The Volunteerism Act

Republic Act No. 9418 April 10, 2007

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING A STRATEGY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT, STRENGTHENING
VOLUNTEERISM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Statement of Goals and Objectives

a) To provide a policy framework on volunteerism that shall underscore the fundamental
principles necessary to harness and harmonize the broad and diverse efforts of the
voluntary sector in the country into an integrative and effective partnership for local and
national development as well as international cooperation and understanding;
b) To provide a conducive and enabling environment for volunteers and volunteer service
organizations by setting mechanisms to protect volunteers' rights and privileges and give
due recognition to highlight their roles and contributions to society;
c) To provide an effective institutional mechanism to strengthen the role of the Philippine
National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) to perform its mandates and to
oversee the implementation of this Act.

Volunteerism
a) refers to an act involving a wide range of activities that provides an enabling and
empowering environment undertaken for reasons for the attainment of the public good
and where monetary and other incentives or reward are not the primary motivating
factors.

Volunteerism in the academe

a) includes provision of technical assistance and sharing of technology within the academic
circle, target communities and other clienteles and the upgrading of the quality of
education and curriculum methodologies while providing career enhancement and
exposure to the volunteers.

Role of the Government

a) shall coordinate, facilitate and encourage the participation of the voluntary sector in the
promotion, utilization and recognition of volunteerism in national development and
international cooperation. This shall be achieved through the provision of enabling and
conducive environment for volunteer work.

Special Provisions
Integration of Volunteerism in the Basic and Higher Education Curriculum.
a) The DepEd and the CHED shall integrate volunteerism as part of the curriculum in basic and
higher education to raise the consciousness of the youth and develop the culture of
volunteerism among the citizenry.

Volunteer
a) refers to an individual or group who contribute time, service and resources whether on full-
time or part-time basis to a just and essential social development cause, mission or
endeavor in the belief that their activity is mutually meaningful and beneficial to public
interest as well as to themselves.

Benefits of Volunteering
a) connects you to others: impact on the community
b) good for the mind and body: helps counteract the effects of stress, anger and anxiety
c) can advance your career: get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the
field
d) brings fun and fulfillment in life: provides with renewed creativity, motivation and vision
that can carry over into personal and professional life
Where to find volunteer opportunities?
A. Volunteer Match: match your volunteer interest from location to type of work
B. Idealist: find opportunities in your local area or internationally
C. National and Community Service: Federal organization/local or national offering volunteer
positions
D. Volunteer: directory of environmental volunteer opportunities
E. Red Cross
F. Community theaters, museums and monuments
G. libraries or senior centers
H. service organizations such as lion clubs or rotary clubs
I. local animal shelters, rescue organizations or wildlife centers
J. Youth organizations, sports teams, and after - school programs
K. historical restorations, national parks and conservation organization
L. places of worship, national parks and conservation, etc.

Tips to ensure that your volunteer position is a good fit:

a) ask questions
b) make sure you know what's expected
c) don't be afraid to make a change
d) if volunteering oversees, choose carefully
e) enjoy yourself

10 digitally-fueled social initiatives where one can volunteer

A. #Relief PH : packing relief goods for displaced persons and families
B. #Zero Casualty: spreading life-saving information
C. #Gift to Hope: on line donation for victims of natural disasters and stand for solidarity
D. #ClimateActionPH: to help Filipinos understand the urgent need to fulfill the terms of the
Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The campaign encouraged citizens to do their part in
reducing the country’s carbon emissions. MovePH has brought the campaign to
communities through online conversations and workshops.
E. #2030Now - vision of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2017
Social Good Summit challenged MovePH partners and other participants to examine the
purpose of innovation with the theme, “Innovate with Purpose: Leave No One Behind.”
F. #SaferRoadsPH - to promote the enactment and enforcement of better policies that will
protect road users. About 10,000 people died due to road crashes in 2015. Globally, about
1.3 million people die yearly due to traffic-related injuries which could have been
prevented.
G. #SharePH - by encouraging Filipinos to share
H. #NSPC2017 - National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) - to inspire more school papers to
embrace online publication as a free, fast, and efficient way to create content and to reach
a broader community of readers beyond the 4 walls of their classrooms.
I. #PalarongPambansa - the Department of Education (DepEd), in partnership with MovePH,
tapped NSPC winners to cover the multi-sports event. The visual and text stories that the
campus journalists produced showcased not only the talent of the Filipino youth but also
their capacity to take part in building a "sustainable future" for the country, which was the
theme of the games.
J. #FactsMatterPH - sparked a conversation that opened minds of many netizens. "What do I
feel when journalists are being attacked online? I feel the loss of freedom of speech."

netizen: an avid/habitual user of internet