CONCEPT NOTE

1. Basic information

Title Making Vulnerable Communities Resilient thru the Red

Cross 143 Volunteer Program

Duration (in months or years) 30 months

Country Philippines

Amount of funding requested in 1,150,200 Canadian Dollars (PHP 15 Million)

Canadian dollars

Target Areas (Covered PRC National Headquarters and Chapters (Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte,
Chapters) Southern Leyte, and Palawan

Contact name, title and email Roderic M. Salve

address
Volunteer Service Manager
roderic.salve@redcross.org.ph

2. Developmental challenges

The Philippines is one of the high-risk countries when it comes to disaster, in fact
according to the World Risk Index of 2022, it ranked No. 1 having the highest risk index
with 46.82 among the 193 countries in the world. According to the report this is due to the
lack of coping capacities and adaptive capacities and sustainability issues that made the
Philippines number one in the list. The RC143 Program is a community-based volunteering
program of the Philippine Red Cross where 1 leader and a minimum of forty-three (43)
member volunteers form part of an active corps of capable, caring, and committed
individuals, promoting a culture of self-help in communities by developing a formidable
network of Red Cross Volunteers who will predict potential risk, plan, prepare, and practice
for effective community-based disaster risk reduction. The implementation of this program in
disaster prone and vulnerable community will serve as a road map on how disaster risk
reduction and management can be done to attain sustainable development through inclusive
growth and build the adaptive capacities of communities, increase the resilience of
vulnerable sectors and optimize disaster mitigation opportunities with the end in view of
promoting people’s welfare and security towards inclusive, gender-responsive and rights-
based sustainable development all done in the spirit of volunteerism and community
empowerment. PRC’s goal is to saturate all the 41,015 barangays in the country with a
minimum of 44 volunteers on-site making all communities responsive, ready, and resilient in
times of crisis, disaster, and calamities.

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 Problem Statement

Eighteen years past since the Red Cross 143 have been implemented, only few barangays
have been able to complete the minimum 44 volunteers. To date, only 857 barangays have
completed the said minimum required numbers. Likewise, the high attrition rate of volunteers
proves to be a constant struggle in the chapter level. Accordingly, volunteers become inactive
and eventually drop out of the roster of volunteers due to non-engagement especially those in
the community. There seems to be a big gap between communication and getting in touch
with our volunteers in the community and their mobilization. Our volunteers in the ground
are more passive and does not take much initiative in initiating or joining community
volunteers unless contacted. There is a need for the RC143 Volunteers to be more proactive
and hand-on management of their volunteering preference and engagement consequently
encouraging them be to more relevant and eventually leads to retention of volunteers. There
are no avenues for volunteers to be given choices on their preference of engagement as well
as a mechanism where in they feel empowered due to a sense of ownership of their volunteer
placement and engagement.

This project will first target the 5 PRC Chapters, all of which are in the path of typhoons
during the rainy season. To continue the program implementation of the PRC in the areas to
be identified as part of our support for sustainable disaster preparedness and response. This
project will continue to reach out to other vulnerable communities.

3. Solutions
For volunteers to have a sense of ownership and give them a more personal preference in
their volunteer experience, there is a need to come up with a more relevant and upgrade data
banking of volunteers following their onboarding orientation and recruitment. By upgrading
the current One Volunteer Database (OVD) to a user-friendly design with features volunteers
able to personally manage their profile and volunteer engagement, it makes them proactive,
giving a sense of responsibility and ownership of their membership and being a volunteer of
Philippine Red Cross. The database upgrade keeps up with the current cyberspace culture
wherein according to Word Bank Report for 2022 as much 52.68% of the Filipino are using
the internet.
Concurrently, we there is still a need to strengthen the implementation of the RC143 Program
in the community level by improving promotions, recruitment, data banking, training, and
engagement in the chapters for them to be able to effectively and efficiently respond during

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 disaster or emergency situations by strengthening the RC143 Volunteer Management
(Volunteer Recruitment, Engagement and Retention) activities.
Expected Outcomes:
The following would be the expected outcomes for this project, viz.:
- Approximately 400,000 RC143 members already registered, and approximately
1,600,000 to be recruited.
- 102 Chapters have staff/volunteers with OVD technical training; Train 40 facilitators
to conduct RC143 training at the community.
- 125 Municipal and Barangay based volunteer leaders of 5 chapters trained in Team
Management.
- Five (5) Chapters will be able to conduct chapter Recognition and Appreciation
activities.

Description:
The potential beneficiaries are target municipalities under the area of responsibilities of the
five chapters with an estimate of 5-10 barangays per chapter (10 barangays per chapter =
4,000 target volunteers covered).

The criteria were established in the identification of the target beneficiaries, viz.,
- High Risk areas
- Highly populated areas
- Geographical location possible to be isolated during disaster (i.e., barangays
situations in the island, mountainous, and coastal areas)

Aside from the technical updates of the One Volunteer Database (OVD) to be a user-
friendly to be spearheaded by the Volunteer Service Office in the National Headquarters, the
Project at the same time will focus on the strengthening recruitment, training, and formation
of the RC143 Volunteers in the Chapter, Municipalities/Cities, and barangays. The
following activities will be the focus of this project proposal in the areas covered:
1. Enhancing the current One Volunteer Database (OVD) to be user friendly and
profile managed.
2. Strengthening the RC143 program by providing technical trainings in Volunteer
Management Cycle (Recruitment, Engagement and Retention)
3. Organizing and Mobilization of the RC143 Volunteers in the Chapter,
Municipal/City and selected Barangays.
4. To Implement cross cutting themes such as Community Engagement and
Accountability, Protection Gender and Inclusion and disaster risk reduction.
5. Implement volunteer recognition activities, viz.,
- Volunteer Appreciation Day
- Monthly General meeting for the Volunteers

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 - Update Volunteer Database of the NHQ and chapters
- Conduct Volunteer Summit/Convention for the volunteers.

This project will start upon approval of the project and cover at least five (5) upon approval
(criteria of selection). The Intervention will provide the Community with Channels and
resources to actively participate, stay informed, and to be prepared in operations under the
humanitarian principles, guidance, and framework of the Philippine Red Cross.
Relative to this, the country continues to be affected by the various disasters the main goal is
to capacitate the Chapters to establish a well effective volunteer Management,
communication, to train the RC143 Volunteers on the Disaster Preparedness management
and welfare Services.
The sustainability of the project will be possible through the Chapters ownership of
Volunteer Management and continuous effort to maintain the recruited, mobilized and
retained RC143 volunteers after the project. The chapters will still be able to continuously
recruit additional volunteers, maintain the active volunteers through continuous capacity
development, simulation drills, tabletop exercises, and pursue the retention and volunteer
support activities after the project.
The impact of the project will strengthen the recruitment, engagement and retention of the
volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross. This will enable the sense of belonging to them that
they recognize as part of the organization as the Philippine Red Cross Flagship program for
Volunteering is our Red Cross 143 Volunteers.
Further, the project is mainly to capacitate the target communities in attaining a sustainable
and resilient RC143 Volunteers. The Volunteers play a crucial role in providing support and
assistance to the most vulnerable communities affected by the disaster, equipping them with
a capacity building program such as Protection gender and Inclusion, disaster Risk Reduction
and Management training will enable the Volunteers to become resilient members of the
communities.
Capacitating and strengthening the community will enable them to be resilient in disaster or
emergency operations and to be able to contribute to their chapter’s development in their
AOR even during normal times. Empowering the target communities in which all genders are
accepted to be RC143 volunteers in all roles they want to fit and join in.
Outcome statements
- By updating the One Volunteer Management (OVD) to be user friendly and profile manage
by the volunteer.
- By implementing all the volunteer management project activities, the Volunteer
Management capacity of the chapter level will be enhanced;

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- By implementing the capacity building project activities, the RC143 volunteers will be able
to carry out their given RC143 roles to be functional in their AOR;
- By constantly supporting the volunteers, the RC143 volunteers retention rate will be
increased.

The Philippine Red Cross Volunteer Service in Partnership with the local Chapters and
communities.
1. Implementing Office:
This Project will be implemented jointly with the following PRC Offices:
1. Volunteer Service
2. Disaster Management Services
3. Welfare Services
4. Chapter Development Office
5. Support Office:
- International Relation and strategic Partnership Office
- Office of the Secretary General

2. Implementing Arrangements:
1. Volunteer Service- Responsible for the implementation of the RC143 recruitment,
training and formation at the Chapter and to support the implementation at the
Municipal/city and the barangay levels.
2. Welfare Service- will train the Volunteers on how to manage welfare service
activities such as Protection, Gender and Inclusion.
3. Disaster Management Services- will train the Volunteers on the Disaster Risk
Reduction training to capacitate the Volunteer in the disaster response.
4. Chapter Development Office- Will be responsible for the coordination,
monitoring and harmonious implementation of the program and activities.
5. International Relations and Strategic Partnerships Office and Office of the
Secretary General - will be responsible for the monitoring of the project
development and progress and will be responsible for the coordination with the
Partner- Donor National society regarding the project related concerns.
3. Implementation Plan

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 1. Implementation Inception Phase of the project includes conduct of the project
orientation to the Chapters in this project proposal, targeting and selection of the
project areas.
2. Hiring of Project staff for the Implementation
3. Implementation and RC143 recruitment, engagement and retention strategies in
the selected Chapters, Municipality/city and barangays.
4. Implementation of cross cutting activities in the identified areas of intervention
such Disaster risk reduction, Welfare Services and Volunteer Management.
5. Project Monitoring, Coordination, and reporting
6. Project review, lessons learned and evaluation.
7. Sustainability Plan
4. Organization capacity
The RC143 Volunteer Program is not new to PRC; rather it is the flagship initiative of the
organization on its volunteer program. The target 5 chapters (upon approval and criteria of
selection based on have been implementing the program for some time already and
currently have the pool of volunteers. There are also dedicated staff or the Chapter Service
Representative for Volunteer Service to plan, manage and monitor the implementation of
the project. In some chapters they have the RC143 Focal Person that functions as the main
staff to work on the implementation and management of the RC143 Program. PRC
national headquarters continuous delivery capacity building to chapter staff, focal persons
and volunteer leaders on volunteer management and the implementation of the RC143 in
their respective area of responsibilities.
The presence of Memorandum of Agreements, Local Government legislations and other
partnership establishing mechanisms are in place in these chapters. These partnerships
both in government and private sector also ensure additional resource mobilization such as
additional manpower and staffing, logistical support and even financial aid for training,
honorarium, and administrative expense support. The chapters currently are being
capacitated as part of their chapter development, most of the chapters have ongoing MOA,
MOU, with their local government that can be utilized to successfully implement all
RC143 activities.
PRC had a similar project in these chapters named Post Haiyan Chapter Development
(PHCD) on which the RC143 Volunteer program implementation is a component of the
project, most of the target of the said project was achieved. The PHCD has the same target
goals within this project scope.
The RC143 Program has been implemented using the Volunteer Management Cycle of
Recruitment, Engagement and Retention. all strategies, programs and activities in the
implementation of this program circumnavigates in this cycle. So the implementation of
recruitment, engagement and retention activities. Terminal objectives were planned i.e.

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 completing the presence of 44 individuals in target barangays and providing the proper
training and equipping of the said volunteers. Components of disaster risk reduction
training, first aid training, and psychosocial support training were implemented .

5. Annex

a. Estimated Budget Costing

click link: CRC BUDGET_VS Office

Prepared by:

Arianne Nillo-Goli Peter Miles Sollesta Melissa Delos Santos

Volunteer Recruitment Officer Volunteer Engagement Officer Volunteer Retention
Officer

Noter by:

Roderic Salve
Manager,Volunteer Services