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Written by: Alyssa Villa

Key Officials of PNVSCA partner International Volunteer Service Organizations (IVSO), specifically the ForumZFD and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), visited PNVSCA to solidify its partnership for volunteerism for development.

(Left side): Executive Director Donald James D. Gawe, Mr. Kenneth Siruelo, OIC-PCMED, and Ms. Ela Victoria Sarmago, Deputy Executive Director. (Right Side): Mr. Alex Mauz, and Ms. Mairead Collins.

Ms. Mairead Collins, Country Director of ForumZFD Philippines, and Mr. Alex Mauz, Director of ForumZFD Germany, met with PNVSCA Executive Director Donald James D. Gawe on 14 October 2022 to discuss the organization’s current and future volunteering initiatives in the country. Increasing the number of ForumZFD volunteers as a priority for the organization was also conveyed during the visit. The meeting offered ForumZFD and PNVSCA the opportunity to exchange volunteerism-related experiences, lessons learned, and best practices that might be adopted as a guide for enhancing programs and initiatives.

(Left side): Mr. HIROSAWA Jin, Mr. TAKENAKA Narufumi, and Ms. Lara Javier, Senior Program Officer of JICA. (Right side): Executive Director Donald James D. Gawe, Mr. Kenneth Siruelo, OIC-PCMED; Mr. Rudy Carlos, Chief AO; Ms. Fely Baday, Supervising VSO; and Ms. Teresita Bahom, Senior VSO.

Likewise, JICA visited PNVSCA on 17 October 2022 to introduce Mr. TAKENAKA Narufumi, the Incoming Senior Representative of JICA. Mr. TAKENAKA was a former JOCV in Africa. Through the courtesy call, Mr. HIROSAWA Jin, the Outgoing Senior Representative of JICA, was also able to express his gratitude and share his experiences during his stay with JICA and in the Philippines. Executive Director Donald James D. Gawe encouraged the departing officer to champion the sending of more JOCVs to the Philippines. ED Gawe shared with JICA the idea of looking at the opportunity to engage Japanese nationals already in the country as potential volunteers.

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The author is currently the Volunteer Service Officer II of the Program Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PCMED), 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.