Congress approves volunteerism bill

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives passed on second reading on Tuesday a bill seeking to encourage the spirit of "bayanihan" or volunteerism among various sectors of society.

House Bill 6713, or the "Filipino Volunteerism in Nation-Building Act of 2012" was authored by 48 lawmakers, led by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.

"It is imperative to lay down a legal and institutional framework which would encourage the various sectors of society to volunteer and be active partners of government in nation-building," Belmonte said after the bill passed plenary.

The bill defines volunteerism as "an act involving a wide range of activities, including traditional forms of mutual aid and developmental interventions that provide an enabling and empowering environment, both on the part of the beneficiary receiving and the volunteer rendering the act, undertaken for reasons arising from socio-developmental, business or corporate orientation, commitment or conviction for the attainment of the public good and where monetary and other incentives or reward are not the primary motivating factors."

Volunteer service organizations, meanwhile, are defined as either local or foreign groups which recruit, train, deploy and support volunteer workers and programs.

The measure encourages sectors in society to practice volunteerism in partnership with cooperating agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

HB 6713 appoints the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency as the main coordinating body tasked to create a program management unit for volunteerism in nation-building.

It also provides incentives to civil society organizations, partners and stakeholders for a period of eight years, which can be extended to six more years through congressional approval.