Philippines Volunteer Programs from $26/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

I found volunteering in the Philippines through IVHQ to be a very rewarding experience. The country itself was so beautiful and the people there were so generous and welcoming, I immediately felt settled in. The first 3 days I had for orientation I got a basic language class, went to a local farm, had a roof making class, went into Puerto Princesa for the day and also had a cooking class which altogether I found to be really enjoyable. For my actual volunteer work I did the Environmental project which included coastal cleanups as well as cleanups of the surrounding streets of the accommodation, visiting a fertiliser farm and learning how the locals sieve their own soil, up-keeping the garden in the volunteers accommodation, planting different plants in surrounding areas and watering them throughout your stay, lesson planning and then later visiting the school to teach the children about the environment and pollution and lastly going to the mangroves which I found to be the most rewarding part of the experience. The majority of our mornings during the week was spent in the Mangroves where we collected seeds and later planted them in a effort to rehabilitate areas of the mangroves that had be cut down significantly. Overall I left feeling accomplished and would 100% highly recommend going to the Philippines to anyone as I left having met so many amazing people and feeling as though I made my own personal impact on the locals lives in Tigman village.

The only way you will experience what I experienced is if you volunteer at the Philippines! Being an Indian, where culturally solo travel especially for a woman is not common at all, I was very apprehensive and more so my parents were. All of that changed after my beautiful 2 weeks there. I arrived wanting to leave soon, but as days passed, I just wanted to stay back and not leave at all!

My personal tip: Stay for at least 4 weeks - that way you can truly make an impact and also make great connections with other volunteers

My learning: Being perfectly comfortable in the company of just myself as well as in the presence of nature - with animals, insects, fish, birds and of course with other volunteers irrespective of age, country or anything else. Also, learning from my little kindergarten kids was extremely valuable

My trip was to the Philippines on the beautiful island of Palawan. Even though I ONLY stayed 3 weeks (I emphasis -only- because most people stay 2-3 weeks) I grew attached to the other Volunteers, Coordinators, and my students. My volunteer program was "Kindergarten" and I absolutely loved it. I was so sad to leave, and saying goodbye to my kids was tough. Everyone there was super friendly and loved having us. The food they cooked for us was ASTOUNDING, I did not have a bad meal the entire time I was there. The accommodation was good compared to the surrounding area, however, it is quite sub-par to any first world places. If you expecting to live lavishly while you are volunteering, the Philippines is not the place for you. But if you want to live like the local people and experience their culture, food, and way of life, then the accommodation is sufficient.
I would 100% recommend this to ANY and ALL of my friends and family, not only because it was nice living on right on the beach for 3 weeks, but it was also very rewarding to see my students and the other volunteers students, grow and progress towards the amazing scholars that they will one day become. It was amazing to give my time and effort to the small village of Tigman, Palawan, Philippines. They taught me too many things to list, and I've mad some very good friends from all over the world.

Volunteering through IVHQ has been a great experience! Not only do you get to see the world through the people’s eyes, but you get to live it also. Working to make small communities a little bit better, making people’s lives a little bit easier, it’s an extremely rewarding experience!
You get to meet so many beautiful people from all across the world. In the group I had started my volunteer work with, each of the 8 people were from a different country, of different origins, and all different accents. That alone was a great experience.
You get to see the beauty of the areas you live in, live the way the locals would and eat the local food, which is still pretty good.
It is definitely an experience worth living through, I strongly suggest giving it a go. I had my doubts, but in the end, every part of my volunteer experience was incredible. Best decision I have made.

I wish someone had told me about this opportunity years ago because it’s an excellent program. You get to people from all parts of the world and go on some crazy adventures, but most importantly you can see how the work you do, directly impacts the residents of Tigman Village.

I just spent 3 weeks in the Philippines (it was supppsed to be 2 but I stayed for longer because I didn’t want to go) working on the Construction & Renovation project.

The first week is orientation, so the coordinators will take you around the village, teach you some of the basic words and phrases and take you to Narra market and the butterfly gardens so you get to see some of what the Philippines have to offer you also get to go to the Sandbar and try making some banana fritters which are delicious.

The weekends are great because it’s your own free time, so we took a group to El Nido, which was absolutely awesome, if you go make sure to do one of the island tours, it’s so much fun! (Just don’t but drinks with ice out there because you will get sick, that’s the only thing you’ll need to worry about).

The second and third week for me was helping to build a new communal area for the school teachers. I also needed to break down one of the walls in the school and rebuild a smaller one so bikes and tricycles could get through to deliver building materials. It was challenging work because it can get very hot during the day, but it’s so rewarding because you can see what it’s going to be used for and you know that you helped contribute to something useful for the community.

Personally I would say if your looking for an adventure, something different from your day to day, you will absolutely love the amazing work Green Lion do and the Philippines. The coordinators are excellent, it’s very safe in the village and outside and the school kids will come and ask how you’re doing.

There’s no WIFI and that might sound terrifying but it’s really nice to disconnect from the world. As there are lots of other volunteers there’s an opportunity to meet some great people with really interesting stories to tell.

The only issue I had with this program is that I didn’t want to leave. It really does feel like home after a couple of days and it’s nice be part of the Tigman family.

If there’s some advice I would pass on to future volunteers, I would say to remember that your not going to be able to change the world overnight, but it’ll be your help that directly impacts the overall success of the developing community as it continues to grow and develop.

My name is Caline Al Haddad, I come from Lebanon and I was a volunteer in Tigman Village for 3 weeks in January. Being part of the Tigman Family was one of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever gone through. Before reaching the village, I didn’t know what to expect. I was of course really excited and ready for a new adventure, however, I was a bit nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Once I arrived, I was really surprised. Everything was already set in the accomodations, people were really nice, we got a big welcome from everybody, and The Green Lions made sure that we were comfrotable and well set.

We started by the orientation week, in which we had the opportunity to visit the Butterfly Garden, the Waterfalls and the Sandbar. Also, our host Miko gave us a Tagalog class as well as a cooking class and an introduction/safety class.

We started volunteering the next week. I was in construction. The project we were working on was building a teacher’s office in Tigman’s school. Since the schedule is flexible, I was also able to try teaching for a day. My friend Nour and I went to one of the schools and gave lessons for grades 1 and 2.

I can say that the best part of this experience was sharing it with all these amazing people that come from all parts of the world. 3 weeks are not enough to feel like you’ve made a big difference in the village. However, living like the locals, taking part in their festivities, in their traditions, in their everyday life and making friends from all around the world make of this experience an unforgettable one. Breakfast with all the volunteers, the chicken fight, the basketball games, the village’s fest, chocolate time with my roomates, the famous karaoke nights every thursday and the firefly river are what I am going to remember the most.

The worst part was actually leaving. Before arriving to Tigman, I had never thought that I would get this attched to these people and that I would cry on the last day. After spending all of this time with everyone and sharing unforgettable moments with them, you become so close and feel like you’ve known them forever.
Sadly, nothing lasts forever and each one has to go his own way. Memories will however never be forgotten.

Tigman village, forever in my heart

I travelled to the Philippines for a week to take part in their kindergarten volunteering programme. I enjoyed my time, far beyond my expectations, and the first thing I would tell prospective volunteers is...go for longer!

In the short time I was there, I met amazing people (both volunteers and locals), and was able to see how the team works so hard to make a positive, tangible, impact in the community. The children at the kindergarten are thrilled to have volunteers there, as are the other villagers who tell stories of how the programme has helped their community grow over time.

I was in the Philippines over Christmas and New Year, and would highly recommend it during this time, if you can. Everyone is in such good spirits, and you really get a feel for how strong the community is. We organised a Christmas party for the school, with games, karaoke, and performances from the children - which we all loved. Everyone in the village wishes you a Merry Christmas.

Though I have so many more great memories from the trip, instead of sharing them here I encourage people to go and experience the place for themselves. All the logistics work, and the coordinators are so helpful during your time there, so all that's left for you is to enjoy the experience. Get as involved as you can and be open to trying new things, and there's no doubt you'll have a great time!

This trip to the Phillipines was everything and more. I started off by having no expectations and just let my open-mindedness take over. You definitely have to come to this third-world and not expect to achieve things as a high standard. As I was explaining to Dani who works for IVHQ in NZ, this program definitely gives you gratitude and appreciation but also teaches you how to let go of first world problems that are really just luxuries that aren’t that important. The biggest tip are to forget the amenities we have back home and try to live in their shoes in the Phillipines. Some of my favorite memories are just becoming family with the staff. I am also Filipino and they definitely helped me understand my culture more. Some of my favorite memories also include just the people you meet. The conversations, debates, and diversity is very unforgettable. This program has opened my eyes to traveling and future volunteer work and career work. I will definitely be back. Thank you to Green Lion for being my second family. I loved this program! (I was in the environmental program which is very unique because not everyone can handle the tropical environment so I was alone most of the time, but mark and construction was worthwhile as well and would definitely recommend construction with SuperKing Mark!!)