Abella to establish ‘National Volunteer Corps’ for ages 18–35 if elected

Presidential candidate and former Foreign Affairs undersecretary Ernesto Abella on Thursday said he would push for the establishment of a National Volunteer Corps for Filipinos ages 18 to 35 to encourage them to volunteer in communities.

During Go Negosyo and One News' KandidaTalks, Abella emphasized his plan to form a resilient nation through the youth.

“[In] the National Volunteer Corps, icha-challenge natin ang mga ages 18 to 35 na magbigay ng isa o dalawang taon ng kanilang buhay to become volunteers. Anong gagawin nila? Sali tayo sa community building,” he said.

Through this program, he pointed out that the volunteers could go to primary schools in provinces and help the children master reading, writing, and arithmetic in their mother tongue.

During the PiliPinas Debates 2022, Abella said that he sees the need for a “confident” national identity among the Filipino youth in order to restore their patriotism and faith in the country.

Further asked about the programs he would enact within his first 100 days in office should he win the May 9 polls, Abella 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.

The civil society, he stressed, could also help monitor corruption, incompetence, and other problems in the government.

Abella is running as an independent candidate in the 2022 elections. — BM, GMA News