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PIA News Service - Sunday, July 15, 2012


Search for 2012 outstanding volunteers now opens

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, July 15 (PIA) -- Nominations for the 2012 Search for Outstanding Volunteers is now officially open, said Venus Derequito, chief administrative officer of the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-Caraga during Wednesday’s meeting with member-agencies of the regional search committee.

According to Derequito, the annual search will highlight and recognize the exemplary performance and dedication to service of Filipino volunteers in building strong communities across the country through volunteerism.

Citing her experiences as chairperson of the regional search committee, Derequito said during the previous years, Caraga Region has produced awardees both in the individual and organization categories.

Derequito said among the awardees include: Ruel Hipulan of Save Mindanao Movement based in Agusan del Sur; Fr. Eugenio Pio in Agusan del Sur who won in the organization category; and Marivic Boholst, a barangay health worker from Brgy. Rizal, Surigao del Norte who won in the individual category in 2008.

The last awardee from this region was in 2008 when Boholst wowed the judges with her exemplary volunteer works in her locality.

During the evaluation conducted by the regional search committee, it was found that aside from being the barangay’s health worker, Boholst was looked up by her co-barangay as a model citizen in their area who is ready to help without expecting anything in return.

As one of the national winners, Boholst received a plaque of recognition, a free round-trip air ticket to Manila, and hotel accommodation, as part of her prize.

This year, the regional search committee is eyeing for the region’s representative to the national staging of this annual award.

With this, the committee members agreed to scout for individuals and groups that will qualify in the standards set by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA).

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 National Outstanding Volunteer Award (NOVA) is a recognition conferred on outstanding volunteer individuals and organizations chosen from among the regional qualifiers.

An individual volunteer is a person that engages in activity/ies that benefit the community, the environment, or individuals outside one’s immediate family.

This category is further classified into youth and adult. Nominees must be 15 to 30 years old for the youth category and at least 31 years old for the adult at the time of submission of nomination.

They (nominees) must provide volunteer assistance consistently for at least three years (youth category) at least five years (adult category) in socio-economic, civic and humanitarian programs or projects in institutions or communities.

Further, the nominees must be members of a volunteer organization or institution registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); or registered by the PNVSCA or duly recognized by an accrediting government institution; or is recognized as a volunteer by communities, groups or institutions which he/she serves.

Under the organization category, volunteer organizations are classified into non-profit and corporate.

For purposes of the search, a non-profit refers to any non-stock, non-governmental organization including schools and academic institutions and not affiliated with any company/corporation and one that engages the services of volunteers in socio-economic and cultural development, humanitarian, civic activities, advocacy, capability building and networking for volunteerism or is created specifically to recruit, train and deploy volunteers for such purpose.

A corporate, on the other hand, refers to companies that engage employee volunteering as an approach to achieve corporate social responsibility’ or to corporate-supported or affiliated foundations that engage volunteers to implement volunteer program/s.

Qualified to be nominated in this category are those providing volunteer assistance consistently for at least five years (for non-profit) and at least three years (for corporate).

Also, nominated organization must be formally organized, with SEC registration and/or duly registered by the PNVSCA or granted accreditation by government or non-government organizations duly recognized by government or is informally established but is recognized as a volunteer organization by communities, groups ,or institutions it serves.

Meanwhile, the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award (VLAA) is conferred to an individual volunteer of Filipino citizenship, or Filipino volunteer organization or a local chapter of a foreign volunteer organization serving in the Philippines.

Qualified nominees have been engaged in consistent volunteering activities for at least 25 years, have attained national status, and recognition in the field of volunteerism, and have been recipients of national and international recognition or awards.

They must also play a significant role or contribution in promoting volunteerism and possess the capability to mobilize others to support volunteer causes. Finally, they served as role model through a positive representation of volunteerism as a development resource.

All nominations must be received by the SOV regional search committees not later than August 17. Mailed nominations must be postmarked not later than said date.

Regional qualifiers will receive certificates of recognition. National awardees will receive trophies, while recipients of VLAA will receive medals and certificates of recognition.

Awardees and recipients of VLAA based outside Metro Manila will be provided round-trip transportation and accommodation for their attendance in the awarding ceremony. Awards will be conferred in Manila in December 2012.

For more details, please contact the secretariat at NEDA-Caraga regional office at (085) 342-5774, and look for Derequito or Lorraine Mendoza. (RER/PIA-Caraga)