A sea turtle swimming underwater in the Philippines, searching for food

Volunteer Abroad Philippines: Marine Conservation

Philippines 3 to 8 weeks From 1,750 €

Would you like to immerse yourself into the beauty of the Philippines while making an active contribution to preserving the island nation’s magnificent marine world?

Then take part in our volunteer project in the awe-inspiring Southern Leyte province! Familiarise yourself with essential underwater data collection techniques and actively contribute to the conservation of the marine realm.
During your time on the project, you will go on regular dives exploring the region’s stunning reefs and collect critical data serving to develop measures to protect, restore and promote the coral reefs of the Philippines.

Participants who are new to diving start their adventure with a one-week dive training course, completing their PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water qualifications, before playing an active role in the conservation programme. Those who are joining the project for at least four weeks may opt to undertake further diving qualification courses – including a free Divemaster if you stay for 16 weeks or more.

Travel to the awe-inspiring Philippines, one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, make a contribution to marine conservation and have the experience of a lifetime!

Your trip at a glance

Highlights

Get to know the Philippines’ impressive biodiversity
Actively contribute to marine research and conservation in the Philippines
Experience the stunning reefs of Southern Leyte
Enjoy a mix of preparatory training and active conservation work
Go on regular dives while contributing to the protection of coral reefs
Take the leap and obtain further dive qualifications

Locations

Southern Leyte

Volunteers in the Philippines are watching the sunset near the coast

The coral reefs of the philippines are home to many different lifeforms

Volunteers in the Philippines are collecting data after a dive

The lecture room of our partner in the Philippines is a place for communication and learning

Volunteers in the Philippines are collecting data underwater

A group of volunteers in the Philippines getting ready for a dive

A small little octopus is hiding himself in a coral reef in the Philippines

Volunteering in the Philippines

Become a volunteer in the Philippines, get to know Southern Leyte’s magnificent underwater world and actively contribute to the protection and conservation of the island nation’s marine resources.

A coral reef off the coast of the Philippines

Arrival and orientation in the Philippines

On the day the project starts you need to arrive at Tacloban Airport where you will be picked up at 01:30 PM. A representative of our partner will welcome you upon arrival and take you to the project site, approximately a 4-hour drive from the airport. Here you can settle into your room, get to know your team and are given a short introduction to the project, the country and everything else you need to know to feel entirely prepared for working and living in the Philippines.

Activities in the marine conservation project

The day after your arrival you will start your training. If you are not a PADI Advanced Open Water (AOW) diver or equivalent, you will spend your first week undertaking dive training with a scuba instructor on the project’s spectacular house reef. Those who join the project for longer periods can enjoy further dive courses.

Three volunteers in the Philippines are wading through the water, getting ready for a scuba dive

At the end of this first week those who are already AOWs will arrive and all participants will start the project’s Skills Development Programme (SDP). The two-week SDP is intended to familiarise you with the subjects of coral reef ecology and marine conservation, with species identification and data collection techniques. During this time, you will always be instructed and supported by the project’s professional science team.

A baby sea turtle in the Philippines is swimming under water

After successful completion of the Skills Development Programme you are ready to join the survey team in actively studying and conserving Southern Leyte’s marine life. Your team will be divided into subgroups of four people. Together you will travel the bay, collect data on the ecological status of the reefs and assist with community outreach. The data you and your team collect is essential when it comes to understanding the impacts and effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Southern Leyte region.

A multitude of marine animals is living in the waters that surround the Philippines

A typical day in the project starts with breakfast at around 07:00 AM, you’ll then travel to your survey location for the day with a packed lunch. On returning to site you’ll sit down for dinner with the team at 06:00 PM. We ask you to keep in mind, though, that working hours are always dependent on weather conditions and nature of the activities.

Volunteering in the Philippines: The bed of every volunteer is protected by a mosquito net

Accommodation as a volunteer

During your time on the project you will live in a remote volunteer house near the small village of Napantao, comprised of nine shared single-sex dormitories that are equipped with bunk beds. Each bedroom has en-suite wet room with a bucket-flushing toilet and a bucket shower. A communal screened shower can be found outside. The house furthermore has a kitchen, a large communal area, a science room and a medical room. You will receive three meals per day – breakfast, lunch, dinner – as well as drinking water. Other beverages and snacks can be purchased on site.

Volunteers in the Philippines observe a whale shark underwater

Leisure time during the conservation project

While five days per week are assigned for work and training, the sixth day is spent on a fun dive and Sunday is usually your off-day. This is the perfect opportunity for you to go on day trips, exploring local villages, magnificent beaches, beautiful waterfalls, or even whale shark watching tours (early year).

You can also use the evening hours of each day for your own activities. We therefore recommend you packing some recreational items like books or card/board games.

Arrival

Arrival in the Philippines and transfer to the project site

You need to fly to Tacloban Airport (TAC) – via Manila – where you need to arrive in the morning on the project’s starting day. Many volunteers stay in Manila for one night and then take a flight to Tacloban the next morning. On the start date of your volunteer adventure you will be picked up at Tacloban Airport at 01:30 PM by a representative of our partner. Together you will take a taxi to the project site. After a 4- to 5-hour drive you will reach your volunteer house near the village of Napantao where you can settle in and get to know your team. The evening hours of your arrival days and the following day are intended to introduce you to your new home and surroundings, to the project’s tasks and goals, to important safety rules and procedures and to the customs and culture of the Philippines.
PADI Course

For dive beginners: PADI OW and AOW dive training

As the focus of this volunteer project is on marine research and conservation, diving will be an essential part of the daily tasks. Therefore, all project participants must be at least PADI AOW or equivalent before being able to get involved in the project’s work. Each participant who is not yet at this level will join as a dive trainee and spend the first week training up to PADI AOW together with the on-site scuba instructor. Those that are already PADI Open Water (OW) will have a more relaxed schedule during this first week and get the opportunity to snorkel and familiarise themselves with our partner’s house reef.
SDP

Skills Development Programme to get you prepared

Participants who are already AOW divers skip the first week of dive training and arrive at this stage of the project: the two-week Skills Development Programme (SDP). The SDP is designed to give participants all the knowledge and skills that they require to assess the health of coral reefs. After all participants have undergone this two-week training phase and are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to join the project’s survey team, the actual project work starts and they will take on an active role in marine conservation. On successful completion of SDP, you will be certified as a Reef Check Eco Diver.
Project

Typical day as a volunteer

Your day will start at 07:00 AM with a simple breakfast that is prepared by one or two members of the team. During breakfast you and your team can also discuss any final planning details for the day’s activities. Everyone then joins in on routine base camp chores such as washing up, sweeping the communal area or getting survey equipment ready.

At around 09:00 AM training/surveying begins. Depending on your stage of training you will undertake an SDP lecture or dive theory followed by a training dive or survey dive. Any data collected with then be transferred onto recording forms.

Training or surveying is followed by a lunch break at around 12:00, either taken back in the base camp or as a picnic if away from site. At 02:00 PM training / surveying starts again, and the day finishes once until all the equipment is rinsed and put away shortly before dinner.

At around 06:00 PM the team can enjoy dinner, prepared by a local cook. Those who wish can take part in further in-depth lectures and training provided in the evenings at 07:00 PM.

Note: Our partner tries to get out on two dives per day – in the end, this is always dependent on weather conditions and base logistics. Please be aware that the schedule is subject to change and that there is no guaranteed number of dives per day. We ask each volunteer to be open-minded, patient and able to adapt to shifting circumstances.
Departure

Last day on the project and departure

FAQ – Learn more about this trip

Prior to departure to the Philippines

If you want to join this project you need to be at least 18 years old and have solid communication skills in English. As your volunteer activities involve lots of hands-on work and diving – in a tropical climate – it is very important that you are physically fit and a good swimmer. As part of the application process, we will therefore ask you to hand in a doctor’s certificate confirming that you are physically fit enough to successfully take part in the project. Furthermore, each project participant must get adequate travel health as well as dive insurance before departing to the Philippines. Please make sure that your dive insurance covers all medical costs associated with scuba diving, including: decompression chambers and unlimited diving to a depth of 30 metres, dive training (if applicable), helicopter rescue, light manual labour, medical emergency repatriation.

A diving qualification (at least PADI Advanced Open Water) is a plus, otherwise you will need to join the project a week earlier to obtain your PADI AOW qualification. Last but not least, it is essential to be enthusiastic about marine conservation and being part of a dedicated conservation programme, to be open-minded and flexible and to be willing to gain lots of new know-how.

Upon arrival in the Philippines, you will be given a 30-day visa. This can be extended for up to 59 days. Another visa extension (for up to six months or even a year) is possible as well. Before departing to the Philippines, you should contact your country’s Foreign Office for current visa regulations or reach out to the team at Natucate.
Prior to your departure, the team at Natucate will secure a place in the project for you, assist you in finding adequate travel health insurance and help you book your flights. Moreover, we will provide you with a comprehensive information pack which includes more details on the project and the country you are travelling to. After your arrival at Tacloban Airport, you will be picked up and taken to the project site. During your time as a volunteer, your accommodation, your daily meals, marine park fees, dive training (if necessary), regular diving activities, hire of tanks, weights and BCD, training and supervision in the programme and the Reef Check Eco-Diver training and certification (min. 4-week stay) are included in the programme free.

Flights, any travel and dive insurances, visa, additional drinks and snacks, any transfers/accommodation outside programme hours, PADI manuals and certification (if not obtained on site), personal diving equipment, airport drop-off and personal expenses (trips, souvenirs etc.) are not included in the programme fee.
Depending on which country you are coming from, it won’t be necessary to get any special vaccinations before departing to the Philippines. In general, you may want to get or refresh standard vaccinations like measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, chickenpox and polio as well as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid and rabies. As the Philippines is a tropical destination, some regions of the country are subject to tropical diseases like malaria or dengue fever.

About 6-8 weeks before departing to the Philippines, you should visit your doctor and get advice on potential dangers, protective measures and recommended vaccinations. In addition to that, institutions like the CDC and the Foreign Office of your country can provide you with information about recommended vaccinations, travel alerts and safety information.

As dental issues may prevent you from diving, you should also visit a dentist before you arrive on site. Don’t forget to pack a small personal first aid kit which includes items like plasters, painkillers, antihistamines, electrolytes and medicine against diarrhoea and travel sickness. Furthermore, you should consider packing enough personal medication that you require. Last but not least, it is obligatory for you to get adequate travel health insurance before departing to the Philippines.
For your time in the project you should pack shorts, light long- and short-sleeved shirts, swimwear, lightweight waterproof as well as sturdy shoes and sandals, your PADI manuals and a Positive Identification Card (PIC). Don’t forget sunscreen, a sun hat, mosquito repellent, a daypack, a refillable water bottle, a personal first-aid kit, a head torch plus batteries, an adapter, your smartphone and a camera. Snorkel, mask, fins, a wetsuit/rash vest, wetsuit booties, dive compass, dive logbook, dive cutting tool, dive computer or digital depth gauge, dive slate, pens/pencils should not be missing in your luggage, either. A general note: We ask you to bring as many ecofriendly products as possible (toiletries, sunscreen, washing powder etc.).

You will receive a detailed packing list before departing to the Philippines.

Arrival in the Philippines

On the day your volunteer adventure starts, you need to arrive at Tacloban Airport. Please make sure to choose a flight that allows you to be in time at the meeting point at 01:30 PM. You will be met outside the terminal by a representative of our partner who will get on a taxi with you to drive to your volunteer base on Panaon Island. This journey takes about 4 hours.

During the project in the Philippines

Dive training (if required)
The project requires you to be at least a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent) before starting further training and becoming involved in conservation tasks. If you are not at this level yet, you will start a week earlier than dive qualified participants and undertake the PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water training with the programme’s diving instructor.

Skills Development Programme (SDP)
The dive training is followed by a “Skills Development Programme”. Participants who are already AOW divers will now arrive to directly start the SDP. The two-week SDP involves all the training you need to become an active member of the survey teams. The programme will give you the chance to immerse yourself into the fascinating subjects of coral reef ecology and marine conservation while learning all about the species found throughout Southern Leyte, how to identify them and how to collect data.
During the SDP you will also be certified in the Expedition Care Programme Remote First Aid course. This one-day course has been specially adapted to expedition situations and will fulfill the First Aid requirements for any further PADI courses you would like to undertake with our partner.

Surveys
After successfully completing the SDP, you will finally join one of the programme’s survey teams and start playing an active role in the marine conservation.

Your week – your day
Depending on your stage of schedule, Mondays and Tuesdays are generally for dive training, SDP or surveys. On Wednesdays (this may vary!), you can enjoy a recreational dive or join an advanced PADI training course. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday you will once again be involved in SDP, dive training or surveys. The programme’s social evening takes place Saturday night. Sunday is usually your day off.

To give you an overview, a typical workday in the project may look like this:
- 07:00 AM: Breakfast, discussing final planning details for the day’s activities
- 07:45 AM: Communal duties (washing up, sweeping, mopping, getting equipment ready etc.)
- 09:00 AM: Training/surveying – either an SDP lecture or dive theory followed by a training dive or a survey dive, data entry
- 12:00 PM: Lunch
- 02:00 PM: Training/surveying is picked up, before equipment is rinsed and put away
- 06:00 PM: Dinner, reviewing the day’s activities
- 07:00 PM: Further in-depth data and training may be provided to those who wish it
Please keep in mind, that your schedule is always dependent on the weather. We therefore ask you to be flexible, patient and open-minded. Furthermore, you should be aware that there is no guaranteed number of dives per day.

Life on site in the Philippines

Together with your team members, you will live in a single level building which has nine shared, single-sex dormitories with en-suite wet rooms and fans. The wet rooms are equipped with a bucket-flushing toilet and a bucket shower. You can also find a communal screened shower outside. In the dormitories you will sleep in bunk beds and are provided with a mattress, a pillow, two sets of bed linen and a mosquito net.

The house furthermore has a large communal area, a kitchen, a science room and a medical room. Even though 24-hour electricity is provided, occasional blackouts may occur. There are basic facilities for hand washing clothes on-site, alternatively a local villager can wash items for a small fee.
During your volunteer stay in the Philippines, you will be provided with three meals per day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. A simple breakfast is usually prepared by one of the volunteer team. Lunch will either be cooked by a staff member or taken as a packed lunch, in case you and your team will be away from site. Dinner is prepared by the programme’s fantastic chef who will introduce you to the local cuisine. Cold beverages and snacks are available on site at an additional cost.
The currency in the Philippines is the Philippine peso (₱ or PHP). You can either exchange your currency to Philippine pesos in advance of travel or at the counters at the airport in Manila. In general, small denomination notes recommended. Opportunities to exchange money during the project are limited. Withdrawing cash from credit cards may cause problems in the Philippines – you should rather consider using a pre-paid travel card.

On site, you should calculate costs for leisure time activities (including transfers and accommodation outside programme hours), laundry, souvenirs and additional snacks and beverages like soft drinks or alcohol. We recommend taking along around 170 US$ for any in-country transfer as well as additional 100 US$ per month for other personal expenses. Keep in mind that you will need more money if you want to extend your visa.
There is mobile reception throughout most of the Philippines. As international roaming can be quite expensive, we recommend buying a local SIM card (GLOBE SIM) at the airport with enough data/airtime so you can contact friends and family at home. At Manila Airport, just past luggage collections, you have the chance to get a free “traveller’s GLOBE SIM”, otherwise they are available in most towns for only a little cost.
Climate in the Philippines is tropical maritime which means it is usually hot and humid. There are three seasons: a hot and dry season (March to May), a rainy season (June to November) and a cool and dry season (December to February). Temperatures range from 21°C to 32°C. The coolest month is January while the hottest month is May. Throughout the year, the average day temperature is 26-27°C.
Our partner’s staff members are all trained as first aiders. Furthermore, casualty evacuation procedures have been devised specifically for the Philippines site in the event of a serious injury or medical problem. Our partner has also set up on site-guidelines to keep participants safe – in return, a safety briefing will teach you how to behave sensibly and to make sure that you do not put yourself in harm’s way. In case of minor issues, basic medical care is available at the project site. In case of more serious problems, you will be taken to one of the nearest hospitals which are a 15- to 60-minute drive away. Please consider that you are personally liable for any expenditure related to medical treatment that cannot be offered at the expedition base – this is why adequate travel health insurance is a MUST.

Learn what others say about their Natucate adventure.

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Review Volunteering Maldives – Alain

“Ocean and underwater world lovers should definitely book this project!”

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Review Volunteering Seychelles North Island – Nancy

“My expectations have definitely been exceeded. I will never forget my time on North Island.”

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Review Volunteering in Costa Rica – Adeline

“We saved a turtle from poachers! Thanks to the coast guards, we found her alive and released her to the sea. Also I was lucky to witness two hatchlings. I’m a mommy of 38 and co-mommy of 57 babies.”

1. Southern Leyte

Southern Leyte is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. It ranks as the second least populated in the region.

Here, travellers can enjoy the beauty of the Philippines to the fullest. Picturesque coastal roads, magnificent beaches, jungle-covered hills and endless green rice paddies – the province of Southern Leyte can be considered a real tropical jewel. Furthermore, the province is every diving enthusiast’s dream as it is home to some of the most diverse and breathtaking coral reefs on the planet.

Southern Leyte is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. It ranks as the second least populated in the region.

Here, travellers can enjoy the beauty of the Philippines to the fullest. Picturesque coastal roads, magnificent beaches, jungle-covered hills and endless green rice paddies – the province of Southern Leyte can be considered a real tropical jewel. Furthermore, the province is every diving enthusiast’s dream as it is home to some of the most diverse and breathtaking coral reefs on the planet.

Background of the marine conservation project in the Philippines

The Philippines are found in the Coral Triangle, an area characterised by an enormous biodiversity and unmatched by any other marine region on Planet Earth. It is home to over 70% of all known coral species, to more than 50% of Indo-Pacific reef fish and to six of the seven marine turtle species.

Since 2002, our partner in the Philippines has been dedicated to studying and sustainably conserving the island nation’s fascinating coral reefs, focusing on the province of Southern Leyte. Work revolves around scientific data collection, community outreach and education programmes and capacity building. This holistic approach helps to understand the communities’ needs, to build relationships, to comprehend the importance of coral reefs and to work towards successful marine resource management.

The overall aim: to provide resources to help sustain livelihoods and alleviate poverty through the protection, restoration and management of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in Southern Leyte. To keep up this crucial work, our partner relies on the help of dedicated volunteers who are willing to make an active contribution to marine research and conservation.