DEVELOPMENTAL TRAINER AND ASSISTANT COORDINATOR FOR WMSU HANDOG

HANDOG VOLUNTEERS

 The Center for Hands of Goodwill of Western Mindanao State University opened its doors for me to serve as the Center’s Assistant Coordinator and Developmental Trainer.  

The Center’s Coordinator, Mr. Allain A. Paragas, a regular faculty of the College of Social Sciences was the one who recommended me to take on the challenge of developing the organization. Newly elected WMSU President Dr. Milabel E. Ho approved my application and thus my journey continued.

With my experience in training, I thought this work would just be very easy. Lesson: Never conclude and never underestimate any circumstances in your life or else you might regret it big time! As a Developmental Trainer, I’ve designed programs that were made fit for young students, credits to the 49^th National Rizal Youth Leadership Institute Conference I’ve attended last December of 2011. The Training part was no hustle it was the Assistant Coordinator function that made me in some point want to jump-off the building. (hahaha)

Government was a 360 degrees turn from what I’ve experienced in the Private Industry. I’ve entered an office which at first I could not accept it was even considered as an office. It had a broken Personal Computer, no printer and the place was very dusty. That was indeed a challenge that I was very much ready to face. I’ve started my first few days organizing and transforming the place into a cozy office not only for the employees but to the people whom we serve. I’ve implemented some guidelines and created structures and processes for the swift execution of its deliverables.

The Center for Hands of Goodwill or as it is more popularly known as HANDOG is the University’s Volunteer Services Provider. It has evolved from being just a responder to the needs of society to a more engaged organization capable of initiating programs for its stakeholders. It’s volunteers the member of the HANDOG VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZATION mostly students of WMSU supports all the programs of the Center. These volunteers are at the same time recipients of the Board Resolution (BR) 15 Scholarship Grant intended for indigent students of the University.

Within my short stay in the organization from June 2012 to January of 2013, we were able to produce various programs like the Aksyon WMSU Ngayon Program and Ayuda Luzon Project both are born out of the need to respond to the flood victims in Manila and Cagayan. Mobile Blood Letting activities in support of the programs of the Philippine Red Cross Chapter of Zamboanga City, the conduct of the SPEAK FORUM for the Youth and the EDSA People Power Salubungan Forum, attended and supported the MINDANAO WEEK FOR PEACE program of the Youth Solidarity for Peace in which HANDOG was cited as one of the DIYES INITIATIBO YA ENTRA SERVICIO (DIYES) a local version of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organization of the Philippines. Recently just this February HANDOG partnered with LENTE Zamboanga in the conduct of series of voter’s education for the WMSU Populace a project initiated by me before I left WMSU.

In HANDOG, I’ve made so many friends. The volunteers/scholars, my officemates Sir Allain and Ma’am Pips Jannatul and all our partners. As the students were learning from me, I too learned a lot from them. The experience was short but the memory will forever be cherished.