QUEZON CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Social Welfare Institutional Development Bureau, will host the courtesy call of U.S. Peace Corps-Philippines on Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista over a video conference on July 21.

The courtesy call will be attended by the newly appointed U.S. Peace Corps Country Director Jenner Edelman, and other program managers, directors, and staff of the said international non-government organization.

During the activity, Secretary Bautista will deliver a speech to highlight the Department’s engagements with the U.S. Peace Corps in empowering the vulnerable sectors.

For 18 years now, the Children, Youth, and Family or CYF volunteers of the Peace Corps have been deployed in the different DSWD residential and non-residential care facilities, social welfare agencies, and non-government organizations across the country. These volunteers have played essential roles as mentors, tutors, co-facilitators, advisors, and coaches in basic literacy, life skills training, livelihood skills training, and staff development

However, the operation of the volunteers in the country was temporarily called off due to the threats brought about by the pandemic.

With this courtesy call, the reinforcement and re-entry of limited number of two-year and short-term Peace Corps Response Volunteers in the Philippines is targeted on September 2021.

Furthermore, the Department hopes to further strengthen its convergence with the U.S. Peace Corps in serving and providing inclusive services and programs for the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized families and communities.

The DSWD and the U.S. Peace Corps have both continue to remain true to their collaborative efforts to provide support to at-risk individuals and communities and to promote human development.  (DSWD)