Location
  • Philippines
Length
1 to 12 weeks
Need-based funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Language
English
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Apartment Guesthouse Host Family
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
370
Price Details
All programs include arrival airport transfers, accommodation, meals, 24/7 local support, orientation, and Certificate of Completion.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Jun 20, 2024
Jan 02, 2025
15 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

We are a charity and non-profit org and have several programs in the Philippines, giving back to some of the most disadvantaged communities and people. The Philippines, although popular with tourists, is also a very poor country. Our programs help those in need, through medical assistance, education and support. We also have environmental, agriculture and construction programs available.

All programs include arrival airport transfers, accommodation, meals, 24/7 local support, orientation, and Certificate of Completion. We offer safe, reliable, and impactful programs, helping communities in need around the globe.

Come and join us today and make a real difference!

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

IVI are firmly committed to providing full support and inclusivity for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) individuals. Through our programs and initiatives, we strive to create a safe and empowering space that acknowledges, values, and uplifts the unique perspectives and contributions of BIPOC communities. Our organisation stands united in the fight against discrimination and is dedicated to fostering an environment where everyone can thrive, irrespective of their background.
IVI are dedicated to providing our full support for individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, we strive to create a safe and welcoming space for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Our commitment extends to promoting equal rights, dignity, and respect for every individual, regardless of their LGBTQIA+ status. We aim to create a world where diversity is embraced and everyone can thrive to their full potential.
IVI are committed to fostering inclusivity, we provide steadfast support to neurodivergent individuals. Our programs create a safe and embracing environment, where diverse neurocognitive perspectives are valued. Upholding equal rights and respect, we aim to eliminate obstacles and empower all members of the neurodivergent community to thrive through our dedicated initiatives.
With a strong commitment to inclusivity, IVI offer support for individuals requiring accessibility accommodations. Our initiatives are designed to create an environment where everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully participate and contribute. Whilst some programs may be more suitable than others, we strive to empower all individuals to engage and excel in our programs and activities.

Impact

IVI are dedicated to promoting sustainability in all aspects of our work. By embracing sustainable practices, we envision a future where communities thrive, natural resources are preserved, and the Earth's ecosystems are nurtured for generations to come. We are committed to keeping our projects focused on positively benefitting the local communities and environment.
Our programs embody ethical volunteering by placing local community well-being and empowerment at the forefront. We engage in transparent collaboration, focusing on sustainable solutions that respect local cultures and preserve dignity. Through responsible, long-term projects, we foster genuine connections, create lasting change, and uphold the principles of ethical engagement.

Program Highlights

  • IVI has 35+ Years Experience - Offering Affordable and Trusted Programs.
  • Comfortable and Safe Accommodation (home stay or volunteer house).
  • Over 25,000+ Volunteers Placed Worldwide.
  • Amazing Support & Safety Record.
  • Year-round Programs, starting every Monday

Popular Programs

group

Help out the local staff at kindergartens in Palawan. Be sure to bring along your energy and enthusiasm as you will be volunteering with young children aged 3-6 years. You will assist the kindergarten staff with daily tasks such as feeding the kids, playing with them and providing one-on-one attention to the young children, as well as teaching them basic English.

giving injection

Healthcare professionals at rural medical clinics need the help of qualified or soon to be qualified volunteers, to assist under-funded medical clinics. You may be involved in taking patient vitals, obtaining medical history, administering inoculations, assisting with minor surgery, helping with delivery, and conducting medical screens and exams.

kids with food

Play a critical role to combat hunger in preschool children through supplementary feeding programs and nutritional education for families and community workers, in a society which is now rampant with chronic heart disease, diabetes, vitamin A deficiency, PEM and mal-nourishment due to unhealthy diets.

womens shelter

Work with vulnerable women who have been the victim domestic abuse, trafficking and abandonment. Whilst no formal training is required, this project is aimed at volunteers with backgrounds in sociology, social work, psychology, law, criminal justice, counselling, and related fields. Help provide vocational and educational activites to inspire the women.

Program Reviews

4.90 Rating
based on 10 reviews
  • 5 rating 90%
  • 4 rating 10%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 4.9
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 10 reviews
Default avatar
Tuba
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Healthcare program Philippines

Volunteering in rural healthcare was my first volunteer program and I’m so satisfied and feel content with it.

There was no room for any kind of surprise as everything went on the first day as it was described in the information packet. Upon arrival, we received a structured schedule. So volunteering was pretty satisfying in this sense: we had a well-structured program, and there was room for fun, too.

The local team is professional, cooperative, understanding, and flexible. Local food, the cooks are great! They always ask if there’s someone with special needs or follows a strict diet. Accommodation is really good considering that the beach is only a 3-minute walk, we have close contact with the local police, close to schools, kids' houses, etc.

The only thing I could mention would be that the toilet and shower are in one place and the room is small.

Cons
  • So the only thing that I’d point out could be the bathroom. It could better if either they’re separated or the space would be bigger.
2 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Stéphanie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Philippines, Construction

My volunteering stay went very well. I had an incredible experience. I was able to discover a new country, a new culture and great people. I would like to thank again all the team who welcomed me during this stay. The team there is really great. Everyone is very kind and concerned that our stay goes as smoothly as possible. Regarding the food, I enjoyed every meal! The place is very pleasant to live in.

16 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nicolas
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Philippines - Aborlan - Construction Project

The work we had to do was very interesting, and all the people I met, whether volunteers or part of the team, were incredible encounters that can change a life. The interaction with the villagers was amazing. Highlight: Our group of volunteers has already planned to meet again this year in Paris. Relationships like these, formed in such a short time, can only happen in this kind of environment.

The local team is incredible. They do everything to make sure we feel comfortable, and they are very endearing (it was very hard to say goodbye at the end of the stay). As for the food, I discovered the local Asian cuisine, and I couldn't get enough of it. The cook was so talented, even with the often-repeated ingredients. Regarding the accommodation, everything was comfortable for sleeping. One evening, the air conditioning stopped working, but the team provided me with a fan and made sure to replace it as quickly as possible. Taking a shower was a bit challenging at first because we're not used to the method, but you quickly adapt, and it becomes very enjoyable after a good day's work.

I don’t really have any suggestions for improvement because everyone on-site does everything they can to make sure we feel comfortable.

20 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sina
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Kindergarten, Aborlan Palawan (Tigman Village)

The kids are truly inspiring and made me stay here even in difficult moments. they give so much energy and love without even knowing. all the preparations for the graduation day were definitely my highlight, as the kids get so excited about it. The work in the kindergarten is more about teaching and really childcare. :) Accommodation was ok. only the 2 showers/toilets were bit hard to handle with 16 girls. I didn‘t expect anything regarding food in the Philippines as a vegan - but a bit more variety of vegetable or access to fruits during the day would be great.

19 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Janine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Rural healthcare in Palawan (Philippines)

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible experience I had during the medical aid volunteering trip to Aborlan last week. Your dedication and support played a significant role in making my time in the Philippines both memorable and enriching.

From the moment I arrived, I was warmly welcomed and made to feel at home, thanks to the wonderful team. Their hospitality, the amazing food, and the overall care they provided were exceptional. I would also like to give a special shoutout to April, my coordinator for the healthcare programme. She went above and beyond to ensure I had ample opportunities to learn and observe, and her guidance and care were invaluable.

The programme itself was nothing short of amazing. Being able to go around the village conducting health checks for the elderly and children was an incredible experience. It was eye-opening to learn about the various barriers people face when accessing local health clinics, including stigma, costs, and the lack of resources and medical facilities. This experience deepened my understanding of the challenges in rural healthcare and the importance of community-based interventions.

Working at the Rural Health Unit in Aborlan was both intense and rewarding. I had the opportunity to put my medical skills into practice by assisting with patient consultations at the front of the centre. It was a fast-paced environment where I quickly learned to recognize symptoms and determine the necessary medications within a short span of time. This hands-on experience was invaluable in honing my clinical skills and decision-making abilities.

One of the most striking realisations for me was the extent to which the communities in Aborlan are under-resourced. The state of the hospital was poor, with a lack of equipment and severe understaffing. Despite these challenges, I was deeply impressed by the knowledge and dedication of the doctors. Their ability to treat patients effectively with limited resources exemplifies the essence of grassroots medicine. This experience has profoundly influenced my perspective on medical practice and the resilience required in such settings.

Another highlight of my trip was spending time with the children in school. The joy and love they radiated were truly heartwarming. Their infectious enthusiasm reminded me of the simple yet profound aspects of life. Through my interactions with them, I learned to practice gratitude and appreciate the small blessings in life. Their spirit and positivity left a lasting impact on me. I became especially close to a beautiful little girl named Anna, I would love to come back and visit her again!

The people I met in Aborlan, both in the community and within the volunteer team, made this experience the best it could be. Their warmth, kindness, and resilience have inspired me deeply. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this community, even for a short period. I am already looking forward to returning to Tigman to volunteer again and continue contributing in any way I can.

Thank you once again for everything. Your efforts in coordinating this programme and ensuring our well-being have made a significant difference. I truly appreciate your kindness, care, and the opportunities you provided for me to grow both personally and professionally. This experience has been transformative, and I am excited to carry these lessons forward in my journey in medicine.

20 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Noah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Medical Internship Philippines

In the Philippines, I was able to travel with a rural health unit to local communities administering vaccinations and giving out maintenance medications. While I was unable to do some of the tasks, there was plenty to see to keep yourself interested. Everyone on my trip from my host family to clinic staff to volunteer staff were all very welcoming and accommodating. Volunteers for the Visayan's staff were very friendly and helpful. They checked in on their volunteers regularly and provided us with two retreats to see the area. The accommodations were accurate to described and I found the food to be quite good as the homestay was accommodating. The only improvement I would add is more communication throughout the planning process as I did things that were not necessary or had questions I had trouble getting the answers to.

68 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Elise
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Philippines & Environmental Conservation

Highlights of the volunteering program... 4 hours a day, super fun due to the people I was with! Highlights was karaoke night & the boat trip we did one afternoon as we had the afternoon off.

Local team were amazing and so accomdating
Food was amazing !! Fried chicken, pasta, amazing curries, pancakes for breakfast and unlimited cereal all day everyday!

Thoughts on local team and accommodation....
The accommodation was way nicer than I ever expected, super comfy beds and nice cold showers!

88 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Venus
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I did have a wonderful time in the Philippines and I treasure every opportunity to volunteer abroad

One of the highlights of this trip was that I got to immerse myself in a cultural-rich environment, Tacloban City. During the time, I have been given opportunities to interact and connect with the local families and children, which in turn, brought me immeasurable amount of love and joy. I was assigned to a community-feeing project at Cangumbang; and this experience was incredible from the beginning till the end — from planning, forecasting ingredients, buying extra things out of my own expense, cooking to serving there weren’t moments I didn’t enjoy. I really looked forward to each day visiting the community there and feeding the sponsored children of up to 35. After feeding, I have enjoyed the playing and chilling times with the children because they are all welcoming, amiable and simple! In addition, this trip has made me cherish all that I have, such as access to clean drinkable water and advanced public health facilities such as paced pedestrian roads.

The team was welcoming and warm-hearted. I could definitely tell that my vision with the organisation, is alike. Because that the Philippines is predominantly a Christian (Roman Catholic) country, I felt much more spiritually connected to the land and the people. The food provided by my homestay was simple yet delicious! I had no issue with the local food there at all because the filipino cuisine is very much like my home dishes, which I have found soul-comforting. Except that I had experience epsiodes of diarrhoea at the same time with my accompanying brother when we had our first contact with the restaurant foods in an adjacent mall.
My homestay nanay was nice and friendly and has always treated me like a family. I just needed to report an incident of break-in into my homestay house. My homestay was alert of this thereafter and has changed the lock of the back door and the team was aware of this issue. So I believe this security issue would be improved in a later term.

With the nutrition project, I think the future volunteers could accomplish more aside from feeding the community children. Outreach activities related to optimal nutrition could be planned out and developed, so that more and more young children and families will have a fair chance to learn from qualified health professionals and tackle the issue of malnutrition city-wide. Outside of placement times (mine was between 1pm to 5pm), I think we could have some site visits so we can understand what other sites are currently doing but again understand that the staff were busy with their own workloads.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
My homestay was neat and simple; just needed to overcome the fears of insects (cockroaches, lizards, mice etc.) and bear with the challenge of bucket shower and no flush toilet.
87 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers