Volunteers in the Philippines: United in Building a Better Nation

Volunteerism in the Philippines has also helped in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. It breaks the barrier that exists between the haves and the have knots in our society. Of Volunteers overlook social status and educational background because they are focused on a single goal: building a better nation. Volunteers in the Philippines come from different walks of life – students, young professionals, business owners. These people have come together to launch programs that would directly benefit the poor like housing projects, health programs, and livelihood projects. Volunteer efforts have proven that the power of compassion is not only capable of building homes for the homeless and giving food to the hungry, but also capable of rebuilding people’s dreams.

Even the biggest corporations in the country are already taking part in this grand revolution to fight poverty. They overlook industry competition and rivalry to fulfill their corporate social responsibilities. They give back to the immediate communities who serve them by helping nonprofit organizations raise funds to materialize projects. Aside from making pledges and raising funds, these companies have also immersed their employees in the inspiring movement by joining site building projects and other events to champion the plight of the poor.

Through these volunteers in the Philippines, more and more informal settlers are given a decent place to live in. The greatest thing about this is that the houses were built out of love and are given to qualified beneficiaries for free. Aside from building houses, holistic projects are also launched to help the beneficiaries learn skills needed to have a more stable occupation. The projects also aim to uplift their morale so that they would have the drive to dream for a better living condition.
 
An old adage says that compassion breeds compassion. When people do well to you, you feel inspired to also help others. Beneficiaries are now volunteers, as well, helping their neighbors in their own simple ways. They help build their neighbor’s houses as their way of showing gratitude for the homes built by others for them. The beneficiaries are not the only ones who get something out of the volunteer work. Even volunteers themselves are also gaining so much from the experience of helping others. Student volunteers get to imbibe the virtue of compassion early on. Young professionals joining the cause get a deeper sense of accountability and purpose. Companies who support nonprofit organizations get to serve and give back to their immediate communities.

After centuries of indifference and apathy in the Philippine society, more and more Filipinos are slowly realizing that the only way to rise above the poor state of the economy and living condition is through compassion and lending a helping hand to the deprived. The power of volunteerism in the Philippines has become an inspiration for other nations to emulate. Different humanitarian award giving bodies have recognized the result of work of volunteers in the Philippines, a testament to the nobility of the mission to build a better nation free from the shackles of poverty.