137 new US Peace Corps volunteers sworn in

MANILA, Philippines – Some 137 new US Peace Corps volunteers were sworn in for a 27-month service in different Philippine communities after passing a three-month pre-service training.

The US embassy held two simultaneous swearing-in ceremonies in Pasig City and Bacolod City for the 137 new volunteers from the 269th batch of the US Peace Corps.

US Ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas Jr. administered the oath of service to 71 volunteers in ceremonies held at the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol witnessed by local government officials led by Gov. Alfredo Maranon Jr., representatives of local partner agencies, and host families of the Peace Corps volunteers.

In Pasig City, US embassy deputy chief of mission Leslie Basset led the swearing-in ceremonies of 66 volunteers at the Meralco Multi-Purpose Hall inside the Meralco compound along Ortigas Avenue.

Thomas said that the graduation of the volunteers from their pre-service training was just the beginning of a long period of service to the Philippines.

“As you graduate from your training program, know that the work that you will do and relationships you will form continue to build on the Peace Corps legacy of making a positive difference in this world,” Thomas said during the Bacolod ceremonies.

Peace Corps Philippines, the US embassy said, is the second oldest Peace Corps program in the world, next only to Ghana, which was the first country to receive the volunteers.

Over 8,000 volunteers have served in the Philippine since 1961, the highest number of volunteers to serve in any US Peace Corps program all over the world.

Rebecca Thompson, US embassy spokesperson, said that the 137 volunteers accepted in the Philippine program was an 80 percent increase from the previous year.

Thompson attributed the huge increase to the success of the program and the willingness of more local families to host volunteers.

Since 1961, Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation.

The Peace Corps started in 1960 when then Sen. John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries.