Philippines

Volunteering in the Philippines

In 2021, France Volontaires had approximately:

53 International Solidarity Volunteers (VSI – Volontaires de Solidarité Internationale)

In 2019, there were approximately:

131 International Solidarity Volunteers (VSI)
54 Civic Service Volunteers (VSC – Volontaires de Service Civique)
5 International Volunteers in Administration (VIA – Volontaires Internationaux en Administration)
22 International Volunteers in Enterprise (VIE – Volontaires Internationaux en Entreprise)
50 Volunteers in International Solidarity Work Camps (VCSI – Volontaires en Chantier de Solidarité Internationale)
150+ Off-scheme volunteers (not exhaustive)

Founded in 2013, the Philippines Volunteering Centre works with all the solidarity stakeholders: volunteers, dispatching and host organisations, volunteer candidates and Philippine institutions.

Our services

Advice/guidance in finding and accomplishing a volunteering mission.
Provide a secure framework via the national representative (in-country security advisor)
Putting volunteering stakeholders in contact
To answer all administrative, cultural and civic questions
Supporting volunteers in their volunteering missions through training and workshops
Expanding the France Volontaires network in the Philippines
Promoting reciprocal volunteering
Ensuring the development of quality missions.
Putting volunteering stakeholders in contact
Coordinating volunteers’ network
Tagalog lessons
Psychological counselling

Our partners

Volunteer host organisations in the Philippines

There are many volunteer host organisations in the Philippines. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the host organisations:

Enfants d’Asie
Tulay ng Kabataan
Virlanie
ATD FOURTH WORLD
Enfants du Mékong
Life Project 4 Youth
The PLAF
Entrepreneurs du monde
ACAY Foundation
Water and Life
Kaloob
Heart points
Passerelles Numériques
Make Sens
Tiberias Community
Jefpag
Bayan ng Gubat
Gawad Kalinga
City of Puerto Princessa
Fondacio
Phil’book
Animal rights protector
L’Arche Philippines

Dispatching organisations that are members of France Volontaires

Fidesco
Eurasianet
The Guild
Enfants du Mekong
Entrepreneurs du Monde
The SDC
The DCC
ATD Fourth World
L’Arche Internationale
Pistes Solidaires
Ginko
Fondacio

Settling into the Philippines

Identity card

Official name: The Philippines
Type of regime: Multi-party presidential republic
Head of State: Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Capital city: Manila
Main cities: the ‘Metro Manila’ agglomeration (12.8 million inhabitants) includes 17 cities, including Manila Caloocan Makati, and Quezon City (3M), Cebu (2.8M) and Davao (2.5M)
Official language(s): Filipino (based on Tagalog), English
Spoken language (s): Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligainon
Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP) 1 euro = ± 55 PHP
Population: 108.1 million inhabitants
Literacy rate: 98%
Religion(s ): Catholics (84%), Muslims (7%), Evangelical Protestants (4%), Buddhists (1.5%), numerous Christian churches (Iglesia ni Christo, El Shaddai)

(Sources: demographic data: World Bank)

General presentation

Discovered on 16 March 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer travelling for the Spanish crown, the archipelago was named the Philippines in 1543, in honour of the Spanish infant, the future Philip IV. It remained under Spanish tutelage until 10 December 1896, when Spain ceded it to the United States for $20 million.
The country gained independence in 1946, as promised by the United States during World War II. A well-known Filipino expression describes these colonial periods as follows: ‘400 years in the convent, 50 in Hollywood’.