THE 2019 Search for Outstanding Volunteers (SOV) is now open to all Filipino citizens, Filipino volunteer organizations, including local chapters of foreign volunteer organizations, and local government units (LGUs) that currently provide volunteer services in the Western Visayas region or in the whole country.
Spearheaded by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), together with the National Volunteer Month Steering Committee and the SOV Regional Search Committees, the search is an annual activity in line with the celebration of the National Volunteer Month every December.
It aims to promote volunteerism as a tool for development by virtue of Republic Act No. 9418 or the Volunteer Act of 2007. Since 2001, more than 147 volunteers and volunteer organizations across various sectors have been recognized through the Search.
In this year’s edition, the SOV is composed of two award categories, namely: the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award (VLAA) and the National Outstanding Volunteer Award (NOVA).
The VLAA is conferred to an individual or organization for consistent and outstanding volunteer service and whose achievement is regarded as an inspiration and role model in the field of volunteerism.
Meanwhile, NOVA is conferred to an individual or organization for exceptional contribution to the development agenda of the national government that resulted to positive outputs within the duration set by theSearch.
Nominations for NOVA are sub-divided into youth and adult for individuals and non-profit and corporate for the organizations. A Special Award for LGUs has been introduced this 2019 to recognize local governments with outstanding volunteer programs that encourage participation of the civil society in local governance.
The detailed information on the eligibility of participation, guidelines and nomination forms are available at the NEDA Regional Office VI and PNVSCAand can be accessed at http://nro6.neda.gov.ph or http://www.pnvsca.gov.ph/sov/sov_about.php.
Deadline for submission of nominations has been extended until August 15, 2019. Nominations in the Western Visayas region shall be submitted to:
The Regional Search Committee – Western Visayas
2019 Search for Outstanding Volunteers
c/o NEDA Region VI Office, Fort San Pedro, Iloilo City 5000
For inquiries, please contact Ms. Maria Teresa G. Guadalupe, Chief of the Development Research Division, at telephone numbers 337-6840 or 336-2075 local 402 or email us at nro6@neda.gov.ph.
