About this role
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 and 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 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.