06 May 2009

Mindanao, the Philippines: Filipino national UNV volunteers are playing a vital role in peace-building and promoting sustainable development in conflict areas of Mindanao.

The second largest island in the Philippines, years of confrontation between the Government and Muslim and communist groups have left 160,000 dead. During 2008, about 700,000 people were displaced by fighting.

“Filipino UNV volunteers make distinguished contributions to bring about peace and development in Mindanao,” says UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer. “Their commitment, combined with their expertise and experiences, can inspire other Filipinos to take part in peace-building and community development and to be involved in making the nation a better place for the next generation.”

For example, UNV volunteers Zalave Dinas and Roy Pamitalan serve in communities despite the challenges and security concerns.

Since May 2008, Zalave ‘Larry’ Dinas has helped nearly 30,000 displaced families living in evacuation camps to cope with their plight by providing technical advice, guidance and support to make sure their basic needs are met, most especially the need for safe water. 

“You work not because of money but because you feel that people need your work,” says the UNV volunteer Water and Sanitation Officer assigned to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Cotabato.

Prior to joining UNV, he had been working for the ACT (Action for Conflict Transformation) for Peace Programme, a United Nations joint programme implemented by the Government of the Philippines and supported by the European Commission and the Governments of Australia, New Zealand and Spain.

“I consider volunteering to be one of the biggest parts of my life as I live with it wherever I go,” says Mr. Dinas, who says he wants to best use his skills and education he has attained for the benefit of the community he grew up in.

Larry Dinas feels the Philippines needs more volunteers. “It takes everyone’s effort to move a nation, it’s not only the Government’s responsibility but every Filipino’s as well,” he remarks. “We need the people’s cooperation for our country to develop, we must help each other out and not be dependent on the government alone.”

Roy Pamitalan, a UNV volunteer Information Technology Specialist, is assigned to a development project that provides an opportunity for teachers to expand their IT skills. The project is jointly supported by UNV, Mindanao State University (MSU) and Cisco, a US-based IT company.

“I believe that voluntary work is a demonstration of human solidarity in action that benefits those who give as much as those who receive,” says Mr. Pamitalan, who has been serving as a UNV volunteer for the past four years.

Having grown up in the bustling city of Davao, he found it difficult at first to adjust to the ambience of a small town. Many stores are closed by 9pm in Iligan City, availability of supplies is very limited or non-existent and there is not enough water supply. In addition, conflict is a reality and it affects daily life in many ways.

“I often had to give up travelling to schools in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao [ARMM] due to heightened conflict,” he explains. “There are instances when we had to cancel trips and weren’t able to receive supplies, we lacked materials [we needed].”

However, he soon fell in love with the more tranquil aspects of Iligan, “People here tend to live a simple lifestyle and, unlike in Davao, you won’t encounter any heavy traffic,” Roy Pamitalan adds.