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 Volunteer Awards Archives

Nominations to the SOV Extended

The deadline for submission of nominations to the Search for Outstanding Volunteers (SOV) 2007 has been extended to August 15, 2007.

Nominations are still being accepted in the regional offices of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Regional Planning and Development Office of the Autonomous Region of the Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Bureau of Local Government and Development (DILG-BLGD) and the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA).  The forms may be obtained from these offices or may be downloaded from the PNVSCA website at http://www.pnvsca.gov.ph

The SOV is an annual search whereby outstanding volunteers and volunteer organizations are conferred with honors for their exemplary performance and dedication to volunteer service.  It is spearheaded by the PNVSCA in partnership with the National Volunteer Month Steering Committee (NVM-SC).  NVM is celebrated by the volunteer community in the Philippines every December and the SOV Awarding Ceremony caps the NVM celebration. 

The Search is open to all individuals – youth and adult of Filipino citizenship and Filipino volunteer organizations or local chapter organizations of foreign volunteer organizations – non-government and corporate that currently provide volunteer assistance in the Philippines.  The SOV has two categories namely: (1) the National Award; and (2) the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award.  

Since 2001, 45 volunteers and volunteer organizations serving in various development sectors all over the country have been accorded honor and recognition through SOV.  Their volunteer work are regarded as models and best practices in volunteerism.

We know of individuals and organizations in our communities trying to make a difference in ordinary people’s lives.  Share their stories.  Recognize them by nominating them to the 2007 SOV. 

For more information about the Search or volunteering in the Philippines, please visit the PNVSCA website at http//www.pnvsca.gov.ph. or call PNVSCA at telephone nos. 929 63 76, 929 63 63,  435 79 99 or email ppis@pnvsca.gov.ph.

4 July 2007
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Planting the seeds of Christianity and more…
By: Kenneth C. Siruelo

Priesthood is a vocation that requires a lot of sacrifices albeit volunteerism. Since day one in the seminary they were constantly reminded and inculcated with the seven heavenly virtues of Christianity namely: Chastity, Abstinence, Liberality, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, and Humility. Most of their lives, these selected few pry away from the public elect to spend their precious time within the confines of the parish to enrich the religious and spiritual well-being of the parishioners.

But who says priests only plant the seeds of Christianity?

A priest from Agusan del Sur has other things in mind and has made a step further. Aside from ministering his functions as a priest, he also heads the Ecotech Foundation, a Society of the Divine Word (SVD) - assisted non-governmental organization (NGO) in Agusan. Fr. Pio M. Eugenio, SVD, and the Ecotech Foundation along with other farmers and scientist under the “Magsasaka at Siyentista para sa ikaunlad ng Panakahang Agham (MASIPAG)”, have introduced a new method of farming and new varieties of rice that could yield higher number of cavans per hectare (70 – 80 cavans per hectare), are pest- resistant and pest tolerant and more importantly, do not need chemical inputs; therefore, these rice varieties are more affordable and less expensive to cultivate. MASIPAG is a partnership for Agricultural Development between Ecotech Foundation and the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). 

Since 1996, Ecotech Foundation implemented the MASIPAG Program in fifty-six (56) provinces and fifty (50) diocese.  To sustain this, Fr. Pio spearheads trainings of interested farmer groups, mostly on a two-day seminar on this new farming method and rice varieties. In doing this, farmers learn how to implement the program and access the MASIPAG seeds.

For his devotion to help improve the lives of the marginalized sector of the society through volunteerism, Fr. Pio was recognized in 2004 as a national awardee in the annual Search for Outstanding Volunteer (SOV). Fr. Pio proved to all that they too can plant the seeds to feed a nation and more.

The SOV honors volunteers and volunteer organizations for their exemplary performance and dedication to volunteer work. It is spearheaded by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) in close coordination with the National Volunteer Month Steering Committee and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

21 June 2007
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SOV 2006 Report

I.  Introduction

The celebration of the National Volunteer Month (NVM) every December was declared on 5 December 1998 to build nationwide public awareness and appreciation of volunteerism and the role it plays in the social, economic and political development of the country. It likewise seeks to create the environment for bolstering voluntary action in development. Most importantly, NVM aims to recognize the noble acts of volunteerism by individuals, families, institutions and communities as vital partners in socio--economic development.

The Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) has been designated as the focal government agency of the NVM celebration.  A National Steering Committee assists the Agency in the planning and implementation of NVM activities.  It is chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) with members composed of representatives from other government agencies and non-government organizations. 

Each year, an Honorary Chair is chosen to lead the promotion and advocacy of NVM.  The NVM 2006 Honorary Chair is Mrs. VIRGINIA P. DAVIDE, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Commissioner for Education, founding member of the Philippine Association for Volunteer Effort (PAVE), former Director of PNVSCA and a staunch advocate of volunteerism.

The theme of this year’s celebration is  “Boluntarismo: Lakas Pagbabago.”

II.  NVM Events

To generate nationwide participation in NVM, PNVSCA conducted advocacy to encourage partners in volunteerism to include NVM as part of their organization’s activities in December. The following are some of the activities held in line with the NVM:

Organization

Activity

Date and Venue

Contact Person

Mariano Marcos State University
Batac, Ilocos Norte
Tel. (077) 7923501

Technology/Information Materials Distribution

13 December 2006
Batac, Ilocos Norte

Ms. Mercy Gaño
Chief, Applied Communication Section, Extension Directorate

Human Rights Education Training for OSY, Women & Barangay officials

15 December 2006
Pinili, Ilocos Norte

Dr. Marivic M. Alimbuyuguen
CHREIN Coordinator

Gender and Development Training for Rural Women

19 December 2006
Batac, Ilocos Norte

Prof. Beatriz Malab
GAD Focal Point

FoodProcessing/Preservation

26 December 2006
Laoag City

Prof. Filamer Aguilar Extension Coordinator, CIT

Technical Assistance on Bookkeeping, Auditing & Books preparation for cooperatives

28 December 2006
Ilocos Norte

Dr. Cristina B. Coloma Extension Coordinator, CBEA

NEDA Regional Office No. I , Guerrero Road,
San Fernando, La Union Tel. (072) 8885501/2679

Orientation Briefing on Volunteerism

7 December 2006

Mr. Leonardo N. Quitos Jr.
Regional Director

 

Posting of IEC materials in the advocacy corner

December 2006
NRO I Lobby

Department of the Interior and Local Government - Region I
Aguila Road, Sevilla
San Fernando City, La Union

  

 

 

 

Dissemination of MC to LGUs

8 Nov. 2006 

Lorylyn P. Balanga
Chester B. Reynante
DILG Regional Office No. I  
Tel. (072) 8883310 / 7005746

Information sharing during Monday Convocation

11 and 18 Dec 2006
DILG Regional Office

Installation of Information Bulletin highlighting the Role of Volunteers in nation-building

December 2006
DILG Regional Office

IEC thru Local Area Network (LAN)

Hanging of streamers/posters

Monitoring LGU activities re NVM Celebration

December 2006
All LGUs

 

Participation in the Search for Outstanding Volunteers – Screening of Regional Nominees and Validation of winners

October 2006
NEDA Regional Office

 

Department of Trade and Industry Sen Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City

Issuance of Memorandum to all DTI Regional Offices re NVM celebration

4 December 2006

 

Usec Carissa Cruz-Evangelista
Regional Operations Group
Tel 8904897; 8953582
Fax  8904639

Department of Science and Technology

Issuance of Memorandum enjoining regional offices to help promote NVM and SOV

27 June 2006

Mr. Mario P. Bravo
Assistant Secretary
Tel. no. 8372071

Department of Public Works and Highways

Issuance of Memorandum to Regional Offices to help promote NVM and SOV

3 July 2006

Mr. Bashir D. Rasuman
Undersecretary

Commission on Higher Education

Issuance of Memorandum to Regional Offices to help promote NVM and SOV

1 August 2006

Mr. Carlito S. Puno
Chairman
Tel no. 6332713

Young Artists Fellowship for the Environment (YAFE)

Bike Tour for Clean air

1–7 December 2006

Ms. Jelyn Castillo
Chairperson
Yafe2004@gmail.com

Philippine Association for Volunteer Effort (PAVE)

Volunteer Organization, Information, Coordination and Exchange (VOICE)

DLSU-College of St. Benilde

VSO Bahaginan Foundation

Round Table Discussion on Volunteerism

5 December 2006

Mr. Timothy Gabuna
President, PAVE

Mr. Brad Fenomeno
Program

Exchange Arena Project

Exchange Arena Matching Event

  8 December 2006

Ms. Deanie Ocampo
Pinoy Rin

III. Search for Outstanding Volunteers

The Search for Outstanding Volunteers aims to highlight and recognize the exemplary performance and dedication to service of Filipino volunteers in building strong communities across the country through volunteerism. The Search is open to all individuals of Filipino citizenship and Filipino volunteer organizations or local chapter organizations of foreign volunteer organizations that currently provide volunteer assistance in the Philippines. 

The categories of the Search are:

1.       National Award:  Individual (Youth)
                               Individual (Adult)
                               Group/Organization (NGO)
                               Group/Organization (Corporate)

        2.       Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Awar

The Search is conducted at the regional and national levels. 

Regional Search Committees (RSCs) were set up in each region in the country to handle promotion and advocacy activities, receive and screen nominations and select SOV regional qualifiers. The RSCs are composed of reporesentatives from government and non-government organizations.  They are chaired by NEDA Regional Offices (NROs). In the case of the National Capital Region (NCR) and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), they are chaired by the DILG-Bureau of Local Government Development and the ARMM-Regional Planning and Development Office, respectively.  

The  regional qualifiers forwarded to the National Search Committee are:

Region

Individual (Youth/Adult)

Organization

VLAA

CAR

Ms. Jesusa Vizcaya (Adult)

West Bayan Park Emergency Medical Service Brigade

 

Region I

 

Young Earthsavers Society

 

Region II

Mr. Rosauro Resuello (Adult)

University of Saint Louis-Tuguegarao – Kapatiran Center

Mrs. Florentina S. Vigilia-Blando

Region III

Mr. Ivan Anthony Henares (Youth)

 

 

Region IV-A

Ms. Laiden Pedriña (Youth)

 

 

Region V

 

Universidad de Sta. Isabel

 

Region VI

Dr. Primitivo Cammayo (Adult)

Amity Volunteer Fire Brigade

 

Region X

Ms. Teresita Lauga Doydora (Adult)
Mr. Glen Tac-an Quilab (Youth)

Mahinog Response 143

 

Region XI

 

Davao Oriental Rescuers and Monitoring Stations, Inc.

 

Region XII

 

Obo Manobo Active Language Resource and Community Dev’t., Inc.

 

CARAGA

 

Save Mindanao Foundation

 

The National Search Committee (NSC) is tasked to select national awardees from among the regional qualifiers endorsed by the RSCs.  The NSC is composed of the following:

Chair      :  National Economic and Development Authority

Members :  Civil Service Commission
                            Philippine Information Agency
                                    Metrobank Foundation, Inc.
                            Philippine Association for Volunteer Effort

The Honorary Chair, Mrs. Virginia P. Davide, also participated in the Committee deliberation.

The NSC evaluated the regional qualifiers on two main criteria:  1) the relevance of their volunteer work on national priorities such as, but not limited to, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, education, shelter and agricultural productivity and 2) their effectiveness in advocating and promoting volunteerism in their work.

The national awardees selected by the NSC and subsequently confirmed by the NVM Steering Committee: are:      

      1.      Ms. Laiden Pedriña –  Individual (Youth)
2.      Dr. Primitivo Cammayo – Individual (Adult)
3.      Ms. Teresita Lauga Doydora –  Individual (Adult)
4.      Obo Manobo Active Language Resource and Community Dev’t., Inc. – Organization
5.      Universidad de Sta. Isabel – Naga City – Organization
6.      Dr. Helena Z. Benitez – VLAA

The awarding rites were held at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel on 8 December 2006.

Ms. Cleofe Pastrana, of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Presiding Officer of the NVM Steering Committee, thru the invocation, thanked the blessings of the Almighty and sought for His continued guidance to everyone especially to the volunteers as they go about their noble act of volunteering.

Mrs. Virginia P. Davide’s welcome remarks reminded that this awarding ceremony is a call to all in the volunteer community to continue their work toward the greater good of mankind.  She commended the awardees for their commitment in giving their time and talent for the most part of their productive lives. without expecting anything in return.  She added that the awardees are the modern day pilgrims that embark on a journey to help transform their communities and societies and in the process, gain as much as they gave and were themselves transformed.

Dr. Amelita Dayrit-Go of the Philippine Association for Volunteer Efforts, Inc (PAVE) and of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), read the citations for the awardees.

The awards were conferred by Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon.  He was assisted by Mrs. Davide, Secretary Neri and PNVSCA Executive Director Joselito C. de Vera.

In his message, Senator Gordon extolled the values of volunteerism and the contributions of volunteers in strengthening communities and building the nation. He further characterized volunteers as always ready.  The Senator praised the awardees by associating them with certain characteristics.  She referred to Ms. Laiden Pedriña as a volunteer full of passion; Dr. Primitivo Cammayo as number one volunteer; Bae Teresita Doydora as the unifier; Universidad de Sta. Isabel - Naga City as an institution which opens our hearts; OMALRACDI as an organization that preservers our ethnicity and Dr. Helen Benitez as an ambassador par excellence.

Senator Gordon also congratulated PNVSCA for honoring the volunteers.  He mentioned that his mother, Mrs. Amelia Juico Gordon, is a recipient of the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award (VLAA) in 2005.  He pointed out that the services which the volunteers constantly deliver, if converted in terms of peso, for sure the Government, with its budgetary limitations, will be hard pressed to provide.  Senator Gordon, as Philippine National Red Cross Chairman, also encouraged the guests to volunteer in whatever way they could as volunteer service will never go out of style and will forever be welcomed. 

A total of 132 guests attended the awarding ceremony.  They include partners in the volunteer program such as representatives of foreign and local volunteer organizations, members of the NVM National Steering Committee and National and Regional Search Committees and representatives from government agencies and the private sector.

The Supreme Court Choir led the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and entertained the guests thru beautifully sung Christmas songs.  They also concluded the awarding ceremony thru their rendition of the Philippine Volunteers March.

Awardees Profile

LAIDEN G. PEDRIÑA
Leading the Youth to Save the Future

Laiden Pedriña’s objective in volunteering is to maximize the potential and contribution of the youth in social and development work. She started her volunteer work as an artist in 1998. Later, she led “Barkadahan”,  a group of young artists and  spearheaded free art workshops to indigent communities in Laguna, serving as a team leader and  facilitator in  the literary and performing arts workshop.

Laiden founded the Young Artists Fellowship for the Environment (YAFE), a community-based organization of rural youth  engaged in environmental advocacy through the arts.

YAFE’s free environmental and art workshops develop the artistic skills of rural youth in the fields of the performing and visual arts and creative writing so as to harness their talents in advocating environmental causes.   It has formed linkages with local government units, schools, corporate groups and other youth organizations to implement its various projects. 

Through Laiden’s leadership, YAFE membership is continually increasing.  Laiden is instrumental in establishing YAFE chapters in Ifugao and Camarines Sur thus paving the way for more arts and environmental protection advocates.

DR. PRIMITIVO CAMMAYO
Enabling the Specially-Able

His genuine concern for the specially-able made Dr. Primitivo Cammayo join the Volunteers for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped and the Disabled (VRHD) way back in 1979. As the lone medical doctor and physiatrist with the VRHD, he coordinated the pilot implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Community-Based Rehabilitation System Program (CBRSP) in Bacolod City in 1980.  

With the success of CBRP in nine (9) barangays, Dr. Cammayo initiated the establishment of the Negros Occidental Rehabilitation Foundation (NORFI) and the Negros Occidental Rehabilitation Center (NORC) to facilitate the expansion of the CBRP in the whole province.

NORFI forged partnerships with local government units in setting up satellite rehabilitation centers and the training of local health workers providing  persons  with disabilities (PWD)  access to   therapy and other rehabilitation and support services in their own barangays.  Dr. Cammayo served as the lead trainor in these activities.  His work has been duly recognized by the WHO which appointed him in the WHO Experts Advisory Panel and designated the NORC as the WHO Collaborating Center for Rehabilitation for the Western Pacific Region. 

To date, CBRP is institutionalized in 25 towns in Negros Occidental with 21 satellite centers and more than 800 trained local health workers. Most importantly, it has empowered PWDs to serve as health providers to their fellow PWDs enabling them to become active and productive members of the community.

BAE TERESITA LAUGA DOYDORA
Sowing Seeds of Unity and Peace

Bae Teresita Lauga Doydora is a chieftain of the Bukidnon Tribe in Valencia City, Bukidnon. Her volunteering work started way back in her teen days when her father, a Datu of the Bukidnon Tribe, would bring her to various service oriented activities, thus, instilling in her the spirit of volunteerism at such a young age.

This love of service is sustained through the years as she is exposed to the situation of the populace in the rural areas.  Valencia City, like many areas in Mindanao, is a community of migrants who differed in dialects, culture and belief.

These migrant groups were doing their work independent of each other.   Oftentimes, conflict arose between the migrant groups.    Faced with this situation, Bae Teresita was motivated to organize the migrant groups and the  “lumads” or natives from the place,  who are also in a disadvantaged situation as they have limited access to basic services from the government.

Bae Teresita federated the different migrant groups and indigenous people residing in thirty-one barangays in the City of Valencia, into a Panglibatuhan Federation of Tribal Filipinos, Inc. (PFTFI).   Through PFTFI, the migrants and indigenous people found a venue to showcase their cultures as living treasures, were provided access to alternative livelihood opportunities, share resources and services among members, and establish coordination and partnership with the local government and the private sector in implementing programs and projects that would bring about lasting peace and development in the community.

OBO MANOBO ACTIVE LANGUAGE RESOURCE AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT, INC. (OMALRACDI)
Preserving and Enriching An Identity

Obo Manobo is a language used by members of the Bagobo Tribe (which also includes the Tagabawa and Diangan People) in Southern Philippines with a speaking population of about 80,000.   OMALRACDI envisions to uplift the well-being of the Bagobo tribe - spiritually, emotionally, socially, physically and morally and  to preserve the Obo Manobo culture and language.   To realize this vision, OMALRACDI established literacy centers and community libraries through the support of volunteers enabling the Bagobos access to basic education services in their communities. 

To date, more than 1,500 individuals, mostly adults, 55 to 60 of age, were taught how to read and write. Literacy has been significantly improved in Kidapawan, Marilog, Magpet and Arakan Valley. Bagobos who need assistance to vote in the past can now vote by themselves.Kindergarten Learning Centers were able to benefit kinder-age students in Sayaban, Ilomavis and Kidapawan City.

Books of high moral value were also translated into the vernacular, helping the Bagobo people first and foremost to read in Obo Manobo before learning how to read in Pilipino and English as well as helping others who would want to speak the Obo Manobo dialect. 

Complementing this, OMALRACDI is implementing a college scholarship program for deserving Bagobos whereby graduates would return to voluntarily teach and render service to their communities.

With the help of partner organizations, OMALRACDI will continue to preserve the Obo Manobo culture and language thereby empowering them and enabling them to become valuable and active members of their communities and the Filipino society.

UNIVERSIDAD DE STA. ISABEL 
A Culture of Volunteerism

“Outstanding community involvements and volunteerism in the Universidad de Sta. Isabel in Naga City did not happen by chance but a product of systematic, continuing and a long process of conscientization and formation which starts as a student or a personnel enters the institution.  Volunteerism is not a result of a spur of the moment decision but by a design and programs developed by the institution.  In USI, it is a culture”.

USI aims to educate not only those who are capable of entering regular and formal education but, through volunteerism, has reached out to the poorest of the poor through both the formal and non-formal system.  Its education programs for house helpers, mothers and adult learners which are all supported by volunteers have produced graduates who are now ready to continue further schooling or embark on more productive endeavors.  USI has also adopted schools where volunteer teachers and students provide tutorial sessions to elementary pupils as well as set up community libraries in selected towns in Camarines Sur.

One of the most significant achievements of the literacy program is the mobilization of former students particularly the mothers group as volunteer teachers, promoting wider participation of stakeholders in sustaining the gains of volunteering efforts. 

Other USI volunteer programs address concerns in health and nutrition, environment, housing, emergency response and services to the elderly. 

DR. HELENA Z. BENITEZ
Counting Success Through Change