emergency response

A LAWMAKER here is pushing for a coordinating council to unify the management of National Service Training Program (NSTP) graduates and all volunteers across Davao City.

The proposal comes amid concerns that a large number of NSTP graduates remain uncoordinated after completing the program.

Councilor Alberto Ungab, who also chairs the committee on disaster risk, reduction and management, pointed out the lack of a clear mechanism to mobilize or deploy them effectively for public service.

“Ang gihimo nako nga proposal is siguro it is time to create a Davao City Coordinating Council for NSTP graduates,” he said during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos on Tuesday. 

Ungab said that once a student graduates from NSTP, they become a member of the National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC). The councilor quoted the Commission on Higher Education as saying that there is a record for NSTP graduates but no record for NSRC. 

Ungab said part of the proposal is to put it under the committee on appointments of government reorganization, as it is a council, not only for disaster, but for all. 

NSTP coverage extends beyond disaster response, which should also cover health, civic actions, and social welfare. 

Ungab said the Office of Civil Defense, which serves as the country’s primary disaster coordinating body, questioned why the council is limited to NSTP.

“When you talk of volunteers, magiging discriminatory eh, if you say NSTP that means only for students, so everybody was amenable that it should be a volunteer coordinating council that is open for everybody,” he said. 

The proposed secretariat of the council includes the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), which is in line with the Local Government Code; CDRRMO in line with RA 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Act; or if professionalizing the volunteer system, the council will go for HRMO as secretariat. 

He noted the CDRRMO, on the other hand, has a specialized volunteer system, handling and registering volunteers for disasters only, which at present has listed 42 organizations. 

Ungab said the CSWDO is being eyed as the council secretariat, given its existing mandate in handling volunteer coordination. 

“What we are planning is that this volunteer coordinating council for all volunteers, so CSWDO is now the secretariat,” he stressed. 

“It’s quite a big council that will make policies, that will manage all the volunteers in the city of Davao,” he said. 

The proposal is currently under deliberation at the committee level, with focus areas of the council identified as health, social welfare, and disaster preparedness.