QUEZON CITY, June 12 -- Representatives of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and its attached agencies convened in a meeting held last 4 June 2020 for the proposed creation of the NEDA Family Volunteer Group (NFVG).
The online meeting was organized by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) and hosted by the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI). Dr. Josefina C. Venegas-Almeda, Executive Director of the PSRTI welcomed the representatives with her opening message and shared that she thinks this is the right time to pursue volunteerism, and in some ways help our countrymen.
PNVSCA Executive Director Donald James Gawe set the context of the meeting by explaining the purpose of the NFVG, which is to provide a venue for NEDA and its attached agencies to volunteer as a group to achieve better results while fostering cohesion between team members. ED Gawe emphasized that the NFVG initiative is one of the activities included in the Strategy Paper on how to tap volunteerism as part of government’s response to address COVID-19 that was submitted by PNVSCA to Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua.
Comments on the concept note initially prepared by PNVSCA were solicited from each representative of the attached agencies. The concept note articulated the general objective of inculcating volunteerism among the personnel of the NEDA family group and included proposals for appropriate name of the group, implementation mechanism, structure of the NFVG, roles of the agencies, among others. Some of the ideas and suggestions that surfaced during the discussion were the importance of operational planning to map out collaborative volunteering initiatives, building from the existing employee-HR related initiatives, engaging retired and former NEDA and attached agency personnel, participation of regional and local offices, integration of gender and development concerns, and adapting to the “new normal” environment. It was noted that NEDA and its attached agencies are undertaking their individual volunteering activities and the NFVG is a platform and opportunity for each agency to expand and widen the reach or increase the impact of their volunteering initiatives. A launching activity in 2020 has been also agreed upon.
In his closing remarks, ED Gawe thanked the representatives and expressed that PNVSCA is honored and humbled by the strong support and interest shown by the NEDA family members. As a rejoinder, DED Ricote congratulated ED Gawe and PNVSCA, as this initiative has been discussed by the attached agencies a few years ago and it is now slowly coming into fruition. He said that volunteerism is something that is commonly shared by all agencies even if they have their own mandates, thus, there should be no reason why the initiative would not succeed.
During the meeting, NEDA was represented by Assistant Secretary Greg L. Pineda, HEA Aladin A. Ancheta and EA Jon Martin V. Bustos. Representatives of the attached agencies are: Ms. Lolita Oreo of PSRTI; Ms Lyneth Therese Monsalve of the Commission on Population; Ms. Diana Hope Castro of Tariff Commission; Director Andrea Agcaoili of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies; Director Reynor Imperial of the Philippine Statistics Authority; and Ms. Maria Theresa Laranang and Deputy Executive Director Eleazar Ricote of the Public Private Partnership Center. Ms. Junelle Barcena of PSRTI served as the program host and moderator. (By Angeles E. Gavino, The author is currently Volunteer Service Officer, Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency.)
The online meeting was organized by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) and hosted by the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI). Dr. Josefina C. Venegas-Almeda, Executive Director of the PSRTI welcomed the representatives with her opening message and shared that she thinks this is the right time to pursue volunteerism, and in some ways help our countrymen.
PNVSCA Executive Director Donald James Gawe set the context of the meeting by explaining the purpose of the NFVG, which is to provide a venue for NEDA and its attached agencies to volunteer as a group to achieve better results while fostering cohesion between team members. ED Gawe emphasized that the NFVG initiative is one of the activities included in the Strategy Paper on how to tap volunteerism as part of government’s response to address COVID-19 that was submitted by PNVSCA to Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua.
Comments on the concept note initially prepared by PNVSCA were solicited from each representative of the attached agencies. The concept note articulated the general objective of inculcating volunteerism among the personnel of the NEDA family group and included proposals for appropriate name of the group, implementation mechanism, structure of the NFVG, roles of the agencies, among others. Some of the ideas and suggestions that surfaced during the discussion were the importance of operational planning to map out collaborative volunteering initiatives, building from the existing employee-HR related initiatives, engaging retired and former NEDA and attached agency personnel, participation of regional and local offices, integration of gender and development concerns, and adapting to the “new normal” environment. It was noted that NEDA and its attached agencies are undertaking their individual volunteering activities and the NFVG is a platform and opportunity for each agency to expand and widen the reach or increase the impact of their volunteering initiatives. A launching activity in 2020 has been also agreed upon.
In his closing remarks, ED Gawe thanked the representatives and expressed that PNVSCA is honored and humbled by the strong support and interest shown by the NEDA family members. As a rejoinder, DED Ricote congratulated ED Gawe and PNVSCA, as this initiative has been discussed by the attached agencies a few years ago and it is now slowly coming into fruition. He said that volunteerism is something that is commonly shared by all agencies even if they have their own mandates, thus, there should be no reason why the initiative would not succeed.
During the meeting, NEDA was represented by Assistant Secretary Greg L. Pineda, HEA Aladin A. Ancheta and EA Jon Martin V. Bustos. Representatives of the attached agencies are: Ms. Lolita Oreo of PSRTI; Ms Lyneth Therese Monsalve of the Commission on Population; Ms. Diana Hope Castro of Tariff Commission; Director Andrea Agcaoili of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies; Director Reynor Imperial of the Philippine Statistics Authority; and Ms. Maria Theresa Laranang and Deputy Executive Director Eleazar Ricote of the Public Private Partnership Center. Ms. Junelle Barcena of PSRTI served as the program host and moderator. (By Angeles E. Gavino, The author is currently Volunteer Service Officer, Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency.)
