PASIG CITY, February 21, 2026 – To celebrate the achievements of the previous year and recognize the partners behind the organization’s successful milestones, iVolunteer Philippines gathered its partner organizations and institutions for its annual Partners Appreciation Night (PAN).

Judith Follero, iVolunteer’s Executive Director, celebrated the diversity of the participants for this year’s PAN, noting the inspiring shift they have observed from a network of purely NGOs to expanding their reach to government agencies, academic institutions, and corporate partners.

“With that combined energy, we were able to achieve things that created considerable impact in the communities we work with,” Follero pointed out. This goes to show that when different sectors show up, the potential domino effect extends beyond what we initially expect.

The event was attended by 65 individuals from partner NGOs, corporations, LGUs, and other institutions.

Follero recounted the key milestones of the organization over the past year, illustrating the ripples they set in motion both in Metro Manila and Davao City.

You can read the Impact Report here.

The night also saw the launch of the Bayanihan Pulse, an annual study led by JB Tan, the Co-Founder and Director for Brand and Impact of iVolunteer. Bayanihan Pulse aims to understand the “why” behind volunteers and the impact of volunteer-engaging organizations.

You can read the Bayanihan Pulse here.

Michelle Aventajado, Executive Director and President of Best Buddies Philippines Foundation Inc., presented a short video clip, giving a glimpse of what happens when we choose to show up.

The clip is from their recent concert, Sounds of Change, where they showcased the talents of volunteers and buddies with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The video moved the partners as it highlighted the value of promoting inclusivity and the importance of creating spaces where everyone is celebrated.

Aventajado closed her sharing with an invitation that resonated with the night’s theme: “you can sit with us, you can dance with us, you can sing with us.”

Meanwhile, Association of Foundations’ Communications Officer Milet Aquino shared a few insights into the results of the 2025 World Giving Report. She mentioned that 26% of the general Filipino public volunteers. Although it appears to be a good statistic, she believes that we can still up our game.

“There’s really a lot that we can do para paangatin pa ‘yun at ma-improve natin yung numbers na ‘yun,” Aquino said. She also emphasized that the partnership between iVolunteer and AF is critical to this mission. Aquino closed by assuring the partners that AF is very much ready to support NGOs and foundations in any way they can, especially with training, capacity building, and compliance requirements to further the reach of the Bayanihan spirit.

The evening culminated in the awards, recognizing the partners who showed up, embodied the true essence of Filipino volunteerism and Bayanihan, and triggered multiple impacts in the communities they serve.

While everyone in the room contributed to the year’s success, these partners stood out for their extraordinary commitment to the mission of every Filipino becoming a hero:

Corporate Partner of the Year:
AXA Philippines
Volunteer Ambassador:
Karinderia ni Mang Urot
Project Pearls
Aral Pinoy
NGO Partner of the Year:
Project Pearls

Jay Estarez, iVolunteer’s Director for Community Relations and Finance, closed the night with heartfelt words, acknowledging the presence of the partners who spared their time to attend the event and the contributions they have made in the communities.

“The most successful projects, the strongest communities, and the most enduring friendships all share a common denominator – people who decided to be there and chose to work together,” Estarez said. He reminded the partners to continue showing up and being present because, in doing so, we can prove that the greatest catalyst for change starts by simply being there and standing together.

Be the next domino. Sign up and find your next volunteer opportunity here.