The US Peace Corps has renewed its pact with international non-government organization Rare to build resilient and sustainable coastal communities in the Philippines over the next five years.
"The US Peace Corps is pleased to be renewing its partnership with Rare to build resilient and sustainable coastal communities in the Philippines. Together, we can restore and protect marine habitats and promote sustainable fisheries management,” US Peace Corps Country Director Jenner Edelman said.
Both sides signed a new five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) on March 18.
“Our continued collaboration with the US Peace Corps will amplify how sustainable fishing behaviors actually improve fish stock productivity, and enable us to continue co-designing and sharing innovative, practical solutions with LGU (local government units) partners to protect the country’s marine environment,” Rare Philippines Senior Director Lito Mancao said.
The MOU signing happened during the week-long US Peace Corps-led training on community-based coastal resource management for office heads, fisheries and agricultural officers, and environment officers from LGUs that have a coastal resource management program.
Representatives from 29 LGUs from across the Philippines joined the event, according to the US Embassy in the Philippines.
The training was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is the first of a series of USAID-supported capacity development workshops planned for this year that will help local partners protect biodiversity in the Philippines.
The US Peace Corps is conducting a second training on zero-waste programming for youth councils (Sangguniang Kabataan) and their LGU counterparts this week, from March 21 to 25 in Bohol.
The US Peace Corps is the US government’s premier volunteer organization and has supported Filipino communities across the country for more than 60 years.
Over 9,300 American volunteers have served as co-teachers, youth development facilitators, or in other roles requested by host communities over the decades.
To date, around 300 Peace Corps volunteers have supported improved coastal resource management in the Philippines.