by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Jan 2 (PIA) – The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) launched its pilot program of the National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC), a group of volunteers whose members may be tapped for civic welfare activities especially in times of calamities and disasters, in the city of Puerto Princesa and the province of Palawan.
The 6th Civil Relations Group of the AFP reported that NSRC Chief BGEN Juanito W. Dalmas AFP visited Puerto Princesa city last month to organize the civic welfare groups in the communities and university chosen for the pilot launch of the program.
The Palawan State University (PSU) was selected by the OCD as the first school-based NSRC group outside the National Capital Region (NCR) while Puerto Princesa City was chosen as the first urban community-based group. The municipality of Narra was also picked as the first rural community-based group.
The NSRC groups in the aforementioned communities were organized as proactive measures in disaster response as well as in disaster risk reduction and environmental protection.
Under Section 11 of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2011, the creation of a National Service Reserve Corps was mandated to be composed of graduates of the non-Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) component of the NSTP.
NSTP is a program aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by developing the ethics of service and patriotism among them while undergoing training in any of its components (ROTC, Literacy Service Training and Civic Welfare Training Service) which are designed to enhance their active contribution to the general welfare of the community. (6CRGAFP/RVC-PIA9 ZBST)