Scientology Volunteer Ministers train first responders and teachers across the Philippines

Goodwill Tour has delivered more than 1,300 assists and trained police, firefighters, correctional officers and community leaders from Manila to Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Philippines, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Scientology Volunteer Ministers South East Asia Goodwill Tour has trained more than 360 people and individually helped more than 500 since arriving in the Philippines in July, bringing disaster response and study skills seminars to police, firefighters, correctional officers, teachers and community leaders in Metro Manila and on the island of Mindanao.

The tour's most recent stop was Sindaton Elementary School, 45 kilometers outside Davao City, where on Oct. 28 the team delivered a two-and-a-half-hour seminar on Study Technology to 15 teachers. The seminar covered the barriers to study identified by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard and the methods teachers can use to help students understand material rather than memorize it. The school presented the team with a certificate of appreciation at its close.

The tour arrived in Manila on July 16. On Aug. 6, Volunteer Ministers conducted seminars for 100 officers of the Philippine National Police on assists, the Volunteer Minister techniques used to help people recover from the physical and emotional effects of injury, shock and trauma, and on the Dynamics of Existence. The Police Training Command in Quezon City, which hosted the sessions, said the training was intended "to help the police officers better deal with disasters and confusions that they encounter in their posts." The team received a letter of acknowledgment from the National Capital Region Police Office.

Moving to Mindanao, the tour held a full-day seminar on Sept. 21 for the chairman and 40 staff of the Davao City Deputy Mayors Council and Muslim Affairs office, the first group in the city to receive the training. The session brought together members of the Muslim Moro and Davao indigenous communities, and participants were asked to pass the training on within their own communities.

The team went on to deliver an assists seminar to 26 correctional officers at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm headquarters, a seminar for 52 members of the Davao Bureau of Fire Protection, and a session for 40 members of the Mission Church of Panabo City, which led to the formation of a Volunteer Minister youth group at the church.

As of early October, the tour had delivered 11 seminars to 337 attendees and 1,303 assists. Since then it has continued daily delivery in the Davao area, including 43 assists to 70 people in a single day on Oct. 22.

"Every officer, firefighter and teacher we train becomes someone who can help the people around them when something goes wrong," said Damian, leader of the Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour. "That is what the tour is for. We leave the skills behind."

The Goodwill Tour continues its program in Mindanao. Information on the Volunteer Ministers and their training is available at volunteerministers.org.

About the Volunteer Ministers

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program, initiated by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1970s, is a global outreach effort supported by the Church of Scientology to provide practical assistance and spiritual aid during times of crisis.

Guided by the motto, "Something Can Be Done About It," Volunteer Ministers offer help wherever it is needed, from disaster zones to local communities. They have responded to major catastrophes worldwide, including the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami, providing relief to hundreds of thousands. Trained to address physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, their iconic yellow tents and shirts are a beacon of hope at disaster sites and community events alike.

For more information, visit volunteerministers.org.

SOURCE Church of Scientology International