Forty-eight new U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Manila on 8 July to begin their two-year service to support local programs in education, youth development, and environmental protection in communities across the Philippines.
Starting in September, the Peace Corps Volunteers will be assigned to fulfill a range of roles requested by host communities in Aklan, Antique, Batangas, Benguet, Bohol, Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Tarlac.
These roles include co-teaching English in public elementary and secondary schools, serving as youth development facilitators in Philippine Department of Welfare and Social Development-accredited organizations and residential shelters, and supporting local governments in establishing marine protected areas and implementing coastal resource management plans.
“U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers come from all over the United States and represent the diversity of the American people. They come with a variety of skills and experience to contribute during their service in the Philippines,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said. “The Peace Corps’ goal is to promote world peace and friendship, and what better way to do this than to serve with cultural humility and mutual respect to our Filipino friends and partners.”
The 48 new Volunteers represent the 281st batch of U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers deployed to the Philippines, bringing the total number of American volunteers currently serving in the country to 126 and surpassing the number of Volunteers assigned to the Philippines prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) warmly welcomes this 281st batch of U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers,” PNVSCA Executive Director Donald James Gawe said as he expressed hope that the new American Volunteers will “continue to serve as builders of hope and catalysts of change.” “Together, let us sustain the spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding and create a sustainable future for the generations to come,” he added.
Before their local deployment, the Peace Corps Volunteers will undergo an intensive 11-week pre-service training that includes technical, language, and cultural studies to prepare them for their service. The newly arrived Volunteers, aged between 22 to 67, bring diverse experience, technical skills, and spirited enthusiasm to learn about the Philippines and work alongside community members on locally prioritized projects that build relationships, promote knowledge exchange, and make a lasting and measurable impact.
The Philippines is the second oldest U.S. Peace Corps program. More than 9,400 Americans have served alongside Filipino community members in support of government and community development priorities since 1961.