Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Endo Kazuya on 4 June 2025 received a courtesy call from eight Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), marking the rotation of volunteer teams under the long-running program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Three departing volunteers, who completed nearly two years of service in the country, were recognized for their work in agriculture, disaster preparedness, and marketing projects in their assigned communities. Meanwhile, five newly arrived JOCV members are set to begin their service in various areas across the Philippines. Their assignments will focus on agriculture, tourism, disaster risk reduction, and community development.

JOCV is one of the world’s oldest and most respected volunteer initiatives, established by JICA to dispatch professionals to host organizations for two-year assignments. Since its inception, the program has supported sustainable development in countries across Asia, including the Philippines. Volunteers work across sectors such as education, health care, agriculture, public works, and Japanese language education.

In 2016, JOCV became the first Japanese volunteer organization to receive the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award — widely known as the “Asian Nobel Prize” — in recognition of its vital contributions to economic and social development in the region.