March 29, 2024

Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales has penned a proposed ordinance seeking to create a city-wide program for Baguio.
An important component of the proposed program is the formulation of an incentives system for volunteers in the city.
In his proposal, Orcales said it is incumbent upon the city government to recognize volunteerism as a significant driver of political, economic, and social development.
“Volunteerism builds inclusion, ownership, solidarity, and social cohesion. It creates stronger communities, institute development, and increase social capital,” he stated.
The city government will spearhead the proposed volunteer program with an end view of bringing service to the community especially to the most vulnerable and marginalized sectors. 
Volunteerism activities under the program shall be in the form of social services, technical development assistance, environmental management, secretarial or office administration services, janitorial and community cleaning services, disaster risk reduction and management, and other services that may be authorized by the mayor upon the recommendation of the City Human Resource Management Office (CHRMO).
According to the proposed ordinance, city government employees and officials shall also be encouraged to render annually at least 100 hours of community volunteer work under this program outside of official working days. This shall aim at providing opportunities for government employees to express and actualize their personal desire to help others.
To operationalize the volunteer program, a volunteer coordinating unit shall be created and lodged in the CHRMO with the CHRM officer as the focal program and the chief executive of the City Mayor’s Office as the co-focal person.
The proposed ordinance shall prescribe guidelines for the city-wide volunteer program which include the requirements and qualifications for rendering voluntary service, limitations and prohibitions, criteria for selection of volunteers, pre-service orientation, deployment, and monitoring and supervision, among others.
Volunteers who have finished their term of engagement shall be conferred the Ug-ugbo Merit Award in the form of an official medallion during a ceremony to take place on December 5 every year, coinciding with the celebration of the International Volunteer Day. – Jordan G. Habbiling