The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. Filipinos are descendants of Indonesians and Malays who migrated to the islands hundreds of years ago. The Philippines has a representative democracy modeled on the United States. Its constitution, adopted in 1987, reestablished a presidential system of government with a bicameral legislature and an independent judiciary. The Philippines faces several serious issues. A significant debt service leaves few resources for development efforts. Economic growth, while positive in recent years, has not performed at a level needed to provide for the population. An estimated 14 percent of the population or 11 million people live in extreme poverty. Many Filipinos, unable to find work at home, seek employment overseas. Security concerns and crime impact tourism and deter investment. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo continues to pursue peace talks with both Muslim separatist groups and Communist insurgents, however the country remains threatened by those groups.

Consequently, the Philippines devotes significant resources to quelling rebel group demands. English and Tagalog are the official languages of the country. Historically, Filipinos' English language skills have been a competitive advantage, attracting foreign investment. However, a dramatic increase in students and limited funding for the education sector have led to a decline in the quality of education and English language skills.

Program Focus

The program in the Philippines is the second oldest in the Peace Corps. It began with the arrival of 123 education Volunteers in October 1961. Since then, more than 8,000 Volunteers have served in the Philippines. In June 1990, the program was suspended because of a threat from Communist rebels; it resumed in 1992. Currently, Volunteers are addressing the country's development priorities through projects in youth, education, environment and business development.

Volunteer Focus

Youth

Volunteers provide mentoring and life skills training for youth, especially at-risk youth and families. They are assigned to work with local government units, regional social centers, and NGOs. Volunteers facilitate professional development training for institutional staff to enhance capacity and skills in care-giving, counseling, and administration. They have developed networks among youth organizations and provided training in HIV/AIDS awareness, reproductive health, family violence, and trafficking of persons. They have facilitated livelihood skills training for youth including sewing, gardening, food preparation, marketing, and computer skills. Volunteers have organized Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) camps and environmental education camps for hundreds of youth. One Volunteer established a computer-training program at the regional center for abused girls. She established a linkage with a local computer college to provide technical education for older girls about to leave the centers and enter mainstream society.

Education

Volunteers are assigned to primary and secondary schools as resource teachers for English, math, science, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and special education. They help Filipino teachers improve English language fluency and introduce new teaching methods. At universities, Volunteers teach classes and work with student teachers and staff to prepare new teachers. Volunteers help improve the quality of learning by enhancing school libraries and developing low-cost instructional materials. They organize teacher-training programs to provide professional development for Filipino teachers. In the “Tudlo” (teach) Mindanao teacher-training program, Volunteers have trained more than 800 Mindanao teachers in English, content based instruction in math, science, and ICT. One Volunteer conducted training for ICT integration into classroom for 750 teachers at 50 secondary schools.

Environment

Volunteers promote improved environmental governance and education by working with schools, local government, fishing associations, and community groups. They develop grassroots projects that focus on environmental education, sustainable natural resource use, alternative livelihoods, improved sanitation, and access to water. Volunteers promote conservation and protection of coastal and upland natural resources through resource management projects such as coral reef gardening, diversifying mangrove plantations, and establishing marine protected areas. They engage youth in conservation corps to manage and rehabilitate protected and sensitive areas. One Volunteer helped the local government develop an energy conservation program that will reduce energy costs by 30 percent.

Business Development

Volunteers work with youth, women, cooperatives, and local governments to promote business development and training. They create business training materials and facilitate workshops in project planning, accounting, marketing, ICT, management and leadership. They provide consultation and advice on business plan development and finding sources for start-up funds. Volunteers have introduced alternative-livelihood projects such as raising chickens, pigs, goats and mud crabs; and turning trash into cash by developing waste-management marketing plans. One Volunteer has trained ICT specialists in business and office applications of open-source software and network administration.