Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Karlo Nograles met with Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) Executive Director Donald James D. Gawe on 26 July 2023 at the CSC Central Office, Quezon City to discuss opportunities for collaboration between the two agencies to spur increased volunteerism among state workers.
Joining them were Assistant Secretary Greg L. Pineda, National Economic and Development Authority Regional Development Group; Mr. Kenneth C. Siruelo, OIC of the Policy, Advocacy, and Technical Services Division; Ms. Maribel F. Larracochea, OIC Supervising Volunteer Service Officer, and Ms. Claire S. Pantoja, all from the PNVSCA.
“As public servants, it is our sworn duty to uphold public interest, and one of the best ways we can show this is to awaken our love of country and share our personal time and resources in helping others, especially the underserved and marginalized sectors of society.”
During the meeting, one of the topics addressed was the creation of modalities and schemes for government agencies and/or employee volunteering, along with the formulation of guidelines for their implementation. Additionally, Chairperson Nograles and Executive Director Gawe agreed on the need to establish data on volunteering efforts within the public sector to recognize and record best practices.
Both agencies are also currently collaborating on the revision of CSC Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 23, s. 2012 to align it with the objectives of public sector volunteerism as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. The said MC, issued in December 2012, enjoins all agencies to establish and implement programs to promote volunteerism in the public sector.
“We are excited to strengthen our collaboration with the PNVSCA and help engage more government employees in volunteerism. As public servants, it is our sworn duty to uphold public interest, and one of the best ways we can show this is to awaken our love of country and share our personal time and resources in helping others, especially the underserved and marginalized sectors of society,” Chairperson Nograles said.
Furthermore, the meeting covered the preparations for the upcoming National Volunteer Month (NVM), organized by the PNVSCA and observed annually in December pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 55, s. 1998. Chairperson Nograles received commendation from PNVSCA as the NVM Honorary Chair for the period 2023 to 2024. This acknowledgment recognizes his dedication to highlighting the crucial contributions of volunteers in national development, both during his current leadership at the CSC and his previous roles as Cabinet Secretary, Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Co-Chair and Spokesperson of the IATF-Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Chair of the Task Force on Zero Hunger.
Moreover, CSC is a member of the technical working group for the Search for Outstanding Volunteers, which is part of the activities for the NVM celebration. The Search aims to recognize outstanding Filipino volunteers and volunteer organizations for their exemplary performance and achievements in empowering communities and promoting volunteerism as a way of life, contributory to nation-building.
