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Written by: Maribel F. Larracochea

Manila – The Asian Social Institute (ASI), one of the few graduate institutes specializing in economics, sociology, social work, and social services and development in the country, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) to mainstream volunteerism in ASI’s programs and activities. The MOU Signing was held at the Institute on Tuesday, 09 May. It was led by PNVSCA Executive Director Mr. Donald James D. Gawe and ASI President Dr. Felipe M. De Leon, Jr.

As a graduate school and research institution, ASI will focus on integrating volunteerism into its research activities. President De Leon, who is also the former Chair of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), highlighted that volunteerism and bayanihan are both a manifestation of the Filipino culture and added that ASI would be interested in research that will focus on the determinants which encourage volunteerism, as well as social conditions which make volunteering successful.

In addition, ASI will develop a formal structure to institutionalize its Volunteer Program that will actively engage its academic and non-academic personnel, students, and alums in volunteerism. PNVSCA, on the other hand, will provide ASI with technical assistance to further strengthen its volunteerism-related programs and initiatives and provide the Institute with relevant information and materials for promoting and advocating volunteerism.

Prof. Dennis Y. Batoy, ASI Vice-President for Social Development, shared that volunteerism is already a way of life of the ASI family since part of ASI’s mission is to promote volunteerism in the community. He cited as an example one ASI Professor who only gets a one-peso salary every year. Director Gawe commended ASI’s efforts on volunteerism and expressed his hopes for ASI to have an organized volunteer program that can serve as a model for other academic institutions and eventually designate ASI as a local learning hub for volunteerism.

(Shown in the photo seated from L-R: Dr. Felipe M. De Leon, Jr. – ASI President; Mr. Donald James D. Gawe – PNVSCA Executive Director; Standing from L-R: Mr. Kenneth C. Siruelo, MNSA – OIC-PATSD, PNVSCA; Dr. Erlinda Natocyad – ASI Vice-President for Academe; Ms. Maribel F. Larracochea – Senior Volunteer Service Officer, PNVSCA; Prof. Dennis Y. Batoy – ASI Vice-President for Social Development)

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The author is currently the Senior Volunteer Service Officer (VSO) of the Policy, Advocacy and Technical Services Division (PATSD) of the 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.