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)
