Dr. April Peregrino has become the youngest Filipino-American to visit every country in the world, a feat only less than 70 women in the world have achieved. She is the fifth Filipina to visit every country in the world, after her mentors Odette Ricasa, Luisa Yu, Kach Umandap, and Riza Rasco.
At the age of 46, April has stepped foot in all 193 countries recognized by the United Nations, and beyond. Her journey to her last country, Slovakia, marks a milestone that celebrates both personal perseverance and the global spirit of the Filipino diaspora.
Born as the first child to Filipino parents of Leyte and Samar, Philippines, April grew up listening to and witnessing stories of resilience, sacrifice, and cross-cultural identity in Chicago, USA.
At the young age of 6 years old, she first became deeply aware of passport privilege during her first flight, a long haul from Chicago to Manila. She comprehended how hard her parents worked in the US to give ample opportunities to her and her brother. When she decided to pursue this dream of visiting every country in the world, she knew her parents’ sacrifice would not be in vain.
Her parents were born, raised and had worked in the Philippines, a country in which its passport may not have privileges automatically given in other countries.
Weighed down by responsibilities, her parents could not take full advantage of the opportunities afforded with their naturalized American passports. This motivated April to take full advantage of her strong American passport. It also motivated her to seek dual citizenship from the Philippines.
With several Filipino and American passports full of stamps and a heart full of stories, her journey has gone beyond country-counting—from navigating remote villages in Africa to connecting with Filipinos in the Middle East, and tasting street food in Mexico as well as epicurean meals in France and Japan.
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A Mission of Service
April has made it a mission to build bridges between people, cultures, and continents. In conjunction with the mission of connection, April has prioritized the mission of service, especially in the last 6 months. She is passionate about helping others, and her most recent volunteer projects have been of food distribution to families in Hawaii and to the homeless in Tokyo.
As a teenager in high school, she volunteered on a hospital floor dedicated to the care of HIV/AIDS patients in the ‘90s. This paved the way to welcome more volunteer projects in Chicago such as food distribution for the homeless and halfway houses.
| Read: PGE Celebrates Kach Umandap’s Journey to All 193 UN Countries and UN Observer States
As a pharmacy student, she volunteered her time by taking blood pressure readings for the Navajo Native Americans at fairs on the reservation on the weekends. During the pandemic, April volunteered her time as a pharmacist to vaccinate in communities of faith.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, April flew to Leyte as soon it was possible to ensure her family’s safety but to also volunteer in food distribution and reconstruction. Similarly, she was one of the first people to help dig out a village after the eruption of Volcano Pacaya had destroyed several houses outside of Antigua, Guatemala.
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“The world has been so good to me, and I am immensely blessed
Dr. april Peregrino
to have experienced it for its beauty and glory.
But now, it’s time to give back. Give back to the world and give back to the Philippines.
The energy you give is the energy receive.”
Other volunteer projects have included painting and refurbishing schools in Jinja, Uganda and Bali, Indonesia. One of the most memorable days of service was visiting a madrasa in Afghanistan, which had an after-school program dedicated to teaching under-privileged children circus tricks. As the only female on tour on the day the madrasa was filled with only young girls, April was able to intimately interact with them, a joy and advantage she had over her male tour mates.
| Read: Trailblazing at 79: Luisa Yu Becomes Oldest Filipina to Visit Every Country in the World
“I have seen everything. I have done everything. The world has been so good to me, and I am immensely blessed to have experienced it for its beauty and glory. But now, it’s time to give back. Give back to the world and give back to the Philippines. The beautiful thing about service is that everyone needs kindness and when kindness is distributed, there is an ease in giving time or resources or both. The energy you give is the energy receive,” explained April.
| Read: Odette Ricasa: First Filipino to Travel to All Countries in the World
April’s journey has been documented in her personal Instagram everyotherweek, encouraging women and Filipinos to go beyond their wildest dreams and travel to their wish-list destinations. Her future involves her commitment to using her skills and experience in service of others in all parts of the globe.
As an active member of Philippine Global Explorers (PGE) since its inception, April has been a constant source of inspiration through her volunteer works and her readiness to impart knowledge from her decades of traveling. The PGE family is proud of April’s achievement and remains committed to supporting her in her future endeavors.
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Congratulations Aj Peregrino!