Hands on Manila is bringing a flexible and innovative philanthropy model that integrates volunteering for sustainable development and national building into the daily schedules of go-getters to the Philippines.
Over 1,000 employee volunteers will come together for SERVATHON 2019, an annual service marathon led by Hands on Manila Foundation, Inc., to participate in the organisation’s flagship program on environment protection and nation-building, aligned with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Hands on Manila, founded by Gianna Montinola and Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, is a lauded institution that promotes volunteerism in the Philippines. It is the first international affiliate of Hands on Network USA (now known as Points of Light Foundation), the largest organisation globally dedicated to volunteer service.
With the theme “Hands on, Hearts out for the Environment”, the volunteers will definitely go hands on and hearts out at the Philippine International Convention Centre Forum Tent on 28 September 2019. One of Hands on Manila’s flagship program, SERVATHON makes volunteering easily accessible and simultaneous for different companies and organisations for one day each year.
The goal for this year’s SERVATHON is to make “mabuhay balls” derived from Japanese bokashi ball technology, which contains effective microorganism solution that promote the breakdown of organic and inorganic compounds and prevent foul odour thereby improving the quality of polluted water.
The volunteers will also make soil booster mixes that will help enrich soil that will be packaged in repurposed containers and turned over to the partner gardeners and farmers. Environmental information packs which contains interactive books and other teaching materials will also be handed out to help educate teachers and students at local schools.