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

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!

The Philippines program is relatively new for IVHQ in the sense that it is now managed by Green Lion - this is a critical point as the Philippines program does appear to require a greater focus by the volunteers themselves as there is less structure to each of the placements (I only did teaching, but was told about the other placements by other volunteers).

You should only volunteer in the Philippines if you are willing to take ownership for your placement and put the effort in - do not expect everything to be done for you, because it won't be. Another key thing - don't bring any expectations of the placement with you.

I was fortunate in that I received a lot of support from the co-ordinator (Kim), as well as from the staff at the school. I was afforded the freedom to dictate my own hours and classes to attend, so I sought assistance from the head teacher to make a timetable of classes to be involved in.

In the weekends, you have the opportunity to explore - #1 tip is to book early. Flights in particular increase in price the closer you get to departure; other things may sell out.

Finally, always remember - you only get out what you put in.