To: Deputy Ministers
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Superintendents
Presidents, State Colleges and Universities
Heads of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities

1. Section 2 of Presidential Decree No. 1706, otherwise known as the National Service Law (NSL) dated August 8, 1980, provides, among others, that national service shall be obligatory for all citizens of the Philippines and that it shall consist of three (3) main programs, namely: civic welfare service, law enforcement service, and military service.
2. The law further states that “each citizen shall render national service in an of the three (3) main programs … or a combination thereof” and that such service shall be credited in favor of the citizen for the purpose of fulfilling educational requirements established by the law.
3. In the Plan for the Implementation of the National Service Program drawn by its four (4) implementing ministries, this Ministry was given the responsibility of implementing the Civic Welfare Service (CWS) Program and issuing the necessary guidelines for the purpose.
4. After consulting the various sectors affected regarding the guidelines proposed by the National Service Law Committee of MECS and upon the representation of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Association (COCOPEA) and the Philippine Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Ministry has deemed it necessary to initially pilot the CWS Program covering tertiary level students in the following schools/areas in school year 1985-86 using the attached guidelines:
   1. All students in state colleges and universities;
   2. Volunteer schools in Metro Manila; and
   3. All male students in Region III and the cities of Cebu, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro City.
5. The National Service Law Committee created by MECS Order No. 31, s. 1984 shall supervise and coordinate the CWS in the pilot schools/areas. The Committee shall be assisted by a support Secretariat composed of representatives from the Bureaus of Higher Education, Sports Development and Continuing Education. The Secretariat shall be headed by Mr. Rodolfo R. Soliman as Executive Officer.
6. SCUs presidents, volunteer schools in Metro Manila and the regional directors of the pilot areas shall coordinate the CWS program implementation in their schools/areas directly with the Minister of the MECS-NSL Committee as soon as possible.
7. The deadline for government and private agencies and/or organizations seeking certification from the Ministry to participants in the CWS in the pilot schools/areas as stipulated in the attached guidelines is June 17, 1985. They shall course their request through channels or directly to the MECS-NSL Committee.
8. Immediate dissemination and implementation of this Order is desired.

Incl.: As stated
Reference: MECS Order No. 31, s. 1984
MECS Memorandum No. 33, s. 1984
Allotment: 1-3-4—(D.O. 1-76)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
LEGISLATION
PROGRAM, SCHOOL
SCHOOLS
SOCIETY OR ASSOCIATIONS
STUDENTS
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

DO_s1985_28