Key Facts
| Region: | Asia |
| Country: | Philippines  |
| Type: | Medical, Environmental, Teaching, Construction, Children, |
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Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities for volunteers through our partner organization in the Philippines. A marriage of Eastern and Western cultures in a paradise-like setting, the Philippines has been described as the best-kept secret of the Orient. Made up of over seven thousand islands, the Philippines is home to numerous languages, mouth-watering foods, intricate traditions, and some very interesting animals (such as the monkey-eating eagle). Unfortunately, however, many Filipinos do not have the access to education, health care, and jobs they need. The Philippines program will offer you the chance to experience life in a beautiful island location while making a difference in peoples' lives at the same time.
Program Location
The Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities for you to volunteer in either urban or rural areas of the Philippines. Volunteers in on the program short term will be placed in and around the capital city of Metro Manila while long term volunteers will be placed in Romblon. Romblon is one of the poorest provinces in an already economically poor country.
The volunteer opportunities are in the following areas:
Children's Program:
Volunteers will have the chance to work in Day Care Centres with children ages 3 to 5 for two to four hours a day. You will work along side the staff at the Centres to help with classroom teaching, basic childcare duties, and the daily running of the Day Care. Volunteers will teach the alphabet and basic concepts like colours, shapes, sizes, days of the week. Volunteers are also encouraged to organize subjects of interest such as art and crafts, dance, music, sports or games. This program is suitable for a caring, motivated and self-directed person who has a love for children and experience with childcare. This program is not available during April and May due to school holidays.
School Building and Maintenance Program:
Volunteers on the program will be doing manual building tasks. Your time will be spent repairing school buildings, painting roofs, walls, chalkboards, desks, teaching aids, and other equipment. Volunteers may help in the installation of water pumps, or help in setting up of libraries. Volunteers can start by asking for donations of old books from families, friends, towns, parishes, and former schools. You can encourage the use of books by the students through class visitations and regular story-telling sessions. The objective is to introduce to public school students the joys of using a library, which most do not experience until college, if at all.
Volunteers can spend up to one month on the School Building and Maintenance Program. If volunteers want to volunteer longer, they can join two or three programs options.
Environment Program:
The Philippines is one of the world's biodiversity hot-spots. Volunteers have the chance to help out with these placements to promote environmental conservation.
Marine Sanctuary Project: This project has been set up by our partner in San Agustin (Romblon). The town's main economic activity is fishing but its traditional fishing grounds already show signs of fish stock depletion due to destructive fishing practices, such as the use of fine nets and dynamite fishing. This is now being countered by the establishment of a marine sanctuary between the villages of Carmen and Long Beach. Volunteers help in several ways. First, they operate a nursery for the propagation of mangrove seedlings. Second, they help reforest mangrove sites by planting. Third, they also help in implementing the marine sanctuary project with regular patrols, beach clean-ups, and education on the needs and benefits of the project.
Teaching Program:
Volunteers on the program teach elementary and high school students in public schools for two to four hours a day. Subjects taught include English, maths, science, health, and basic computer skills (only in schools where computers are available). Volunteers have the chance to teach on their own, but there will be a local teacher available to assist if needed. This role is suitable for a caring, motivated, and self-directed person. A teaching qualification is not required but volunteers need to be confident in the above subjects and preferably have or be studying towards a university degree. This program is not available during April and May.
Health Program:
Philippine laws provide for a community health centre in each of its 41,000 barangays (communities). Sadly, not all communities have their own health centres and those that have one are woefully under-equipped and understaffed. Medically-trained volunteers may help in community health centres and hospitals, and may perform medical tasks depending on their skills and qualifications. They may also conduct trainings and workshops to train the people on hygiene, health care, reproductive health care, first-aid, and other health concerns. Volunteers may also help set up clinics in public schools and train teachers and students to become effective health officers and clinic custodians.
Health volunteers will be asked to live and immerse themselves in the communities where they will conduct medical missions, especially in the rural placements. This is done to give the volunteers a more holistic appreciation of the people they wish to help, their economic activities, culture, values, issues and struggles. At some point in their programs, they will also be taken to both public and private hospitals for them to see the problems of the health sector in the Philippines.
About the Philippines
Full Country Name: Republic of the Philippines
Area: 300,000 sq km
Population: 92.6 million
Capital City: Manila (pop: 10 million)
People: Predominantly descendants of Malays, Chinese and Muslim minorities and a number of mestizos (Filipino-Spanish or Filipino-Americans)
Language: Pilipino (Tagalog), English
Religion: 81% Roman Catholic, 10% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist
Government: Republic
Major Industries: Electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing
Major Trading Partners: USA, Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong
© Copyright 2008 Lonely Planet Publications. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Program Requirements
Volunteers for the Philippines program must:
- be 18 years or older
- have no major health problems
- possess genuine openness to different cultures, sensibilities, and conditions
- volunteers in the Medical Program must be medically qualified or in their final year of study
The Application Process
Your application process is free and seamless, and if you are successful we will provide you with a choice of application fee payment options that include a secure online service. We also are one of the few organisations that allow you to transfer your application fee to another program at no extra cost.
Communication & Support:
Throughout the process, we are committed to working with you to answer any of your questions or concerns. During your placement we are also available as a form of support to you as a volunteer and will email you while in country to discuss how the program is going.
Program Schedule
This program is available from 2 weeks up to 6 months.
Training and orientation is held on the 1st of each month. Volunteers are required to arrive before the start of the month they are volunteering in.
Volunteers will stay in Manila for the first two days for orientation (program, placement and volunteer work) and training (language, culture and history). On the third day, volunteers leave for their placements. Volunteers will have further orientations and local language training for three days before beginning volunteer work. The orientation and training will be conducted by staff of our partner organisation. Saturdays and Sundays are days off. Volunteers may use the weekends to explore the neighboring islands.
Apply Now
Program Cost
A US$350 application fee (fully transferable) will secure your place on the program, with your program fee due for payment eight weeks before you begin your placement. You only pay your application fee once and then you can access any of GVN's volunteer programs over the next 5 years.
Your application fee includes the following benefits:
- Personal Staff Support
- Your Program Guide
- Your Fundraising Guide and Software
- Access to Your Own Online Journal
- Online Video - Preparing For Your Trip
- Opportunities for Discounts on Airfares
Once your application fee is paid the remainder of the cost for your time in the program is:
- Cost for 2 weeks - US $732
- Cost for 1 month - US $847
- Cost for 6 weeks - US $1037
- Cost for 2 months - US $1227
- Cost for 10 weeks - US $1417
- Cost for 3 months - US $1607
- Cost for 14 weeks - US $1797
- Cost for 4 months - US $1987
- Cost for 18 weeks - US $2177
- Cost for 5 months - US $2367
- Cost for 22 weeks - US $2557
- Cost for 6 months - US $2747
The in-country fee covers administrative charge, training, accommodation and meals during training and placement, transportation for volunteers, and supervision.
You will also need to meet the costs of your flights, visa, shots, travel insurance, police check, corresponding airport departure tax, transportation back to the airport to return home, and personal expenses.
Apply NowWe have compiled a list of frequently asked questions which we receive at the GVN inbox. This is a great place to start if you have questions about Global Volunteer Network and our placement process. This information should answer the majority of questions you may have.
Tell me more about the Philippines
What is the climate like in the Philippines?
Tell me more about your partner organization in the Philippines
What kind of volunteer work is available?
What age do I have to be to volunteer in this program?
When will I know specific details about my placement?
What language do I need to speak to participate in the program?
When do I need to arrive in the Philippines?
What are the living arrangements when volunteering?
How many volunteers are there on site at the same time?
Are we able to do any sight seeing?
What hours am I expected to take part in the program?
What resources are available for the program?
What is the course content of the training program?
What clothing is appropriate for the program?
Are there more expenses once I arrive?
Is there any time of the year when I cant volunteer?
What immunizations /vaccinations will I need?
Can I bring my family/ children to this program with me?
How does GVN choose volunteers for this program?
Do I have to be from New Zealand?
Can special dietary arrangements be catered for in this program?
Question not covered here?
Please check the generic FAQ, and if still unanswered, please ask us a question here. (We aim to answer all email within 48 hours).
Don't just take our word for it, hear what previous volunteers have to say out the program.
Volunteer Feedback
Emma
"I worked at a Daycare placement in the mornings and elementary in the afternoons. However, due to my fundraising, I was in a position to run "community projects" as well including installation of 7 water pumps, roof repairs at local school, CR installation and the clean up of a play ground area."
Alex Harbison
"Day 1 of Project: Today was spent viewing the condition of the high school I will working on. For being one of the most well-funded high schools in Manila, I was surprised at how archaic the school seemed relative to a so-called "not-so-well-funded" public high school in the U.S. Needless to say, the atmosphere was buzzing and the students full of life. Just from walking through about a quarter of the school though, I saw simple, leaky roofs made of plywood and rusted gutters among other flaws. Hopefully, I will be able to aid CERV Philippines in creating an initiative that can be carried on long after I leave and give the students and teachers something to be proud of and look forward to going to everyday!"
Molly Hahn
"Realize that you aren't going to know how most things work and you'll have to ask people for help, A LOT. People are friendly and helpful, so don't be embarrassed. Everyone will stare at you and ask you what your name is. At first it will freak you out a bit, but eventually you don't even notice. If you need something, just ask the staff, plenty of people have asked them before. You'll have to buy yourself toilet paper but it's widely available."
Volunteer Journals
Friday, July 24th, 2009
Hello! I am now at the end of my trip and making my first update on the blog..oops. It has been hard to find good internet on Tablas Island, but now I am in Boracay and there are so many internet cafes. The trip has been amazing. For the last three weeks I have been living with more palm trees and beaches than I have ever seen before in my life. The people I have been have been so incredibly nice and hospitable. I will be taking the ferry back on Tuesday to stay a few days in Manila until [...]
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
So, tomorrow I leave for my trip to the Philippines! I cannot wait to be there! Traveling there will take a while but I am sure it will be worth it. I will report more once I get there, hopefully then I will know a whole lot more about it all.
Maricat:)
Friday, May 18th, 2007
I have now completed my time volunteering in the Philippines. Unfortunately, we were unable to complete the cabinet for the library while I was there. But CERV is completing the work as we speak. The daycare center and surrounding community will have a library complete with many textbooks in the very near future!!
I am very sad that my work is now complete. I’ve been thinking about how best to describe the experience and am at a loss for words. I feel that this is certainly one of the very best things I have done with my life thus far. I [...]
Please visit for more journals and feedback from past volunteers
Articles
The Worth of a Book: Education in the Philippines
This article was first published in . It's our priceless necessity and weapon of development, some people are deprived of this while others may cherish it. Education is not a privilege it's a need, a need in the Philippines which is not being nurtured. Malcolm...
Loss in the Philippines
A volunteer's reflection in the wake of typhoon Ketsana Visiting the areas affected by the flooding was a heart-wrenching experience. The devastation was limitless. In one of the hardest hit areas, numerous houses, which had originally been built alongside a major river, had been flattened and the homeless victims were scattered on the streets...
