Why not teach English in one of the world’s hottest destinations?

For a long time the Holy Grail amongst travellers looking to outdo their friends when comparing travel stories, The Philippines has a reputation for being a difficult place in which to travel. Thankfully that reputation is now undeserved although a few of the rough edges remain, like the street vendors who’ll try and sell you everything from plugs to ice cream! Our partner project here provides classes for school-leavers and unemployed adults interested in learning the basics of the English language. We include our TEFL certification so that volunteers will be confident enough to organise and schedule classes and really make a profound effect on their student's lives.

Project details:
The children in the Philippines begin learning English in grade one, so it's not a surprise that most of the population can speak and understand English. The benefits of learning English from a native speaker are inspirational for the local children who have rarely been exposed to foreigners. We place volunteers in rural elementary schools outside of Tacloban City and in surrounding towns to assist the local teachers with their English classes and other subjects. These volunteers are able to experience life in a rural village and will observe the true meaning of "community".

Another alternative to teaching in the rural setting is to teach the informal education classes in Tacloban. These classes are developed for the out-of-school youth and unemployed adults interested in learning the basic subjects taught in public school, as well as skills training.

Why the project needs volunteers:
Our international volunteers can be role models for these struggling teenagers and adults. The non traditional education sector lacks the teachers they need to conduct regular classes for these students who have previously dropped out of school and are looking to continue their education. Our volunteers can organize and schedule classes daily and really have a profound effect on these student's lives. The support that our volunteers provide allows these young people to gain valuable English language skills, which will create more opportunities for them in the future. For some of the young people at the projects, learning English will allow them to participate in overseas exchange programmes and experience a different culture.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
Volunteers at this project should have a genuine love of children and young people, and an interest in education. Although you do not require any special skills, any experience working with children or young people would be valuable. Volunteers must be able to use their initiative and be motivated to work without guidance. Volunteers should be patient, hard-working, resourceful and imaginative.

Your role as a volunteer:
You may become involved in teaching English through a variety of methods, including formal learning using textbooks, conversation classes, games and songs. Some of the projects have the opportunity to teach IT skills alongside English, or as a method of practising English. There may be the opportunity to become involved with drama or debates, and you might be asked to provide homework support for the children. You may also be required to help develop English teaching resources or improve the language skills of the permanent English teachers.

Where the project is based:
The projects are mainly based in and around Tacloban. Tacloban City, located 360 miles southeast of Manila, is the capital of the large island Leyte, in the Visayas region of the Philippines. The island is known for the landing of the American General MacArthur, during World War II, which liberated the Philippines from Japan. With a population of 300,000, the Filipinos in Tacloban speak the Waray-Waray dialect, as well as Tagalog (the national language), English, and Cebuano. Tacloban City is not a tourist destination, so it is a great opportunity for our volunteers to be immersed in a unique Asian culture.

Please book your flight to arrive into Tacloban (airport code TAC) on the advertised arrival date to ensure your airport pickup.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do. 

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

Orientation Information

We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in the Philippines. Here's what will happen;

You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Tuesday and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to your permanent homestay accommodation, information on this will be available within 2 weeks of booking your placement on your online account.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. You will normally stay with your homestay family. If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:

Your orientation will take place the following morning (Wednesday) at the above address where you will be introduced to life in the Philippines as well as important information about staying healthy and safe. You will then be introduced to your project and start working as a volunteer. From here on in you will spend your time with the project but the in-country team are there if you need them.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night accommodation is included in this payment; if you require more than one night please inform the team.

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 28.00