Philippines

The Philippines, in the long form the Republic of the Philippines, is a country made up of an archipelago of 7,107 islands, eleven of which account for more than 90% of the land and only slightly more than 2,000 are inhabited, while about 2,400 islands have not even received a name…

After the Second World War, the Philippines became the most developed country in Asia, but development is lagging behind due to low economic growth and high levels of corruption. Currently, the country has moderate economic growth, sustained by the contributions of a large population of Filipino migrant workers as well as foreign investment. These investments are made in the rapidly growing information and communication technology (ICT) sectors, but also in other sectors that require low-cost labour.

The country is experiencing a political crisis due to Muslim separatist movements in the south of the country on the island of Mindanao, such as Abu Sayyaf and the MILF. Although the conflict between Christians and Muslims has existed in the Philippines for more than 30 years, it is often considered a “religious war” but it is also based on the many disputes related to land ownership (and in particular the domination of Christian settlers since 1946). 800,000 people displaced by the conflict do not have access to basic services and minimum security guarantees for their development.

Demographic pressure is leading to environmental problems such as overfishing in some islands. Given the geographical characteristics of the country (there are 7,000 islands) the administrative system is very fragile. Many minorities denounce the premeditated exclusion and discrimination by the Central Government of Manila.

The cost of living is quite favourable to a European or North American budget. Here is a few examples of prices:

Basic products Prices in Euros / Filipino Pesos
1L of water (botel) 0,3 € / 16 PHP
1 meal (2 dishes) 2,1 € / 110 PHP
1 bus ticket 0,16 € / 9 PHP

Exoticism, succulent, spicy, sweet, acidulated… all of these mix in the Filipino cooking influenced by the Chinese, Malaysian and Spanish gastronomy. But the cooking remains anyway quite rustic.

Vaccine and specific advice :

Find out what vaccines are recommended for the country and what are the diseases preventive and/or treatment measures on site.

Checklist :

Vaccine renewal, country-specific vaccinations: 1-3 months before leaving

Visit your doctor or specialist for any health problem, repeat of medical prescriptions, contraception, to have a sufficient initial stock of drugs, adjustment of dosages. Moreover, you will need to send your coordinator a certificate from your doctor certifying that you are well able to participate in an international volunteer project.

Dentist: a dental check-up can be useful before you leave !

Our local partner, GIED, is a small NGO whose aim is to encourage local and international young people to meet each other through international volunteering and intercultural activities. Our local partner organizes short and long-term volunteer projects in partnership with local organizations in Manila, indigenous populations in Luzon and in relation to environmental protection in Cebu.

With regard to obtaining a visa and entry requirements, we invite you to contact the embassy in question.

Embassy of Philippines in the UK

6-11 Suffolk Street
London SW1Y 4HG
United Kingdom
TELEPHONE(+44) 20 7451 1780
FAX(+44) 20 7930 9787
EMAIL WEBSITE londonpe.dfa.gov.ph

Embassy of Philippines in the USA

Bataan Street
1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
United States
TELEPHONE(+1) 202 467 9300
FAX(+1) 202 328 7614
EMAIL WEBSITE www.philippineembassy-usa.org

Embassy of Philippines in Canada

130 Albert Street, Suite 900
Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4
Canada
TELEPHONE(+1) 613 233 1121
FAX(+1) 613 233 4165
EMAIL [email protected]
[email protected]
WEBSITE ottawape.dfa.gov.ph

List of projects available in Philippines