SOCIO 10 WFY

PROF. GINA GATARIN

WORKSHOP CONCEPT NOTE
Volunteerism and Activism
By Hannah Argota, Vlad Bonite and Zia Parcon
Brief Introduction on Session Topic
For Session 22, the group will discuss Volunteerism and Activism. The
report contains two topics: Tracing the Roots of Volunteering in Philippine
Culture and Society and Pre- EDSA Revolt student leader exhorts UP
students to become activists: 5 signs of a true tibak by Atty. Raffy Aquino.
The first topic was taken from the book Extending the self: Volunteering as
Pakikipagkapwa by Aguiling-Dalisay et.al.
Pagkataong Pilipino and Volunteering
Filipino Volunteerism is defined as helping someone out of absolute
free will or without compulsion to help and without consideration of any
remuneration or anything in exchange. It is associated to the concept of
Pagkataong Pilipino which emphasizes the dynamic relationship between
loob and labas as represented in kapwa and pakikipagkapwa. Salazar
insisted on the relationship of kaluluwa and ginhawa to kalooban in
understanding the loob and labas of kamalayang Pilipino (Filipino
consciousness). Connecting this with Filipino Volunteerism, he emphasized
the importance of the essence/soul and inner comfort and well-being of a
Filipino volunteer in the damdamin and pakiramdam in helping someone.
Jocano also related Filipino volunteerism with Filipino value system based
on the pamantayan of halaga, asal and diwa, where egoistic and altruistic
values in helping somenone can be seen.
Cultural Expressions of Volunteering
Filipino volunteerism can be related to different expressions and
manifestations of pagkataong Pilipino, such as bayanihan, damayan,
kawanggawa, pagtutulungan and pahinungd. These manifestations argue
for the rootedness of Filipino volunteerism in Filipino culture, history and
society.
Volunteering and the Nonprofit Sector in the Philippines

Non-government and nonprofit sectors are rampant and loud in our

country nowadays. With their advocacies and goals as one organization,
they are making a change in our society. According to the study of
Constantino-David, non-government organizations are formed to fill up the
inadequacies of the state in different aspects. These organizations need a
deep urge of volunteerism from the citizens because efforts on this kind of
work are not a petty work. There are many NGOs that are registered in our
country. These NGOs have their own different fields that they focus on.
NGOs are not only based in our country. There are also international NGOs
that support a bigger scope of grassroots level of the society.
Cario defined the population of the nonprofit sector in our country as very
big, not as what the observers have expected. This study of Carios is
based on the studies done through Caucus of Development NGOs and the
Philippine Nonprofit Sector Project of the UP Pahinungod in 1999 to 2000.
He also mentioned that these nonprofit sectors are different from each
other according to their function and way of relating to the society.
Nonprofit sectors are defined as an organization that uses its extra funds for
the purpose of the organization, rather than dividing it between the
shareholders and the owners of the organization. Examples of NPOs are
public arts organizations, trade unions and charitable organizations.
Barlis-Francisco focused on the nonprofit sector itself, being nonprofitsharing, private, and voluntary. Fernan tried to mix and match the studies of
PNSP on giving and volunteering and came up with some new information.
Giving and volunteering were regarded as acts done to assist or help
others who were in need. Such are acts that show effort to help others out
of absolute free will.
Ducanes embarked on a study of philanthropy in Zamboanga del Norte. The
study observed the giving trait of the people in the province. In the end,
specific acts of giving and volunteering in the province provide empirical
evidence of altruism based on theories of evolutionary psychology, social
exchange and social norms.
Beasca have done the latest work on volunteerism in the Philippines by
taking a closer look in the strategic review of the volunteer system. It
traced the origin of the formation of these organizations; that the country
adopted the system of the international organizations and we incorporated
it to our present NGOs and nonprofit sectors. The study concluded different
strengthening techniques for the volunteer system of the Philippines.
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Looking at Motives in Filipino Volunteering

Personal conditions and circumstantial conditions are some of the issues of
motivations in volunteering. An individual who is eager or willing to
volunteer but his/her time or health is not fit to do volunteer work probably
will not be able to do it. According to the reading, the commitment to
pakikipagkapwa fuels Filipino volunteerism. An individual who cares for the
welfare of the other people tend to offer their self and time to volunteer.
According to Magno The Filipinos kapwa-centered cultureaccounted
for the volunteers motivations to serve.
Activism
As defined by Atty. Raffy Aquino, activism is the habit of trying to change
things in society through social action. In general, a true activist is an
observer, a philosopher, a theorist and a thinker. He strives to be so by
reading, listening, studying and learning. Being a true activist can only be
achieved through intellectual struggles.
UP provides its students avenues for critical inquiry, social research,
and intellectual labor. It is the perfect place for an activist to become
intellectual and should exploit this for two reasons:
(i)

It is the perfect training ground before he finally leaves UP, for

before he uses what he can learn to the rest of the country.

(ii)

To build ideological sharpness and intellectual adeptness. To

become ideologically confident and intellectually superior. He must
achieve these things to dominate UP.

UP is vital to Philippine activism in many ways and many levels. UP is

the center of the Philippine political elite. It is where future leaders of the
country are educated and trained. It is where future policy makers and
decision makers of the country are taught on how to preserve or maintain
the society. In short, it is in UP that the social system of the country is
replicated and perpetuated.
While UP has produced generations of political leaders and
bureaucrats dedicated to defending the status quo, it has also produced
generations of activists dedicated to assail the status quo and take it down.
It is in this duality that UP has achieved its national prominence. In one way
or another, UP has shaped the countrys policies, has influenced national
thinking, and determined the path of the country.
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To summarize, UP is vital to Philippine activism because it is both a

recruitment ground and training facility. It is where true activists engage
and contest. It is where UPs voice, which the nation listens to, must be
owned. But to remain in UP and realize its full potential to activism, UP
activists must become thinking activists.
Workshop Objectives
For this session, the group aims to inform the class on activism and also to
exercise the sense of volunteerism of each member of the class by:

Elaborating on the different contexts of application of concepts and

ideas associated with pagkataong Pilipino
Exploring the different cultural expressions and manifestations of
Filipino Volunteerism
Comparing loob and labas as a level of social interaction
Asking how they perceive kapwa
Discussing the Filipino Value Structure, Kamalayang Pilipino and
determining the helping behavior of a Filipino volunteer
Explaining the importance of kapwa and istrukturang panlipunan
Discussing the formal and organized volunteering efforts in the
Philippines, the different NGOs and nonprofit sectors in the country
Defining Activism and providing important implications
Explaining how is it to be a UP activist.

Proposed methods and activities

The report will be presented with a powerpoint presentation. Games will be
conducted such that class participation, cooperation and volunteerism will
be exercised.
1. Before starting with the topic, the group will ask five volunteers to
participate in the game and will be given prizes right away because
there is actually no game. In this way, we will find out who among
the class has the strongest sense of volunteerism.
2. A game of words and pictures pertaining to Filipino volunteerism will
be done. Groups will be formed where they will arrange a picture
puzzle and relate the words given to them.
3. There will be an open forum (may be in a form of debate) about
activism in UP.
Target outputs

The group intends to inform the class about the origin of Filipino
volunteerism and its manifestations within themselves and to show the
sociological importance of volunteerism through the class discussions and
participation on activities. The workshop aims the students to think
critically, to act innovatively and to apply and use the information in a dayto-day basis.