In celebration of the National Volunteer Month (NVM), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has expressed its appreciation to several partner organizations that devoted their time, resources and efforts to help the agency fulfill its mandate despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DENR gathered representatives from 79 partner organizations from the public and private sectors, religious sector, the academe, people’s organizations, non-government organizations, and government-owned and controlled corporations at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City last December 7 to mark the NVM 2022, with the theme “Volunteer Now: Spark Hope, Create Solutions, and Respond to Pandemic Challenges.”
The partner organizations were recognized and acknowledged for their efforts in mobilizing and partnering with the DENR for the protection and conservation of the environment and natural resources. They were given certificates of appreciation and cited through an audio-visual presentation of their activities with the DENR this year.
Among the organizations recognized were DENR long-time partners including the National Bicycle Organization, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Rotary Club of Makati (Rockwell, McKinley, San Francisco del Monte, Olympia, and Bonifacio), and Land Bank of the Philippines.
In observing NVM, the DENR aims to increase awareness among its partner organizations on the importance of volunteerism and partnership for the conservation of the environment; recognize partner organizations that have mobilized volunteers and conducted activities with the DENR in support of its mandate to conserve, manage, and develop the country’s environment and natural resources; and encourage other organizations to participate in the conduct of environmental partnership activities with the agency.
For his part, Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency Executive Director Donald James Gawe said that the NVM aims “to recognize each who selflessly extended their services, time, and resources, and collaborated with the DENR in conducting various activities and sharing information for environmental protection and sustainability.”
The activity is pursuant to Proclamation No. 55, Series of 1998, declaring December of every year as National Volunteer Month in order to instill and promote the importance and contribution of volunteerism to the improvement of people’s welfare, realization of aspirations, leadership development, citizen empowerment, and unification of society. ###
