Search for Outstanding Volunteers 2024

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SOURCE PAGE (https://www.pnvsca.gov.ph/)

  1. BACKGROUND“Bayanihan” is a time-enduring Filipino value and tradition. The willingness and desire to help others have always been part of the Filipino psyche. Recognizing this innate trait among Filipinos, the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) has spearheaded the recognition of volunteers through the Search for Outstanding Volunteers (SOV).

    The SOV is the centerpiece activity of the National Volunteer Month (NVM) which is observed every December pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 55, s. 1998. As mandated by Republic Act No. 9418, also known as the Volunteer Act of 2007, PNVSCA has embraced this strategy to play an active role in the promotion of volunteerism as a tool for development.

    Created in 2001, the SOV has conferred awards upon 109 outstanding youth and adult individuals, and 40 organizations from the non-profit, corporate and government sector.

    The SOV was replaced with the Search for Outstanding COVID-19 Volunteers (SOCV) for two years (2020-2021) to highlight the contribution of volunteers during the pandemic, awarding 34 exemplary volunteers across all regions. PNVSCA re-launched the SOV in 2022.

    The SOV and SOCV awardees provided invaluable service in various development sectors such as education, health, agriculture, peace process, culture, environment, disaster risk reduction and management, community development, and other social services. The Search has served as a venue to celebrate significant contributions of volunteers from various sectors to the improvement of the lives of countless Filipinos.

  2. OBJECTIVEThe Search for Outstanding Volunteers aims to identify and recognize exemplary Filipino volunteers, volunteer organizations, local government units, and higher education institutions for their outstanding performance and achievements in empowering communities and promoting volunteerism as a way of life, fostering a culture of volunteerism as a cornerstone of nation-building.
  3. SCOPE OF THE SEARCHThe Search will cover volunteering activities of Filipino volunteers, volunteer organizations, local government units, and higher education institutions that were conducted in the Philippines, excluding volunteer service done for family members, for religious or indoctrination purposes, and initiatives which are part of the academic programs (ex. National Service Training Program) of academic institutions.
  4. CATEGORIES OF AWARDS
    1. National Outstanding Volunteer Award (NOVA)The National Outstanding Volunteer Award (NOVA) is conferred upon individuals or organizations for their exceptional contribution to the development agenda of the national government that resulted in positive outcomes within the duration set by the Search.

      The categories under NOVA are:

      1. Individual
          • Youth
          • Adult
      2. Organization
          • Non-Profit
          • Corporate
    2. Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award (VLAA)The VLAA is conferred upon an individual or organization for consistent and outstanding volunteer service and whose achievement is regarded by the community as an inspiration and role model in the field of volunteerism.
    3. Special Award for LGUThis Award is conferred upon an LGU that implements outstanding volunteer programs or initiatives that promote the participation of civil society organizations or volunteer individuals in local governance. This will be an invitation-only awarding category.
    4. Special Award for HEIsThis Award is conferred upon an HEI that integrates volunteerism in its organizational culture or has mainstreamed volunteerism in its functions of instruction, research, extension, including administration.
  5. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR NOMINATIONNominators shall ensure that the nominees meet the minimum requirements for each category, as follows:
    1. National Outstanding Volunteer Award (NOVA)
      1. Individual (Youth and Adult)
          • Filipino Citizen
          • Age group for youth category: 15 to 30 years old except for residents in BARMM whose youth age group is 15 to 40 years old
          • Age group for adult category: At least 31 years old except for residents in BARMM whose adult age group is 41 years old and above
          • Has been providing volunteer assistance consistently for at least three (3) years for the youth category and at least five (5) years for the adult category at the time of submission of nomination; and
          • Has not been found guilty of crime or offense involving moral turpitude.
      2. Organization
          • Has been providing volunteer assistance consistently for at least five (5) years for the non-profit category and at least three (3) years for the corporate category at the time of submission of nomination; and
          • The organization must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or PNVSCA or other duly recognized accrediting government institution; or recognized as a volunteer organization by the local government, local institution or community being provided with volunteer services.
    2. Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award (VLAA)(In addition to the NOVA qualifications and requirements)
        • Has been engaged in consistent volunteering activities for at least twenty-five (25) years;
        • Has been a recipient of local, regional, national, or international awards in relation to volunteerism (past SOV or SOCV awardees are eligible);
        • Serves as a role model through a positive representation of volunteerism as a development resource; and
        • For individual nominees, has not been found guilty of crime or offense involving moral turpitude; and
        • For organizations, they must have no derogatory reports from other agencies of the government as certified by said agency and no final adverse court decision of a criminal act (i.e. fraud, estafa).
    3. Special Award for LGU (by invitation only)
        • Has designated a volunteerism focal person, office, or point system;
        • Has consistently promoted a conducive environment for volunteering.
    4. Special Award for HEIs (by invitation only)
        • Has shown evidence of mainstreaming volunteerism in its core functions – instruction, research, and extension and its administrative operation in the past three years;
        • Must be duly registered with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); for private HEIs, must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or other duly recognized accrediting government institution; and
        • Must have no derogatory reports from CHED or any other agencies of the government or any certified accrediting agency.

      Note: Winners of the Special Awards for HEI will be given the status of Volunteerism Learning Hub for HEIs. PNVSCA will coordinate with HEIs that are willing to be designated as a Volunteerism Learning Hubs for HEIs.

      Figure 1. SOV Process Flow and RSC and NVM SC Members

  6. SUBMISSION OF NOMINATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
      1. A nominee may be nominated by another individual or organization. Self-nomination is also allowed.
      1. Nominators shall complete the nomination form (except for the Special Award for LGUs and HEIs) which may be downloaded from PNVSCA’s official website and cloud storage:
          • SOV Form 01-A. Nomination Form for Individual
            – for Youth, Adult, Individual VLAA
          • SOV Form 01-B. Nomination Form for Organization
            – for Non-Profit, Corporate, Organization VLAA
          • For HEIs – Letter of interest to participate in the assessment and evaluation

        For the individual youth and adult categories, nominators/nominees are advised to provide a maximum of five (5) outstanding volunteering activities in the form.

      2. The nomination form must be supported by documentary evidence as deemed necessary. Supporting documents should be submitted on or before the RSC deliberation period. All documents shall be organized into one (1) file folder (Refer to Annex A. Nomination Checklist and Documentary Requirements).
      1. The nominator shall directly submit the accomplished nomination form to the concerned RSC covering the area where majority of the nominee’s volunteering activities are implemented (For example, the nomination of a volunteer/organization whose majority of volunteering activities’ beneficiaries are in Calabarzon must be submitted to NEDA Calabarzon. However, nominations of individuals/organizations with nationwide coverage and NCR-based address shall be submitted to MMDA).
      1. Kindly refer to the RSC directory to know where your nominations should be submitted.
      1. Deadline of submission of nominations is on August 27, 2024.
  7. PROHIBITION AND EXCLUSIONARY PROVISIONS
    1. Nominees who did not qualify for the national award during the previous SOV may be re-nominated.
    2. Search for Outstanding Covid Volunteer (SOCV) awardees (awarded in 2020-2021) are still eligible to be nominated for both NOVA and VLAA categories.
    3. National SOV award recipients from prior years are no longer eligible to be nominated except to the VLAA category if they meet the qualifications.
    4. Nomination of the organization and the head of the same organization in the same year is not allowed.
    5. Members of the national and regional search committees are not eligible to nominate or be nominated.
  8. SOV 2024 RESOURCES (Nomination forms and other resources)You may download the nomination forms and other SOV resources here:
  9. REGIONAL SEARCH COMMITTEES (RSC) DIRECTORYYou may access or download the RSC Directory through this link: https://bit.ly/SOVRSC2024

Downloadable: