More than 100 scholars of Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC) reunited in 2-day volunteering activity held on July 31 and August 1, 2023.
CBNC renowned for its commitment to community welfare organized the volunteer orientation and promotion to instill volunteerism spirit in the minds of their scholars. CBNC believed that development cannot be achieved by one entity alone but rather by each individual working together to achieve the development of each desire in a particular area.
“We all need to work together to achieve the development that we all dream for our community, for our town, or for our country,” said Faye Peralta who initiated this activity for CBNC.
3rd year and 4th year scholars and scholar graduates of CBNC attended the training. The resource speakers from the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), Philippine Coalition of Volunteers (PhilCV) and National Youth Coalition of Volunteers (NYCV) each gave their presentation on volunteerism aimed to educate and inspire scholars, graduates and other group of people involved in volunteering activities to bring out the “volunteer” in them, responding to the world’s call for action.
CBNC General Affairs Department Manager Sho Hatada who graced the activity stated the significance of community engagement and collective efforts in making positive impact in the community. On the other hand, Bernie Martinez, the CBNC Accountant who heads one of the pioneering volunteer associations in CBNC shared how Palawan Southern Explorers Mountain Bikers Association (PASEMBA) came to be and how his group embodies the spirit of volunteerism through their different activities.
The 2-day event consisted of team-building exercises that fostered teamwork and camaraderie among the participants. It strengthened the bonds among them, laying the foundation for a unified approach towards future reach-out or volunteer activities. The second day of the activity is a reach out activity where volunteers embarked on a journey to Barangay Tabud and engaged with the two (2) of the most underserved schools in the area, Katipunan Elementary School and Tabud Elementary School.
They provided school supplies and immersed themselves with the students, teachers and parents in a manner extended beyond mere charity.
Beyond the immediate impact, this CBNC’s Volunteer Orientation and Promotion event laid the foundation for an intensive commitment to community welfare. It showed how a corporate entity can use its influence and resources for the betterment of the society. Proving that purpose and profit can co-exist harmoniously. This corresponds to the statement of PhilCV chairman, Max Ventura’s interpretation of volunteerism, “Doing good while doing well.”
CBNC thru its SDMP and CSR, had been conducting reach out activities in many places in the province of Palawan. It has also established a culture of Employee Volunteerism. But this time it’s special, it’s the product of CBNC’s community-based interventions – the scholars and graduates who have learned to give back.
They emerged with a sense of purpose proving what Howard Zinn said, “small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”