Forty-eight new US Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Manila on July 8 to begin their two-year service to support local programs in education, youth development, and environmental protection in communities across the Philippines.

Starting in September, the Peace Corps Volunteers will be assigned to fulfill a range of roles requested by host communities in Aklan, Antique, Batangas, Benguet, Bohol, Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Tarlac. These roles include co-teaching English in public elementary and secondary schools, serving as youth development facilitators in Philippine Department of Welfare and Social Development-accredited organizations and residential shelters, and supporting local governments in establishing marine protected areas and implementing coastal resource management plans.