American Peace Corps Volunteers, in flashback

The news item that has triggered this piece ran: “137 new Peace Corps Volunteers take their oath of helping Filipinos”. Spontaneous recall of the PCV historical background goes back to the regime of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of USA in early ‘60s.

Unbidden, one’s memory traces a few facets of Jack Kennedy’s legacies, like, his book, “PT 109” on his naval battles in the Pacific theatre of operation in World War II against the Japs; the American Peace Corps Volunteers to serve until now some 139 countries; and Jack’s compilation of anecdotes of bravery by some personages into a book titled “Profiles in Courage”. Definitely, Jack Kennedy’s handsome visage and magnetic personality and fame, had been raised to the nth degree by the aura of his uniquely pretty, statuesque, and glamorous wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

As sourced from Wikipedia, initial moves started in the US Congress after WW II to spur American youth as “missionaries of democracy” overseas. Minnesota Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr. also took the initiative for the “Peace Corps” in 1957. But President Jack Kennedy is credited for officially fleshing the “Peace Corps” by his Executive Order 10924 on March 1, 1961 to counter the “Ugly American” and “Yankee imperialism” negative tags overseas.

It was Sergeant Shriver, President Jack’s brother-in-law, as pioneer PCV director, who began recruiting in July, 1962 for Ghana and Tanzania. Also as posted in the internet, the PCV’s three goals are: providing technical assistance, helping people abroad understand U.S. culture, and helping Americans understand the cultures of other countries.

After Ghana and Tanzania, the next oldest PCV program is Peace Corps Philippines with over 8000 volunteers since 1961-62, sharing their info technology, environmental concerns, adult education/illiteracy, sports, AIDS and sexual education, farming, etc. The PCVs assigned in rural and outback areas in Cebu some years back, were not just tutors or trainers, but they actually interacted, worked and lived with the rural folk. One still remembers the accolade tag as “hands-on young ambassadors of goodwill”.

Since 1960 when then presidential candidate John F. Kennedy was on the campaign trail, he challenged the American young college graduates to serve America in its advocacy for peace by “living and working” in poor countries until now.

Between the regimes of Jack Kennedy and now Barack Obama, the PCV has been continuously posted worldwide with tapped volunteers of updated expertise, as foresters, computer experts, business advisors, academic teachers, and others.

As reported, the 137 new PCV for the Visayas and Luzon constitute the 269th batch, making the present total of 216 PCVs in all. Those who took their oath in Bacolod City before US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. in the presence of partner agencies, host families, and local officials, were inspired by his message: “… The work you will do and the relationship that you will form, continue to build on the legacy of making a positive difference in this world”.

Incidentally, earlier years before the Peace Corps made their presence felt at the Philippine grassroots, in Cebu there had been the YMCA “Rural Outreach” program under the leadership of Mr. John Long. One of the fortunate beneficiaries of the program was Cabadiangan, Compostela, a farming village, then already accessible by a gravel road and served by the Cebu Autobus and the Bisaya bus companies daily.

Like the later PCV of Jack Kennedy that catered to the needs and the working and living milieu of the domestic hosts, the YMCA “Rural Outreach” program had also patterned their community activities after the actual bucolic atmosphere of the grassroots.

May the legacy of the YMCA and the Peace Corps serve as inspiration for present-day clubs, like the Jaycees, the Lions, the Rotarians, the Kiwanis, and other civic groups, and a slew of NGOs, to follow their examples to spread their manna and resources to the grassroots. Adopting a barrio, or barrio school house, and other projects or programs, is a truly fulfilling public service.

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