and community and national service. Volunteering is

one form of civic engagement.

Many of the nation’s volunteers are young people. More than half (59 percent) of

teenagers in the United States reported that they participated in youth volunteer work in

2009, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service (2010). Most youth

volunteers do so out of altruism and an interest in making a difference in the lives of others,

according to one survey. Only five percent of students reportedly volunteered because of a

school requirement (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2005).

Importance of Civic Welfare Training Program

Civic Welfare Training Program helps students to be aware of their importance to the

society. Along with the Military Science and Literacy Education, Civic Welfare Training

Program was instituted by the Republic Act 9163. These programs promote patriotism and

nationalism to our youth. According to Jose Abueva, we must possess specific traits that will

help build a good society, love for our country, responsive, God – centered and working for
common good for all Filipinos. We are trying to eliminate poverty for the longest time. High

population growth and employment issues are among the causes. We should be aware of

our rights as a citizen of our country (Atienza, 2014).

Civic Education

In its broadest definition, “civic education” means all the processes that affect

people’s beliefs, commitments, capabilities and actions as prospective members of the

communities. Civic education needs not to be intentional or deliberate; institutions and

communities transmit values and norms without meaning to. It may not be beneficial:

sometimes people are civically educated in ways that disempower them or impart harmful

values and goals. It is certainly not limited to schooling and the education of children and

youth. Families, governments, religions and mass media are just some of the institutions

involved in civic education, understood as a lifelong process. A rightly famous example is

Tocqueville’s often quoted observation that local political engagement is a form of civic

education: “Town meetings are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they bring it

within the people’s reach, they teach men how to use and how to enjoy it”.

Nevertheless, most scholarship that uses the phrase “civic education” investigates

deliberate programs of instruction within schools or colleges, in contrast to paideia and

other forms of citizen preparation that involves a whole culture and last a lifetime. There are

several good reasons for the emphasis on schools. First, empirical evidence shows that civic

habits and values are relatively easily to influence and change while people are still young, so

schooling can be effective when other efforts to educate citizens would fail. Another reason
is that schools in many countries have an explicit mission to educate students for citizenship.

As Amy Gutmann points out, school-based education is our most deliberate form of human

instruction. Defining the purposes and methods of civic education in schools are worthy

topic of public debate. Nevertheless, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that civic

education takes place at all stages of life and in many venues other than schools.

Whether defined narrowly or broadly, civic education raises empirical questions:

What causes people to develop durable habits, values, knowledge and skills relevant to their

membership in the communities? Are people affected differently if they vary by age, social or

cultural background and starting assumptions? For example, does a high school civics course

have lasting effects on various kinds of students, and what would make it more effective?

From the 1960s until the 1980s, empirical questions concerning civic education were

relatively neglected, mainly because of a prevailing assumption that intentional programs

would not have significant and durable effects given the more powerful influences of social

class and ideology. Since then, many research studies and program evaluations have found

substantial effects and most social scientists who study the topic now believe that

educational practices, such as discussion of controversial issues, hands-on action and

reflection can influence students (Sherrod, 2010).

Civic Engagement is an Essential Element of a College Education

As college students mark spring break with fun in the sun, a group of Ursinus College

students in the Bonner Leaders Program are building houses in ravaged Jamaica. Many

students use spring vacation to go on service trips and we are reminded that civic

engagement is an essential element in preparing young people for lives of purpose. A college

experience is not complete without instilling an ethos of working for the common good. A
graduate must not only be prepared to make a living but to make a life of purpose in which

individual flourishing in intertwined with the welfare of others.

Moreover, the Ursinus Center for Advocacy, Responsibility and Engagement (UCARE)

organizes student volunteers to work in soup kitchens, after-school programs and a hospice

among activities spread across 25 community partner organizations. The Student

Government Association recently adopted a provision requiring all student organizations

seeking funding to perform one service activity annually. Athletic teams volunteer in myriad

charitable programs. Every fraternity and sorority is required to complete five hours of

service activities each semester with at least 90 percent participation from its members.

In addition to encouraging co-curricular student programming and activities, the

culture of service has to be embedded in the curriculum. The faculty is designing community-

based service learning courses. Notably, the Environmental Studies program emphasizes

service learning in its major requirements and partners with the Ursinus Office of

Sustainability to create a campus that is more environmentally and socially a place to live,

learn and work. Student Sustainability Fellows and EcoReps coordinate projects ranging from

waste management and energy reduction to the recently established program in which our

organic farm produces food for the dining services.

Furthermore, we are building on the model that civic engagement should be

coordinated and promoted by student leaders under the mentorship of faculty and staff.

Ursinus is one of the 75 campuses in the nation where Bonner leaders perform 300 hours of

service per year and enroll in a one-credit course each semester. The new Peace and Social

Justice minor includes a four-credit applied learning experience. The faculty is considering a

Civic Engagement designation for courses that includes a social responsibility component.
 Thus, Project Pericles, a non-profit organization of 29 colleges and universities

committed to civic engagement is engaged in a project to have its member campuses map

and share their efforts to educate for social responsibility. They serve as models for other

institutions desirous of connecting the classroom with community service.

Creating a culture of service on a campus involves everyone from the President

down. Many colleges are exploring how to best provide all students with opportunities

leading them to become contributing members of their communities. Higher education is not

just about teaching knowledge and skills in preparation for entering the workforce. Preparing

students to be good citizens is a higher education responsibility that should not be forgotten

in the discussion on outcomes (Fong, 2014).

Beyond the Classroom: Fostering Civic Engagement in our Students

Most faculties will agree that a student’s education involves more than just classroom

instruction. Students also benefit from active participation in and awareness of their own

communities, beginning at the college level and expanding outward to encompass citywide,

state-wide and even national issues. Various Academic Senate resolutions over the past

several years have noted the importance of student involvement, the most recent being

Resolution 9.04 from Fall 2009, which called for the Academic Senate to “encourage local

senates to work with their faculty and local student leaders to identify means of

incorporating civic engagement in curriculum and assignments.” However, while this

particular resolution focuses on curriculum, direct instructional activities are only one of

many ways in which faculty can promote civic engagement. A variety of barriers may inhibit

or prevent students’ involvement on their campuses and in their communities, but colleges,

senates and individual faculty can employ a number of approaches to help students
overcome those barriers and achieve a more complete and meaningful educational

experience.

Multiple factors can discourage students from becoming involved in activities that

might enhance their academic careers and deepen their appreciation and understanding of

important issues. In the case of college governance, the first impediment may be students’

lack of understanding regarding the importance of their role. Many students are accustomed

to high school “student council” organizations whose primary function is to plan parties and

activities. However, Education Code Section 76060 indicates that student organizations at

community colleges are to have a much more significant role:

Thus, according to Education Code, the principal function of student organizations is

to represent the student body in college governance, with activity planning taking a

secondary and optional position. Many students coming from high school are unaware of

this important role in their college’s leadership structure, and therefore they may be less

likely to become involved with a body that they do not see as significant.

Likewise, students may be unaware of opportunities for involvement on their

campuses and in their communities. Many important events that could interest or inspire

students are not well publicized in some areas, including campus club activities, political

rallies, social events, neighborhood or campus cleanups, and others. Often student

organizations wish to cultivate interest in such events but have limited avenues for

communication with the entire body of students on their campuses. Student participation is

thus limited because many students do not know about the various opportunities for

involvement available to them.

factors such as family issues, classroom and study demands, and work obligations due to

limited financial resources. Community college students frequently are unable to devote

themselves as fully as they might wish to their academic careers because they are balancing

work, family, and study. For such students, the time required to engage in campus activities

or in the community may seem simply unavailable. The desire to become involved may be

present, but the reality of the student experience at the community college can conflict with

that desire in many ways (Morse & Gervin, 2010).

Civic Consciousness

Civic consciousness is the combination of two-words that is “civic” and

“consciousness”. Civic connotes “society” or community and we are part of society. On the

other hand, “consciousness” means being aware of our physical and social environment.

Nonetheless, civic consciousness transcend beyond mere awareness of our

environment. This also involves awareness on our roles, responsibilities and duties as a

member of a community or citizens of a nation, and this awareness also calls for action.

“Civic consciousness represents an individual’s responsibility to (his/her) community.”

Partly, a person having known his/her own accountability in the social environment

can assume responsibility to serve the community. Civic consciousness also emphasizes on

your capability as a citizen to help social institutions in addressing some of the present needs

and emerging challenges in the community. From these, we therefore say that civic
consciousness is a result of our construction or understanding of our environment-physical

and social that reveals our roles, responsibilities and duties as members of a community, and

this awareness leads into action.

Moreover, civic consciousness activities (projects or programs) provide prospect for

individuals to know the real needs of the communities. In assessing the needs of community,

though, recent and contemporary development theories “ought to be”.

Insights Learned from Related Literatures

Student participation is necessary for effective governance at the state and local

levels, but, more importantly, civic involvement is an essential aspect of a complete and well-

rounded education. Many avenues exist for encouraging this engagement, and by fostering

student involvement faculty and colleges will enhance the educational experience of our

students and more fully prepare those students to be active and productive members of

their communities after that educational experience ends.

The National Service Training Program is really helpful to students and youth. It does

not only help student to develop themselves for the betterment of life but it also teaches the

students to help the society. It increases the awareness to what is really happening and

prepares students from whatever may face as they go outside the walls of the school so that

if the time comes students will know what should be done and are already responsible

enough in making own decisions.

Related Studies

Status and Challenges of the National Service Training Program and Its Impact on Values

Formation
 In concern with the values formation of the National Service Training Program, Jose

N. Magbanua conducted a study about Status and Challenges of the National Service Training

Program and Its Impact on Values Formation National Service that the Training Program

(NSTP) is a very significant factor in the values information of students. The study

determined the status and challenges of National Service Training Program and its impact on

students’ values formation. The respondents were 349 National Service Training Program

graduates from school year 2013-2014. A set of researcher-made survey questionnaire was

used as tool in data gathering. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were

used a descriptive statistics and Man-Whitney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis H Test at 0.05 alpha

were employed as inferential statistics. All statistical computations were processed through

the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results showed that the status of

National Service Training Program implementation as perceived students as a whole and

when grouped as to sex and program component was “good” and when classified as to

course, Fisheries rated “excellent”. As to challenges of NSTP implementation, the Fisheries

rated “serious” and when classified as to course, “very serious”.

The impact of National Service Training Program on students’ values formation as a

whole and classified as to variables was “high”. No significant difference on the level of

challenges was noted when variables were classified into sex and program component but a

significant difference as to course.

The National Service Training Program can be outlined on the account of Reserve

Officers Training Corps (ROTC) on the bases of Republic Act No. 7077 or otherwise known as

Citizens Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservists Act whereas the National Service Training

Program is from Republic Act of 2001. Similarly, the National Service Training Program Act of
2001 was established mainly with the aims to enhance civic consciousness and defense

preparedness among the youth, by developing the ethics of service and patriotism. (Republic

Act No. 9163)

In line with this, it is appropriate to evaluate the status and challenges of the National

Service Training Program implementation and if the impact on students’ values formation is

commendable. Hence, it is a sad fact that while the Philippines is claiming to be the only

Christian nation in Asia and that the people are very religious, it is reported that the nation is

one of the most corrupt nations in Asia and in the World. (The New York Times, 2007)

Thus, despite impressive monitoring of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

in the implementation of the values program of National Service Training Program

(Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memo Order No. 26, Series of 2006), this condition

still calls for a re-evaluation so as to create a favorable and responsive program.

An Analysis of the Impact of Participation in the National Service Training Program II

In concern of the impact of the National Service Training Program (NSTP), Kay Losabia

and Cynthia Gabriel College of Arts and Sciences Lyceum of the Philippines conducted a

study of the impact of participation in National Service Training Program. This study is about

service-learning and the core values of LPU-Laguna. Survey questionnaires were given to 234

students enrolled in the National Service Training Program II. Weighted mean was used to

get the students’ participation, perception of learning, and the adherence to the core values.

Using Pearson’s Chi-square, results show that there is significant relationship between the

colleges students belong with and their adherence to the core values. Spearman rho was
used to look into the relationship of students’ participation in service to the core values of

LPU-Laguna (rho-value=.609**, Sig.2-tailed= 000). Spearman rho was also used to see the

relationship of students’ perception of learning in service (rho-value=.198**, Sig.2-tailed= .

002). Results show that there is significant relationship among the students’ level

participation, students’ adherence to the core values and students’ perception of learning.

In addition, benefits include becoming a better citizen, innovative, sense of

volunteerism, nationalism among others. In addition, participation in service-learning can

improve personal spiritual growth, leadership skills, critical thinking, and many more.

(Levesque Bristol, 2009)

Moreover, in the Philippine context, we see service to the community as a way of

serving God. As a Catholic country, Filipinos are taught to help the needy and the poor, to

practice the faith through actions. In fact, the Modules on good Citizenship Values published

by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in partnership with Good Citizenship

Movement (2006) emphasize the role of Pagka maka-Diyos as the key and the core to good

citizenship.

Even Welch & Koth (2009), explains the role of spirituality in service-learning.

Basically, they emphasized that service-learning is a form of spiritual practice that can

transform the lives of the participants. Similarly, the National Service Training Program Act of

2001 was established mainly with the goal of preparing and training Filipino citizens to

protect the country against LPU-Laguna Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Vol. 4 No.3

September 2015 13 Research and Statistics Center LPU-Laguna external or internal threats.

(Caday, 2013)

Insights Learned from the Related Studies

involvement for students are effective and they influenced the self-improvement,

performance, community involvement, and demonstration of abilities and skills of the

students to an extent, prioritizes the involvement of the youth in broad programs or

activities that will benefit the people. Thus, in this process the students’ participation is

expected and becomes so significant with their personal development. Personal

development encompasses social, behavioral, and moral aspects of the students.

In addition, students also benefit from active participation in awareness of their own

communities, beginning at the college level and expanding outward to encompass city-wide,

state-wide, and even national issues. It help students overcome those barriers and achieve a

more complete and meaningful educational experience. Students’ education involves more

than just classroom instruction. Thus, the above studies conclude that the combination of

service and learning creates a better understanding in real world and transform lives.