Help Improve the Futures of Abused Women in the Philippines

Volunteer abroad womens rights Philippines

  • The Project

    Volunteer in Asia and help improve the lives of abused women in the Philippines. Domestic abuse, sexual crime and abandonment are unfortunately common in the Philippines and can often leave many women feeling alone and vulnerable. As a result a safe haven for women filing cases against their former partners or who have been left without financial or emotional support was created to protect and care for them.

    In this centre, women live a communal lifestyle (sometimes with their children) whilst social workers assess them and process their cases, and at the same time the centre teaches them techniques to help empower their lives. Volunteers placed at this womens centre can help the empowerment of the women by creating livelihood projects, engaging them in social activities such as team building and womens rights. Additionally volunteers can also create fun activities, teach music, dance and games to help break up the mundane daily routines of the women.

  • Why the project needs you

    The centre is generally underfunded and social workers and house parents do not always have enough time to offer support to all of the women. Volunteers assist the staff by presenting themselves as strong independent women and offer numerous methods of empowering the lives of the women.

    At the same time, social workers working on the cases could benefit from international points of view and assessments of volunteers on the development of women on their respective programs. Some of these women are victims of terrible crimes such as rape and assault, as a result volunteers must also at all times be able to provide emotional support for the women.

    Project Location

    The exact geographical location of the project is located on the island of Leyte in the Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) administrative region of the Philippines. This is approximately about an hour southeast of Manila.

    The centre is located in the rural town of Palo, just a short ride outside of Tacloban City. Project headquarters is located within Tacloban City, the capital of Leyte; this has modern city amenities. Volunteers are housed in a homestay in a small barangay (district) with a local host family that have numerous years of experience in accommodating international volunteers. In this small barangay atmosphere you will be surrounded by friendly locals and fully immersed into the community; here you will be able to witness the true nature of what it is like to live and volunteer in the Philippines. Due to the unique nature of projects in the Philippines, volunteers will also come into daily contact with a group of approximately one hundred and fifty sponsored children; as a result this opens up numerous non compulsory volunteer opportunities, such as assisting in child feeding, after school tutorials and general bonding with the children.

    Outside of the local community there is still plenty to take in. The Eastern Visayas has strong history, from Spanish colonization to Japanese occupation during World War II – it's all here. Just outside of Tacloban, is the MacArthur Memorial Site, the location at which the Philippines was liberated by the American General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines.

    Other than history, there is also the natural beauty of the region to take in; with sun drenched beaches, rolling hillsides, lakes and waterfalls to visit during your free time.

    People in this region of the Philippines speak the local dialect 'Waray-Waray' but also speak the national languages of Tagalog and English. Tacloban City and the entire region of the Eastern Visayas is not a common tourist destination; offering volunteers a real chance to immerse in the one-of-a-kind 'Pinoy' culture.

  • Project Facts

    • Duration: 2 - 26 weeks
    • Cost: £699 ($1223) for 2 weeks, £125 ($219) for
    each week thereafter
    • Requirements: Female volunteers, Age 18+
    • Location: Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines
    • Project activities: Offer emotional support for abused women, teach, create livelihood projects, assist house parents and social workers.
    • Working hours: 08:00 - 13:00, Monday - Friday
    • Project Availability: Project starts every Saturday.

  • What is included

    • Accommodation: Single or shared room in a home-stay
    • Food: 2 meals per day - Breakfast and Dinner
    • Airport pick up and drop off
    • Training: Pre-departure pack, On-site Orientation and project induction provided
    • Support: 24 hour support from on-site coordinators, access to office in Tacloban City (including free WiFi)
    • Excursions: 2 field excursions are included in your visit. Including a detailed tour of our ongoing projects in the local area. Staff can also help plan weekend excursions.

  • What is not included

    • Flights
    • Insurance
    • Visas

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