Aida L.

1. What got you interested in the Peace Corps?

At the start of my service in the Philippines, people always asked, why volunteer? I told them my “why” started with “how.” At a young age, my parents exposed us to volunteer work and taught us the virtue of generosity. They said to always give back and look after others. The Peace Corps mission of promoting world peace and friendship offers an experience that aligns with my personal mission in life by promoting intercultural relationships and goodwill.

2. What projects are you working on?

In my first two years of service I completed many projects focused on children’s education, life skills, and projects that supported my workplace, a residential care center. My work partners and I organized activities like an advocacy walk and fun run together with our children in the center, schools and universities, other Peace Corps Volunteers, the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines, youth councils, and members of the community.

Our center’s director and I established operational guidelines for the center’s eco-workshop center and were able to get support and funding locally for the operation. The center housed an income generation program focused on producing sustainable, eco-friendly, and upcycled products. For the last quarter of my service, together with the amazing and supportive work partners, we were able secure partners to transform the center’s eco-learning farm into an agri-ecotourism farm.

At my current site, as a third-year extendee, my work partner and I started a volunteer program at a university. Our first event was “Global and Local Volunteers Unite to Champion the Spirit of Service.” In this event, we introduced the Peace Corps and talked about volunteerism.

3. What strategies have you used to integrate into your community?

As a Filipino American I have been able to integrate well with the community since I speak the language and blend well with the culture. Filipinos are always welcoming and hospitable people. It is easy to get support for activities, as they always ask to help. They also invite me to special gatherings like fiestas, sports events, fishing, or even just a chat over coffee. I also enjoy the company of other Volunteers in my area.

4. What is a highlight of your time in service so far?

My worksite is a residential care facility for abandoned, neglected, and at-risk children in the community. Unfortunately, they don’t have the funds to sustain the basic needs of the children. The highlight of my service was persuading our director of the center how important partners are, locally and/or internationally, to sustain the center’s operation. The partners are able to provide food, school supplies, and equipment for their income-generation program on their farm and in their eco- workshop center. Other partners provided technical and life skills for the children and the staff of the center.

5. What have you enjoyed most about the community where you are serving?

I found new friends and enlarged my network to support my work. I experienced the genuine support of the local government unit for my projects and for other Peace Corps Volunteers in the area. You always meet people with a smile on their face, even strangers. This has made my time with the community enjoyable.

6. What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from your community?

There are dishes new to me and vegetables that I never imagined are edible. The way Filipinos cook certain food differs from the way I cook mine, but it is still delicious. During fiestas, prepare your appetite and ensure you have extra space in your stomach for every house you visit. You will also get to know directions just using their lips and mouth. Filipinos are happy people who are always smiling; I enjoy being around them.

7. How do you spend time when you are not working on a project?

In my free time, I meet friends in a mall or in a coffee shop. I enjoyed meeting other Volunteers within my work site. Sometimes, I attend gatherings within the compound where I stay, or I spend time in a good conversation with my neighbors and the family of my landlord. I also tend to the community garden that my landlord built because I love gardening.

8. What are you looking forward to in your remaining time as a Volunteer?

Looking forward to doing more projects that will also support the members of the community outside my workplace. I want to see my secondary project at my first workplace, the agri-ecotourism farm, open to the public before the end of my service. Lastly, I would like to see the volunteer program at my third-year workplace in place and sustainable before I go.

9. Once you finish service, what will you do differently when you return to the U.S.?

I appreciated being a Filipino American more after staying here in the Philippines for more than two years. I will continue volunteer work if not for Peace Corps, maybe for other local non-government organizations or other international agencies that promote world peace and friendship.

Want to learn more about serving in the Philippines? Connect with a recruiter today.