Kumiko Oishi, JOCV (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer)

The original article was written for the Journal of the JOCV (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer). With the conclusion of the IVD 2009, UNV Philippines has translated it into English for online publication.

Supplementary information
For the 2009 IVD, a new, experimental plan was introduced, with the aim of conducting the IVD event by volunteers. For the new plan, the IVD Steering Committee was formed by gathering several representatives from the foreign volunteer organizations carrying out work in the Philippines, such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), United States Peace Corp (USPC), Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD), and Volunteers for International Development from Australia (VIDA) as well as from local volunteer teams such as VSO-Bahaginan.

JOCV Kumiko Oishi

When the phone call came through asking me if I would take on the role in the IVD committee, honestly, I wondered if this could be fate.
Several days before the call, I received a text message about the committee recruitment and instinctively thought it sounded interesting. However, I was scheduled to return to my home country in January. Doubts ran through my mind as to whether or not I would have time to take part in such a project, so I hesitated about running for candidacy. It was at this time that I received the phone call. There did not seem to be any other applicants, and I felt that if I refused to accept the role, I might regret it. So I accepted.

Soon after I had accepted the role, an exchange of e-mails began with the other members. The members were from foreign country volunteer organizations, such as the USPC, AYAD, VIDA, and KOICA, and from volunteers affiliated with local volunteer teams.
At first, the mail exchange was the main source of contact; but without meeting face to face, it was obviously difficult to see what people truly thought. Less than a month after setting up the committee, the topic had turned to organizing a face-to-face meeting.

And so we had our first meeting. One member raised the question, "Why should we have to do this event?" The IVD is a day to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism and its contributions', but that member's question seemed to be asking "Why should we have to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism?" I remember thinking, at the time, that there was no clear conclusion to the question, due to the lack of a mutual native language. Even now I can find no clear answer. But, personally, I don't see anything wrong with taking a day out of the year to celebrate the good in people and for doing something that benefits the wider world.
The negotiations continued and, in line with the theme of “the environment” set out for IVD 2009 by the United Nations, it was decided that the event should be focused on “cleaning up.” Several sites were proposed by the committee. The meeting ended by dividing up the responsibility for the negotiations with these sites, and it was suggested that we decide the final locations at the next meeting.

During the second meeting in early September, the committee members — who had carried out the negotiations for the proposed sites with the relevant organizations and bodies — presented their findings. The entire committee voted, and it was decided that the clean up would take place in Manila Bay. This decision was also combined with a very detailed division of roles within the committee. It was decided that, together with USPC and VIDA volunteers, I was to be part of the “clean up” group, presiding over the entire cleaning operation. There were also two other groups but, as is often the case, these groups all gradually faded away before the IVD event. Ultimately, the only functioning group that lasted was the clean up group.
To be frank, when I saw the other members who had been assigned to the clean up group, I wanted to run away. Although I already understood this from being an IVD committee member, the Australian and American volunteers from the USPC, AYAD, and VIDA groups were very passionate about their own activities and this kind of volunteer work. In comparison, those of us in the Asian groups, like JOCV and KOICA, were certainly enthusiastic too; but alongside the Australians and Americans, we definitely appeared a lot more reserved.
There were many doubts running through my mind. ... I could hardly speak any English. I wondered how I would last until the end if such exuberant people surrounded me? But, on the contrary, when I look back, it was exactly because of these conditions that I was able to finish my work. I gained a great deal of motivation from their eagerness and passion, and I have no doubt that their behavior was a great source of inspiration.
Clean up group members went to the Department of Environmental Natural Resources (DENR) to lay out, in concrete terms, what areas would be cleaned within Manila Bay and how to conduct the final negotiations. We also had to search for sponsors, gather participants, organize transportation to the cleaning sites, coordinate with each of the Local Government Units, prepare provisions in the case of injury or illness and so on ... there was definitely a lot to be done.
In the midst of all these preparations, Manila was suddenly struck by Typhoon Ondoy. Unavoidably, the IVD preparations were brought to a halt.

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