Former Foreign Affairs undersecretary Ernesto Abella, who is running for president in the May polls, said he would push for the establishment of a National Volunteer Corps for Filipinos ages 18 to 35.
Abella said this will encourage this age group to volunteer in community programs.
Abella said the program is meant to challenge Filipinos ages 18 to 35 to “give 1 or 2 years of theirs lives to become volunteers.”
He said through this program, volunteers can go to primary schools in provinces and help children learn the basics including reading, writing, and arithmetic in their mother tongue.
Abella, who participated in the Pilipinas Debate 2022, also said there is a need for a “confident” national identity for Filipino youth “in order to restore their patriotism and faith in the country.”
If elected president, Abella, quoted in a GMA News report, said “he would prioritize including the civil society in the decision making of the government to create a fair society.
“Sabi sa Local Government Code, dapat may 25% na members of the community ang nagco-comprise doon sa local na pamamahala. Anong gagawin nila? [According to the Local Government Code, there should be 25% of members of the community who would comprise the local government. What will they do?] They look after law enforcement, health, education, bids and awards,” he said, in the report.
He said civil society members could also help “monitor corruption, incompetence, and other problems in the government.”
Abella is running as an independent candidate in the May 2022 polls.