Government offices to promote volunteerism

MANILA, Philippines - Starting next year, government agencies are ordered to establish and implement volunteer programs on top of their regular mandate and functions in order to promote the value of volunteerism in the public sector, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) said yesterday.

The CSC said the agencies must also submit annual volunteering initiatives and activity reports to the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA).

In a directive, CSC chairman Francisco Duque III said the volunteer program should provide opportunity for state employees to express and realize their personal motivation and desire to help others, especially the underserved and marginalized sectors of society.

The directive was issued in support of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9418 or “An Act Institutionalizing a Strategy for Rural Development, Strengthening Volunteerism and For Other Purposes.”

The law underscores the  CSC’s role in the establishment of volunteer programs in national government agencies and local government units.

The PNVSCA shall oversee the implementation of the provisions of the law and shall document public sector volunteerism best practices.

Under the law, each agency is ordered to designate a focal person to coordinate with the PNVSCA regarding their respective volunteer program implementations.

The CSC said volunteerism projects and activities might be anchored on, but not limited to, technical development assistance, social services, environment and disaster response, private-public partnerships, and promotion and advocacy volunteerism in remote areas.

Quoting the law, Duque said volunteerism activities should be done after office hours so as not to disturb the delivery of service to the public.

The CSC said RA 9418 also covers the observance of National Volunteer Month every December and the International Volunteer Day every Dec. 5.