Volunteerism: ‘Sense of Self-Satisfaction’

 “There is a sense of self-satisfaction… what you are doing is not only pleasing to the eyes of the people, but there is always somebody up there [God] watching your good deeds, and these are things that money cannot buy.”

This has been emphasized by Maj Hermie P. Pava, NSTP Director during an exclusive interview on December 10 in consonance to the CMU’s participation in the celebration of the National Volunteer Month.

The month of December was declared as the National Volunteer Month (NVM) per Presidential Proclamation No. 55, series of 1998. This year, the NVM is anchored with the theme, “Boluntarismo: Daan Tungo sa Pagbabago!.”

The National Volunteer Month is a celebration that gives utmost significance to people’s participation and noble acts of volunteerism as prime movers of development.

Maj Pava shared the importance of the National Service Training Program to students as a platform for volunteerism.

The NSTP students became volunteers, and they were expected to serve in the community, particularly in different areas like Disaster Risk Reduction, Environmental Protection, Drugs Education and other Civic Welfare Activities.

“…that is really the essence of NSTP, we have to create volunteers and ethics of service,” Maj Pava supplemented.

He said that the office of Civil Defense is in charge of the National Service Reserve Corps. As operationalized, the NSRC students were the products of Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS).

These students were expected to help the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office in the four thematic areas of Disaster Risk Reduction Management – Preparedness, Prevention- Mitigation, Disaster Response, and Rehabilitation and Recovery.

Maj Pava also expressed about a glimpse of history and passion in volunteerism. “I think volunteerism really runs in the blood because my late father is an extensionist. When I was still young I used to join him going to barrios conducting lectures,” Maj Pava reminisced.

He stressed out that in his childhood he was exposed to the community life and he enjoyed seeing people supported by the university like CMU to improve their quality of life.

For Maj Pava, he considered volunteerism as a responsibility of each and every citizen. “…Having this responsibility, we will have a nation of volunteers that could help us in nation building.”

In his concluding statement, Maj Pava encourages the students and other individuals to engage in volunteerism. He wanted to inspire especially the youth to involve in community development.

Maj Pava said: “As young as you are, start now because there is always good in the future, it may not be monetary, but your services will always be recognized by people and an avenue for enhancing leadership.”

As he ended his statement, he highlighted the idea that “we will not only make followers, we will always make leaders.” (MJLTalisay & WBorja)