The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) Program will officially resume the dispatch of volunteers, more than two years after it was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resumption of the program, which was conferred with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016, will be officially announced in the near future, as cases are now on the downtrend and with mobility restrictions easing up.

On June 17, two JOCV Volunteers officially called on Minister Nakata Masahiro to discuss their future assignments in preparation for the program’s resumption.

Takuya Sekiguchi, an ICT and PC instructor, will be assigned in Cavite, while Yoshimi Miyagawa, a culinary expert, will be assigned in Rizal.

Last June 1, JICA held an online caravan dubbed “Enhancing Partnerships”. This virtual venue provided information on the JOCV Program and discussed how it can provide technical assistance in various development areas all over the country.

The JOCV is an overseas volunteer program for Japanese nationals who wish to play a role in the nation-building process of developing countries, where they live amongst the local populace as they pass on their relevant knowledge and skills.

These Japanese volunteers work towards enhancing bilateral friendly relations at the grassroots level by directly immersing in the local lifestyle and culture.

The Philippines is one of four countries where JOCVs were officially dispatched after the signing agreement in 1966.

More than 1,600 Japanese aspiring to contribute to the social and economic development of the Philippines were able to form valuable friendships nationwide.

Armed with various skills in areas of agriculture, health, education, and technology, among others, they went out of their comfort zones to live with local Filipinos and provided critical technical assistance at the grassroots level. Japan Information and Culture Center