Youth play an important role in community development through their effort, creativity, determination, and passion. They also have the ability to bring in new ideas and fresh perspectives.

One example of thousands of youth volunteers and leaders is Ferdinand Jan Garcia, a 25-year-old community volunteer of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) in Barangay Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon.

At young age of 12, Ferdinand discovered his calling as a volunteer that would alter his life in many ways, he never could imagine. This calling encouraged to spread like light to others.

“The best gift that you can offer others is the act of service na kaya mong ibigay sa kanila. For me, ‘yun yung nagbibigay sa akin ng isang magandang drive,” he shared on why he started as a volunteer.

(The best gift you can give people is an act of service, which I can provide for them. That is what gives me a great drive.)

Ferdinand’s volunteer journey was deeply rooted on his desire for acceptance and connection as a member of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community. According to him, he grew up feeling unwanted which is one of his traumatic events in his life.

He sought ways to build a positive identity and demonstrate his worth by making a difference in which eventually he became a volunteer. Through his volunteering, people started to appreciate him because of who he is as a person and his actions.

Today, at 25, he is already volunteering in various organizations and initiatives. He is also the adviser for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) as he was an SK Councilor before.

TO THE POINT OF GIVING UP

Despite his steadfast heart for service, he has experienced moments of doubt as he ponders if he should continue to provide assistance as a volunteer or look for a job to help his family for daily living.

Though he went through that phase of weighing his options, the drive to help his fellow community members remains the best choice.

“So, kung nangangailangan ka, nangangailangan din yung iba. So why not do the same? If I can manage my time, why not do it as well?” he said.

(So, if I am in need, they [villagers] are also in need. So why not do the same? If I can manage my time, why not do it as well?)

As his passion for community development grew, Ferdinand and his fellow volunteers completed three (3) development interventions specifically, Provision of Communication Device, Improvement and Provision of Amenities for Barangay Health Station, and Provision of Amenities for Two (2) units of Child Development Center benefiting 553 households, 781 households, and 75 households, respectively.

The three (3) subprojects have a total project cost of PHP 2,741,627.33 which was funded under the KALAHI-CIDSS National Community-Driven Development Additional Financing (NCDDP AF) and Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP).

GLIMMER OF HOPE

Ferdinand always relates his path to a slow, burning candle that provides warmth and guidance even just for a short period.

According to him, our lives are just like a candle that has a start and an end. Once a candle is lit, it will gradually run out.

He asked, “the question is what did you do? And how well did you spend your light why you are lit? So, habang ikaw ay nabubuhay, paano mo ginastos ang liwanag na meron ka to affect other people’s lives and enlighten their path towards their success and their progress?”

(The question is what did you do? And how well did you spend your light why you are lit? So, when you are alive, how did you spend your light to affect other people’s lives and enlighten their path towards their success and their progress?)

The volunteer also added that as long as he is here blessed with health, life, skills, and talents, he wanted to share it with the community for the development of everyone as a whole.

Just like a candle that can reignite aspirations, the Community-Driven Development (CDD) process of KALAHI-CIDSS also ensures that the people are involved in all processes of development using the Transparency, Accountability, and Participation principles.

“Kung gusto natin na makita ng taong bayan, makita ng ating mga ka-barangay yung advantage and benefits ng isang proyekto na iniimplement natin, they have to be encouraged to be involved. Kailangan i-involve natin sila. Kailangan alam nila yung nangyayari,” Ferdinand explained.

(If we want the villagers and society to recognize the advantages and benefits of a project being carried out by the community, they must be encouraged to participate. We must involve them. They must be aware of the community, its initiatives and current state.)

For the volunteer, he compared that program to a torch that guides people to a good direction.

“Through that torch, being the KALAHI-CIDSS, we tend to light and guide our constituents to a better community in the future,” he described.

In every hardship and accomplishment, Ferdinand remains the candle that illuminates the path to empowerment for others to follow. As long as there are people to help just like him, his light will continue to burn, reminding us that even a single candle can gleam radiantly.