To be a volunteer, one does not necessarily need to have so much time in their hands and excessive resources. One only needs to have a heart full of compassion and a helping hand that is unselfishly caring for others.
Students and faculty members from different universities, and nurses under the Nurse Deployment Project from the different provinces of Central Luzon accepted the challenge of becoming part of Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health-Philippines (VYLH-Philippines) during the three-day camp held last October 26-28, 2018 at the La Vista Inland Resort in Balanga Bataan. The regional camp was organized by the Department of Health Regional Office of Central Luzon (DOH-RO 3), Newborn Screening Center Central Luzon (NSC-CL) and Institute of Human Genetics – NIH, UP Manila.
The camp was the third leg for the VYLH-Philippines Batch Hayaw and the second regional camp held in Central Luzon (Region 3). The first VYLH camp in the region was held last October 2016 and produced volunteers under Batch Kabilin. Active volunteers from the first camp joined youth volunteers from VYLH-Philippines CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region) and NCR-SL (National Capital Region and South Luzon) in facilitating the camp.
The first two days of the event were comprised of a series of lectures, team building activities and interactive workshops which greatly helped the volunteers prepare themselves for the challenges that they may face in the future when promoting the advocacies of the organization. Sharing of best practices of volunteers from senior batches in different levels (university, community, hospital-based) and different provinces was done in order to inspire the new generation of VYLs to maximize their abilities in the pursuit of widening the scope of people informed about the organization’s advocacies and their importance.
The campers also showcased their talents and wit during the talent expo and Mr. and Ms. Hayaw. Before the end of the second night, the participants swore their commitment to uphold the objectives of the organization and lit their candles of commitment.
On the last day of the camp, provincial representatives composed of one NDP and one student per province were selected. The very energetic and enthusiastic Dr. Ron Allan Quimado, MPM was chosen to be the regional adviser of Central Luzon. Dr. Quimado was the former Doctor-to-the-Barrio and Municipal Health Officer of Nampicuan, Nueva Ecija where the first community-based VYLH organization, K4Health, was formed. The volunteers also showed their fellow campers the richness of each province’s culture by presenting a song/dance number unique to their community.
Towards the end of the activity, the participants learned that though they have small individual voices, together they can create buzz online and on-the-ground, and help our future generations reach their maximum potential by advocating for expanded newborn screening, informing adolescents and Filipinos in the reproductive age about preconception health and the importance of folic acid supplementation, and showing support and care for those born with rare disorders.
Those from the senior batches warmly welcomed the new volunteers of Batch Hayaw to the continuously expanding VYLH family. Hayaw is a Visayan term for rise or emerge. The new volunteers, like their predecessors, are expected to be the new age "superheroes" destined to help save Filipino babies from mental retardation and early death.#
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Author Nikki D. Dela Cruz, RN (NSC-CL)
Editor RPascual
Nikki is a registered nurse and Project Development Officer at the Newborn Screening Center - Central Luzon. An alumna of Angeles University Foundation, she joined NSC-CL in 2013.
__________________
Author Nikki D. Dela Cruz, RN (NSC-CL)
Editor RPascual
Nikki is a registered nurse and Project Development Officer at the Newborn Screening Center - Central Luzon. An alumna of Angeles University Foundation, she joined NSC-CL in 2013.
