Editorial: Diminishing Marginal Volunteerism

Volunteerism is inherent in every nation. It is universal in that it contributes to societies and addresses the issues of personal and societal development. More importantly, as the Secretary General of the National Statistical Coordination Board points out, it is a renewable resource.

Volunteerism comes like any good—it has demand, and the demand for volunteerism is always increasing with the recent calamities not only faced by the Philippines, but the entire world. In many ways, the spirit of volunteerism present years ago is still present in communities.

In Japan for example, the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake brought 1.4 million people together to help the places affected by the disaster. In just a decade after, the Japanese National Council of Social Welfare counted 7.4 million Japanese volunteers, 5.8 percent of the total population then.

In the same manner, the Philippines has received thousands of volunteers from the past calamities. The Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 brought many Filipinos packing—food, clothes, water and other necessities for the victims. Ondoy brought many volunteers going to shops, organizations and institutions, which all accepted donations for the flood victims.

Recent events and social circumstances, however, caused a gradual decrease in volunteerism in most countries. Japan for example saw fewer volunteers a few months after the nuclear crisis, which brought several prefectures inhabitable.

The Philippines is also experiencing a decline in volunteerism. Fewer volunteers turned up to pack and donate goods, though the damage to society and to the victims remains constant.

Economics point to a principle called diminishing marginal utility or the benefit or utility goes down continuously as a person consumes more of a good. In this case, it seems as if the law applies even to volunteerism. The continuous demand for volunteerism, in some way affected the volunteerism.

This is because the government and most of the well-off citizens rely on volunteers; because many do not care anymore about helping out, and many do not know how to contribute.

Case in point, the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordination Agency (PNVSC) does not even have a functional website with any reports or data at all, though it is by-law mandated to “promote and coordinate volunteer programs.”

Technology also brought negative externalities to volunteerism. The use of technology today distracts people from the real point of volunteerism and the use of technology for volunteerism. In the 1970’s, the spread of technology in Japan created wonders for volunteerism. People were freed from chores that took a long time without technology. People started to volunteer for community work and started to take a proactive role in the community.

DLSU from the past and to the present is encouraging student leaders and the Lasallian community to volunteer for social work and to contribute back to society not just through research, but also through solid actions that directly help the victims of social injustice, poverty and natural calamities.

Hence the line in the vision of DLSU, “As a resource of Church and Nation, the institution endeavors to form Lasallian Achievers for God and Country who will lead in building a just, peaceful, stable and progressive Filipino nation,” and the sentence from the mission, “In an academic environment permeated by excellence and scholarship, the institution will train leaders, competent professionals, scholars, researchers and entrepreneurs, who will participate actively in improving the quality of life in Philippine society.”

For the past years, Lasallians have contributed to society. The Ondoy typhoon brought many Lasallians back to the University to help pack food and bring other necessities. The Filipino community was together in giving back to society.

Pedring, however, proved a different notion. The typhoon showed a problem of getting enough volunteers to help. The Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA), and even volunteer organizations found less and less people to help.

Lasallians should have helped with the packing, and should be willing to contribute more to society. Grades is not the only measure of being a true Lasallian. A Lasallian must have heart.