The Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency was warmly welcomed by the University of Baguio as they spoke about what volunteerism is, the purpose of volunteering, and what would convince people to volunteer. Volunteerism is a complicated habit; most people do it out of the goodness of their hearts, others for the compensation at hand, and some for the incentives. It is the PNVSCA in collaboration with the University’s mission to make volunteerism a fulfilling habit.
The PNVSCA Executive Director Dr. Donald James D. Gawe, and PNVSCA Supervising Volunteer Service Officer Ms. Fely M. Baday signed the memorandum of agreement without any hitches. The signing went well as they transitioned immediately to an action plan.
The Agency hopes that volunteerism doesn’t end in the classroom setting and that it doesn’t end when the subject NSTP, National Service Training Program, is no longer a requisite in all schools. The Agency has thought of ways to ideate volunteerism as a form of “Bayanihan” in the community plans as having an ordinance on volunteerism. However, to reach that idea is to know what people feel or think about volunteerism. To find out factors that affect volunteerism, a study will be made to know the cultural aspects of volunteering, the attitude towards volunteering, and what practices of volunteerism the potential respondents have done.
The University plans to incorporate volunteerism into its research agenda, engage academic and non-academic personnel, students, and alumni, promote volunteerism for nation-building and development, collaborate with PNVSCA to build volunteerism statistics and provide technical assistance in mainstreaming volunteerism in local governance. The goal is to create a comprehensive database and submit annual statistical reports on volunteer mobilization. The goal is to promote volunteerism for nation-building and development.
The meeting ended on a good note to be partners with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency with the University of Baguio.
| Written and photographed by Diane Labay
