The spirit, despite the letter of the law
Our times are a-changing. This is clear. The energies of this period of demands transformation are becoming more and more evident as situations unfold with great speed. While our people attempt to get back on their feet after the devastation of Ondoy, all of us carry the urgency that there are practices, lifestyles and values systems that need to change. No further discussion. Just make a choice, then effect the change.
One of the key words in this present time is that of volunteerism, of giving one’s time to a cause. It is a conscious shift from the spirit of egoist greed, selfishness and narcissistic concerns. Of doing things only for the promise of money or acknowledgement. In its heart is pure giving, and offering of the self. The spirit of volunteerism is known to us by another name: the bayanihan spirit — where Filipinos come together to help each other out in a spirit of communal sharing of time and effort. This cultural value has always been present in the Filipino’s DNA, that when President Arroyo signed the Volunteer Act in April of 2007, all she was doing was defining, in the form of a law, this innate spirit in the Filipino. The Volunteer Act seeks to institutionalize volunteerism as a strategy for national development and international cooperation. This legislation’s promise is to create a conducive and enabling environment for volunteering in the Philippines. I am not sure if many even remember this law now. But many surely recognize the spirit of it now burning in their hearts as the volunteers from the academe, corporate and NGOs continue to flock to the nearest relief operations center to deliver help and relief to victims of the typhoons.
Some say volunteerism is giving a little of your time to others and some say it is an answer to a calling. But for the present day volunteers, their actions give expression to a spontaneous outpouring from the heart, from the spirit of compassion to share whatever they could — tangibly through goods or intangible, through their efforts. For the Pinoys, it is giving conscious action to a cultural value deep within our racial DNA...of a people that forge and value community above all else.
In hindsight, it is interesting to note that exactly five days before the floods came upon us, a forum and volunteer expo called Catalyzing Change Through Volunteering was hosted by VSO Bahaginan, a premier development organization in the Philippines committed to fighting global poverty by engaging volunteers and institutional partners into a wide range of volunteer programs and initiatives. In that forum, it was clear that various sectors of Philippine society have already embraced volunteerism. The academe is committed in providing technical assistance within the academic circle. Companies through expression of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have formed activities where employees have given their time, skills and resources in the service of the company’s internal and/or external communities. And non-profit organizations have provided complementary service delivery and human resource development in underserved communities. There is also technical assistance offered by foreign volunteer organizations, through inter-governmental frameworks of technical cooperation and socio-cultural exchange.
While the spirit of volunteerism continues to spontaneously find expression today, what can the Filipino people expect from the government through this Volunteer Act? How can we better the state of volunteerism in the country? The people in the government (once they can manage to get their acts together and truly come from the spirit of right governance) should coordinate, facilitate and encourage the participation of sectors of Philippine society that organizes themselves into volunteers.
We expect a system of national registration and networking to improve coordination of volunteers and volunteer service organizations and to widen horizon for sharing and complementing volunteer information, experiences and resources. Government agencies and non-government organizations implementing volunteer programs are also encouraged to develop and provide volunteers recognition and incentive package.
During that pre-deluge forum, representatives of the Ministry of Youth, Education and Sports in Kenya visited the Philippines to participate. One of the woman representatives of the Ministry said, “We want to see what we have to learn from the Philippines and what we have seen is that volunteerism in the Philippines is in their DNA.” Obviously, this bayanihan spirit of ours is already acknowledged the world over. They have also been observing some of our best practices that they wish to instill in their own countries and communities. “We have come to ask, what makes you so determined? What makes you have the passion for volunteering? What makes you feel that you are a Filipino? And you are proud to be a Filipino,” she asked.
It is one thing to know the law, another to take action, and another to take it into heart. The recent volunteers did not need to read the provisions of the Volunteer Act before they were convinced that their neighbors, friend, and relatives were in need of their help. All it took was for them to know and respond to their sensibilities, to feel the compassion in their hearts.
Well, with or without the law, it is the spirit that moves the Filipino to express the best part of him/herself. But the enigma is — why does this surface mostly during the most challenging of times. The letter of the law will always remain to be expressed and lend itself to strengthening the systems and organizations by which this age-old Pinoy spirit of bayanihan will be more ably expressed. But I know, law or no law, volunteerism will gain ground in the Filipino. May it be the dominant spirit to stay. May it be the radiance of the race express. May it be the guiding value that transforms our people, our communities and most importantly, our leaders who guide us.
