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Fantastic 4.54rating (29)
  • Quality Education

Teach in Rural Village Schools

location
4 - 24 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
Verified

Highlights

  • Rural public elementary schools on Leyte, reached by jeepney and motorbike — one sample school has 207 pupils and a handful of teachers
  • There is ONE teacher per class covering maths, science, English, PE, history and music in a single day. You are the second adult in the room
  • Teach the subject you are strongest at: English, maths, science, geography, art, computing, music, dance, coding, carpentry or sport

Highlights

  • Rural public elementary schools on Leyte, reached by jeepney and motorbike — one sample school has 207 pupils and a handful of teachers
  • There is ONE teacher per class covering maths, science, English, PE, history and music in a single day. You are the second adult in the room
  • Teach the subject you are strongest at: English, maths, science, geography, art, computing, music, dance, coding, carpentry or sport
  • Special education placements available too, supporting deaf, mute and autistic pupils
  • Live with a vetted Filipino host family, two meals a day, plus two guided excursions around Leyte
    • You don't have to pay anything yet

    Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Teach English, maths or science in rural elementary schools outside Tacloban, where one teacher covers every subject for a class of 25-35.

    This project exists because the schools asked for it. Public schools on Leyte approached the local coordinators for foreign volunteers — not the other way round. They believe an outside adult in the classroom gives the children a role model and a rare chance to use English with a fluent speaker. ..

    About the program

    This project exists because the schools asked for it. Public schools on Leyte approached the local coordinators for foreign volunteers — not the other way round. They believe an outside adult in the classroom gives the children a role model and a rare chance to use English with a fluent speaker. In the Philippines, confident English is a direct employment advantage, so this is not a soft benefit.

    The arithmetic of a rural Filipino classroom

    Take the sample placement, Tugop Elementary School in the village of Barangay Tugop, Tanauan — 45 to 60 minutes away by jeepney and motorbike depending on the traffic.

    207 pupils. A head teacher and a handful of grade teachers, including one for kindergarten. One teacher per class, handling maths, science, English, PE, history and music across a single day, with 25 to 35 children in front of them.

    An extra adult who can take one subject properly is not a nice-to-have in that room.

    What you would teach

    Whatever you are actually good at. Volunteers take on:

    • English, maths and science — the core of what the schools want
    • Geography, art, computing, music, dance
    • Programming, carpentry and sport, if that is your background

    You can lead classes yourself or assist the teacher, run after-school tutorials, and make sessions more interactive than a class this size normally allows.

    Special education placements are also available, supporting teachers who work with pupils with physical and learning disabilities, and with deaf, mute and autistic children.

    Be ready for the first week

    This will take you out of your comfort zone: you will be delivering lessons in front of a lot of children, most days. The first week is for watching and learning — who your pupils are, what they need, how the school runs. Ask questions about anything you do not understand.

    After that, take the initiative. Schools give more responsibility to volunteers who show they can handle it, and less to those who wait to be told. The classroom teacher is there throughout to support you.

    Who it suits

    Anyone 18 or over who is fit, healthy and genuinely likes being around children and teenagers, including children with special needs. No teaching qualification is required. A clean criminal background check is mandatory and you must have no criminal convictions.

    Typical day

    Saturday or Sunday — Arrival at Tacloban Airport (TAC). A local representative meets you and takes you to your host family.

    Monday — Orientation: the programme, the Philippines and Filipino culture, what to expect, health and safety, the behaviour policy, and a proper introduction to your school ...

    Typical day

    Saturday or Sunday — Arrival at Tacloban Airport (TAC). A local representative meets you and takes you to your host family.

    Monday — Orientation: the programme, the Philippines and Filipino culture, what to expect, health and safety, the behaviour policy, and a proper introduction to your school — including how to get there, which matters when the journey is 45 minutes of jeepney and motorbike.

    The school day, Monday to Friday

    • 6:00am — Breakfast with your host family
    • Around 8:00am — Classes begin
    • 12:00 noon — Break. Lunch is at your own cost — go home and cook, or eat near the school
    • 1:00pm — Classes resume
    • 4:00pm — School closes. Some volunteers stay on for after-school tutorials
    • From 6:00pm — Dinner with your host family

    Hours — Five to six hours a day, Monday to Friday.

    Weekends — Free.

    School is closed on Philippine public holidays and during school activities, and the calendar can move. Flexibility is expected.

    Free-time activities

    Two excursions are included, arranged by the local coordinating team.

    They take in San Juanico Bridge — the longest bridge in the Philippines, crossing to Samar — the Santo Nino Shrine, and the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park at Palo, where the Leyte Gulf landings began the campaign to retake the ...

    Free-time activities

    Two excursions are included, arranged by the local coordinating team.

    They take in San Juanico Bridge — the longest bridge in the Philippines, crossing to Samar — the Santo Nino Shrine, and the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park at Palo, where the Leyte Gulf landings began the campaign to retake the Philippines in 1944. If you are teaching history, this is useful ground to have stood on.

    Leyte beyond Tacloban — Waterfalls, hot springs, rice country and empty beaches, nearly all reachable by jeepney for a few pesos. The island sees very few foreign visitors.

    Beaches and diving — Kalanggaman Island off Palompon is a white sandbar with almost nothing on it and worth a full weekend. Southern Leyte around Padre Burgos has good diving and, in season, whale sharks.

    Further afield — Cebu is a ferry or short flight away, and the rest of the Visayas from there.

    Everyday — Evenings are with your host family, which is much of the point of a homestay. Expect to be fed a great deal, included in everything, and eventually handed a karaoke microphone.

    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Education Requirements

    at High school level

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    Criminal background check (no criminal convictions), parental consent form for under-18s, copy of passport and proof of travel and medical insurance.

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    No teaching qualification is required. You should be confident enough to stand in front of a class and be willing to take the initiative after the first week. Teach whatever you are strongest at. Any student or professional who enjoys working with children and teenagers, including those with special needs, is eligible.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 - 16:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    On-site Services

    What the fee covers

    • Airport pickup AND drop-off at Tacloban — both directions
    • Accommodation with a vetted Filipino host family for your whole stay
    • Two meals a day — breakfast and dinner — plus filtered drinking water
    • Welcome and programme orientation, a city tour and a placement orientation
    • Two guided excursions around Leyte
    • Your school placement
    • Detailed pre-departure information pack
    • 24/7 in-country support
    • Certificate of participation on request

    What it does not cover

    • Lunch — cook at home or eat near the school, at your own cost
    • Daily transport to school — jeepney and motorbike taxi, and a real journey on rural placements
    • International and domestic flights
    • Visa fees and vaccinations
    • Travel and medical insurance (available through us at extra cost, and mandatory)
    • Personal spending, teaching materials you choose to buy, and weekend travel

    Airport Pickup at D. Z. Romualdez Airport

    Both the pickup and the drop-off are included — unusual across our programmes, and one less cost to plan for.

    Arrive on a SATURDAY or SUNDAY at Tacloban Airport (TAC). A local representative meets you and takes you to your host family, ready for orientation on the Monday.

    Getting to Tacloban — A short domestic flight from Manila or Cebu. Tacloban is about 360 miles southeast of Manila on the island of Leyte. Leave a sensible connection window when booking your international flight.

    At the end — The same local representative takes you back to the airport.

    Accommodation

    You live with a Filipino host family in the Tacloban area — in someone's home, not a volunteer house with a family label on it. For most people who do this programme it is the best part of it.

    The families are properly vetted before joining the homestay programme and are experienced with international volunteers. You receive a profile of your family before you travel.

    Your room — Private, or shared with one other volunteer. A mosquito net and an electric fan are provided. All homestays have electricity and running water.

    The bathroom — The "comfort room", shared with the family. It is basic, and you will take cold bucket baths — hot running showers are uncommon in Filipino homes. Most volunteers stop minding within a week of teaching in tropical heat, but decide now rather than on arrival.

    And the roosters — They start well before dawn, and your breakfast is at six anyway.

    You eat what the family eats and are included in whatever is happening. It is also the fastest way to pick up enough Waray to make your pupils laugh.

    Food & Beverages

    Two meals a day are included: breakfast and dinner, cooked by your host family. Lunch is not.

    Breakfast — 6:00am, before you set off for school. Early and substantial, which you will need.

    Dinner — From 6:00pm with the family.

    Meals come with rice and typically fish, chicken or pork. Your host family knows what foreigners tend to like, but you will be eating Filipino food.

    🚩 Lunch is at your own cost. Go home during the noon break and cook, or eat near the school. Inexpensive, but budget for it across a long placement.

    Filtered drinking water is provided by your host family. Do not drink the tap water.

    Dietary requirements — Homestays can cater for them, but you must put this on your application form so the family can plan.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site
    You don't have to pay anything yet

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is D. Z. Romualdez Airport (TAC) in Tacloban. We assist you to find cheap flights to Philippines. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Philippines provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Philippines you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Philippines. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    Arrive on a SATURDAY or SUNDAY at Tacloban Airport (TAC), ready for orientation on the Monday.

    Airport pickup AND drop-off are both included — better than most of our programmes, and one less thing to budget for.

    Getting there — A short domestic flight from Manila or Cebu. Leave a sensible connection window when booking your international flight.

    🚩 Daily transport to school is not included, and neither is lunch. Rural placements mean a real journey each day — jeepney and habal-habal (motorbike taxi) — cheap per trip but worth budgeting for across a long placement.

    Documents — A clean criminal background check is mandatory, and you must have no criminal convictions.

    Visa — Many nationalities get 30 days visa-free on arrival, extendable in-country. Check your position before booking a longer placement and ask us if unsure. Visa fees are not included.

    Insurance — Travel and medical insurance is mandatory; available through us at extra cost.

    What to wear — Filipino schools are formal and teachers are respected. Dress smartly: covered shoulders and knees, no shorts or flip-flops in the classroom.

    Home life — A mosquito net and electric fan are provided. Bathrooms are basic and you will take cold bucket baths — hot showers are uncommon in Filipino homes. Drink the filtered water your family provides, not tap water.

    Climate and school calendar — Hot and humid year-round; typhoon season runs roughly June to November and the local team monitors it. The Philippine school year runs roughly August to June, with a long break around July — ask us before booking dates that fall in it.

    When to come — Weekly weekend arrivals, year-round.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program Fees

    $289 per week 4 - 24 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES

    Duration

    4 - 24 weeks

    Deposit

    Reserve your spot with just a few clicks and a small, secure deposit. You can pay by credit card, PayPal, or other convenient methods.

    Final Payment

    You’ll agree on the final payment method with your local organization during the application process. This final payment is only due closer to the start of your trip.

    You don't have to pay anything yet
    4.5
    Top Pick
    One of the top picks on Volunteer World, according to travelers

    Location

    Asia > South East Asia > Philippines > Tacloban

    Meet your project coordinator

    Sahil
    29
    reviews
    4.54
    Fantastic
    2007
    Founded

    Verified

      Below average response rate
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    Volunteer Abroad  >  Education  >  English Teaching in the Philippines
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    Travel dates

    1. - 1. Jan 1

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