PANABO CITY – State universities and colleges (SUCs) across Davao Region convened at Davao del Norte State College (DNSC) on July 20, 2026, to formulate strategies and strengthen institutional efforts in mainstreaming volunteerism through the Volunteerism Mainstreaming: Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) Region XI Plans and Directions workshop.
Held at the DNSC Gender and Development (GAD) Conference Room, the planning workshop was organized by PASUC Region XI, in partnership with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA). It gathered Volunteerism Focal Persons, National Service Training Program (NSTP) Coordinators, Extension Directors, Student Services and Development Directors, Human Resource Management and Development Directors, and Curriculum Directors from Davao de Oro State College (DDOSC), Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), Davao Oriental State University (DorSU), Davao del Norte State College (DNSC), University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), and Davao del Sur State College (DSSC).
Facilitated by PNVSCA’s Elsa Victoria F. Sarmago, the workshop served as a venue for participating institutions to exchange existing volunteerism programs, best practices, and implementation challenges. Discussions also focused on fostering a stronger culture of volunteerism and promoting coordinated responses to the evolving needs of communities across the region.
In her opening message, PASUC Region XI Chairperson and DNSC President, Dr. Joy Sorrosa, mentioned the value of regional collaboration in expanding the impact of volunteerism initiatives among higher education institutions, “Indeed, we can make the nation better, one act of service, one community touched, one life changed at a time. Sometimes, we cannot see the impact immediately, but there is always an impact once we act, once we do something. May our discussions today lead to directions that truly transform lives.”
During the workshop, participants crafted institutional volunteerism action plans and initiated the development of regional policies and guidelines to strengthen volunteerism initiatives across PASUC Region XI member institutions.
