VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC.: 24th Anniversary Celebrations

THE ORGANIZATION

olunteers International Philippines, Inc. is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization duly registered and recognized by the government of the Philippines through Securities and Exchange Commission Registration no. 162979 as registered on April 28, 1989 in accordance with the provisions of the Corporate Code of the Philippines. Through this registration, Volunteers International Philippines Incorporated has become a separate entity from its mother organization, Volunteers International based in Fairfax, Virginia, which later merged with Maranatha International to become what is now Maranatha Volunteers International.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION

olunteers International came to the Philippines in 1983 in the person of great American Philanthropist, Robert Bainum, the founder of the organization in the United States. Robert Bainum is also the founder and owner of the well known Fairfax Nursing Centre in Fairfax, Virginia, and other related institutions in the United States which originated the Bainum Care, that uplifted considerably the living style of senior citizens in America.

Mr. Bainum came to the Philippines in 1983 to recruit volunteers to carry out his objective of extending humanitarian assistance to the influx of Vietnamese Refugees called “the boat people” to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. In cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), Robert Bainum established units of volunteers in many refugee camps to help ease the level of suffering of the displaced people in the region until their repatriation to their adopted countries.

After serving for a number of years to the need of the refugees, Volunteers International in the Philippines, particularly in Puerto Princesa City in the island province of Palawan led by Franny C. Agdon, began extending help to the Filipino Community, specially the indigents, with the approval of Mr. Robert Bainum. At this time being a registered Philippines non-profit corporation Volunteers International Philippines received some fundings for its work from other organizations.

Volunteers International also helped fund the building of Palawan Adventist Hospital, now Palawan Adventist Medical Center and Colleges, the only tertiary hospital in the whole province of Palawan. The existence of this Medical Center greatly help in serving the medical needs of the people of western Philippines.

Volunteers International Philippines Inc. focused most of its efforts in helping the poorest of the poor uplift their lives, giving assistance to enhance their livelihood in fishing, farming, gardening and micro-enterprises and other endeavors.

When the mother organization Volunteers International based in the United States merged with Maranatha International to become what is now Maranatha Volunteers International, support for Volunteers International for its work also ceased. Being an offshoot of its mother organization, common sense dictated us to cease and stop. But though seems to be orphaned, the Bainum spirit of charity lives in our hearts, and charity continues to flow even at times when we ourselves seems to need charity. Jesus statement to his disciples is still very clear to us. “For I was hungry and ye gave me food; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in, Naked and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me… Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME.” Mathew 25: 35,36,40

THE RELUCTANT OIC

by Diego La Sombra

Franny C. Agdon admits that he is not an expert community or social worker. His training in college was in theology and ministry. His Masters Degree is in Public Health. When Volunteers International’s work in the Philippines ended, he took it as a natural ending of a job intended to help ease the suffering of the refugees. The saga of the “boat people” seemed to have ended, and many of them have been re-settled, or about to be resettled in their adopted countries. But the poor Filipino communities he was trying to help still exist, and will probably continue to exist. A certain number of poor families still owed some amount to Volunteers International Philippines through loans extended to them as them as capital to their micro-enterprises. Although no interest had been charged, they were not able to pay on time because of calamities like typhoon and floods. Their loans were long overdue and it seemed they can't pay it anymore. Since Franny, needs to support himself and his family, he moved to Cavite province and rented an apartment near the gate of Adventist University of the Philippines. Here he employed himself, using his skills in Art, like painting landscapes, seascapes and portraits. He was also into advertisements and sign paintings. Although a self taught artist he taught art at AUP Academy. He also became a story writer for film and Television after undergoing a seminar, received a gold medal for it and was made a lifetime member of the Philippines Writers Society for the advancement of Culture, Language and Arts in 1993.

He was invited by the Society to join the Philippines entertainment Industry and write stories for film and Television. But his religious belief prevailed when assignments on Story Development runs counter to this personal philosophy and religious belief. Because of this, he later became a reporter-correspondent for the newspaper Manila Star until 2008, covering 5 provinces of Western Mindanao where radical Muslim extremists were operating. Things went smoothly for him and he even took a second job as area sales manager of a Publishing company for Mindanao, selling textbooks to schools.

Extreme danger for press people in the area made him resigned from Manila Star. He now writes for Benta Birada News Daily in their English and vernacular version in Cagayan de Oro City.

One day in late 2008, he received a communication from farmers and indigents he was helping years back in Palawan. They wanted to pay their loans years past with the offer of little interests. Since they were organized as a group, their leader informed Mr. Agdon that they will send the money to him! Receiving the money made him wonder what he will do with it. Shall he return it to Mr. Robert Bainum? But he already gave it to the poor! Shall Franny claim it and use it as him own? Nobody will complain probably! But Franny, in conscience, could not accept claiming it, or using it as its own!

After few moments he knew the answer! Since he is helping in his own way some very poor people all these years through Volunteers International Philippines, he will incorporate it into the program and administer it to help more people. After all, the fund was given in the first place, to help people. Thus, the decision added some strength, even in a small way to the work and program of Volunteers International Philippines “Onward with the Bainum Spirit of Charity!”

Franny Agdon believes that he must do thee, even without compensation, he is doing these for many years, for he too, is a product of charity. His college course, and his Master of Public Health degree has been sponsored by the scholarship program of Dr. and Mrs. Lester Lonergan – American missionaries from Loma Linda University. His professional life was also started by another American, the philanthropist Robert Bainum, the founder of Volunteers International, and the inspiration of Volunteers International Philippines.