US Peace Corps volunteers arrive in PH

PHOTO FROM US EMBASSY

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 37 volunteers of the 279th US Peace Corps arrived in the Philippines for community development work and assistance across Luzon and Visayas, the United States Embassy in Manila said Tuesday.

According to the US Embassy in a statement, the 37 volunteers arrived on Jan. 30 at the invitation of the Philippine government to fulfill roles which include co-teaching the English language in public elementary and secondary schools, serving as youth development facilitators in the Department of Social Welfare and Development-accredited organizations, and supporting local governments in establishing marine protected areas and implementing coastal resource management plans.

The said volunteers will undergo two months of language, technical and cultural training before being deployed to their permanent sites in Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, La Union, Laguna, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Camarines Sur, Bohol, Cebu, Capiz, and Negros Oriental.

“We are thrilled to welcome the first group of American Peace Corps volunteers to the Philippines since the start of the pandemic,” US Peace Corps Country Director Jenner Edelman said in the statement.

“We are ready to meet this historic moment with our community partners and staff,” she added.

More volunteers will arrive in the Philippines in May, August, and September, said the US Embassy, as the US Peace Corps ramps back up its operations this year.

It can be recalled that the US Peace Corps pulled out its volunteers globally after suspending its global operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

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