Annually, iVolunteer Philippines recognizes outstanding volunteers in the country with iVolunteer Champions, a recognition program which is anchored on the dream of iVolunteer for every Filipino to have the values of Integrity, Inclusivity, Nationalism, Professionalism, and Changed Leadership. 

Celine Guillermo, a medical doctor by profession, currently works in the United Kingdom, and an active long-term volunteer for two (2) decades from the municipality of Marilao, Bulacan, was awarded the iVolunteer Champion 2024 for Inclusivity.

She believes that every child, especially the ones who have different abilities, deserves an equal opportunity. This made her pursue the Tinatangi Project.

“Tinatangi” means that one is special, beloved, and cherished, and opposed to the word “tinatanggi” (denied) which sends a message how one letter can change a thing just as how small actions in volunteering can create a great impact. The said project aims to remove stigma and celebrate disabled children’s unique strengths and abilities.

People continue to question Celine how can she still find time to volunteer when being a professional in the medical field is already too hectic. However, for Celine, volunteerism has a vast space in her heart which started with her father and family, who donated a piece of land to the Marilao SPED Center. As their way of honoring the legacy of their father, they continued their ways in helping the community flourish.

As a volunteer, Celine also went through those difficult times, yet she always remembers the quote that she had learned from Ateneo College and Frederick Buechner, “your calling is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”, which inspires her throughout her volunteering journey. 

To see the smiles and laughter of the kids even in the smallest of things and simplest of moments, made Celine realize how much she wants to make a change in their lives.

Being involved with the SPED Center, the children moved her to become a doctor and an advocate. She believes that individuals and children having different abilities deserve more empathy, care, and compassion. Now she became long-term friends with the children of the SPED Center whom she met when she was still 5 or 6 years old. She also shared that she may have lost her father, but she gained a community – friends that turned into family at the Marilao SPED Center. 

When she got the news that she would be awarded as the iVolunteer Champion for Inclusivity, she was so elated, not because of the title, but because of the opportunity to raise awareness about the intellectual and developmental disabilities, bringing equity and inclusion not only to Bulacan but the whole Philippines.

Additionally, the iVolunteer Champion for Inclusivity 2024 award made Celine rethink and recollect about volunteerism and her advocacy. She thought of the children, especially their parents and families, who are lifelong volunteers for the kids. She firmly stands with her belief that there is a need to transform the “tinatanggi” (denied) to “tinatangi” (cherished) – to break the stigma, stop the discrimination, and for the children to have the same opportunities as everyone else. Above all, she believes that the children are the real champions and they need to be acknowledged and seen; they need to be given opportunities, accessible healthcare, and have learning kits. 

Truly, everything started small with the volunteer journey of Celine. That is why her message to those who aspire to volunteer is, “don’t be afraid to take the first step, no matter how small it seems, because it is like a ripple effect – it will cascade to other volunteers, to the community. You might be the person that the community needs for them to feel inspired, hopeful, and loved. 

Evidently, the Tinatangi Project is touching and changing lives, and Celine is grateful to all the people who are behind it, especially to her mother and her sister. Her mother is the one who constantly manages the projects and the one who goes to activities of the children just like their recent sports events, where the children received medals.

Celine’s way of living her life not only as a medical professional but as a volunteer, is encouraging others to share their stories. She thinks that there is power in sharing stories, which can bring hope, encouragement, and courage; to show that something is possible. She also encourages others to work in balance to prevent burnout from happening, through her words,”Mahirap magbigay sa iba kung alam mong kulang ka talaga sa sarili mo.” With hopes that the lost would find their way again and those who started their journey would confidently continue, she said, “If you know within yourself that it is something worth fighting for, advocating for, you’ll find the strength and courage again.”

Truly, Celine has already made a marked difference with her steps that started small, especially as an advocate for inclusivity with the hope that the world will be more inclusive and everyone belongs.