In an effort to spark the spirit of volunteerism and service among the new generation of Iskolar ng Bayan, various grassroots initiatives aimed at addressing sectoral issues were presented during the“Sikhay Lingkod 2: A Summit on Volunteerism”. The summit, an annual event hosted by the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Diliman Office, through the National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC), was held at the School of Economics Auditorium at the University of the Philippines Diliman last April 29, 2019. Dr. Jonalou S. Labor, NSRC Deputy Director, opened the event, urging the participants to be actively involved in any initiative as it is each UP student’s responsibility to contribute to the betterment of the Philippine society. He further extended his gratitude to all the guest speakers and partner organizations that made the event possible. Representatives from various government, non-government, and civic organizations delivered talks during the summit. Ms. Evica Vicas, Senior Volunteer Service Officer of Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) explained the nature of the government agency’s promotion and coordination among the volunteer programs in the Philippines. The agency advocates volunteerism across the nation that is dedicated, competent, and responsive to various service initiatives. PNVSCA creates partnerships with the academe, non-profit organizations, government and other service organization. Ms. Vicas encouraged the students to rise and heed the calls of volunteerism as it is each citizen’s role to be socially responsible. The Kythe Foundation is a non-profit organization aimed to provide psycho-social support to children with cancer and other chronic illness in hospitals. The volunteers of Kythe believe that the hospital is more than a place of healing, but it is also a space for fun, love, and learning. The Kythe Child Life Program’s goal is to alleviate anxiety of the patients and also provide their families with information on basic access to treatments and medicines. The volunteer program of Kythe enables individuals to personally interact with the patients through fun and learning activities through arts and crafts, bedside storytelling, and games. Donors may also be involved in different monetary assistance programs for the patients and survivors. In partnership with hospitals, […]
Sikhay Lingkod
Sikhay Lingkod: A Summit on Cultivating the Spirit of Volunteerism was held at the School of Economics Auditorium in the University of the Philippines Diliman on November 19, 2018. There were two sessions held: the AM session which began at 09:00 in the morning and ended at 12:00 noon, and the PM session which began at 02:00 in the afternoon and ended at 05:00 in the afternoon. Prof. Arlyn Macapinlac, Director of NSTP Diliman Office, through her welcome remarks explained the meaning of the word “sikhay” which is zeal. Mayroong pananabik,” she further said. “Kaya nung nakita ko ‘yung kanyang kahulugan, sabi ko, maganda ‘to.” There were six organizations from the civil society and a government agency, the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), who attended the Summit as speakers. They talked about volunteerism and their advocacies for the underserved communities. They also presented a variety of civic engagement strategies that UP students may venture into. Mr. Kenneth C. Siruelo of PNVSCA began with a discussion focused on the substantial impact that volunteerism poses to the society and community. He also gave an introduction on the work of PNVSCA as an office under the National Economic and Development Authority and insights on the provision stipulated under the Volunteer Act of 2007. “When you’re one of these marginalized kids, you’d think na… ‘Nakalimutan na ‘kong mundo or probably nakalimutan na ‘kong gobyerno, nakalimutan na ‘kong lipunan, pero every time na may mga taong nagri-reach out sa’kin sa lugar ko, what do you think that will make them feel?” This is how Ms. Florence Paguagan explained the motivating force behind the founding of Rainbow Confetti, Inc., an organization that seeks to empower kids through giving them the opportunity to celebrate even the smallest milestones in life. Also present during the program were, Ms. Ruthie Maye Padilla, Project Officer, and Ms. Kimberly Anne Marcelo, Environmental Education Officer, of World Wide Fund for Nature or WWF who shared their organization’s main tenets: to conserve biodiversity and to reduce the human footprint. They requested the students to take part in WWF’s Ayoko ng Plastic […]