Redefining The Motivational Concepts Among Volunteers in The Context of The Philippines
Redefining The Motivational Concepts Among Volunteers in The Context of The Philippines
Redefining The Motivational Concepts Among Volunteers in The Context of The Philippines
Philippines
Department of Psychology
MAPUA UNIVERSITY
in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE MAJOR
IN PSYCHOLOGY
Marion S. Plaza
Mentor
2019
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 1
Philippines
Abstract
The study, Motivational Factors of Filipinos in Civic Engagement in Metro Manila was
aimed to explore the various motivations in civic engagement within the Philippine context.
Based on the studies of Agostinho and Paco (2012), Newton, Becker, and Bell (2014), and Egli,
Schlesinger, and Nagel (2014), there are differences on the motivational preference among
volunteers in each country. In fact, Portuguese are motivated primarily by altruism. Whereas,
Australians and Swiss are motivated primarily by self-oriented factors. Despite such findings,
there are only limited studies that focused on this particular issue. Two instruments were used as
a screening process e.g. survey and scale that measured civic engagement of volunteers, whereby
a semi-structured interview was used to obtain the participant’s response. The results showed
that there are seven different motivational concepts among Filipino volunteers and that each one
CHAPTER I
Civic engagement is seen as a significant course of action that generates positive changes
within the community and individuals. This action leads to enhanced psychological well-being
such as optimism, self-esteem (Keyes, 2002); self-efficacy, hope (Uslaner, 2002); lower anxiety,
distress (Schwartz, Meisenhelder, Ma, & Reed, 2003); and reduction of antisocial behavior
(Eccles & Barber, 1999). However, studies show that there is a decline in civic engagement in
various activities (Putnam, 1995) due to a lack of motivation among volunteers (Clary et al.,
1998). Furthermore, studies reveal that there is a difference in the motivational preference among
volunteers. For example, Portuguese are motivated primarily by altruism (Agostinho & Paco,
2012). Whereas, Australians and Swiss are motivated primarily by self-oriented factors (Newton,
Becker, & Bell, 2014; Egli, Schlesinger, & Nagel, 2014). Meanwhile, in the Philippines,
motivations of Filipinos in volunteering have not been fully explored and that its previous studies
are limited or insufficient. Hence, should be studied further to provide additional information
regarding the various motivations and the primary motivator of Filipinos, as well as to increase
The first fragmented concept of civic engagement was introduced by Lyda J. Hanifan
(1916) that he stressed the relevance of the individual's involvement in community services in
achieving success in state schools. It is also defined as a means of helping people to access
services when in times of need (Elliott, Haney, & Sams-Abiodun, 2010). This argument was
further studied by other researchers, but this time directly linked with civic engagement. One
prominent example was the twenty-year-old study conducted by Putnam (1993) in Italy. He
differentiated each regional province by its successes and failures in governance, ; wherein some
failed while others were successful. He concluded that civic engagement was the primary cause
of such outcomes. This conclusion gained recognition and improved knowledge regarding civic
engagement. Accordingly, led to an increase of research in the past two decades which that are
found in various literature such as political science, sociology, and psychology. Furthermore,
several terms had been used in relation with civic action such as participation, involvement, and
engagement. which It has a similar definition that is an action that "takes upon a role or
responsibility" which that is vague and insufficient in meaning and hence should not be used
"individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern"
"Civic Engagement," (n.d., para. 2). While others, describe civic engagement as a combination of
skills, knowledge, values, and motivation to attain the desired goal (Ehrlich, 2000).
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 4
Civic engagement has several mediums in promoting welfare and development in the
participation, and creative representation. These mediums can either be formal (Gronlund et al.,
2011) and informal volunteerism (Whittaker, McLennan, & Handmer, 2015) and paid or unpaid
entities (Michelson, Zaff, & Hair, 2002). In this study, organizational involvement namely the
described as: "private organizations that aim to alleviate the life condition of the people in the
community by pursuing activities that protect the environment, promote the interests of the poor,
relieve suffering, provide basic social services or undertake community development" "Social
Based on the literature, each country has a distinct means of becoming civically engaged
i.e., its citizens are affected by certain motivational factors. Indeed, aAccording to the study of
Agostinho and Paco (2012), it showed that Portuguese are motivated primarily by altruism, while
others, such as Australians and Swiss are motivated primarily by self-oriented factors (Newton et
al., 2014; Egli et al., 2014). Despite the results provided by these studies, it failed to recognize
the difference in each country's preference in motivation. Furthermore, there are limited
information in the Philippine context wherein there is only one study conducted by Llenares and
Deocaris (2015) that provided information on the motivational factors that prompts Filipinos to
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 5
volunteer, in which its methods and results are insufficient and hence should be replicated, as
well as overcome the issues that the previous study had faced.
Motivation
Motivation is universal that prompts an individual to act (Gredler, Broussard, & Garrison,
2004). This is supported by (Guay et al., 2010, p. 712) which that he presented a similar
definition i.e. "the reasons underlying behavior", in which it can "activate, direct, and sustain
goal-directed behavior", meaning it utterly controls how the individual perform an activity
(Nevid, 2013). Many researchers had generated their own theories about motivation such as the
social exchange theory, drive theory, and locus of control. The first one argues that the reason
people are motivated to perform an activity is due to the benefits that they received from doing
the activity. "The Social Exchange Theory Management Essay”. The second one argues that a
person who is in a presence of a group will be driven to perform the task better “Drive Theory”.
While, tThe last one argues that an individual will become more motivated, assuming that there
is a sense of control in their action (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). To put these theories simply,
According to the article “Motivation: Psychological Factors That Guide Behavior”, there
are three components of motivation namely, activation, persistence, and intensity, . each Each
one having ahas a different role in the individual’s motivation. Activation refers to the process of
a desired goal. While, iIntensity is the “concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal”.
In fact, tThis was noted in the study of (George & Jones, 2008, p.179), ). which tThey referred
motivation as a psychological force that determines the degree of effort and persistence in the
individual. Furthermore, the process of motivation has four phases namely, need, arousal,
behavior, and satisfaction point. For this process to initiate, an individual should be driven by a
need to behave in a certain way; that need must trigger an arousal from the individual to produce
a driving force, which could either be physical or mental stimulus. These aroused individuals
will continually perform the task given to them, to be able to satisfy their needs and eventually
There are two types of motivation namely, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The former,
is described as a tendency that emerges within the individual. It is inherent which cannot be
suspended or prevented from being enforced. Individuals who are enveloped by this particular
motivation pursuits challenges and seeks new experience in order to exercise one’s skills and
abilities, as well as explore, and learn new things. Meanwhile extrinsic motivation is a behavior
that arises due to external sources such as tangible rewards (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Wherein,
people
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 7
under this type are prompted to act because of the rewards that they will receive from doing the
task.
functions namely, career, social, protective, understanding, values, and enhancement that serves
The career function is the desirability to promote one's own career (Clary et al., 1998).
According to the result of Nazilah, Rozmi, and Fauziah (2013), it showed that 91.1% of college
students who participate in civic organizations aim to establish a new connection in order to help
them in their career. Furthermore, other benefits such as resume padding i.e., adding information
to one's own resume had also been linked with young individual's motivation in volunteering
The social function prioritizes relationships i.e., strengthening old connections and
establishing new ones, and gaining social approval (Clary et al., 1998). In a study conducted by
McDougle, Greenspan, and Handy (2011), their statistics show that 70% of environmental
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 8
volunteers who are driven by the reason of establishing new relationships, had invested more
time volunteering than their usual time of 25%. Furthermore, in the domain of work, workaholics
are primarily motivated by social approval from their fellow workers which they had
incorporated within themselves (Van Beek et al., 2012). Additionally, in the recent study by
Francis (2011) on university students, statistics showed that their social function had increased
by 1.13 with a test score of 2.95 compared with Clary et al. (1998) study. Therefore, the social
generation.
The understanding function is the desirability to learn new things and exercise one's own
abilities, skills, and knowledge (Clary et al., 1998). In a study of Kahn (1990), he argued that
employees are driven by meaningfulness in their work which was empirically tested and
supported by May, Gilson, and Harter (2004), where she led to the same conclusion as Kahn
(1990). Furthermore, based on the interview of adult volunteers, two subjects showed preference
The enhancement function is defined by Clary et al. (1998) as the positive affect which improves
"self-development and growth". According to the study of Van Beek et al. (2012), employees are
prompted to continue working if they get self-worth from doing their task. This was the same
The values function is an act that serves other people's welfare at the expense of oneself
(Clary et al., 1998) and that it is positively related with volunteer engagement, as well as a
significant predictor of the individual's duration in volunteering (Shantz, Saksida, & Alfes,
2014). In fact, in the analysis of Phillips and Phillips (2010), it showed that people in cluster two
preferred helping others as their primary motivation and has also shown a negative correlation
The protective function is to relieve oneself from negative feelings or problems (Clary et
al., 1998). Studies revealed that people are motivated by the protective function for them to
According to Chelladurai (2006), virtually all volunteers are influenced both by egoism
and altruism and that its preference varies from different people (Frisch & Gerrard, 1981;
Omoto, Snyder, & Hackett, 2010; Nazilah et al., 2013; Fung, Carstensen, & Lang et al., 2001). In
fact, according to Hartenian and Lilly (2009), individuals who are driven by egoism tend to give
importance to their needs such as career development, establishing new contacts, gaining a good
feeling, and relieving oneself from problems or troubles. While individuals who are driven by
of other people at the expense of oneself. Numerous authors conclude that egoism is the primary
motivator of volunteers, they argued that people will likely to volunteer and retain their
membership when their self-interests are met. In the study of Newton et al. (2014), results show
that the presence of career, social, protective, understanding, and enhancement functions, leads
observed to have egoistic motivations, wherein they tend to involve themselves to a particular
cause for their own benefit (Nelson, Hooker, DeHart, Edwards, & Lanning, 2004). Furthermore,
egoistic motivation has higher leverage on driving students to join a civic group than altruistic
motivation (Fitch, 1987). Volunteers in nonprofit organizations are also motivated by intangible
rewards such as feelings of satisfaction, the ability to improve the community, or the application
of personal skills (Phillips & Phillips, 2010). In a study on Swiss volunteers in sports clubs,
cluster two subjects showed materialistic expectations where they prefer membership discount
(Egli et al., 2014). Hence, people who are driven by egoism are solely concerned on three things
which are well-being, benefit, or welfare to oneself (Feinberg, 1999; Sober & Wilson 1998).
There are researchers who oppose the proponents of egoism, they argue that there had
been solid evidence where altruism is seen as the primary motivators of volunteers. In fact, the
values function had seen to be one of the significant predictors of "organizational commitment,
(Newton et al., 2014). Moreover, in the study of Omoto et al. (2010), it had shown that altruism
is highly intertwined with the involvement of AIDS volunteers. Based on empirical research of
Batson (1991), people can generate altruistic actions in certain circumstances and that people
Civic Engagement
people that is generally driven by personal benefits, (McDougle et al., 2011; Friedland et al.,
2006; Nazilah et al., 2013), "sense of duty and respect for authority" that aims to generate
positive changes or improvements in the society (Reuben, 2004; Greenhow & Li, 2013; Lenzi et
al., 2014). It is also a means of addressing the concerns of the public through the utilization of
various humanitarian services, "Civic Engagement" (n.d., para. 2) and a place where people can
express or practice their rights through individual or collective action (Holley, 2016); "Equitable
and Inclusive Civic Engagement". For instance, engaging oneself in environmental activities or
sharing one's views with the government (Greenhow & Li, 2013). Furthermore, some authors
argue that civic engagement and volunteerism have direct linked since the latter is often
identified as a type of prosocial behavior (Wilson & Musick, 1999; Allison, Okun, & Dutridge,
2002) and a primary indicator of the former (Okun & Michel, 2006; Putnam, 2000;
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 12
Verba, Schlozman & Brady, 1995). Hence, both labeled as correlated or homogeneous concepts.
Literature shows that civically engaged individuals tend to emanate awareness i.e., knows the
concerns of the community or society "Civic Learning And Democratic Engagement" (n.d., para.
1); able to sacrifice time and effort to provide humanitarian services (Ehrlich, 2000; "The White
Paper Supporting Voluntary Activity" Irish Government, 2000). Despite its positive functions
and benefits, researchers reveal that a number of volunteers who are joining in civic activities is
at a decreasing rate. Robert Putnam, a prominent scholar had shown an overall decline in the past
decade which is apparent in bowling leagues, town hall meetings, voting, and union membership
which have fewer volunteers (Putnam, 1995). This was supported by succeeding authors and
theorists which also attest to the same conclusion as Putnam in which their findings revealed a
decline in various civic engagement activities. For example, voter turnout rates are stagnant at
around 50%; individuals often detach themselves from the democratic process, especially among
young adults (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012; Boyte, Dobson, Kawashama-Ginsburg, Knuckey, &
Levine, 2011; Putnam, 2000) and a decline of civic engagement among youth and college
students (Colby, Ehrlich, Beaumont, Stephens, & Shulman, 2003; Putnam, 1995). This was
further specified in the following study of Putnam (2000), wherein the decrease of volunteerism
in voting, membership association, and political involvement are apparent among younger
groups than older groups. Moreover, according to the study of Grillo, Teixeira, and Wilson
(2009), and Chanand Guo (2013), it was revealed that young adults have a lower rate of
to lack of motivation and perceived ability in engaging oneself with politics and public affairs.
Despite such findings that seemed to be acknowledged by social researchers, it's still a source of
argument.
These issues surrounding civic engagement is a concern and must be addressed especially
that it promotes welfare and development in the community and society. To elaborate further, it
(Prentice, 2007) that improve the lives of the citizens "Welcome to Civic Engagement" (n.d.,
para. 2), as well as identifies limitations and applying knowledge and skills to provide solutions
to those limitations. Hence, equip people in providing solutions to society's ills and concerns. In
fact, studies reveal that civic engagement can provide tremendous positive outcomes such as
improved health, increased social capital (Borgonovi, 2008; d'Hombres, Rocco, Suhrcke, &
Mckee, 2010; Helliwell, Layard, & Sachs, 2015; Meier & Stutzer, 2008) as well as stimulation of
human development and economic growth due to its social, legal, and administrative process
("What is Civic Engagement" [n.d., para. 1]; Knack & Keefer, 1997) that provides interaction
between policymakers and the citizens which directly influence communities (Uslaner, 2012).
Furthermore, its concept had seen to generate remarkable benefits both at the micro and macro
level in the community which leads to better planning, implementation, and sustainability of
Several theories have been used to describe civic engagement such as game theory,
rational choice theory (Luce & Raiffa, 1957; Olson, 1965) which states that people consider all
the cost and benefits before carrying out an action. These concepts imply reciprocity in order for
engagement or action to transpire. Moreover, factors encompassing civic engagement had also
been linked with various models e.g., the unidimensional (Cnaan & Goldberg-Glen, 1991) and
the multidimensional model (Clary et al., 1998) which focuses primarily on motivation. Hence,
wherein they tend to involve themselves to a particular cause for their own benefit (Nelson et al.,
2004). In fact, in a study of Egli et al. (2014) individuals in cluster two, who are under 20 years
of age, emanated materialistic orientation in volunteering that had been supported by previous
researchers (Hustenix & Lammertyn, 2003). Furthermore, egoistic motivation has higher
leverage on driving students to join a civic group than altruistic motivation (Fitch, 1987). This
study, . in whichThe egoistic factors are significant in motivating college students in order for
them to take part in volunteer activities. Literature also showed that youth volunteers in the
United States had been widespread, ; wherein some individuals participate in school-based
learning programs while others participate in church projects. In fact, tThere is an increasing
number of young individuals who participate in various volunteer activities. For example,
statistics show that teenagers had allotted 2.4 billion hours in their organizations; . There is an
increment of civic participation among younger volunteers within the past ten years in which
30% of these individuals had engaged in volunteer activities at least once a month; 59.3% of
13.3 million youth are engaged in civic organization for an average of 4.2 hours daily. The
reasons for these statistics are heavily influenced by their underlying reasons. For example,
youth cited that being compassionate towards other people will lead to reciprocity i.e. people will
elicit the same compassion shown by people to them and that being engaged in volunteer
activities will benefit the community (Latham, 2012). Studies had shown that there is a large
population of youth who are constantly participating in their communities (Ginwright, 2011),
engaging in volunteer activities (Andolina, Keeter, Zukin, & Jenkins, 2003), or engaging in
online arguments and debates that utilizes social websites, applications, text messaging
reminders, and online phone banks (Banaji, 2008). Some authors agree that youths are effective
an asset that influences society and acts as resources and strengths (Nicotera, 2008). In fact, a lot
According to literature, older people have a distinct set of needs in volunteering such as
physical, psychological, and motivational aspects compared to younger volunteers (Adler, 2002).
However, despite their differences, older people had also been engaged in volunteer activities
(Musick & Wilson, 2003) due to the immense benefits of civic engagement i.e. improving one's
health and well-being, wherein adults are the ones most benefiting from volunteering, especially
reduction in depression. Furthermore, a study showed that older people are engaged in civic
activities such as voting, group membership, individual volunteerism, social, community and
organizational involvement (Pew Research Center, 2012). Similarly, this was the same trend in
previous years, wherein it revealed a percentage increase on certain age groups in volunteering,
among them ages 55-64 (47%), 65-74 (43%), and 75-year-old and older (37%) (U.S. Census
Bureau, 1996; Independent Sector, 1999). Older volunteers had also been a noteworthy figure on
children's group that ranks as the third on the list of organizations they choose to volunteer
wherein they have higher satisfaction compared with younger volunteers "Southern Illinois
become volunteers are at least 30 years of age wherein they are placed globally. In addition,
there is a rise in the number of senior travelers who are taking part in their agenda to promote
development and welfare towards various communities. Even oOlder adults who are not yet into
(Volunteermatch, 2007). Also, iIn Northern Ireland, although, older volunteers who are beyond
the age 50 have the least number of volunteer activities, . they They are the most active age
group wherein they participate in volunteer activities once a week (Volunteer Development
Agency 2007b). Various reasons had been covered in the study of Hill (2006) such as
improvement of one's physical and mental health, assisting others, learning a new set of skills,
establishing new relationships, providing services to the community, and management of their
empty nest syndrome. Older adults who are 65 years old and higher had devoted long hours of
volunteering i.e., an average of 223 hours per year, which that is roughly double the number of
Civic engagement had been studied thoroughly for decades. However, its prospect had
been a problem due to people's preferential motivation in civic engagement. In fact, aAccording
to the results of previous studies, they concluded that the primary motivator of civic engagement
differs from each country. For example, Australians and Swiss prefer to be motivated by self-
oriented factors, while others like Portuguese prefer other-oriented factors for them to become
The study sought to determine whether, each country has its own motivational factors in
civic engagement.
Research Question
1. What motivational factors are present in civically engaged individuals in Metro Manila?
The study aims to increase the recruitment rate of civic organizations in the Philippines.
The study had conducted an interview that focused on the motivational factors of
Filipinos in civic engagement, ; in which it determined the type of motivation, assessed the
degree of each motivational factor, and distinguished the primary motivation; . and thusIt
established relationships between each factor in relation with the individual’s demographics and
2002); self-efficacy, hope (Uslaner 2002); lower anxiety and distress (Schwartz et al., 2003); and
reveals that being a volunteer reduces antisocial behavior (Eccles & Barber, 1999). Literature
shows that becoming civically engaged is internally rewarding to an individual (Post, 2005).
via integrating and involving each citizen in civic engagement. Thus, eliminates dysfunctional
elements and produces a comfortable and productive environment towards its citizens. As for the
researcher, the study had provided him insight on human motivation and uncover new
Theoretical Framework
Results of various studies on the basis of the individual's motivation on volunteering had
been associated with Clary and Snyder (1999), Finkelstein (2008), Omoto and Snyder (1995)
Functional Analysis Perspective. This theory states that being civically engaged provides
fulfillment on the individual's motivation, as well as and satisfies six psychological motivations
or functions e.g., career, understanding, enhancement, protective, social, and values. These six
motivations have been widely used in the Volunteer Functions Inventory (Clary et al., 1998), ).
in which mMost of the aforementioned functions are labeled as self-oriented rather than other-
oriented concerns. Indeed, these were mentioned on Snyder and Omoto (2008) review of
theoretical and empirical work on volunteerism. It states that volunteering is driven by gaining
career-relevant experience (Career); stimulating one's own individual growth and development
(Enhancement); the desire to learn and exercise skills (Understanding); countering personal
problems and negative feelings (Protective); and strengthening one's own social relationships
(Social). Only the values function focuses on the other-oriented concern that is the desire to
perform humanitarian services towards other people. In relation to this study, the functional
approach will be used to determine which among the six motivational functions is the primary
motivation of volunteers or if there are any other motivational factors that are not within this
theory.
Conceptual Framework
Figure 1: Conceptual Paradigm of the Study
The study posits that civic engagement has various motivational functions that serve a
different purpose to an individual. The study was based on Clary's functional theory which states
that six motivational functions are present in volunteer's civic engagement. Volunteers perform
civic duties because they obtain certain motivational factors e.g., career, social, enhancement,
protective, understanding, and values function that motivates them to continue volunteering.
CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
type of research that examines a topic in a new angle to gain further insight and thus to better
understand the problem but does not provide a final conclusion to the questions being studied. In
other words, it acts as a foundation for future research. The design was selected since there is a
context.
Sampling Method
sampling. It diversifies the participants of the study by including a wide variety of extremes such
as age, gender, financial income, and educational background in the sample so that it produces a
Method of Recruitment
The study primarily utilized social networking sites for the recruitment of research
participants. An online survey and a test particularly, the Civic Engagement Scale were
distributed to all civic volunteers from various organizations, . in which tThe former had
obtained the information from the individual such as age, gender, financial income, and
educational background. Whereas, the latter had determined their level of civic engagement
which the individual with the highest score was selected. The individuals who had passed this
process were given an information sheet and a consent form that was distributed online.
Subsequently, the individuals who agreed to participate in the study had taken an interview with
the researcher in which the schedule was set upon the agreement by both the researcher and the
participant.
Participants
Females Males
Female students (17- Female adults (36 Male students (17-35 Male adults (36 years
35 years old) years old and above) years old) old and above)
3 female students 2 female adults 4 male students 3 male adults
The participants of the study were organized in terms of their age and gender, ; wherein
they were divided into four groups e.g., female students, female adults, male students, and male
adults, whereby each group consists of three, two, four, and three participants, respectively.
Furthermore, a prerequisite was pursued prior to such process. The participants in the first group
are between the ages of 17 to 35 years old and are Filipino students with college degree. Whereas
iIn the second group, the participants will be 36 years old and over who had acquired at least a
bachelor's degree in college. Furthermore, both groups are active members of a civic
organization and receive an average or high financial income. The basis for such criteria is due to
a correlation between income and rate of participation in whichwith low-income individuals tend
to have a lower rate of participation in civic activities due to lack of leisure time (Schor, 1997;
Roy, Tubbs, & Burton, 2004). Studies also show that both age groups e.g., young and older
individuals tend to differ in the way they engage in civic activities (Adler, 2002; Egli et al., 2014;
Hill, 2006). The usage of age groups is to prevent any bias or erroneous perception to the sexual
Data Collection
The study had conducted a semi-structured interview that obtained a wide range of
responses from the individual's experience. The duration of the interview was not restrictive;
wherein the participant can provide as much response as long as it stays relevant to the questions,
but was stopped once "saturation" is reached i.e. when no new or relevant data is gathered to
prevent any exhaustive or futile data in the study. Whereas, the setting of the interview was
These are some of the following questions that were asked by the researcher during the interview
process:
2. What helps you to give your best effort when facing a tough situation?
3. How did you know that you did a good job as a volunteer?
4. Aside from the agenda of your organization, what goals are you trying to achieve by
volunteering?
Data Analysis
The study used content analysis to produce contextual meaning via concepts that had
emerged from the narrative response that will be obtained from the participants (Bryman, 2001).
The study utilized the Civic Engagement Scale by Doolittle and Faul (2013) to determine
the degree of civic engagement among the participants. The scale consists of two dimensions
e.g., attitudes and behaviors. The former measured, "the personal beliefs that individuals have
about their own involvement in their community and their perceived ability to make a difference
in that community". Whereas, tThe latter measured, "the actions that people take to actively
These are some of the following statements from the Civic Engagement Scale by
Doolittle and Faul (2013) that were answered by the participants prior to the interview:
Attitudes
2. I believe that I have a responsibility to help the poor and the hungry
Behaviors
The researcher administered a Civic Engagement Scale and a survey, . in which tThe
former measures the civic engagement of the volunteer. While, tThe latter consists of a list of
criteria such as financial income, volunteer activity, and educational attainment for the selection
process of the participants. The participants who passed these tests have high scores in CES, had
currently taking a bachelor’s degree based on the survey. After completing the said processit, the
participants were given a consent form to determine whether to take part or back out from the
interview. Those participants who have busy schedule were interviewed right after taking the
Civic Engagement Scale and survey. The interview was semi-structured and open-ended,
wherein a set of validated interview questions were asked to the participants regarding their civic
engagement experience in their organization, and were not restricted in their responses as long as
it stays relevant to questions being asked. After which the data from the participants were
organized into two groups e.g. male and female, and were analyzed, wherein several concepts
The study used qualitative narrative analysis to analyze the stories of each Filipino
volunteer that were obtained in the interview. This section shows the stories of each participant
Participant’s Stories
Adult Male 1
When he was young, he had seen a lot of obstacles, and difficulties, However, every time
he helps in his own simple way, he felt an immeasurable feeling that he can’t even describe, it’s
like every time that he helps, there’s something in himself that is also being helped. That is why
when he joined the organization, he was amazed to see that people are volunteering despite their
status in life, from garbage collector to a manager of a bank, in which they are united for a single
reason, and that is to help. Furthermore, their task is not only building houses, but also
encouraging the family to become responsible members of the community. During his time in
the organization, he went somewhere in Dumaguete wherein he was able to overcome his fear of
riding boats and stayed for a month, building thirty-five houses for the homeless with limited
money to spend, to which he was amazed in himself because he was able to learn how to make
gravel and sand, put hollow blocks, and braces i.e. the area where you set the roof in just a short
amount of time. The second volunteerism he did in that organization was going to depressed
communities, and for him, this was the most enjoyable part of volunteer work because he’s able
to socialize with children e.g. chatting together, eating isaw and fish balls on the street and
asking how their day was. He is also
Adult Male 2
He’s a very busy man, working from Mondays to Saturdays, wherein it came to the point
that everything is becoming monotonous which prompted him to join an organization in order to
acquire a new skill for financial gain, as well as a source of socialization, since he’s only able to
go out with his wife during Sundays. When he got there, he liked the camaraderie, wherein they
go out on a monthly basis, as well as the pleasurable feeling he gets when helping people which
keeps him motivated to participate in the organization. During this time, he was asked to help his
fellow members on their tasks, and so he shares his knowledge and expertise, devotes his time
and takes leadership roles, and as he continues to engage in volunteer activities, it lead him to see
the other side of life, wherein he met people who don’t have the same skill set as him and thus
developed a new belief, which he believes that the giver receives more than the person receiving
it. The culture of helping within the organization, and the people around him also gives him a
pleasurable feeling and the motivation to face a difficult situation, since they prepare speeches on
a weekly basis. There was a time where they were dealing a difficult fundraising project that they
were planning, wherein they were constantly at an impasse on how they are going to go about it
so instead of shoving the project away they put a pin on it first and then on later meetings they
talked about it more and they tried to get more resources in order to make the project more
Adult Male 4
They came up with the name “kamote riders” as the name of their organization to change
the perspective of people since they tend to presume that this type of riders doesn’t follow the
rules, and are constantly involved in incidents. When the organization was established, his sole
reason was just to ride and go to different places, . but wWhen volunteers came pouring into
their organization, his reason of helping the needy and victims of calamities came about, . which
It makes him happy because according to him that “once you helped a community, you already
made a mark on that place, being one in the group who did something good”. AlsoMoreover, the
appreciation that he gets by helping people, even if it’s just a piece of paper or pencil, eases all of
their exhaustion from long hours of travel just to reach their destination, . and aAs the only
licensed first aid rider in their team, he shares his knowledge on how to treat injuries whenever
he responds to accidents, . he’s He’s also taking up leadership roles in the organization wherein
he gives talks and lectures, as well as motivating his fellow members. The reason why he got
interested to help is that he wants people to show that money is not an issue in helping because
even though they don’t have that much income, they can still give a tremendous amount of help
if they compile each other’s individual effort. They will not stop helping as long as there are
people who are in need of help because it pains him to see people suffering. As he continues to
engage in these activities, it lead him to realize how lucky he is to be in his situation, which
motivates him to give more effort in
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 32
helping those people, it also made him want young kids to engage in volunteer activities, so that
no one will never experience hardships. There are instances where some of his fellow members
quit the organization because of their family, that’s why he said that when volunteering, it is very
important to have dedication.
Male Student 1
He joined the organization for him not to get separated from his friends, as well as to and
practice his religious practice and beliefs. During his time there, they do outreach programs such
as teaching and sharing the bible Bible passage, and feeding the street children, . they They also
serve at San Agustin church which that they do once a year when they are called by their alumni.
He also made friends within the organization, and eventually considered them as a family, . so
wWhenever they asked for help, he’s doing his best to provide it. The civic activities he performs
in the organization gives him a pleasurable experience because even in his own little way of
helping, he’s able tohe can make people happy. which It also leads him to see the situation of
other people, hence, motivated motivates him to do better for their sake. Also, he prefers to be in
an environment when inside the organization’s premises where people support each other since it
makes him in a more productive state. There are times in the organization where they lack
manpower, and finances, like when they have to go outside of the school’s premises, so what he
does is he gives some money for the expenses of the aspirants and looking for ways to give them
transportation. But there are also times where he is relying on his friends for support whenever
he’s dealing with a difficult situation. Currently, he still continues to participate in the activities
of the organization to show his support to his friends.
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 33
Male Student 3
When he was young he became faithful to God as he was already participating in various
roles such as being a dancer in El Shaddai, and a member of the choir. These activities prompted
him to become a volunteer in the organization. During his time there, engaging in volunteer
activities, he learned how to act through the workshops they provide which lead to improve his
acting skills. His reason for acquiring such knowledge is that he realized that his dream of
becoming an actor is now impossible, . that is also why he is veryHe then became interested in
church activities like theater acting. He is very busy at home and at school which that is why the
activities in the organization gives him a pleasurable pleasure. feeling wherein he is able to
learnHe also learned new things through cooperating with his group mates while engaging in
civic task and meet his fellow teens who can relate with his tasks and responsibilities in the
organization. Being able to do tThese things gives him experience and happiness because he’s
able to share the knowledge he learned in school. Whenever his facing a difficult situation, he’s
asking God for guidance to overcome such situation, he also holds unto his faith to God to
persevere and continually serve in the organization which is the most important thing for him.
Male Student 4
He wasn’t a volunteer at first when he joined the organization because he had no interest
in it, he was just following the requests of his superiors in the organization. During his time
there, he was uncomfortable serving in the mass and doing outreach projects because being an
introvert he doesn’t like being around with many people, . but However, as time passes by, he
eventually enjoyed doing it because he knows that that at least in his mind or in his heart, he’s
doing it for someone, and something good will come out of it. From these activities, he learned
to care for other people, how to connect with those who have less privileges than him, . as well
as learnHe also learned how to sympathize and empathize with them. He was amazed by how
people with a common cause can put much determination in volunteering, which made him gain
a new perspective rather from his own.
Furthermore, participating in civic tasks gives him positive emotions, for instance, being able to
see that the people he served are happy already brings him joy. In addition, while he is serving,
he is also doing his best to improve some of his skills, . for For example, when he’s in the parish,
there came a time that was tasked to do photo editing or video editing, . this This helped him to
improveimproved his skills on that, as well as in socializing, . in which for him that’s the biggest
skill he’s trying to improve because he wants to see the approval of his colleagues. His time in
the organization also lead him to set a goal in which he wants to people who are in need.
Whenever he faces a difficult situation, he always remembers why stayed in the organization for
so long if he didn’t like it, so that’s what gives him the motivation he needs. Also, he believes
that once people are in a tough situation that’s where they can grow.
Male student 6
When he was young, he was already participating in various organizations and had this thinking
that volunteering is about serving the community. Currently, he is volunteeringvolunteers in an
organization, in which he is passionate about. In fact, hHe gives importance on anger
management so to notit doesn’t ruin his image and deteriorate affect the trust of his fellow
members in order to prevent any harm that could hinder his responsibilities,. he He also ensures
that all the members are emotionally prepared before performing their respective tasks. In the
organization, they do have reach out programs for the less fortunate kids since they are the ones
who needs help, . in whichIt gave him the opportunity to interact with people from different
walks of life, the activities also gave him the experience of handling numerous tasks in the
organization, . however However, he ensures that it provides enjoyment to prevent him from
experiencing anxiety and depression, he’s He’s also gaining new experiences, for him to become
more successful in the future since according to him people learn things outside of school. There
are times that he gets frustrated when his desires are not achieved, so what he does is he calms
himself, and create plans to have multiple options. The most important thing for him in the
organization is when he’s given an opportunity to talk in front of many people because he’s a shy
person in real life and that he wants to overcome this fear of his to acquire self-growth.
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 35
Adult Female 1
She had seen how the organization helped the lives of people which that prompted her to
join. She is interested because it gave her an opportunity to help other people since her success in
life was because of someone who helped her. During her time there, she gets to spend with the
most unlikely people, . experiencing Experiencing different kinds of personalities from different
kinds of backgrounds, from the richest to the poor, which makes her life so interesting, . they
They even have activities outside of the organization to create that bonding activity with her
fellow members. She even made a friend, which that she gets advice when she’s dealing with a
personal problem. So wWhenever she’s with her fellow members, she treats them as family, her
extended family. Furthermore, there’s a mutual benefit by being with the organization which she
enjoys. In fact, she met someone who is into spa management, . so what hHe learns from spa
management sometimes and she applies it in her business, . and what hHe learns from her
graphic design business, and he applies in his business as well. She enjoys doing the tasks
because she’s able to overcome a fear that has been creeping her for the past years before she
came to the organization, as well as improve her time management skills. She is also grateful
because she was able to learn a lot from the experience and apply it elsewhere. For example, they
had this baptism wherein she was given the mc job on the spot and she thanked the organization
because otherwise she would not have done that with a plum. She likes the environment of the
organization, wherein the people are positive and wants to build you up. For example, they
follow up on each member’s progress and give everybody opportunity to grow, through contests
and encourage everybody to join even the newcomers as an opportunity to learn how to be, how
to shine here in front under pressure. She also accepted various leadership roles such as admin,
public relations, secretary, tracker, and role
as the president. Through her participation in the organization, she’s able to fulfill her two of her
life’s purpose and that is to inspire and living her life with no regrets.
Female Adult 2
The reasons why she joined the organization are because her children are all grown up
and has plenty of time available for herself. Being with the organization made her time more
productive, as well as and helped her to fulfill her life goal in helping people. According to her,
she likes doing repacking of relief goods, and going to distant places that got severely affected
by calamities, . which sShe has been doing for seven years even before Yolanda came, and that
was in the other station (GMA), ). and being able tTo do this, itat gives her enjoyment because
she’s able to see the faces of people who’d been victims of typhoon, fire, and flood who
appreciates her effort in helping them which also gives her happiness. While volunteering, she
sets her mind on those people who are in need even when going to distant places, she also gives
hope to the victims because she knows that Filipinos have an aura of happiness and hopefulness
while going through difficult situations. Being with the organization, she always feels energized
because she knows that she’ll be a part of a team who will provide help to the victims of
calamities. She also likes how their seniors are treating them nicely, without the presence of
boss-volunteer relationship wherein low-ranked individuals are being looked down upon.
Furthermore, despite experiencing body pains, and exhaustion, she still enjoys volunteering
because she knows that what she’s doing will benefit a family. There are times when they are
unable to meet their goal to repack 3,000 relief goods which that makes her frustrated and
depressed which makes her very concerned about the victims, knowing that they will have to
wait for a few days to get their basic necessities. Through volunteering, she realized how
fortunate she was compared to those victims of calamities, and wants others to feel that same
experience too by asking them engage in volunteer activities, to know how it feels to be a
volunteer.
Female Student 1
Before she joined the organization, she decided to join ajoined children’s choir when she
was nine years old, in which she learned how to play the piano. Now that she is iIn college, she
joined the organization due to her friend who invited her there. She was surprised and happy that
she can apply and practice her piano, and singing skills that she learned through the years.
Currently, she’s a pianist at Saint Peters and Paul Parish in La Union, while handling the
organization in the school. Being with the organization, she is able to meetmet religious people
when participating in events, and get to feel the comfort, peace, and religious ambiance within its
premises which motivates her to do her tasks. Whenever their friend comes, they do a bible Bible
study, as well as and pray together in a small office inside the organization. Every freshman
week, she sometimes gives flyers, and recruits new members for the organization. However,
there are times when she’s dealing a difficult situation like when she has a hectic schedule which
that prevents her from doing her responsibilities, so she does is she asks her fellow members to
substitute for her to play for the choir. Being able to do the activities like bible Bible sharing,
socializing with her fellow members, and accomplishing their mission gives her pleasure, a sense
of fulfillment and makes her day complete. These volunteer activities are her goal to serve God,
as well as her responsibility and obligation., she’s She’s just keeping her promises to him despite
her father’s and brother’s death. She’s about to graduate so as an officer in the music ministry,
she wants to share her knowledge to her fellow students, and provide a free tutorial on how to
play guitar, piano, and train them to become a member of the choir.
Female Student 2
She joined the organization because it is one of her life’s purpose. Doing volunteer
activities, like helping the poor gives her happiness, satisfaction, and a sense of fulfillment
because of appreciation, and the smiles she gets from those people. Usually, her responsibilities
in the organization are serving in the mass as lectors, readers, and collectors, . but However,
sometimes they do outreach projects, . wherein tThey go to barangays to provide help. She is
also a formator in the organization, in which she’s called a nanay by her aspirants since the
organization promotes a family-oriented environment. Her responsibilities as a formator are to
help aspirants to become closer to their spiritual self, and encourage personal development. In
fact, she had aspirants or anak-anakan before, wherein they were not very outgoing, outspoken
and had lost their path, . but tThrough the formation, they were able to become more friendly,
and exploringbecame more friendly and explored other things, people and different scenarios.
Being a formator gave her pleasure, and enjoyment because, at the end of the day, her aspirants
are appreciative of the things she had shared to them. There are times when she’s going through
a difficult situation, in which she hangs unto God for strength and relying on her friends and
colleagues for support to overcome such situation. In fact, there was a time where she had rushed
a project, but still sought a way to make it better. She was very embarrassed to the priest who
was handling the mass, yet despite her rushed project, he was still appreciative of her effort,
which made her realized that there will be people who will appreciate the simple things she had
done. Being in the organization gives her happiness since she’s able to spend time with her
friends, meeting people to build more connections, and able to meet people who could help her
with possible work. Furthermore, while engaging in the said activities, she wants people to
become closer to God, but the most important thing for her is that she’s doing it not only for
herself but mostly for other people.
Female Student 3
When she was young, she’s already participating in religious activities during the events
like resurrection of Jesus Christ, . wherein sShe’s throwing flowers while dressed as an angel.
She also explored and involved herself in various activities such as joining a dance group in El
Shaddai, and a member of a choir in which she became very fond of music. In fact, she likes it so
much that even though her previous choir got disbanded, she looked for another choir to
participate in. When she joined the organization, she became part of several ministries. For
example, in the multimedia ministry she operates computers, ; wherein she’s very aware of her
surroundings because she knows that her performance on the task, and her mistakes will be seen
by the people around her. In the youth ministry, she’s invited to participate in collaborative
activities which that made her happy because she’s able to meet met young kids who can serve
and understand the concept of service despite their age. Same with skola where she’s able to
meet metteenagers whom she can relate with as well. She’s also serving in the music ministry
despite her responsibilities from the aforementioned ministries. There are times when she helps
other ministries on their tasks, her reason for this is that when her ministry seeks for help she can
rely on those people for support. There are also times when she asks her fellow members about
their opinion of her and asking if they are fine with the way she runs things in the organization.
Being a volunteer, she makes sure that she’s constantly updated on the announcement within the
organization, she also developed a rationale in which she’s helping people not for the sake of
being popular or to become well-known, but to gain a good feeling, and to serve God. The reason
for these actions is when she and her family were in a dire situation, wherein his father was very
sick to a point that she no longer knows where to seek help from, yet after a few days would
suddenly get well, this proved that her participation in volunteer activities bears positive
outcomes in her life. During her time there, she had encountered some organizations that doesn’t
have that sense of collaboration and commitment which is sad yet hopeful that they will be able
to achieve it. Furthermore, she also experiences an atmosphere of fun and creativity despite her
quarrels with some members in the multimedia ministry. She’s also happy when serving, while
knowing that it makes the parishioners happy as well. Her faith in God gave her the motivation
tomotivated her to accomplish her responsibilities in the organization, knowing that God will
always be there to help her up when she is dealing with personal problems at home or school
projects in school. Every Sunday, she’s making herself available for the organization, to do civic
work, wherein they donate clothes, and foods to those people who are going to their organization
seeking for help, and while doing volunteer activities, she wants herself to be a good influence
for kids, to make them see that being a volunteer is pleasurable. Meanwhile, outside of the
organization, she’s facing problems in her family, in which the organization gives her strength to
overcome this problem, as well as a source of entertainment, and socialization.
(Female Student 2)
“Hindi lang sila yung basta tao, minsan kasi ano, may nakikilala din kaming na
makakatulong sa possible work ... kaya tinutuloy ko din yung pagvovolunteer.”
Based on this excerpt it showed that the career concept has the same definition proposed
by Clary et al. (1998), which is defined as the desirability to promote one’s own career.
Based on the individual stories, this motivational concept sustained their civic
engagement in their organization, wherein they are using volunteer activities to promote
their own career or obtain career development.
❖ The social concept prioritizes relationships i.e., strengthening old connections and
(Adult Male 4)
“Pinakaimportante lang kasi yung dedication sa grupo dedication sa trabaho kasi kung
napipilitan ka lang sa ginagawa niyo, huwag na sana gusto ko kasi o dapat masaya ka sa
ginagawa mo so ayun lang dapat masaya ka talaga.”
(Male Student 1)
“Other than being a member, ang ano ko lang talaga main purpose ko sa pag stay sa org
is kasi yung mga friends ko, sila naman yung higher officers sa amin, so ako gusto ko
silang suportahan.”
(Male Student 4)
“I'm still trying to improve my social skills that’s actually the . . that i’m trying to
improve in the organization, so i know how to talk to people, i know how to connect with
them, but i also try to remember that, i won’t expect anything out of it because, it's up to
them if they’ll respond or not, i’ll just do my best but if they won’t to or not want to
connect, it’s up to them and i’ll accept, even though its kinda discouraging at first but i’ll
accept that.”
(Adult Female 1)
“But if there are people counting on me, now that’s something else so i’m not just aiming
to survive, i’m aiming to do it really well for the sake of other people who are counting
on me in that task.”
(Adult Female 2)
“Maganda yung samahan, yung hinahanap ka pagwala, “o bakit si ate aida wala” ganyan
tapos, wala sa kanila yung boss tapos volunteer relationship, na yung tingin sayo maliit
lang kasi volunteer ka. wala e, maganda yung treatment sa amin dito.”
Based on these excerpts it showed that the socialization concept has the same definition
proposed by Clary et al. (1998), which is defined as strengthening and creating new
relationships, and gaining social approval.
Based on the individual stories, this motivational concept prompted them to join a civic
organization to follow their friends, as well as lead to a sustainability in civic
engagement, wherein they are using socialization as a means to avoid a monotonous
routine and provide entertainment.
❖ The understanding concept is the desirability to learn new things and exercise one's own
(Adult Male 1)
“I have experienced how to make cement gravel and sand, and also I experienced how to
put up the hollow blocks and then there’s a point in time that I also be able to put the
braces, the braces of where you can put the roof, so it’s really amazing”
(Adult Male 2)
“I really want to improve on a certain skill, there was a point in my work life that
everything was becoming very monotonous so i wanted to work on some skill and maybe
i can use it in the future for financial gain”
(Adult Male 4)
“Then konting talk na rin about basic first aid habang ginagamot ko sila ito susunod baka
may hika ka ito ma’am ito yung gagawin mo pagnapilay ito yung naishashare ko yung
learnings ko sa kanila”
(Male Student 3)
“Yung mga theater po, kasi natututo po ako dun umacting e, tapos naishashare ko rin po
sa iba, ganun.”
(Male Student 4)
“For me while i'm serving im also doing my best to improve some skills I have for
example when in the parish there comes a time that i need to do photoshop photo editing
or video editing, I can improve my skills on that because I'm good at that.”
(Adult Female 1)
“I meet someone else who is into spa management so what he learns from spa
management sometimes i apply it in my business surprisingly and he learns from my
graphic design business which he applies in his business too.”
Based on these excerpts it showed that the understanding concept has a slight difference
from the definition proposed by Clary et al. (1998), which is defined by Filipino
volunteers as the desirability to learn new things, practicing one’s own skills, abilities,
and knowledge, as well as sharing it with other people.
Based on the individual stories, this motivational concept leads to greater commitment to
the organization, wherein being able to learn new things and application of knowledge
produced a vigorous effort on the assigned tasks or activities. It also enabled the
volunteers to explore other activities besides their assigned responsibility to obtain and
enhance their skill set.
(Adult Male 1)
“I just love doing it, its like i cannot put any labels or title to that, i just love doing it, its
like everytime that i am on that place or on that location or in any location that i can
speak to people or just keep on listening to them. I have that feeling of fulfillment.”
(Male Student 4)
“I learned to care for other people, I also learned how to connect with people who have
less privileges than mine, I learned how to sympathize with them empathize with them.”
(Male Student 6)
“Kapag nabibigyan ng chance na, kunwari may isang activity tapos kailangan mong
magsalita in front of other people, yun talaga, kasi ako sa sarili ko, in real life kasi talaga
mahiyain talaga ako e, wala akong confidence pero kailangan, nandun yung challenge na
nasa harap ka na ng iibang tao, tatanggalin mo yun e, kasi kapag pinili mo yung weakness
mo na lamunin ka, walang growth, kaya kailangan.”
( Female Adult 1)
“What makes me go back to volunteering here in toastmasters club is because im able to
do the last two things in my life purpose.”
( Female Adult 2)
“Yun nga para makatulong, para yung time ko naman maspend ko sa yung mas
productive na paraan, although may work ako noon, pero hindi ako nageenjoy noon,
ewan ko mas fulfilling kasi ito para sa akin.”
Based on these excerpts it showed that the enhancement concept has the same definition
proposed by Clary et al. (1998), which is defined as the positive affect that promotes
personal development or growth.
Based on the individual stories, this motivational concept lead volunteers to have greater
commitment, wherein their desire for self-development or growth prompted them to join
and engage in volunteer activities.
❖ The values concept is an act that serves other people's welfare at the expense of oneself.
Excerpts from Filipino volunteers
(Adult Male 1)
“The amazing thing also with that experience is that I've seen a lot of volunteerism
because everyone from different walks of life from garbage collector from manager of a
bank we are all there not claiming that we are from this business or we’re not in this
company everyone is mixing gravel everyone is … the bayanihan if i may call it the
bayanihan i’ve seen that a lot on that experience.”
(Adult Male 2)
“From this volunteer organization and other volunteer organization that i do i think that it
gives you a sense of humanity to be able to see the other side of life, to see others that
don’t have the same skill set that you have or the same resources that you have, and it to
be corny about it, it feeds your soul to be able to be a part of something good and
working with other people who have the same goal.”
(Adult Male 4)
“Ang sarap sarap sa pakiramdam na tumulong ka kasi alam mo yung tulong na yun kahit
papano may mababago sa buhay nila at isa ka dun at isa yung community group niyong
tumulong dun so parang sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam.”
(Male Student 1)
“May madidiscover ka minsan na, sa mga buhay ng mga taong nahehelp mo sa
community services niyo, ayun parang makikita mo yung situation ng life mo, makikita
mo yung situation ng life ng ibang tao.”
(Male Student 6)
“Its more on mas talagang nagrereach out kami dun sa mga less fortunate na mga
kabataan, kasi sila yung mga kabataan na kailangan kami, hindi naman sa nagbubuhat ng
sariling bangko, pero kailangan nila ng someone para maenlighten sila sa buhay nila.”
(Female Adult 2)
“Giving hope to victims of calamities, na alam mo naman tayong mga pinoy, ano tayo e
yung kahit na nasalanta na, nandun pa rin yung aura natin na masayahin tayo, na
makakabangon tayo kaagad, so yung konting encouragement sa mga victims, yun yung
naibibigay namin.”
Based on these excerpts it showed that the values concept vary from the definition
proposed by Clary et al. (1998). It is rather defined by Filipino volunteers as an act of
kindness that will create a mark to one’s life, and acquiring new perspective.
Based on the individual stories, this motivational concept helped volunteers to increase
their degree of commitment, as well as the duration of their stay within their organization,
wherein the positive things they had done drove them to continually do volunteer
activities.
(Adult Male 1)
“I have that wonderful feeling everytime i volunteer, everytime i help in my own simple
way, i felt an immeasurable feeling that I can’t even describe, its like everytime that i
help there’s something in myself that is also being helped”
(Male Student 6)
“Yung mas maraming ginagawa, that’s it kasi parang, maraming issues lalo na’t pag
when it comes to depression and anxiety, kapag wala ka masyadong ginagawa mas
natitrigger ka na mafeel mo yun e”
(Female Adult 1)
“Sometimes I get a personal problem and i have a friend here who knows the answer to
that personal problem, so yes its a mutual giving back”
(Female Student 1)
“Busy ako sa Acads ko ngayon actually kasi medyo malapit na rin akong grumaduate
pero sa dami na time na vacant ako pumupunta lang ako dito maganda kasi yung
ambiance dito, malamig plus tahimik, tsaka napaka religious kumbaga motivating siya,
motivating in a way na nakakaganang gumawa ng mismong bagay.”
(Female Student 3)
“So kahit na problema ako sa bahay parang habang nagseserve ako, ayun yung inoffer ko,
sa pagseserve ko na sana matapos na, sana masolusyunan na, kaya habang nag serserve
ako, nagdarasal talaga ko na sana yun nga maovercome ko talaga yung problema ko sa
bahay.”
Based on these excerpts it showed that the protective concept lead to the same definition
proposed by Clary et al. (1998), which is relieving oneself from negative feelings or
problems.
Based on the individual stories, this motivational concept drove volunteers to sustain
their civic engagement, in which they use the activities of the organization and its
premises as a means to alleviate the agony, and pain that they had experienced in the past
and gain comfort. Furthermore, being in the organization lead them to acquire advice
from their friends when dealing with personal problems.
Emergent Concept
(Male Student 3)
“Humihingi na lang po ako ng guide sa lord, para po magawa ko po yung dapat ko pong
gawin na nakaatang sa akin.”
(Female Student 1)
“I think I am just obeying what God said yung pagserve kasi parang responsibility ko na
siya or obligasyon ko na siya yung iniisip ko kung kaylan kong panindigan or panagutan
yung mga pangako ko sa kanya na magseserve ako.”
(Female Student 2)
“There are reasons and i can do things, yung philipians 4:13 i can do all things to him so
who strengthens me kumbaga yun na lang yung, when at all when at lost yun talagang
pinaka pinanghahawakan ko.”
Career the desirability to “Hindi lang sila yung basta tao, minsan ❖ Increased
Sustainability
promote one’s own kasi ano, may nakikilala din kaming na
career makakatulong sa possible work ... kaya
tinutuloy ko din yung
pagvovolunteer.”
Social strengthening and Other than being a member, ang ano ❖ Instigates Civic
Engagement
creating new ko lang talaga main purpose ko sa pag
❖ Increased
relationships, and stay sa org is kasi yung mga friends Sustainability
gaining social ko, sila naman yung higher officers sa
approval. amin, so ako gusto ko silang
suportahan.”
Protective relieving oneself from “Yung mas maraming ginagawa, that’s ❖ Increased
Sustainability
negative feelings or it kasi parang, maraming issues lalo
problems. na’t pag when it comes to depression
and anxiety, kapag wala ka masyadong
ginagawa mas natitrigger ka na mafeel
mo yun e”
DISCUSSION
The researcher conducted an interview with volunteers from various civic organizations.
The responses that had been obtained lead to a creation of seven concepts on civic motivation
Based on the results, the career concept supports the results of Nazilah et al. (2013), ); in
which younger volunteers see volunteer task as a means of career development and hence urged
them to lengthen their stay in their organization due to such benefit. The social concept had also
emerged as one of the motivators among volunteers that lead to a sense of companionship with
their fellow members and thus pushed them to give more effort in their volunteer task for their
sake. This bolsters the findings of Hill (2006) in which establishing a relationship is one of the
reasons why individuals tend to participate in volunteer activities. The enhancement concept
conforms with the results obtained by the studies of Nelson et al. (2004) and Philips & Philips
(2010), ). that The volunteers join civic organization for their own personal benefit, since the
responses of Filipino volunteers showed that being able to take responsibilities prompted them to
volunteer. This is the same with the understanding concept, . but in this caseHowever, it is also
about sharing one’s own knowledge to others. The values concept strengthens the study
conducted by Latham (2012) in whichthat one of the underlying reasons why people volunteer is
to provide benefits for the community. It lead volunteers to see the positive outcomes that their
acquiring a new perspective which is not supported by any studies provided in the literature,
meaning that the values concept in the Philippine context has another meaning to it. The
protective concept was also found to be a motivator among Filipino volunteers, wherein getting
appreciation from their fellow members, and spending time with their organization made them
feel stronger, particularly a sense of hope that they will be able to get through tough situations
that they are facing. This is the same finding obtained in the study of Van Willigen (2000) in
which volunteers see as a way to improve one’s well-being. The last emergent concept,
religiosity showed that they get their motivation through their strong religious feelings and
beliefs, and that they will genuinely act in accordance to God’s will.
CONCLUSION
The study showed that the Philippines seems to have a different set of motivational
concepts in civic engagement, as well as and their meanings. For example, Filipino volunteers
are motivated not solely on building relationships with other people, acquiring and application of
skills and knowledge, getting positive emotions, helping the unprivileged, relieving oneself from
problems, and progression of their career as Clary et al. (1998) had theorized. Rather, they are
motivated by a religiosity concept which had emerged in the study. This result supports the study
of Adler (2002) which states that each volunteer has a different set of needs in volunteering.
Furthermore, there is a ranking of motivation among volunteers, from socialization as the highest
predictor (Newton et al., 2014) to career concept as the lowest predictor of volunteerism. This
supports the findings of McDougle et al. (2011), wherein volunteers will invest more time in
engaging volunteer activities in order to establish new relationships within the organization.
Aside from the concepts obtained in the study, since the Philippines seems to have its own
motivational preference supports the idea that there is a difference in volunteer engagement in
terms of context among different countries (Newton et al., 2014; Egli et al., 2014; Agostinho et
al., 2012). Moreover, the findings are in lined with the conclusion that collectivist countries are
RECOMMENDATIONS
The study revealed that Filipinos volunteers are motivated by another motivational
concept that is the religiosity concept. Hence, future researchers who will would be interested in
this topic should determine whether this motivational concept are present in all different types of
civic organizations, and delve into the relationship of the organization’s goals and the volunteer’s
motivation in civic engagement to determine whether the former affects the latter.
Practical Recommendation
The result of the study is significant in the area of community psychology, : in which it
can help to improve a community i.e. the well-being of its citizens. For example, it can be used
to create a program, wherein the individuals will perform certain activities that conform to their
psychological needs and thus lead to positive changes within themselves. To elaborate further,
the program will provide different types of activities that are embedded with the values, career,
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