Fine example of volunteerism

Manila, Philippines: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/216333/fine-example-volunteerism

Last Saturday evening, I had the privilege of addressing a group that I consider one of the finest examples of volunteerism today – the Kiwanis International. The affair was the induction into office of the officers of their new charter club, the Kiwanis Club of the Philippine Army-Fort Bonifacio in Camp Aguinaldo.

I am all praises for the Kiwanis as I had the most enlightening experience of working with the group, being a former president of the Kiwanis Cebu chapter. My wife, Marit, is also a Kiwanian, being the governor of the Kiwanis South District.

The Kiwanis International, as many of us know, is a global organization of over 260,000 adult member-volunteers in around 8,000 clubs in 96 countries. It encourages service to children and youth using two approaches: To improve the quality of life directly; and the other, to encourage leadership among the youth. This explains why the organization has 7,000 youth clubs with nearly 32,000 youth members all over the world.

The organization helps shelter the homeless, feeds the hungry, mentors the disadvantaged, and cares for the sick. They build schoolrooms and playgrounds, set up livelihood undertakings, conduct
medical and dental missions, raise funds for pediatric research, among others.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself has expressed appreciation of the organization's work here and abroad. She even launched her administration's National Volunteerism Program during the Kiwanis Asia-Pacific Conference held in Cebu last March. The president made the call "for a new age of volunteerism" to combat the adverse effect of the world financial downturn.

The president realizes how important a partner Kiwanis is in the fight against poverty and social justice as can be surmised from the group's various civic programs such as livelihood and education.

As I stressed in my speech during the induction program, in these trying times, we need to generate national support for volunteerism by, among others, tapping religious, civic groups, and non-government organizations, as well as every ordinary citizen, to engage in volunteerism.

Our commitment to caring should prompt each one of us to count our blessings and give back to the less fortunate. Together, we must focus on the urgent needs of our family and the community.

This partnership between our Philippine Army and the Kiwanis is most ideal, as the Philippine Army's mandate is in the service of the people, while the Kiwanis is the civic organization in the service of the people.

I am confident that the Kiwanis Philippine Army chapter will serve the poor and the underprivileged with the same zeal and dedication they exhibit in their duty to defend the country and serve the people.