Guidelines for the Registration of Volunteer Service Organizations and Volunteer Service Workers

August 10, 2004

PNVSCA OFFICE CIRCULAR NO. VI-04

GUIDELINES FOR THE REGISTRATION OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND VOLUNTEER SERVICE WORKERS

WHEREAS, Section 10 of Executive Order No. 635 dated December 12, 1980, states that "all Volunteer service organizations and workers shall, before performing any volunteer service in any place in the country, register with PNVSCA"; CSHDTE

WHEREAS, registration shall promote and enhance professionalism, facilitation and recognition for volunteer service organizations and workers;

WHEREAS, registration shall lead to the establishment of a database and network of volunteer service organizations and workers in the country;

WHEREAS, Section 15 of Executive Order No. 635 also provides, that the Director of PNVSCA shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement its provisions:

NOW, THEREFORE, to ensure efficient registration of volunteer service organizations and individual volunteer service workers, this of guidelines is hereby adopted for implementation.

SECTION 1. Definition of Terms. — The following terms shall be defined as follows:

a) Registration refers to the process by which an organization or an individual is recognized by PNVSCA as a participant and provider of various support to volunteering programs and activities.

b) Volunteerism refers to act involving a wide range of activities, including traditional forms of mutual aid and developmental interventions that provides an enabling and empowering environment both on the part of the beneficiary receiving, and the volunteer rendering the act, undertaken for reason arising from socio-developmental, business or corporate orientation, commitment or conviction for the attainment of the public good and where monetary and other incentives or reward are not the primary motivating factors.

c) Volunteer Service Organization refers to any local or foreign group that engages the services of volunteers in socio-economic and cultural development, humanitarian, civic activities, advocacy, capability building and networking for volunteerism, or one that is created specifically to recruit, train and deploy volunteers for such purpose.

d) Volunteer Service Worker refers to any individual, local or foreign, who is engaged in volunteerism in the country, whether on a full-time or part time basis, and who is a bonafide member of a registered volunteer service organization.

SECTION 2. Who Shall Register. — All volunteer service organizations and their volunteer service workers as defined under Section 1 paragraph (c) of this Office Circular shall register with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) in accordance with Section 10 of Executive Order No. 635.

SECTION 3. Registration of Local Volunteer Service Organizations and Local Volunteer Service Workers. —

a. A Local Volunteer Organization shall complete the PNVSCA volunteer Organization Registration Form and submit the same to PNVSCA, including the following documents:

i. Copy of SEC Registration, Constitution and By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation, if applicable, or copies of certificates of accreditation from government agencies or other recognized accrediting institutions;

ii. Profile of organization, to include list of officials, annual reports and other relevant document such as brochures, flyers, fact sheets or the like; and

iii. List of volunteers.

b. PNVSCA shall review all applications for registration and issue a Certificate of Registration to the organization. SECcIH

c. All bonafide volunteer members of the registered organization shall considered registered with PNVSCA.

d. The effectivity of the registration shall be three (3) years commencing on the date of the issuance of the Certificate. The registration may be renewed at the instance of the local volunteer organization.

SECTION 4. Registration of Foreign Volunteer Service Organizations and Foreign Volunteer Service Workers. —

a. A Foreign Volunteer Organization shall complete the PNVSCA Volunteer Organization Registration Form and submit the same to PNVSCA, including the following documents:

i. Profile of organization, to include list of officials, annual reports and other relevant document such as brochures, flyers, fact sheets or the like;

ii. List of volunteers; and

iii. Certification or any document issued by the organization's country of origin, through its foreign ministry or embassy, attesting to its legitimacy.

b. In the case of a government-based foreign volunteer service organization, a bilateral agreement must then be concluded between the authorized representative of the government of the applicant foreign volunteer service organization and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in the case of the Philippine government.

c. In the case of a non-government foreign volunteer organization, a memorandum of agreement must then be entered into with PNVSCA.

d. PNVSCA shall review all applications for registration and issue a Certificate of Registration to the organization.

e. All bonafide volunteer members of the registered organization shall be considered registered with PNVSCA.

f. The effectivity of registration shall be coterminus with the validity of the bilateral or memorandum of agreement which may be renewed at the instance of the foreign volunteer organization.

g. All existing foreign volunteer service organizations and workers now performing volunteer service in the country shall register with PNVSCA within forty-five (45) days after effectivity of this Circular. Thereafter, any violation of this Circular shall be subject to the penalty imposed under Section 14 of Executive Order No. 635. TADIHE

SECTION 5. Approval/Renewal of Registration. — All applications for registration and renewal of registration shall be reviewed by PNVSCA in accordance with this Circular, the provisions of Executive Order No. 635, and other Agency issuances.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. — This set of guidelines shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or any newspaper of general circulation.

All office orders and circulars inconsistent herewith are hereby modified or amended accordingly.

Signed in Quezon City, this 10th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Four.

 

(Sgd.) JOSELITO C. DE VERAExecutive Director