A Korean Air volunteer team has visited Bicol, Philippines from August 21-26, and built houses for local residents and provided meals to over 1,200 elementary school students in the community.

Bicol is a peninsula region in the southern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines, about 377 km from Manila. Korean Air employees have lended a helping hand to improve the region’s infrastructure every year since 2007. The program was suspended temporarily during the pandemic.

“We were repairing the roof of the house when the homeowner stopped by to share fresh coconuts with us,” says Hyun Jun Kim, a first officer with the airline who joined the program with his son. “He repeatedly thanked us and we were moved by the genuine gesture in the sweltering heat. We are so happy we could help on behalf of Korean Air.”

Meanwhile, in Korea, the airline’s Bucheon maintenance center volunteer team organized a trip to a water park for 60 children and teachers from an Incheon community center for the underprivileged on August 26. The volunteers instructed the children on safety rules and accompanied them during a day of fun at the Woongjin Play City in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do.

Korean Air currently has 24 employee volunteer groups that engage in community service activities both internationally and locally with the support of the airline.