November 16, 2025 – Makati City, Philippines

iVolunteer Philippines has a dream that every Filipino would volunteer toward the goal of having a better country. Now and then, we evolve our programs to fulfill our noble objectives. On this day, the 15th of November, we revitalized our organizational purpose on the 6th floor of the Grand Soho Building in Makati City to continue achieving our dream. With enthusiasm and dedication, we have begun our latest program. And it’s called Volunteer Circles!

Deriving from the title of this event, a compound term combining the words “volunteer” and “circles,” we named it as such so everyone would easily have an idea of what it’s all about. In simple language, it refers to a group of persons with shared interests and common goals of volunteering for others who need some timely assistance by helping them provide their most basic needs. In other words, the goal of this affair is to gather selfless individuals who would form the pioneer circle of volunteers and soon create their own circles and eventually lead their volunteer members.

At 3 PM that Saturday, a significant number of eager people from diverse backgrounds walked into the venue and were warmly welcomed by iVolunteer staff. With some pizza and drinks on the side, they enjoyed their snack and met their co-attendees. One of them was an American expat who’s connected with the Peace Corps (a US government agency that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries) and hopes to help heal her “inner child” by “giving support and encouragement to other children.”

Some were professionals interested in engaging with environmental protection and animal rights groups, and another one was a new graduate of a psychology course eager to share their expertise in mental health wellness. Having different personalities and expectations, they also shared their various goals. Some of them joined the event to find their “purpose” or gain “experience,” while others did it for “learning,” “intentional living,” and “connection.” But most certainly, they have one thing in common—the passion for helping others.

Heading the event, Ms. Eah Antonio facilitated the slide presentation. Together with Mr. Raph Elopre and Ms. Jill Pantua, they made it as simple and as fun for all the attendees. To start off, the facilitator led everyone to introduce themselves to become familiar with each participant. In the first activity, Mr. Raph instructed the attendees to group themselves to create three small circles. They got to know each other, discussed their expectations, and shared what they wanted from the Volunteer Circles event.

Afterwards, Ms. Eah enlightened everyone by defining the essence of this program and elaborating on how to take on the challenges of “isolated volunteering.” Next, Ms. Jill explained the event’s objectives, from advocacy development to community building. With the learning outline, the facilitator pointed out how to find their advocacy and community exposure by planning and participating in existing volunteer initiatives and projects. The facilitator also guided them on their responsibilities of becoming a Circle Leader.

At the latter part, the attendees were asked to form a big circle and participate in a game of connecting words and phrases to create a story. The aim was to simulate the struggles and triumphs of forming volunteer groups. That is when one connects better with others; the work of volunteering becomes easier and more fun. And finally, they were shown a sample of a “bucket list” to give them a clear direction for their circle connection, community action, and personal journey.

The event undoubtedly concluded with great success. Before leaving, each attendee already had an idea of volunteering, revealed their motivation, and shared their personal reasons why they decided to sign up for Volunteer Circles. With their fire and energy, we hope that through this event, they will usher in a new level of passion in their drive toward the path of volunteering.

iVolunteer Philippines is “a non-profit organization that makes volunteerism known and easy” for every Filipino with a big heart for helping others. With our inclusive platform and humanitarian advocacy, “we make it happen” for our partners and members alike. So, it’s not a surprise that “we are 100% powered by volunteers”!

An article by SM Floralde (Santy)