The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands with less than a third being inhabited. The islands are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It is the 7th most populated country in Asia and the 12th most in the world.
As a newly industrialized country, the Philippine economy which was once founded upon its agriculture is now moving towards an economy based on services and manufacturing.
It is unsurprising that the Philippines attracts tourists due to its incredibly rich biodiversity found across its islands. The mountains, rainforests and diving spots as well as its impressive cultural heritage all add to the reasons why the Philippines is such an incredible place to experience.
ABOUT PALAWAN
Palawan is a special island dotted with fishing villages and surrounded by beautiful blue sea. The scenes contrasts perfectly with the emerald green jungled mountains which form its landscape. Our accommodation is located in Tigman Village in Aborlan District, a small and laid back area just outside of Puerto Princesa City.
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, though exceptions to this age requirement may be made on a case-by-case basis. Successful volunteers are hardworking, flexible, and open to truly immersing themselves in the culture. Keep in mind that all countries have different visa restrictions for varying types of passports.
World Endeavors volunteers in the Philippines can contribute to the following projects:
Volunteers interested in Childcare Assistance can participate in the following project:
Kindergarten
During this program, you will partake in the day-to-day operations of a childcare facility. Not only will this give you an insight into authentic Filipino life, but you will also get engaged into the daily operations of the kindergarten. The kindergarten is located in the Tigman area of Palawan and the children who attend are between the ages of 3 and 5.
Your primary task will be to communicate with the children using English and teaching them the language in a fun way.
Besides teaching, you will also support the local staff with the caretaking of the children. This task can range in activities, from organizing classes, playing games and guiding activities to feeding, cutting nails, combing hair and so on.
The children are always interested in learning more about foreign lands and you are encouraged to bring pictures from your country, friends, family, etc or objects that highlight your culture in order to promote intercultural exchange.
The children will learn from you, but you will also leave the project having learned from them!
Volunteers interested in Community Development can participate in the following project:
Construction Effort
There are many people living on the Island of Palawan who don’t have the funds to upgrade their living conditions. With this project, we are trying to assist these people with their housing and help renovate, upgrade and construct communal places and institutions such as schools, healthcare centres, hospitals, community centres and so on.
In this project, you will work alongside local Palawan people and this will give them a unique insight into the lifestyle and culture of the population of this beautiful island. Moreover, you will join other participants from all over the world to jointly work on these construction efforts.
The main construction and renovation activities will consist of painting, building walls, renovating furniture, gardening and so on. Construction experience is not required, anybody can join and give a helping hand to the local people of Palawan!
Volunteers interested in Environmental Conservation can participate in the following project:
Environmental Conservation
The province of Palawan is located in the Mimaropa region and is the largest province in the country, abundant with wildlife sanctuaries, marine reserves and world heritage sites. Being the location of Palawan Island, one of the most bio-diverse islands in the Philippines, the area has one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world receiving much local interest for conservation.
Our hope through this project is to conserve mangrove plantations and reverse the trend of deteriorating mangrove sites, which has seen a rapid decrease during recent years.
This can realistically only be achieved through the education of younger generations, combined with the continual physical work of planting new mangroves.
That’s why we’ll be asking you to serve as a fortifier of our natural coastal barrier, which is slowing storm surges,reducing beach erosion, cleaning the beaches. We also need your help with encouraging environmental conservation through training sessions with children.
Volunteers interested in Teaching can participate in the following projects:
Teaching
We have noticed that the children within the community don’t have much chance to learn or practice the use of English. That’s where you can help!
You may find yourself contributing to a primary, secondary or high school in and around the municipality of Aborlan on Palawan Island. This means your potential students could range from grade 1 to grade 12 and are between the age of 7-18.
The teaching program is organized as an informal English class which allows you to arrange a variety of activities such as music, songs, playing games, arts, sports, conversation exercises and grammar exercises.
Get creative but always keep in mind that everything should be based on teaching practical English for everyday situations in a fun and engaging way!
An important component of this program is the cultural exchange that will occur. The children at the school are always very interested and keen to learn more about your family, country, culture and way of life. Therefore, we highly encourage you to bring a lot of pictures from home as they will be very much appreciated by the kids!
Experience Filipino culture first-hand through your exploration of local spots, immersing in the culture, sampling the cuisine, visiting famous sites and more!
Our culture week is tailored to introduce you to some of the best things the island of Palawan has to offer. This week will get you learning the basics of the language, cooking traditional meals, tasting authentic food, visiting the most famous sites and discovering areas where tourists don’t often venture!
CULTURE WEEK SCHEDULE
- Monday: Orientation, Filipino Tagalog language classes, culture lessons, tour of the local area, broom-making or coconut leaf-weaving workshop, Filipino cooking class
- Tuesday: Visit to a local farm to see the traditional methods of growing vegetables, coconuts or rice, and hike to a waterfall for a refreshing afternoon swim
- Wednesday: Tour of Puerto Princesa - Palawan's capital - to see its charming and lively downtown, the famous Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Memorial Park, the Palawan Museum, and shopping at Robinsons Mall
- Thursday: Sightseeing around Nara, visit to the local market, afternoon swimming and sunbathing at the elusive Secret Beach
- Friday: Boat ride to a nearby island for swimming and relaxing, volunteer project orientation in the afternoon
Culture Week has an additional fee of $75 for the week.
Volunteers stay in a shared volunteer house and stay in shared rooms by gender. Three meals a day on weekdays (two on weekends) are included during your stay. The food will consist mainly of local Philippine cuisine (lots of vegetables, meat, egg and rice) and will be served on site at this accommodation.
The World Endeavors Volunteer in the Philippines program is flexible in duration and can be tailored to last between 1 to 12 weeks. If you have the time, we recommend a stay of at least 4 weeks. Admissions are rolling, and World Endeavors volunteers can choose when they would like to start their program. Due to holidays, traditional vacation schedules, and seasonal work availability, there might be better times than others to volunteer at a specific location or in a specific project.
When you are ready to start planning your volunteer trip to the Philippines, contact us. Our experienced advisors will help you sort through any timing considerations unique to your destination or your volunteer project.
Please wait until after you are accepted into the program and you have received the confirmed arrival and departure dates before you book your flight.
| Program Name | First Week | Each Additional Week |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer In Philippines | $2,085 | $300 |
INCLUDED FEATURES
- Program Advisor: dedicated, experienced, and accessible for one-on-one guidance
- Local Onsite Coordinator with 24/7 availability; pre and post arrival orientation
- Visa guidance and support
- Comprehensive travel medical insurance
- Travel Protection with 24/7 Emergency Travel Assistance
- Re-entry Support
- Airport reception
- Shared, single gender rooms in volunteer house
- 3 meals per weekday and 2 meals per weekend provided
OTHER BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
- Round-trip transportation to the Philippines
- Visa expenses
- Optional trips and excursions
- Personal expenses
Congratulations on your decision to embark on a life-changing experience abroad! We look forward to working with you to make your trip a memorable, meaningful one. We can accommodate applications received 4 weeks prior to the intended start date up to a year in advance. If your intended start date is less than 4 weeks away, contact World Endeavors for more information.
