As our youth become nation-builders nowadays, we build community
extensions to promote healthcare education and to integrate students in having
a social study. Youth initiatives towards nation building are how we act to our
society that includes volunteerism and having social responsiveness to our
people.
As Senator Teofisto D. Guingona III a chairman, BCYF Mindanao CSR
Council keynote Speaker, pin-points that having social responsiveness to our
people is how we care for them. He said citizenship is simply volunteerism. We
do it on our own initiative, and for other people with no pay or such. We give aids
for people who have some needs such as “nasunugan at nasalanta ng bagyo”.
Citizenship can be seen in how we follow campaigns and follow the preventative
measures of COVID19. We care for others because we love to serve in schools,
churches, and communities. We can do simple things to help people around us
such as creating, promoting, and sharing health education to our neighborhood,
and people will be inspired and do it with others.
As Mr. Mark Conrad Ravanzo, a co-founder and chief executive volunteer
of “I am M.A.D (Making a Difference)” he mentioned this quote “I will always
Dream Deep, and never be Discouraged. I will Do it now because I believe I can
Deliver. In all these, I Dedicate every Distinction to my inspirations” and let this
be your mantra to do all your task and activities because procrastination
nowadays is so famous to us students and it leads us to not perfectly deliver what
we have wanted. He also mentioned that being MAD is to realize your dreams.
Think of why you started volunteering and be inspired again. It’s okay to rest but
don’t give up. Volunteering is something you do out of your free time and act of
love and if you get tired: rest and love yourself. The very significant lesson I
learned from him is that “Volunteerism works must come from your heart”
because if you don’t have the passion to do it, you won’t deliver it the way you
wanted. If you love yourself enough, there’s so much more to give to others. So
we need to take care of ourselves in order we could volunteer. Making a
difference is we act now and not later.
As Mr. Emmanuel Mirus Ponon, a Founder and Chairman, ASEAN Youth
Advocates Network resource speaker have mentioned that how could we make
advocacy a lifestyle. Being active citizenship is having a love for the country
through our actions. One is to look for organizations that advocate for your
advocacy – your biggest hugot is your most effective advocacy, wherein follow
your heart and be inspired to do things you wanted to do in life. Being a follower,
student leader and citizen entails what is needed the society is to know what
skills you are willing to offer to your community. We should plan ahead and set
our goals to be active citizens. Lastly, we need to learn how to make communicate
because someone may have misunderstood us and made a conflict. Attitude is
always important in volunteerism because it reflects your actions in giving service
to other people. We need to find ourselves in the service of others. We can have
the heart and solidify us why’s. He taught us how to be sustainable of being one
active citizenship. We can balance our personal time in being a volunteer by
listing our needs and wants in everyday life. I’m inspired and amazed with this
speaker to think of I’m with the same age as him and he has so many
achievements in life and be a role model and inspiration to everyone. He said that
always prioritize self-care and have time management as early as now because
it will help us in the long run. He also mentioned that we need to be advocates
to have changed for the better, we need to accept and embrace ourselves in order
to volunteer with people whom we love to serve.
Volunteering is to keep on doing it even though you’re going to encounter
challenges along the way. It is to thank and acknowledge people because our
family is our own trophy. As one of the youths, it’s not only dreaming high but
dreaming differently. Be someone who MAD is to become one advocate to follow
your dreams and be bolder to achieve our dreams in life. Let us make a difference
today, so volunteer!