Orientation and Basic Training Info

Peace Corps Philippines

Bridge to Pre-Service Training

MABUHAY to Group 271!  Welcome to the Philippines. We are excited that you are on your 

way.  

Initial Orientation 

Accommodations
Upon arrival, Trainees will stay at a facility that is about two hours from Manila. You will 
stay at this facility for your Initial Orientation (IO) and two weeks of center-based training, 
after which you will be going to your host families and cluster training sites the remainder of 
your PST. 


Vaccinations
Your necessary vaccinations will be administered beginning at the orientation and at the 
training site by the Peace Corps medical staff. Some vaccinations will be given by local 
doctors at the training sites. Vaccinations will be administered from July through September. 
Bring records of past immunizations you have received to avoid having to retake some shots.


Communication
During the first days of orientation, Trainees will be issued cell phones.  The IO and centerbased training site is equipped with WiFi.  Individual cluster training sites may or may not be close to internet cafes.  Some, but not all host families have telephones. Most Filipinos use cell phones for text messaging, domestic and international calls. We strongly encourage 
you to contact friends and family fairly soon after your arrival to let them know that 
you have arrived safely.


Local Currency/Money Matters
The Philippine Peso (PhP) is the local currency. Trainees will receive a Walk-Around 
Allowance in PhP the first day of Initial Orientation.  Since all meals and lodging are provided 
by Peace Corps, trainees will be responsible for their incidental items only.


Weather
The PST occurs during the hot and rainy season in most parts of the country. During this 
season most days will be quite hot, humid, and rainy. In addition, typhoons or tropical 
storms are common and frequent during this period. Umbrellas and rain coats will come in 
handy.  Daytime temperatures generally reach into the 85 plus degree range and typically 
drop to around 75 to 80 degrees at night. The hottest months of the year are generally April 
and May.


Safety and Security
The Peace Corps Philippines has established an effective safety and security program based 
on the experience of Peace Corps Volunteers, Trainees, Peace Corps staff and host agency 
counterparts.  During Initial Orientation and integrated throughout PST, you will receive 
training in the safety program. You will also receive training and guidance on how to 
maintain a respected relationship with your community, a key factor in your personal safety, 
as well as strategies to keep yourself safe while serving overseas. Pre-Service Training
Our training staff has been busy preparing for your Pre-Service Training, which will include 
instruction in Filipino, technical skills training, cross-cultural training, personal health and 
safety and security issues, and an orientation to Peace Corps Philippines and your host 
agencies. Our training staff consists of skilled Filipino trainers with occasional assistance
from currently serving Peace Corps Volunteers.


The goal of Pre-Service Training is to provide you with the language, cross-cultural, technical 
and community development, safety and security, and personal/health management skills 
necessary to prepare you to work effectively and live successfully at your site of assignment 
for the first six months at your site.  We do this through a combination of center-based 
training and community-based training.


Training Site 
Pre-Service Training will start with intensive training at a center two hours south of Manila, 
and then transition to small community clusters approximately 3 hours north of Manila. 
Trainees will be assigned to a specific cluster based on their job assignment, host family 
needs, technical abilities, and medical needs. 


Diet during training
Initially, it will be difficult for vegetarians to maintain their diet as Filipino Host Families may 
not be knowledgeable when it comes to preparing dishes for vegetarians. Generally, Filipinos 
don’t serve vegetables to their guests.  The Trainees may suggest dishes to the Host Family or may even demonstrate how to prepare vegetarian dishes. An example of a local diet would be rice, fish and vegetables.  Pork, beef and chicken dishes are served at lunch and dinner.  Rice is served with all meals including breakfast.  Filipinos love to eat fried and sweet foods.  


Overview of Training Schedule
The PST training schedule follows a six-day week. Sessions are held from Monday to
Saturday. We strongly encourage self-directed learning activities in your cluster community 
and spending time with your host family and Filipino community on Sundays.
The majority of your training will take place in your cluster community or barangay and 
surrounding village.  Your training will integrate five major elements including language, 
technical, cross-culture, medical and safety and security. You will pursue Filipino language
and cross-cultural studies, and will have technical sessions and practicum assignments with 
local community and host agency staff. On Saturdays, you may have linked sessions with a 
neighboring cluster.


Basic methodology and assessment criteria for PST
The Pre-Service Training program provides you with opportunities to learn through your own experience. The program assumes that you come with applicable skills, and that the training period is a time for you to refine and expand these skills in order to live happily and work effectively in the Philippines. This will be a time "to learn how to learn" so that you will be able to continue your learning process in language, culture and work skills even after your 
formal training has been completed.


Peace Corps training methodology follows a competency - based approach.  For example, in 
language classes the emphasis will be on what you can do, rather than on what you know 
about the language. In practice, this means that classroom and technical assignments are 
designed to help you develop the language and technical skills to live and work in your first six months at site; you will be learning important "life-coping skills" 


In addition to a competency-based approach for language training, the overall training design 
uses the Community-Based Training model which draws on principles from three other 
models: adult learning; experiential learning and learner-centered training. We see the Trainee as an adult learner whose own experience is a key element in the learning process, who has developed a preferred learning style, who benefits from having clear learning goals, and who requires a degree of control over learning tasks.  

Qualification Process For Volunteer Service

Peace Corps Philippines is pleased that you have decided to become a Peace Corps Volunteer.  However, before you are sworn-in, you must be prepared to meet the challenges of living and working in the country.  Peace Corps must be assured of your suitability, cultural sensitivity, competence and commitment to work for two years as a Volunteer in the Philippines.  By the end of PST, you must convince Peace Corps that you have successfully achieved the following training competencies:


ability to use Filipino to communicate with the community;
ability to live and work in your host community;
ability to perform the technical requirements of your work;
ability to abide by Peace Corps policies and follow sound health and safety practices in 
the Philippines.


Trainee assessment is a constant process. It is designed to help you recognize your 
successes, pinpoint where you need to improve and help the training staff identify ways they 
can assist you in attaining the training objectives.  Be prepared to both solicit and accept 
feedback on your adjustment process by PST staff.


The procedure for assessment includes ongoing personal reflection and self-assessment by 
the trainee and informal conversations with staff and peers. It also includes formal 
procedures; assessment meetings with key staff and the Language Proficiency Interview (LPI). 


The Peace Corps Philippines program strives to be an excellent development 
organization with a Corps of professional Volunteers that understand that they have 
committed fully to a job.  If you know now that you are unable to do this, the Peace Corps Philippines program is not for you.  If this sounds like the kind of organization that you would like to join, however, we would be very pleased and honored to have you.