Each country prepares a Welcome Book that is sent to invitees; as part of the Peace Corps Response invitation I received a link to the Philippines book. The Morocco Welcome Book was on-line too – I applaud the effort to go paperless but I remember surprising people in my stage who didn’t realize there was a Welcome Book (Rose, in particular – that is one of the ways we first bonded). It had a lot of good background; for example, I don’t know what I would have done without the packing list! I was also told that since the book is for the two-year volunteers, a lot doesn’t apply to me this time – am I going to feel like a stepchild? Last post I included that link to the RPCV Philippines group – will I be welcome there? This week I joined Connected Peace Corps, a social media web site for PCVs and RPCVs – there didn’t seem to be a place for PRCVs there. I think I will ask about that (I interviewed with the National Peace Corps Association to be in charge of that effort, but that’s another story for another blog). So – information from the Welcome Book follows.
The first group of PCVs arrived in the Philippines in October 1961; it is the second-oldest Peace Corps program in the world. The first assignments were in classrooms, teaching language, mathematics and science. Today there are about 130 volunteers, in education, youth services and environment. They train primary, secondary and tertiary teachers, support organizations working with children, youth and families at risk, assist in management of coastal resources, water systems and waste management, provide livelihood assistance, and promote biodiversity conservation. Since 1961, more than 8000 PCVs have served in the Philippines; it is the country in which the largest number of Volunteers has served. Because of this, it is not uncommon for Filipinos to have encountered Peace Corps; they have a favorable impression of Americans in general and Peace Corps Volunteers in particular. The program was suspended in June 1990 for security reasons (again, I feel lucky to have been in a country that wasn’t evacuated while I was there) and it resumed in 1992. I should also mention that a PCV hiking alone was murdered in 2007; I remember hearing about it and thinking how far away the Philippines were…. I should also mention that in general, the Philippines is thought of as one of the safer Peace Corps countries. And that another volunteer was recently found dead, in Benin. It happens - but thankfully, not often.
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