A Volunteer's Experience: On being called and chosen

Written by Gian Carlo Abellana,RN* - VYLH Mindanao Pioneer

"Never stop dreaming, never stop imagining cause it doesn’t cost you anything”. 

This line remained within me after a training camp (Volunteer Youth Leaders For Health Philippines) that I have once attended in 2009. It started all the success which I have garnered now. At the same time it inspired me and boosted me to achieve all my dreams.

I truly believe in the saying “Many have been called but only few are chosen”.

Before, it was just a dream. But now, it has become a reality when a group of Youth Volunteers coming from various parts of the Philippines was created which aims to be a part of a National Project with high impact on Public Health. I can still vividly recall how this Organization started and evolved. It was the 17^th-19^th of July last year in Tagaytay City when 20 Schools/Colleges/Universities and 12 Community Organizations  from various parts of the country were gathered in a camp which was co-sponsored and organized by the Institute of Human Genetics - National Institutes of Health of the UP-Manila, Department of Health and The UP Los Baños Genetics Society. We were then a small family, but a family with great aspirations.

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VYLH: On the Forefront of Volunteerism and Advocacy

Written by Mark Ray Espinoza*

Originally Published in the Diagnosis, the Official Publication of the College of Nursing - Xavier University.

 “Taking this opportunity further ignited my desire, and from this I met a wide range of people from co-volunteers to the most respected in the health sciences – a community with unparalleled passion and dedication to the advocacy. This was the time that I realized the feeling was contagious and I’m already infected.” Ryan Pascual, Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health (VYLH) - Philippines National Pioneer.

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