Written by: Raymart V. Maruquez

In a meeting held via Zoom last 24 January 2022, seventy-two (72) participants from the Philippine Statistics Authority Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), Regional Statistics Committee representatives composed of NEDA and PSA Regional Offices, PNVSCA Officials and staff including ILO Manila were briefed by ILO headquarter’s senior statistician and author of ILO’s 2021 Volunteer Work Measurement Guide, Mr. Vladimir Ganta.  The speaker remarked that the activity had the most number of participants so far.

PNVSCA Executive Director Donald James Gawe provided an overview and objectives of the session. Through the adoption of the ILO Volunteer Work Measurement Guide, he cited that relevant and timely generated volunteering statistics can be used as a reference in assessing the levels of impact of volunteerism that would be comparable with other countries. He mentioned the agency’s efforts to generate statistics using different methods to ensure evidence-based policy formulation.

Mr. Ganta shared that almost 70% of volunteer activities belong to informal volunteering and cited this as a challenge in measuring volunteer work.  Based on conducted studies, it was found out that informal volunteering is best captured at the household level through the labor force survey (LFS). He discussed the LFS add-on module on volunteer work, which focuses on identification of volunteer workers and characteristics of voluntary activities. Comprehensive implementation instructions on the LFS including detailed explanations are included in the 2021 ILO Volunteer Work Measurement Guide.

Mr. Ganta discussed the major factors for consideration in the adoption of the said Guide. These include good statistical infrastructure, capacity to adjust existing data collection tools and procedures, efficient communication with relevant stakeholders, and availability of resources.

Most of the questions raised during the discussion were centered on the definition of volunteering work which Mr. Ganta was able to clarify as any unpaid, non-compulsory activity to produce goods or provide services for others.

During the discussion, ED Gawe mentioned that the PNVSCA has been conducting a series of consultations with various stakeholders to review RA 9418 or the Volunteer Act of 2007 at an output level as there is no information that can be used in assessing the overall impact, at least in terms of percentage of the population volunteering after the enactment of the law. ED Gawe emphasized that the legal definition of the country might have to be reconciled with the volunteering work definition of ILO.  He thanked government agencies for expressing willingness to cooperate in the generation of data and information on volunteerism to ensure an effective advocacy on volunteerism as a cross-cutting strategy in achieving economic and development goals.

ILO Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan expressed his sincerest gratitude to PNVSCA for their interest in ILO’s Volunteering Work Guide. He also provided updates regarding ILO activities that are open for joint undertakings. The briefing was moderated by ILO Manila’s Ma. Concepcion Sardaña, with the assistance of Mr. Raymart Maruquez of PNVSCA.

The author is currently the Senior Volunteer Service Officer of the Program Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency.

Visit PNVSCA website (www.pnvsca.gov.ph) and PNVSCA Facebook (facebook.com/PNVSCA) for other stories and information on volunteering.