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Dear Sir/Madam:
Holiday greetings from the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency!
This is to respectfully request for your assistance in disseminating the attached press release on the Search for Outstanding Volunteers (SOV) 2015 Awarding Ceremony which was conducted on 10 December 2015.
Thank you and please accept our best wishes.
Sincerely,
For JOSELITO C. DE VERA Executive Director
SOV Secretariat
press release SOV 2015 post awarding.doc
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Republic of the PhilippinesNational Economic and Development Authority
Volunteers take center stage at the Search for Outstanding Volunteers 2015
"Volunteerism is an act of the will, not political will, but the will to effect change againstdanger, mediocrity, and bigotry, the will to become a person of substance, not by title,but day to day struggle, to uplift human dignity," says Mr. Richard Gordon in his movingacceptance speech as the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Awardee (VLAA) during theSearch for Outstanding Volunteers (SOV) 2015 Awarding Ceremony held last 10December 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Ortigas Center, Quezon City.
As the VLAA, Mr. Gordon has been recognized for his commitment and interventions inadvocating volunteerism for development through legislations, policies, anddevelopment programs, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Act, the Olongapo City Volunteers, the Department of Tourism Volunteers12, and the Red Cross 143.
"When the world no longer watches, we do what must be done", says the formersenator with tears in his eyes, as he paid tribute to his parents, especially his mother,Mrs. Amelia Juico-Gordon, who exerted relentless effort to help the marginalized,especially abandoned children, through social services. He claimed that his passion forservice came from his mother, and that his volunteer work enabled him and his family tohave a life of great meaning. He also offered his award to the numerous facelessvolunteers who have selflessly devoted their time and resources to help those in need.
The SOV is an annual activity that aims to recognize the work and good practices ofFilipino volunteers across the nation in building strong communities. Volunteers inseveral categories were recognized chosen from among 78 contenders from all parts ofthe country.
For the Individual-Adult category, the awardees were Mr. Virgilio Bautista (CordilleraAdministrative Region) and Mr. Benfred Bautista (Region VI) respectively. Mr.Bautista is an accomplished leader-volunteer who conceptualized and implemented anEnglish language teaching training program run by volunteer teachers and consistentlymobilized individuals during relief and rehabilitation operations in Baguio City andBenguet province. Mr. Tacuyan is a former informal settler who helped in the peacefulrelocation of urban poor communities in lloilo City through capacity-building and
community development programs. In the Individual-rouin category, ivn. jumm uuvciTablazon, a registered nurse who serves as the leader of the Hearts and Brains YouthVolunteers (HABY) was awarded for his volunteer assistance to the B'laan tribes in
South Cotabato.
The Pampamayanang Mangyan Ugnayan, Inc. (Region IV-B), Cancer WarriorsFoundation, Inc. (National Capital Region), and Kapamamagopa Inc. (Region X) weredeclared as the outstanding not-for-profit organizations for their programs in the fields of education, health, livelihood, and peace and development. Telus International Philippines (NCR) received the Organization-Corporate category award for its
successful integration of volunteerism in their company culture.
The Special Citation in Volunteerism was also given to the BPI Foundation (NCR) for its employee-driven volunteer program and to Rev. Fr. Florentino S. Concepcion (Region III) for his volunteering interventions for the children and the elderly.
The awards were conferred by National Volunteer Month Steering Committee (NVM- SC) Honorary Chair Sister Eva Fidela Maamo; Director Remedios S. Endencia representing Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and PNVSCA Executive Director Joselito C. De Vera. In attendance were the volunteers' family, friends, and colleagues who cheered and
supported the volunteers as they accepted their awards.
In the message of Secretary Balisacan, as read by Ms. Endencia, the contribution of volunteers as partners in achieving the country's development was emphasized. Further, he affirmed how volunteerism can complement the interventions of the public and private sectors of both local and international communities, as they work on the
recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals.
Sister Eva Fidela's congratulatory message also extolled the role of the awardees as the ideal heroic markers for the youth and as reliable caregivers of peace and development. "You remind me that our life should be a life of service because of God's love to everyone.. .Without you knowing it, you shine like beacons of hope to those who are suffering and in need". As she shared her own experiences as a volunteer and a volunteer organizer, Sister Eva expressed her admiration and gratitude to this year's awardees and stressed the impact of their interventions to help and give wholehearted
service to their beneficiaries.
In response, the awardees acknowledged with gratitude the people who supported their volunteering initiatives. They were one in saying that, beyond being a recognition of their volunteer efforts, the award is both an inspiration and a challenge to do more for
IThe spirit of volunteerism was strongly felt, as the program was concluded by the RedCross Hymn, as sung by the Philippine Red Cross Choir, and community singing of the
Philippine Volunteers March.
Among the guests were officials and representatives from the NEDA, NEDA RegionalOffices (NROs), NVM-SC, PNVSCA Muti-Sectoral Advisory Body, former SOVawardees, PNVSCA partners from the government, the private sector, and international
volunteer service organizations.
The SOV is conducted by the Philippine National Volunteer Service CoordinatingAgency and the NVM-SC. The Regional Search Committees are chaired by the NEDA Regional Offices, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for theNCR and the Regional Planning and Development Office (RPDO) for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
