Childcare & Children Volunteer Programs in Tacloban City

My highlight was definitely getting to know the community and getting a glimpse of what the rural lifestyle is like. People were so grateful and delighted to see volunteers, and you can feel the impact you are having on the community. My highlight was spreading knowledge of what I learned in nursing school to less-experienced volunteers. The food and accommodation were so amazing. The staff was very accommodating and the sweetest.

I am very grateful to have participated in this project. I am returning from my assignment at the Philippine schools with somewhat mixed emotions, though the experience was deeply moving and rewarding in many ways. I was deeply impressed by the locals' positive mindset. The community welcomed me with smiles, and the students were grateful and respectful. Furthermore, I was enchanted by the beautiful surroundings at both locations. The stunning scenery, with its pristine beaches and palm trees, provided wonderful opportunities for swimming and relaxing after work. It was the perfect backdrop to unwind. A major highlight was the excellent support at the volunteer camp. The local team did an outstanding job, and I felt very comfortable and well-cared for. • Catering: The cook prepared truly delicious meals every day. • Maintenance: The cleaning staff kept the rooms spotless, and the gardens were always perfectly maintained. • Support: The coordinators and support staff were reliable, professional, and incredibly kind. Their efforts made the camp feel like a home away from home.

At the clinic, I was taught different nursing techniques UNDER SUPERVISION (placing IV lines, vaccinating, suturing, taking vital signs...). This was truly useful when going to rural areas where access to hospitals does not exist. We mostly cared for newborns, children, and pregnant women. We also treated and gave talks on hypertension and diabetes, focusing on both treatment and PREVENTION. During this volunteer experience, I realized how important and crucial prevention is to avoid hospitals from collapsing. In terms of my training as a medical student, I learned and practiced as a family doctor UNDER SUPERVISION, dealing with respiratory problems (pneumonia, asthma...), lower-risk illnesses (fever, digestive issues...), medical check-ups, and minor injuries (animal bites, burns...). The Philippines was a constant journey of contradictions. It showed me that there is beauty in simplicity, resilience in poverty, and freedom in music. I feel that I leave a part of myself in that place, but at the same time, I have carried its essence with me in every moment lived, kept in the form of memories of a medical student. The food and the acommodation was perfect. The family I stayed with, the Villafuerte family and my local team, were my guides; they made me feel that the Philippines was a home even while being far from my own. I will always remember. Everything was perfect

Involvement Volunteers International responded to this reviewSeptember 11, 2025

Wow, what an amazing and heartfelt review! 🌟 It’s so inspiring to hear how much hands-on experience you gained under supervision, and how it’s shaped your perspective on the importance of prevention and community care. :))

Is was great, the local team make sure that I had the veste expérience ever. While I was there we experienced some huge flooding so we helped the community to recover from it and it was a really strong experience. I never thought before in front of the class but I really enjoyed, the children were adorable The local team was really great !! Always nice and welcoming. The food also was really really good and the accommodation was perfect.

Involvement Volunteers International responded to this reviewAugust 25, 2025

We’re thrilled to hear how positive your time was! Every volunteer leaves an impact, and it’s inspiring to see how much you got out of it as well.

This was a vulnerable time for the residents of Leyte as many of them had just suffered through typhoon Yolanda. However, with the guidance of administration and other volunteers, we were able to undertake many tasks to help the community recover from the long-lasting effects. There was a neighborhood clean up, cooking at a local community center, clothing and book drives and teaching at a local primary school. This experience was the second time in Tacloban, and I would gladly go back and help wherever needed.

Volunteering in the Philippines with VFV was an amazing experience and I couldn't ask for anything more! Even though it was a short experience, I am walking away with new life skills, a ton of new friends, and a complete love of this island nation!

I volunteered at SOS Children's Village in Tacloban City with VFV for 2 weeks. During my time there I played games with the kids, worked on math skills, and held arts and crafts time. The orphanage itself has an incredible structure, allowing the children to form families within individual homes fit with individual house mothers who become like a real Mother to them. You would never know that all 120 children at SOS are orphans or children who's parents can no longer care for them, the atmosphere is loving, caring, and inviting.

I worked on the Santo Nino Nutrition Project for seven weeks during the summer of 2013. Monday through Friday we had daily supplemental feedings for the children participating in the program in this village. My partners and I also held nutrition education classes for the Boys and Girls Clubs at the VFV Center, gave a lecture at a local high school, and administered health and sanitation lessons to the mothers of the children in the feeding program. At the end of my stay we implemented a small community garden in which we planted peppers, eggplant, tomatoes etc. in recycled water jugs for the families in Santo Nino. I would highly recommend VFV to anybody- it has been the highlight of my life so far. The smiles of the locals are contagious and there are happy vibes everywhere you go; I never once felt in danger. During my time in Tacloban there were many other volunteers and we would all spend time together on the weekends and when we weren't at our placements during the week. These people are truly appreciative and seeing there positive mindset is absolutely life-changing!

Volunteering at the Department of Social Welfare and Development run orphanage with Volunteer for the Visayans honestly changed my life. It opened my eyes to the true desperation that comes with extreme poverty. I spent many hours each day in the orphanage nursery, sometimes caring for 16 toddlers and infants at one time. From one child to the next the routine never stopped, diaper, bottle, love, rest, repeat. It was rewarding, disheartening, and amazing all at the same time. The stories of the children's lives before the orphanage, however short, shocked me at first. Some were literally left in garbage bins, others in resting public transport in the middle of the night, and other abandoned after birth at the hospital. A handful of the children were willingly given up by their parents, who realistically had no way of caring for another child. It broke my heart to hear the stories, but everytime I walked out the door I was filled with joy at the pictures which lined the entrance of children with their adoptive families abroad. The children's smiles were bursting as they went on their first sledding excursion with their parents, met their grandmother for the first time, took a family picture with their older siblings, or played with the family dog. Those pictures kept me going, and the thought that each moment I spent with each baby was enough, enough for them to know for that moment that they were loved and safe. Volunteering at an orphanage will open your eyes to the experiences of the most innocent humans on the planet, their struggles, needs, and desires. It will provide you with one of the most fulfilling experiences of your life.