Volunteer programs in THE PHILIPPINES

About THE PHILIPPINES

About the Philippines

The Philippines are comprised by 7,107 different islands, of which only 2,000 are inhabited. Broadly speaking, the islands fit into one of three main geographic divisions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It is the 7th most populated country in Asia, and the 12th most populated country in the world.

As a recently industrialised country, the Filipino economy, which was once founded on agriculture, is slowly moving towards becoming a manufacturing and service-based economy.

Not surprisingly, the Philippines attracts tourists because of the incredibly rich biodiversity found on all its islands. The country’s mountains, tropical jungles, diving spots and impressive cultural heritage are just some of the reasons that make it an incredible place to visit.

 

ARE YOU InteresTED

Time zone

The Philippines Standard Time Zone is Philippine Time (PHT), which is UTC+8. The Philippines does not observe daylight saving time, so its time remains the same throughout the year.

Currency

The official currency is the Philippine peso (PHP), with 1 euro equating to 62.80 PHP.

Location

The programs in the Philippines are located on the island of Cebu.

Stay

The program schedules may be modified depending on weather conditions, local circumstances, and unforeseen circumstances.

Meals

Three typical Filipino meals are offered daily. Traditional Filipino food will mainly consist of lots of vegetables, meat, egg and rice; and will be served at the accommodation.

Pick up times

Airport pickup is included, but the return is not; the cost of returning to the airport is approximately 20€.

VOLUNTEER programs

Where are the volunteer programs located?

The programs in the Philippines are located on the island of Cebu.
Cebu is a unique island dotted with fishing villages and surrounded by a beautiful blue sea. The scenes contrast perfectly with the mountains and lush jungle that make up its landscape. Our accommodation is located in a community center in the city of Cebu.

Programs

  • Childcare volunteer program
  • Teaching volunteer program
  • Food distribution volunteer program

Requirements

  • Volunteers must be older than 16 at the start of the volunteer program.

What is included?

Airport

Volunteers need to arrive at CEB Airport (Mactan International Airport, Cebu).
The arrival day and time are on Sundays at any time. You will be picked up by local staff and then transferred to the accommodation.

What to eat in the Philippines?

Volunteers are given three typical local meals every day. Traditional Filipino cuisine broadly consists of lots of vegetables, meat, eggs and rice. These meals will be served in the accommodation.

How to get around in the Philippines

Bike taxis

This is a type of push tricycle which is particularly useful for short journeys.

Habal-Habal

These are motorbike taxis, which tend to be a tad cheaper than bike taxis.

Jeepney

These are basically modified military jeeps that were left abandoned by American soldiers after the Second World War. They are often painted with images of the Virgin Mary and/or scenes from comic books. In most cities, jeepneys are the main form of urban transport. They also represent an alternative to travelling by bus for longer journeys between regions. Despite being popular amongst locals, the small windows make jeepneys unsuitable for sightseeing.

Bus

These come in various shapes and sizes. Bus stops are common in all cities and rural areas, although buses may only run in the morning in rural areas.

Mini-vans

There is often a downside to this form of transport. Despite being quicker than traditional buses, you will often have to wait for the mini-van to fill up before it starts its journey. They may also be more expensive than buses, with less leg room.

 

Start/Duration

Volunteers must arrive in the Philippines on Sundays at any time to be transferred to the accommodation, rest, and start their volunteer program on Monday.
The weeks run from Sunday to Saturday, so you should look for flights to arrive in Cebu on Sunday and return to Spain on a Saturday.

Tourist attractions in the Philippines

There are many places to visit during your spare time.

Moalboal: It is located southwest of the capital. A place where you can see turtles and swim with the second largest sardine school on the planet.

Kawasan Falls: Impressive waterfalls can be found all over the island, and Kawasan Falls is one of them.

Swim with Whale Sharks in Oslob: One of the most wonderful experiences you can have is swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines.

Program goals

The objective of the project is to train young people to be social leaders. The volunteers live in a multicultural environment, work as a team to develop tasks or institutional projects, accompany the beneficiaries in their daily lives or through workshops, and collaborate with the needs of the centers and homes.

To achieve this, we work on three approaches

Social inclusion

Social Inclusion of children, young people and grandparents in situations of social risk.

Attention to Centers and Homes

Attention to Centers and Homes for the protection and restitution of rights of socially vulnerable children, adolescents and older adults.

Social action

Social Action The volunteers committed to the project will work alongside the community, involving different actors in society and allowing the full fulfillment of the rights of all people.

Our programs

Childcare Volunteer Program – Cebu

During this program, you will participate in the daily activities of a childcare center. This will not only give you insight into authentic Filipino life but also involve you in the center’s day-to-day operations. The childcare project is located in our community center, and the attending children are between 4 and 12 years old. In addition to teaching, you will also assist the local staff with child care. The playground is their favorite place, and they need assistance and supervision. They enjoy games and are very active. Playtime can include ball games, building with Lego blocks, and any sports activities. Objectives: Expand the cultural interactions of the island’s children; Provide you with invaluable and practical teaching experience; Assist the local staff by lending an extra hand.

 

Food Distribution Volunteer Program – Cebu

This volunteer program will make your experience as enriching as possible. This can be done on-site at the Community Center or organized as an outing to a school in the mountains where we would cook for the children. We visit schools with limited resources, where children need school supplies such as paper, notebooks, pencils, etc., which can be purchased in the city to provide to them. We often bring donated clothing that we distribute. You can bring summer clothing that you would like to donate and that is in good condition.

 

Teaching Volunteer Program – Cebu

The teaching program is organized as an informal English class that allows volunteers to assist in activities such as music, songs, games, arts, sports, conversation exercises, and grammar exercises. Children aged 3 to 6 come to the center in the mornings to learn and play. Preschool-age children enjoy learning to read and write, discovering colors, and how to color, among other activities. Objectives: Enhance the educational prospects of children and expand their cultural interactions; Provide you with invaluable and practical teaching experience. Assist the local staff by lending an extra hand; Develop your teamwork and creativity skills through hands-on work.

 

accommodation and meals

Accommodation in Cebu

When volunteers arrive at Cebu Airport, the local coordinator picks them up and accompanies them to the house where they will be accommodated and share the following days with the rest of the volunteers.

Our accommodation is located in the city of Cebu, in the Guadalupe district, a small and quiet area on the outskirts of the city of Cebu.

This center hosts all participants in its programs around Cebu. The volunteer house is within the community center where volunteers carry out their activities.

There is Wi-Fi and a washing machine available at the center for weekly laundry.

There is no hot water in our center, but it is not necessary due to the heat and humidity of the island.

Due to our tropical environment, the Wi-Fi service may not be the same as what you are accustomed to at home. It is sometimes inaccessible due to the weather, but you can get your own local SIM card and purchase data.

In the accommodation where volunteers will live, three meals a day from Monday to Sunday are included.

Volunteers will eat typical Filipino food such as vegetables, meat, eggs, rice, noodles, and fish.

 

program costs

The total cost of the volunteer program is divided into two parts. The registration fee, paid to book your placement in the program, costs 210 EUR, while the program fee is paid afterward.

Childcare volunteer program

€210 per week

Teaching volunteer program

€210 per week

Food Distribution volunteer program

€210 per week

If your currency is not specified in the list, you can convert the costs here.

What is included in the fee that I am paying?

What additional costs will be incurred by the volunteers?

Visa, flights, travel insurance (obligatory), vaccines, return to the airport, and other personal expenses.

Contact

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UNIVERSITY PRACTICES

Our volunteers will be able to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

What does volunteering focused on university practices involve?

At Cooperating Volunteers, we make agreements with different universities to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

The specialties we work with are extensive: medical volunteering, nursing, education, social work, psychology, physiotherapy, engineering, architecture…

The practices can be carried out in our designated destinations for this purpose, as well as in Spain.

If you choose an international destination, it’s a unique way to live an unforgettable and enriching experience, as you will have the opportunity to continue your education in another country, with a completely different culture.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and being part of the various projects at the destination will allow us to grow both personally and professionally, creating a more extensive curriculum.

And we are fully convinced that this experience will accompany you throughout your life.

You will be able to visit hospitals, schools, centers, orphanages, and participate directly and actively in the daily lives of all those people at the destination, always accompanied by other professionals willing to collaborate hand in hand with you and guide you in daily tasks.

If your university is not part of the agreement with Cooperating Volunteers, you can contact cristina@cooperatingvolunteers.com so that we can get in touch and make this experience a reality. 

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

Corporate volunteering consists of tailored programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills.

It is proven that teamwork directly impacts productivity. 

Collective effort surpasses individual capabilities, promotes diversity of skills, stimulates creativity, and facilitates problem-solving in the face of various challenges.

Therefore, it not only maximizes efficiency but also enriches the work environment.

We conduct corporate volunteering programs that consist of customized programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills, improve performance, and foster unity among employees.

We tailor projects to the corporate identity and size of the company, and we can adjust them to any destination and time of the year.

The advantages of corporate volunteering include:

  • Improving communication.
  • Group unity.
  • Cultural integration in different situations.
  • Employee training.
  • Increased Corporate Social Responsibility.

The future is aligned with a more responsible society, and participating in social projects positions our company among the list of revolutionary businesses that want to be part of the change.

If you resonate with this message, corporate volunteering is a unique experience both individually and collectively, and at Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the process to make it a unique journey.

FAMILY VOLUNTEERING

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. 

Spending quality time with family and being able to disconnect from our hectic routines is not only enriching but also necessary.

Sometimes we forget to communicate, connect, and dedicate time to each other. Each one of us lives focused on our jobs, schools… And it’s necessary to find the opportunity to pause and take care of ourselves.

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. And of course, it creates lifelong positive memories.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we suggest moving away from those ‘more superficial’ trips (which can also be fantastic), but we invite you to live this experience to bring out our most empathetic and humanitarian side.

Family volunteering gives us the opportunity to be part of a positive impact, promoting values of solidarity and social responsibility.

There are many families who choose to experience these trips focused on cooperation and direct involvement with different communities around the world, where living conditions are very different and sometimes entirely precarious.

Projects are tailored to different ages, allowing us to work together.

An incredible way to fill our suitcase with memories, learning, and knowledge.

And although stepping out of our comfort zone often feels daunting, we assure you firsthand that it’s worth it.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the entire experience, from start to finish, to make it unforgettable.

SENIOR VOLUNTEERING

At Cooperating Volunteers, we believe it’s never too late for anything, especially for volunteering and living a unique and unforgettable experience.

There are many people, increasingly so, who opt for responsible travel that involves social work.

Accustomed to organized and mostly touristic trips, at Cooperating Volunteers, we want to advocate for a more enriching experience, one that transforms us from within and allows us to be part of the change the world needs to see.

We can adapt both the destination and the duration of our projects to fit your needs.

It’s an opportunity full of emotions that allows us to significantly contribute to different communities and their evolution. And you can participate in different areas such as education, social support, or assistance in different centers.

Some of the benefits include:

  • Sense of purpose: Provides a sense of purpose by contributing your skills and experiences to meaningful causes.
  • Emotional well-being: Reduces feelings of isolation and establishes social connections.
  • Personal development: It’s continuous learning, skill development, and discovering new activities while keeping the mind-body active.
  • Physical health: Keeping active.
  • Stress reduction: The act of helping others reduces stress and contributes to mental health.

Living this experience will undoubtedly be a before and after. 

SOCIAL VOLUNTEERING

A volunteering initiative with leadership and impact through the educational action program.

When we talk about social volunteering, we refer to all those actions and activities carried out altruistically, selflessly, and with the aim of addressing multiple problems and needs of different communities, always focused on education and self-sufficiency.

Education is essential because it provides the tools and knowledge necessary for personal, social, and economic development.

Our goal is to create self-sufficient communities and provide opportunities for the future personal development of each member. The message is not to ‘give’, but to accompany in the process of training for self-managed provision.

At Cooperating Volunteers, many of our destinations and projects embrace this type of volunteering. Some of our projects include: community programs, education, women’s empowerment…

And although they are completely different from each other, they share a single objective: progress towards a society that can embrace us all in the same way.

If you are someone who is restless, who needs to see a change in the future, volunteering is an experience tailor-made for you.