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

Before leaving I was afraid 2 weeks would be too long to spend at this program but once there, I was so sad when I had to leave. My time volunteering in Tigman was one of the most amazing travel experiences I've ever had and I can't wait to do more programs with IVHQ and The Green Lion. Both organizations were a pleasure to work with and are really experienced which alleviated a lot of my stress. Every week day activities/placements were well planned out and on the weekends, the other volunteers/local staff were able help make recommendations and reservations for fun trips. I felt like there was a good balance between volunteering/immersing myself in the local's everyday life and site-seeing/having fun with our free time.
If you do this program, expect to see a unique culture, meet amazing friends, and make tons of great memories. Some of mine include our crazy Karaoke Thursdays, getting a gnarly sunburn on a sandbar (WEAR SUNSCREEN), and of course, teaching and playing games with the students at my school. The work you do here can be difficult but it is so rewarding. I can't recommend this volunteer trip enough and someday I hope to visit the beautiful island of Palawan again!

Before I arrived I was incredibly nervous, I've never really traveled before never mind on my own. And normally I'm quite shy in social situaitons, however on the weekly karaoke night on Thursday I managed to sing barbie girl with two Dutch girls and a fellow Englishmen. I felt I truly came out my shell and would recommend to anyone to gain a unique perspective. The locals were so friendly and the staff were great.

My two months in Palawan were 8 of the best weeks of my life. I registered for this program because I wanted to travel SE Asia and volunteer during my gap year, at an affordable price. I was a first time backpacker and this was the perfect spot to start. I volunteered on the construction and environmental programs. It was so much more than I imagined it could be.
If you do this program, you'll be living on the beach in a 1500 person village full of beautiful, kind Filipino people who are happy to have you there. I will never forget hanging out with our neighbor children on the beach at sunset or coming back from working in the mangroves covered in mud and jumping in the sea or dancing all night on our weekend trips or the sights that were so beautiful they triggered spiritual experiences or karaoke nights, beachfront fires, trike rides through the rice fields, pumpkin fritters, hammock days, bucket showers after sweaty days, hikes, the list goes on and on and on!
This program really has it all, and IVHQ offers it at an awesome price. I volunteered a lot, really experienced the culture, traveled a bunch, and made some of the greatest friends of my life (international volunteers, coordinators, and villagers). I will never forget my time in Tigman Village.

If you find yourself in Tigman, have a Red Horse for me and skinny dip in the Sulu Sea! Honestly, go sign up for this program right now, it will probably change your life.

Disclaimer: You may not enjoy this program if you don't like being outside, and you will be very dirty (bucket showers) and covered in bug bites. Also, the Philippines is a third world country. These turned out to be some of the things I loved most about the experience, so don't be discouraged.

I met many wonderful friends there and did learn a lot from them. Wanna keep friends with them forever! As i worked in a orphanage with special needs for two weeks, I found it meaningful and worth-of-time. The children there were super cute and adorable. I found it difficult to say goodbye to them.
However the work in the hospital was actually not that.. worth of time.. There was not much things to do, even the coordinator said what the volunteer should do is to 'observe', but there was not much things to observe at all though..
But overall, my trip to the Philippines was still wonderful! the sightseeing there was clear and glorious. I'd like to go to the Philippines and do this volunteer again!

I just returned from my trip in Asia, which included 2 weeks of volunteering at Tigman Village in the Philippines via IVHQ. The experience was amazing and far exceeded expectations. Glory, Miko and Delma were incredible leaders onsite, and the children/families I got to work with were truly inspiring. My biggest regret, is that my time was so short! When initially planning, I was a bit nervous about what I would find when arriving solo to the volunteer site (as I never worked with IVHQ, or visited the Philippines) - but the entire program was awesome, and I wish I could have stayed longer. The leap of faith it took me to get there, was definitely worth it!

I was on the Hill Tribes program for 1 month.
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The Philippines IVHQ program is a tough one. I'll start by saying the month I spent on the program was the BEST and most difficult month of my life thus far. It was exotic, fun, sad, frustrating, adventurous, dangerous and life-altering all at the same time.
The Philippines is an absolutely stunning country with amazing people. But you have to peel back the surface and really get in there to appreciate it. The program in Davao really positioned you to do that, though.
A lot of volunteers did really really poorly on the program. I saw many volunteers go through some real fits of depression because they felt like they weren't being helpful, that the Philippines was hopeless, that they wasted their time. There was one volunteer who stayed in bed for almost the entire month I was there.
The program in Davao has almost no structure, no agenda, no guidance, no support. But if you are the kind of person who can see problems and are motivated to make things happen then this program NEEDS you. This program NEEDS people who can work independently, who can think big, who can shake things up and aren't afraid of failing or succeeding!
It's a plus if you have a background in social projects.

The hill tribes program was nothing more than banana farming when I first arrived but I saw the need for women's health in the tribes and I got a women's health clinic to make monthly visits to the village. Now hill tribes women who never had access to birth control, have access to it monthly. That was an awesome accomplishment because I built something from the ground up, and there is almost NO red tape in PH, so we were able to move fast and without much government interference.
But, a lot of people didn't know what to do or how to help and they ended up chilling around the volunteer house a lot, occasionally travelling around the Philippines and coming back to Davao.

The Philippines is a third world country and there are no animal rights there so be prepared for that. The people are honest, helpful, accepting, fun, and they want to make their community better when they get a chance to.
Another cool thing about Filipino culture is that they are generally very accepting of LGBTQ people. Even the older generation will not be fazed by it.

The other volunteers were absolutely AMAZING. I made some of the best friends of my life there. The type of person who chooses to volunteer in the Philippines must be some kind of above average person because everyone I met was totally cool and hardy. The friendships alone totally made that trip.

The coordinator for the IVHQ Philippines that was based in Davao passed away a few weeks ago. She was an amazing person who held the program together, so now that she is not there I cannot say what the state of the program is now.

Bottom Line:

Don't go to the Philippines if you want to be told how to help and what to do. It's not going to go down like that.

Go to the Philippines and work hard, seek out what the community needs and go above and beyond to make the changes you want to see. This community needs INNOVATION! This program needs people who with an open heart and mind. This program needs good people with a strong work ethic.
They will be supportive when you try to help! The pay off is enormous if you can make things happen! Don't hesitate to go if you want a once in a lifetime experience that will push your limits and expand your horizons.
I especially recommend this for experience travellers who want to push themselves.

Although I have completed many international volunteer programs abroad, the IVHQ Philippines program was by far the most "user friendly" and would be a great start to getting your feet wet for many more adventures to come. I felt the program had a perfect combination of family style and opportunity for exploration and productivity. Of course when it came to the volunteer project, there was not much structure or oversight- but that is what almost all international volunteer will be like. You have to have the determination and attitude to make the difference you want to see, and to have the Excitment and creativity to put an idea into action. IVHQ will provide you with the necessary support and resources, you have to take advantage of the opportunity and don't hang around the volunteer house all day and wait for it to happen! I have made lifelong friends from around the world, with whom I would have continued to travel the world with if I didn't have to return back to the states to finish my nursing degree. I 100% recommend IVHQ to fellow volunteers and I would definitely volunteer with them again NO HESITATION. They are a very trust worthy organization and my safety was never compromised. In fact, I fainted twice while in the 3 weeks I was in the Philippines - once while on the medical project observing a surgery and another time in the hill tribes probably from my own irresponsibility of eating everything and not drinking sufficient water regularly. Despite these episodes, I was always taken well care of (in fact, probably had even more care and attention than if this happened back home in the states!) and never once felt compromised, embarrassed, or scared because of it.
Enjoy all that the world has to offer and have fun exploring it through IVHQ :)

If you want to experience a whole different culture and are travelling for the first time Philippines is the place to go. Their a no language barriers for English speakers, English is spoken and written everywhere and the team in the country that take care of you are the friendliest ever!