OLONGAPO CITY: “CITY OF VOLUNTEERS”

The City Council of Olongapo recently passed an ordinance adopting the title “City of Volunteers” for Olongapo City. All through out the country as well as the world, Olongapo City has been known to have strong values in volunteerism.

After a thorough deliberation, the City Council finally approved the ordinance sponsored by Councilor Gina Perez entitled “An Ordinance Adopting the Title of Olongapo City as “City of Volunteers” (Ordinance No. 31 series of 2009).

The Ordinance states that Olongapo City has to establish an identification which will reflect its entirety in terms of people, places and culture. With tourism becoming the prime source of income all throughout the country, the city has to initiate deep measures of promotion and recall to target tourists.

According to the ordinance, “The act of Volunteerism has been shown in 1991 when the Unites States Naval Forces pulled out from its geographical location adjacent to the locality, which unfortunately resulted to loss of employment and economic regression.”

It can be recalled that on November 24, 2009 Olongapo City celebrated the 17th Anniversary of Volunteers Day headed by Senator Richard Gordon and City Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. during the wake of former City Mayor and Assemblywoman Amelia J. Gordon at the Olongapo City Convention Center.

“Ang isang tunay na volunteer ay ang gumagawa ng mga bagay na hindi nag-aantay ng anumang kapalit, ang aking ina ay tunay na halimbawa ng isang matatag na leader,” Mayor “Bong” Gordon, Jr. said during the program.

More than three thousand (3,000) volunteers and their relatives filled the Olongapo City Convention Center (OCCC). Prior to the program, the Bagumbayan volunteers led the floral offering and prayers for Ma’am Amelia Gordon, an original volunteer and the rest of the volunteers at Volunteers’ Shrine.

pao/nmm