Individual's Shadow: 2007

Thursday, August 2, 2007

A visit to a one-of-a-kind volunteer organization.

VSO Bahaginan

Share with them
not just your skills & resources
but also your
hopes and dreams.

Ms. Anna Marie Dizon of VSO Bahaginan was so kind to accommodate us even though there was quite a problem with our appointment. :P

After a long series of finding a volunteer organization we can interview, VSO Bahaginan came into rescue! Credits to my group mates! Go Group 5!

After, let's get into serious stuff...

VSO Bahaginan - not just a typical volunteer organization that render services to a community. Its more than that. It render service in the means of helping other volunteer organization which involve the delivering of volunteers. VSO Bahaginan is a developmental organization committed to fighting global poverty and disadvantage through a wide range of volunteer development programs. Its UK-based organization works through, together with the volunteers, sending them to more than 30 countries in the developing worlds such as Asia, Africa, the Balkans, the Pacific and the Caribbean.

It has major recruitment bases found in the Philippines, Canada which is the first recruitment base, UK, Kenya, India which right now hasn't reach the federation status member yet and lastly, Ireland.

VSO Bahaginan has 3 major volunteering programs:

1. International Volunteering Program.
VSO Bahaginan recruits skilled volunteers with professional qualifications and experience from a range of disciplines from everywhere in the Philippines to live and work in local communities, sharing skills and changing lives.

"Some people might say why bother to help others abroad when millions of disadvantage Filipinos need all the assistance they can get? Well, if every society waited to "get everything together" before reaching out, the world would be truly a mess! the wonderful things about VSO work is that it breaks down the borders in the collective consciousness. No more 'us' and 'them', we're all in it together.

- VSO Pamphlet

2. KABAHAGI - National Volunteering Program.
VSO Bahaginan supports the promotion of local or national volunteering by way of partnerships with voluntary and volunteer-involving organizations in a range of activities that would support and promote the mobilization and strengthening of local capacities. We encourage active global citizenship that contributes to the development of local communities through volunteering.

3. Youth Volunteering
VSO Bahaginan recognizes the role of the youth in nation building. We offer young people a chance to make a real difference to community projects in the Philippines and the UK through the Global Xchange Programme.

* Among all the programs, this has the most competitive application due to limited slots.
*Recruits youth ages 15-25
*Short volunteering program without possesing any professional qualification
*Volunteer work will be consisted of 3 months Volunteer work in Mindanao
3 months in UK. ---> Even a developed country has pockets pf poverty
"No matter where you are, poverty exists, in different context".
*Whatever skills will be harnessed.

Accomplishments of VSO
there is really more than the list!

~Volunteers area awarded by different governments recognizing the invaluable assistance they provided.
~Most Volunteers after coming back finds themselves more valuable and chose 80% of them to become International Development Workers.
~Volunteers became advocacy officers dealing with missing persons, peace builders, and project officers of different organizations addressing poverty reduction.
~Annually, they send 100 Filipino Volunteers on over 34 developing countries.

"Volunteerism has different reasons and motivation. It a way of giving a part of yourself such as dedication, time, skills, personal experiences and not just things in excess. You do it because of Altruism, out of the kindness in your heart. And at the end, you realize that you've gain a lot more from the learning".

-Ana Maria Dizon
Recruitment Staff

Learning? It's within yourself, you realize that you can make a difference because of your national curiosity of people and by contributing to global understanding of issues.

You become more optimistic since you have been exposed different realities unimaginable.

"Better becoming one less person than nobody knowing"

Commnity Profiling

This lecture was different from the others; it gives you the hint that play is over and let's get to the serious business.

Sir Deocariza discussed community profiling. A preparation to all CWTS students before we embark on the journey of our own, to a community assigned to us.

It is not easy to go into a community and try to give them your service without the proper knowlegde of the said community.It involves a lot of planning. There are several things to be considered first:

What kind of service the community needs...

Give them a fish... they will eat the fish for a day
Teach them to fish, they will fish for a lifetime.

Their realities is different from yours.
What you think they need isn't what actually they need.

This where Community Profiling comes in.

Community Profiling is an inventory of information of the key features, needs and resources of a community.

This is very important because it gives you a better understanding of the community. It eventually helps you decide what projects are suitable for a certain community we are to render.

Community profiling is a rigorous process and involves a lot of steps to be taken.

1. Organization and Planning
2.Data Collection
3. Data Processing and Presentation

It would be much easier if a community already has an existing profile since you just have to update them. But take note, only few communities have the budget to do a community profiling, so most of the communities don't have their profiles which means one thing, one has to start in scratch.

It easy as said but far hard when you are actually doing a community profiling. A lot of issues and problems and arises and there are a lot of things to be careful about especially when it comes to ethical issues.

But at the end, only one things is important: Being able to render service and at the same time learning from it as well.

And I'm excited. :P

Friday, July 13, 2007

Personal Growth and Social Interactions

Dr. Aurora Corpuz Mendoza was the speaker for this lecture. She came from the department of Psychology (Yey!) specializing on Industrial organization.

On her study, she found out that work values on generations changes. There is time lag of 30-60 years before shift in values occurs. Therefore, there is a slow and steady change in the character of the society.

There are also different dimensions of work values according to Buchholz shown in the lecture. These dimension of work differs from one another in the sense of measuring success of one's individual in a particular work; these are the ff:

1. The Protestant Work Ethic which says that success is directly related to effort measured by accumulated wealth.

2. Organizational Belief System which a very Japanese belief; success is not related to effort and accomplishment, rather, success is directly linked to one's ability to conform and adapt to the norms of the company.

3. Humanistic. Well, the title says it all. Success is measured in terms of human growth and development on the job rather than work output.

4. Marxist related tells us that work is basic to human fulfillment since through this, people create their world and identity.

5. Leisure Ethic tells us really a different story since in this dimension, work has no meaning in itself and will only become meaningful in how it provides leisure to the successful persons.

Today, work values tend to shy away form work ethics to humanistic value. Likewise, religion, marital status and employment poses great impact to an individual compared in the past. Much also of breach of contract happens. What contract? The Psychological Contract between the employee and the employer. This contract is the expectation of the employer of the employee and vice versa. In pursuing a job, the no. 1 in the last in today's generation is the challenge. Well, in this, I beg to disagree. Is the reason of people opting to work in a call center is that they find challenge answering phone calls? I don't think so.

Difference of career from Job. I never realized how different were these two from each other until I attended this lecture. Career is dynamic; continuous incremental development. If one pursues a career in a particular field, he/she plans to be an expert in his/her chosen field and an ascent in hierarchy occurs. On the other hand, job is static period.

In selecting a job, often the HR people uses the Person occupation fit. But today, what seen as a more suitable process is the process approach - more on the type of organization than the type of occupation.

Satisfy vs optimize

"Look for best choices than satisfactory choices"

"The irony/paradoxes about it is that we want to focus on personal growth but we then chooses job without it".

What then applies to me for me?

I think I believe in the combination of the humanistic value, leisure ethic, Marxist related and protestant work ethic. In the future, I want a job where I will be able to create a conducive world for my personal growth and fulfillment and have a time for rest and relaxation.

That's why I want to become a lawyer/ diplomat/ ambassador.

I don't want to end up working in a call center.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Reflection: Civic Duties and Responsibilities

"Kapag tinanong ka kung ano ka" ---> TAO. "Di mo naman sasabihing "PILIPINO".

Nationalism and Citizenship in the Age of Globalization was the title of Prof. Raymond Quilop's Lecture.

He first pointed out the difference of Nationalism and Citizenship.

Citizenship: In the form of paper e.g. passport, birth certificate etc.

Nationalism? Definitely much more important, especially in the context of the globalized world. Forces of globalization enhances or diminishes sense of NATIONALISM.

He then conceptualize the word Nationalism. This is where nation and states comes in.
He said that nation and state when combined forms the nation state which is the political and social unit around the world this time.

State is the external manifestation of the government; its an abstract concept. On the other hand, nation is the imagined political community.

State?Mahirap patayin!
Government? Madaling Palitan!

In the Philippines, it was very unfortunate of us since State was first established. Hence, the sense of being a Filipino has been imposed outside. We didn't chose to be a "Filipino".
That's why symbols are important! It attempts to homogenized Philippine Society. These are imposed and cultivated by the government so as to enhance the feeling of nationalism.

But national symbol practically fail to evoke the sense of nationalism.

"Naiiyak ka ba kapag naririnig mo ang Lupang Hinirang?"

"Hindi porke't nagtatagalog ka ay Pilipino ka na."

What does this exactly mean? Nationalism comes inside of us. It's not what we see externally but what deep inside our hearts. We just feel it like faith, a very powerful sentiment.

National Symbols? For me they are not effective. I don't feel patriotic every time I eat mangga or when I grill a bangus.

We should start loving our country! Instead of thinking where to migrate after college graduation, we should instead devote our time of giving service to our countrymen.

"Kung ano ang kinuha sa Bayan, ibalik sa Bayan! -------> Mam Gaying!

So there! :P

Reflection: Volunteerism

Service learning focused on Education was the main topic discussed by Prof. Nestor Castro. Basically, he explain how learning can be place in the context of volunteerism where students will be able to validate concepts and theories learned in class to real-life situations and at the same time directly responding to people's need. In this way, students can learn from the people of the community as the same time as people of the community will learn from the students.

But, there are severals things to be considered first before embarking on the learning experience like the ethical consideration, safety and welfare not just of the students and faculty giving service but also of the community and financial costs.

Prof. Castro also showed as the past CSSP CWTS field projects. He pointed out that some areas may not be as effective unlike the other areas since these areas are already used to having students on their community.

"Sana'y na sa mga estudyante. Minsan pa nga , sila na ang nagtatanong kung hindi ba kayo gagamit ng random sampling technique".

We should then carefully plan out the activities and select a community wherein service will be most effective!

Service Starts when? NOW!

So there! :P

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Reflection: Philippine Society and Culture

Culture - a very banal word that is commonly define "as the complex whole which include knowledge, belief, arts, moral, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a members of society". (E. Taylor)

I can't believe that this was the primitive definition of culture. And saying that this is primitive, it doesn't apply to the current context of today's society. It was used by Europeans so as to discriminate non-European countries as primitive that yet has to be civilized.

In the past, it was believe that culture is Homogenous Static. Culture will not change unless conquered by the European. ----------> not true!

Culture is anything that is related to Human Beings. Human beings are dynamic, not static. Culture then changes and develops.

Not only those individuals whose acts doesn't belongs to what is considered as the "norms" of society. Everyone has their own culture, even those belonging to a single country.

In the Philippines, being an archipelago with 7,107 islands, 171 languages and at least 106 ethnic groups where the values/culture of the Filipino Time, utang na loob, bahala and bayanihan can be found BUT it doesn't necessarily means that is applies to everyone (culture logics). This is where multiple realities comes in. We may live in the same country, same region, same city, same baranggay and yet we have different perspectives, beliefs and experiences. It depends on the meaning systems (example given was money) and the values systems (what you value the most).

Like the example given by Prof. Santos,
"Maling sabihin na pambansang ________" ---> it doesn't apply to everyone. "Iba- iba ang realidad ng isang lugar".

Likewise, culture is a "naturalized" knowledge". You don't accept it because you agree with it but the acceptance comes naturally in you. Hence, culture is then preserve in this manner.

In line with the service projects "not what you think they need but what they need should be applied. Careful evalutation and study first should be done before embarking on a particular service project since it may not cater to the needs of the people living in a certain community.

So there! :P

Expectations!

Expectation? First, I really hope that this class would be oh so much fun! Definitely FUN FUN FUN!!!

Okay, let's go to the serious stuff.

I really expect that I will learn everything that has to be learn in the four walls of PH 400. The concepts and methods of community service through service learning for the betterment of the current situation of our less fortunate kababayans. It's a sort of a preparation before going out in the field and interacting with the people.

It's not just about being a requirement generally for sophomore students that's why I'm in this class. I think this is the chance to be able to give out to the country the little service I can provide being an Iskolar ng Bayan. I hope it will serve as an outlet of not just service, but also where us students will be able to grow our self awareness, volunterism, citezenship and the most importantly, grow as a better individual.

So there! :P

Experience in Community Service

I came from a Catholic High school and because of that, I've experience quite a number of community service.

Back in high school, I can still vividly remember when we were asked to interact with the inmates of the Bilibid Prison - Medium Security. It was an eye opening experience since not everyone inside really deserves to be imprisoned. Some are imprisoned not because they committed a crime but because their resources failed to rescue them from eternal damnation.

We also went to a Drug Rehabilitation Center where my classmates and I received lots of important things to ponder and advices so as to avoid taking the wrong path and end up like them.

Likewise, we are asked to bring relief goods every first Friday mass of the first Friday of the month.

Every December, my high school invites children from the Kuya Foundation. Being a member the Student Council, we were the ones assigned on the preparation of the program and the tokens to be given away.

We also had a Clean Up Drive wherein the whole batch were asked to clean around the vicinity of the school. Though it was really tiring since we started 12 noon, still, it was definitely fun!

I am also quite active in my parish. Last summer, my parish held a Medical and Dental Mission and I participated by becoming an assistant. :P

Likewise, I have participated in a Literacy Training sponsored my org outside UP.

So there! :P