Flyers distributed in Banaue for missing Peace Corps volunteer

"Missing person" flyers have been distributed in Banaue, Ifugao as authorities intensified the search for 40-year-old Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell who went missing last week while on a vacation in the remote mountain enclave.

The flyers will help in the search operation, which also involves aerial checks by helicopters. US Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter arrived in the country to help in the search. He is expected to travel today to Banaue.

"The Peace Corps is making every effort to find Ms. Campbell, and our offices in the Philippines are working closely with the US Embassy in Manila and local authorities, and we greatly appreciate their support," Tschetter said. The Peace Corps, he added, is in "close contact" with Campbell’s family.

"All of our thoughts and prayers are with Ms. Campbell and her family during this very difficult time," he said.

Campbell’s family said they were grateful to everyone involved in the search for the missing Peace Corps volunteer.

"First, we would like to thank the Peace Corps for their immediate response to the disappearance of Julia. We are grateful to the US Embassy in the Philippines and especially the Philippine people who are doing all they can to locate her," the family said in a statement.

Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, commanding general of the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said his men have been requested to help as well as provide equipment for the search operation.

"After several days of negative results, we were requested to assist in the search and rescue operation of the American national. We will start troop deployments for an initial three-day search," Maclang said.

Maclang said residents told the military that Campbell arrived by motorcycle taxi at a road junction leading to the nearby Batad village on April 8, from where she planned to hike to a spot to view the rice terraces.

She had also contacted a local masseuse to meet her at the Village Inn in Batad, but did not show up for her appointment that day, Maclang said.

He said Campbell had a bus reservation to go back to Manila on April 9 because she was to catch a flight the following day. He did not know where she was headed to from Manila. She was reported missing when she missed appointments on April 10 and 11.

Cordillera Police Regional director Chief Superintendent Raul Gonzales said they have also been seeking heavenly intervention in the search operation.

"We are trying our best to locate her, we are really praying hard," he said.

Campbell’s family said she had served in Donsol in Sorsogon where she helped rebuild a local school and expand its library.

They said she worked hard to provide age-appropriate reading materials to the library through a project she called "A Book and A Buck."

She also worked with the local community for the launching of an ecology awareness campaign and for the establishment of an Eco Center in Donsol.

Most recently, she served as an English teacher at the Divine Word College in Legaspi City.

"Julia is a bright, strong, and gifted woman. We are optimistic that the search efforts will be successful, and we continue to pray for her and the people who are searching for her," the family said.

US Embassy reward

The US Embassy is offering a reward to anyone who can provide vital information on the whereabouts of Campbell. It did not disclose the amount of the reward.

"Anyone who has seen Ms. Campbell anytime after April 8, or who may have information on her movements or current location, should call Mr. John Borja, Safety and Security Officer of the Peace Corps – Philippines at 0920-900-5270, or contact the US Embassy in Manila at (02)-528-6300," an embassy statement said. — With Chuck Paz, Artemio Dumlao, Cecille Suerte Felipe