MULTI-SECTOR COALITION ON PHILIPPINE VOLUNTEERISM LAUNCHED

The Association of Foundations, together with the Australian Embassy, the United Nations Volunteers, and the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, has formally launched the Philippine Coalition on Volunteerism (PhilCV), which seeks to effect change by charting the course for volunteerism in the country.

The coalition will advocate for better coordination in the volunteer sector and will create an invaluable resource hub where best practices among private and government groups can be shared. PhilCV will also spearhead the creation of a roadmap on Philippine volunteerism, which will be shared with the public in the first quarter of 2015.

The roadmap will include a legal framework for volunteerism in the Philippines, which builds on existing laws for public involvement in national development, with a special focus on the Republic Act 9418 (Volunteer Act of 2007). It will highlight how efforts of various local and international volunteer organizations contribute to the Philippine Development Plan and the Millennium Development Goals. More importantly, it will present opportunities on how citizens as volunteers can actively take part in various development programs of the government.

Association of Foundations (AF) Executive Director Norman Jiao shared, “This is the best time to rally ourselves together in the empowering of our volunteers by taking their plans and contributions to the next level. We will be coordinating efforts that bridge together multiple areas of expertise and resources, funnelling them towards the common goal of nation-building and creating synergy in the process.” AF, with support from the Australian Embassy, has been instrumental in organizing PhilCV.

PhilCV’s founding members include the Associate Missionaries of the Assumption, the International Association for Volunteer Effort, KAISA Para Sa Kaunlaran, the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines Foundation, Inc., the Miriam Institutional Network for Social Action, the Volunteer Organizations Information Coordination and Exchange, and VSO Bahaginan.

The members of PhilCV are extending an invitation to civil society organizations, university offices and corporate foundations with volunteering programs to join the coalition and join the movement to enhance the volunteer sector.

“The time to act, contribute, and participate is now,” adds Mr. Jiao. “Through the support that PhilCV will get from both the private and public sectors, the coalition will be undertaking initiatives that will not only help the country in the short-term, but also over the long-term. With the partnerships that will be formed, we will be able to do three important things: strengthen capabilities, share resources, and unify efforts.” ###

This article was also published in:

Business Mirror, 13 December 2014

Manila Bulletin, 22 December 2014