Location
  • Philippines
Length
1 to 24 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Timeframe
Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Lodge
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
380
Price Details
Fully hosted experience from only $380 for 1 week - this includes accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, orientation and 24/7 in-country support.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
May 01, 2024
Mar 08, 2025
53 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Trusted by 136,000+ volunteers, IVHQ offers the world's #1 rated volunteer programs in Philippines and 50+ destinations worldwide.

For the past 6 years, we've won the "Top Volunteer Abroad Provider Award" from GoOverseas, so you can trust that you're in the safest hands with IVHQ in Philippines.

Our affordable projects start from $26/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement and local support. Projects run year-round, with durations from 1-24 weeks. Choose from 4 projects, ranging from Teaching, Kindergarten and Environmental in Palawan, an archipelagic province. Plus, you’ll stay with other like-minded, impact-focused travelers from around the world (private room options available).

With IVHQ’s superior pre-departure support services, you’ll gain exclusive access to your own Volunteer Travel Specialist, comprehensive preparation tools and volunteer training before you leave home.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Cheapest volunteer programs from $26/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement & local support.
  • Volunteer for 1-24 weeks, year round start dates most Mondays.
  • 15+ years experience & only B Corp certified volunteer travel organization.
  • Get free changes up to 14 days before you start with our flexible booking policy.
  • Affordable way to earn college credit - gain 5 credits for only US$500!

Popular Programs

Construction & Renovation Volunteer in the Philippines

Transform schools, daycare centers, and medical facilities in the Philippines with IVHQ's Construction and Renovation volunteer project in Palawan. Help with renovations, restoration, painting, and carpentry to create functional and beautiful spaces for under-resourced communities.

Environmental Conservation Volunteer in the Philippines

Protect Palawan’s pristine natural environment as an Environmental volunteer! Rehabilitate mangroves, clean up beaches, and promote eco-education in local schools. Make a meaningful impact on the local marine and bird life by restoring vital habitats and protecting the shoreline.

Kindergarten Volunteer in the Philippines

Help provide quality education to under-resourced kindergartens in the Philippines as a volunteer. Follow the government curriculum in an exciting way, with an essential focus on fun. Volunteers can also conduct special classes during holiday periods, providing an opportunity to be creative and flexible.

Program Reviews

4.89 Rating
based on 64 reviews
  • 5 rating 92.19%
  • 4 rating 6.25%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 1.56%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.65
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.8
  • Value 4.6
  • Safety 4.9
Showing 9 - 16 of 64 reviews
Default avatar
Darren
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ - Philippines

Volunteering with IVHQ, and working with the Local Team was the one of most valuable and worthwhile experiences I've ever encountered for my first time travelling abroad independently. When you put this into perspective, you realize that you achieved something that actually mattered, compared to travelling only for the sake of being a tourist. The simple fact that you contributed something to the local community, learn't new things, made a difference, formed new friendships with the staff and fellow volunteers alike is something that you will remember and carry with you throughout your life. You will have stories to share with your friends and family and they will also notice a change in you; that you seem to be a new person with a more mature outlook on life after seeing and experiencing another part of the world completely different to your own. Volunteering abroad is an experience that I would definately recommend!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I did this all over again, I would extend my stay, and book a program at least 2-4 weeks.
Pros
  • Great friendships
  • Best food I've tasted
  • Time for leisure and exploration
Cons
  • Didn't book long enough (1 week)
  • Mosquitos
  • Power outage due to storm event
40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Costanza
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteering in Tigman Village

The house was clean and the food safe and tasty. The staff was very competent and available. The daily routine we had to follow was tough but stimulating and we still had time to rest. The kids were so cute and we built a really strong bond with them. Also the other volunteers were very dedicated to making a difference. The Philippines landscape is incredible: it has an amazing flora and fauna. The locals were nice and helpful. We felt really safe going to and coming back from school. I really enjoyed attending local events too!

What would you improve about this program?
I would add more social activities and afternoon trips. Since we were in a small village, there wasn’t much to do after school and at night.
Pros
  • landscape
  • kids
  • food
Cons
  • isolation
  • heat
  • humidity
42 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Shreya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Philippines experience

I cannot put into words how much this programme has changed my life, it has shown me how much power my words and actions hold while allowing me to experience a completely different and beautiful culture to my own, engaging thoroughly in the language, the festivals and the food. The local team were so warm and welcoming from my first day, and were always there to help me and the other volunteers. I wish that everyone had the chance to take part in this amazing opportunity, since it left me a changed person, giving me a physical representation of the difference I can make from such a young age!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
My most nerve-racking moment was definitely my first day teaching the kids, I was unsure if they would accept me
or even like me and listen to me, but truthfully I just took a breathe and tried my best, getting the class to actively engage in the lesson and trying to make them laugh, I just had to remind myself that “all is well…” My class was truly a group of the most amazing children I’ve ever met and I was quick to develop a deep emotional connection with each of them!
Pros
  • Immersing yourself in a new culture
  • Spending time with the kids
  • Discovering who you are as a person
40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Eliane
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

AMAZING EXPERIENCE

AMAZING EXPERIENCE ! I was so lucky to have the opportunity to go to the Philippines and spend time with the community. I fell in love with all the kids there. I highly recommend everyone to do this at least once in your life. I am 34 years old and I wish I did that when I was younger ! I will do it again for sure.
The guidance that IVHQ brought me was also very useful, I always felt safe and never alone ! I highly recommend to go to the Philippines but I’m sure all the programs are great ! Try it, you’ll see !

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Just be open ! Don’t overthink and go.
You’ll be destabilized but it’s the point. You won’t live like you’re used to but you will be safe and have everything you need (and more). The team and support is just amazing !
Pros
  • Food
  • Community
  • Kids
Cons
  • Nada
48 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Bridget
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Child care volunteer

I volunteered in the Philippines for 2 weeks teaching English to kindergarten and Grade 3 kids. This experience was definitely the most humbling experience I have had so far in my life. Philippines is such a beautiful country with even more beautiful people. I was blessed to have such a lovely placement and meet such amazing people. I have made friends for life who I will sure meet up with when I travel to their countries. My coordinator was lovely and the local team were supportive and all amazing. I recommend this to anyone.

What was your funniest moment?
Karaoke nights Thursday! We all sang and joined in. It was good fun
Pros
  • Good food
  • Special experience teaching the local kids
  • Meeting other likeminded people and able to explore the island together at weekends
Cons
  • The temperature is very hot (but you kind of get used to it)
  • You eat a lot of food as it is so good
  • Saying goodbye when your time on the program was over
63 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Grace
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life Altering Experience.

My Experience Volunteering with IVHQ in the Philippines was a time I will never forget. From the moment I landed I felt like I was home, like I belonged. I am already a hands on type of person and I fix cars for a living, so being able to learn how the people of the Philippines fix, build, and create their own tools with the resources they have was everything. I love helping people. Being able to serve people in Philippines and seeing the instant impact meant so much to me. The coordinator and staff in the Philippines made everything so seamless and fun. They are very hospitable, friendly, attentive and make the volunteer experience all around enjoyable, happy, and safe. Volunteering in the Philippines was the best decision I have ever made. I cannot wait to go back. The Philippines stole my heart. Mahal Kita Philippines.

What was your funniest moment?
My funniest moment was when myself and two other Volunteers were trying Camias (sour cucumber) and it was ridiculously sour. The faces we made were priceless.
Pros
  • Safety
  • Experience
  • Learning
Cons
  • Heat
  • Water shutting off
  • Electricity shutting off
69 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Dominic
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable Experience Volunteering with IVHQ in the Philippines

Read More
If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would volunteer for at least 2-3 weeks minumum. We volunteered for 2 weeks and that seemed like a grand amount of time for our honeymoon, but for our next trip, we are thinking of volunteering for at least 4 weeks in Latin America. This would be sufficient time to have a lasting impact and we had so much fun along the way.
Pros
  • Authentic Human Connection
  • Lasting Postitive Community Impact
  • Unforgettable Experiences
70 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Stephanie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ Philippines Review

The local staff was so welcoming and comforting. They were also available to help with anything I needed and were so fun to be around. The IVHQ team was so helpful from the second I expressed interest in going on a trip through the organization. They provided an abundance of useful resources and helpful reminders of what I needed to complete by when. They were always available to answer any questions I had. The experience itself was truly exceptional. I loved meeting all the children and the local people. It was so exciting immersing myself in the local culture. I felt proud of the value I added to the community. I felt incredibly safe in the accommodations and the village. I did not want to leave and cannot wait to return for another trip in the future.

Pros
  • Safe, welcoming environment
  • Meaningful work and connections
  • Immersion in local culture
79 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Jose, Volunteers are required to pay for their own flights. We know that flights can be one of your biggest costs when preparing for a volunteer trip abroad, so to help overcome this we have partnered with STA Travel to create flight itineraries and special offers, especially for IVHQ volunteers. Jordan McFadyen IVHQ Community Manager

It's very safe, the staff take good care of you. Also, what you do on the weekend is completely up to you. There's so many options.

The area is really safe. The northern part of Palawan is actually a known place of peace in the Philippines and the crime rates are really low. The village that this program takes place in is very small and wonderful but traveling around the island is also safe.