Community Development Facilitator in Coastal Resource Management - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Philippines

Apply by
January 1, 2025

Know by
March 1, 2025

Depart on
July 11, 2025

Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training

Project description

Education

Community Development Facilitators (CDFs) work in Local Government Units (LGUs) at the provincial, city, or municipal level. CDFs also collaborate with LGU partners such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). LGUs have the mandate to manage coastal and marine resources under the Local Government Code (Republic Act 7160) of the Philippines. Volunteers work alongside LGU staff, NGO staff and the community on a variety of activities around environmental education, community organizing, and local government planning. While specific activities depend on the needs of the LGU and community, typical activities include:

• Facilitation of participatory coastal resource assessments.
• Development and/or update of databases (e.g., Coastal Environment Profile).
• Development and/or update of the 5-year LGU Coastal Resource Management Plan.
• Review of existing laws and guidelines that govern the management of coastal and marine resources and explore the possibility of improving those laws and guidelines.
• Sharing transferable skills with community-based organizations (e.g., youth, women, fisher folk).
• Establishment and/or enhancement of a marine protected area management system.
• Development of business concepts/alternative livelihoods in the community.
• Facilitation of environmental awareness activities for in-school and out-of-school youth.
• Participation in the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office through coastal resource management planning and activities.
  
  

Volunteers collaborate primarily with people and are not technical advisors. As Community Development Facilitators, Volunteers spend most of their time engaging and collaborating with people in government, the school community, women’s groups, children and youth groups, and the fisher folk in general. As a result, Volunteers must have good people skills and the interest and ability to collaborate with people of all ages from different sectors of the community. Additionally, Volunteers must develop the ability to understand and diplomatically manage the political dynamics in the LGU and community so that they can strategize win-win solutions that strengthen the local coastal resource management program and establish the community’s buy-in to support the program. This includes respect for the bureaucratic government processes and time frames in terms of program implementation.

Depending on the LGU and calendar of activities, Volunteers may have weeks or months when they spend most of their time in the LGU office. During other periods, Volunteers may spend time away from the office doing environmental education in schools, community organizing with individuals and organizations, and meetings with fisher folk and other groups.

Community integration is an indispensable part of Volunteer work. To be successful in service, Volunteers must have an interest in Filipino culture and a willingness to integrate into their Filipino community. The responsibility for integration rests on Volunteers and host communities, and that includes learning the local language. During Pre-Service Training, Peace Corps Philippines provides tools and strategies for Volunteers to enhance their community integration and language acquisition. The Volunteers’ main focus during their first three months at their permanent sites is community integration. Volunteers may find that utilizing Facebook and other social media will help them connect with a larger community. By devoting attention to community integration and language learning, Volunteers lay the groundwork for their future community collaboration.

Climate change activities

As The Impacts Of Climate Change Become Ever More Evident, The Social, Economic, And Environmental Conditions Faced By Local Communities Will Become Increasingly Problematic, Particularly For Vulnerable Households In Low-lying Areas And Historically Marginalized Communities. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, You Will Be Trained To Use a Participatory Approach And Tools To Identify Locally Determined Priorities And Conditions, Including Those Related To The Impacts Of Climate Change. The Types Of Interventions Undertaken Will Be Guided By National And Local Priorities For Climate Change Adaptation As Identified In Your Country’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) And Those Environment-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14 & 15) That Have Been Identified For Local Action. As An Environment Volunteer, You Will Be Trained To Use This Knowledge To Work With Government, Local, And Community Stakeholders To Mitigate Some Of The Adverse Impacts Of Climate Change While Promoting Resiliency, And Engaging In Projects And Activities That

• strengthen the ability of vulnerable households and communities to respond to extreme weather events such as cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons;
• enhance local and community capacities for effective implementation of NAP and SDG priorities;
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions through promoting the expansion of renewable energy technologies;
• support the development of sustainable mechanisms that incorporate the “3 Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) of effective solid waste management practices; and
• work with Volunteers in other sectors to integrate climate change adaptation practices into their activities (e.g., work with Health Volunteers to reduce respiratory health issues of women and girls through use of improved cook stoves; work with Education Volunteers to mitigate the impact of heat waves on local teaching or establishing tree nurseries and planting trees to reduce the time that students use in collecting firewood).
  
  

Required Skills

Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in promoting environmental awareness in schools and communities, and one or more of the following criteria:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
  
  

OR

• 5 years' professional work experience
  
  

All candidates are required to have intermediate-level swimming abilities and comfort or experience with snorkeling. SCUBA certification is desirable, but NOT required.

Due to the Philippines government visa requirements and the government’s current strong stance and action on combatting drug production, distribution/trafficking, and use, applicants will not be considered for Peace Corps positions in the Philippines at this time if they have ever been convicted of any major crimes, even if it was expunged or sealed, and even if they otherwise would meet the standards for legal clearance to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer more generally.

Desired Skills

Highly desired skills for this position include:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Biology, Zoology, Marine Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Environmental Education, Environment Studies, Conservation, Community Development, Natural Resource Management, Coastal Resource Management, Sustainability
• 5 years of experience working in Coastal Resource Management
• Strong interest in, and interpersonal skills, working with children, youth, mothers, and fisher folk in under-resourced communities
• Facilitation skills in conducting environmental awareness in schools and/or with local community organizations
• An interest in Filipino culture and willingness to integrate into a Filipino community
• Facilitation skills in policy development or governance issues
• Skills in planning, implementing, and monitoring community projects
  
  

Required Language Skills

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. Filipino (the standardized form of Tagalog) is the national language of the Philippines. Volunteers must demonstrate an intermediate level in Tagalog by week 7 of Pre-Service Training. Towards the middle of Pre-Service Training, most Volunteers will start to learn a secondary local language associated with their assigned site. A Volunteer’s dedication to learning language will set them up for success during their service. Having this skill will help Volunteers better integrate into their community. Additional language resources to improve Volunteers’ local language skills will be offered at Peace Corps training events and through independent tutoring during service.

Living conditions

Housing

Housing conditions for Volunteers vary widely depending upon their community and can range from heavily urban to very rural. In underdeveloped areas, housing construction is typically a hollow concrete block or a mix of concrete, wood, and bamboo. Housing in more developed areas, can range from the same construction as in underdeveloped areas up to full concrete and modern design. Most houses have running water and electricity but do not have air conditioning. Access to internet will vary and cannot be guaranteed.

Host Family Situation

Volunteers live with host families during the community-based portion of Pre-Service Training. Typically, Volunteers live with host families for the first four months in their permanent communities. After this period, Volunteers may choose to continue living with a host family or move into their own rented accommodations. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to continue living with host families to strengthen their language fluency and integration into the community.

Intercultural Challenges

Volunteers will encounter very different social and cultural norms that will require patience and flexibility. The American sense of privacy, in terms of information-sharing or physical space, does not exist in many Philippine communities. Questions about topics that Americans may deem private, such as religion or marital status, are considered conversation starters in local communities. Some American women may experience challenges in adjusting to the limitations that are imposed on women by the culture. Views and attitudes about what is proper for girls and women can be very traditional such as being home by sunset or having a host family member or relative accompany them when going out with male friends or community members.

Diversity Challenges

Volunteers of an American racial, ethnic, or national minority or those whose religious or spiritual beliefs differ from the majority of the local community members may experience a high degree of curiosity or unwanted attention. An American without any religious affiliation might receive an unusual number of questions about why the Volunteer does not have a religious affiliation. They may expect to receive invitations to attend religious activities for exposure. These experiences can be uncomfortable, but Volunteers are encouraged to use these moments as opportunities to deepen local community members’ understanding of U.S. diversity through conversations and authentic engagement in building relationships and intercultural integration. Staff will address identity-related concerns during Pre-Service Training and consultations.

Climate

The climate of the Philippines is tropical and characterized by relatively high temperatures and high humidity. Generally, the country experiences two major seasons, the rainy season from June through November, and the dry season from December to May.

Dress

Philippine culture is traditional with strict norms related to appearance. Therefore, Volunteers must be prepared to abide by these guidelines to ensure a successful service. Volunteers with visible body and facial piercings or tattoos will need strategies to remove or conceal them, especially when they are teaching. Volunteers are looked upon as role models in the community and are therefore expected to be neat, clean, and well-groomed even in informal occasions. Men should wear their hair short and be clean-shaven or have neatly trimmed facial hair.

When Volunteers are in the Local Government Unit (LGU) office, they must wear business casual attire such as polo shirts and long pants (either jeans or slacks) for men, or blouses, skirts at or below the knees, jeans, and women’s slacks for women. All clothes must be neat and clean. Jeans may not be frayed or have rips/holes.

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Philippines: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Medical considerations

Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.

Couples information

The Philippines welcomes and can accommodate couples. Your partner must qualify and apply for the following position(s):

Elementary Education Co-Teacher

High School Education Co-Teacher

Youth Development Facilitator

Volunteers serving as a couple must live with separate host families during Pre-Service Training (PST). Couples will be able to room together during Initial Orientation and during the last week of PST at the training site. The remaining PST period will be community-based in selected host communities where each PCT is assigned to a separate host family, including couples. Couples will be allowed overnight visits on weekends during PST. This arrangement ensures a distinctive experience for each PCT in a Filipino family setting. Over the years, the post has noted that placing only one PCT with any specific host family notably improves the PCT’s acquisition of the Tagalog language.

After PST, couples will live together in the same community for the duration of their service. Peace Corps Philippines has sites available for couples who are married or in a domestic partnership. In the Philippines, there is an expectation that couples are married and there will be many questions about the marriage. (When did you get married? How many kids do you have? When will you have children? etc.) Staff will guide couples on how to approach living together in a community and how to respond to questions.

The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples. Same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couple placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. The Philippines is not able to accept same-sex couples where one or more spouse will serve in the education sector. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities. For more information please visit: https://www.peacecorps.gov/faqs/lgbtq/.