Help us in our small sustainable farm by the beach in Zambales, Philippines

Details

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  Description

  Hi!
  
  We are Bibe and Sam, a Filipino-French couple living with our two little girls, Alita and Lunaya, on a small island in Liw Liwa, Zambales.
  
  A few years ago, there was almost nothing here. Just a piece of wild jungle surrounded by the river.
  
  We started slowly. We cleared a path through the trees, built a little bamboo bridge to reach the island, and then started building our home. We made our own well for water, installed solar panels for electricity and built things little by little, mostly with local and natural materials.
  
  We never really had a big plan. We just kept building, learning and figuring things out as we went.
  
  Today, there is our little family home, a few small huts, a vegetable garden, lots of trees, plants and a collection of things we have made with our own hands.
  
  And it is still very much a work in progress.
  
  There is always something growing, something breaking, something that needs painting, fixing, cleaning or simply a little bit of love.
  
  Since having our two girls, life has become a little busier, and we realised that having someone around to share some of the work and the good moments too would be really nice.
  
  We just enjoy being around curious, open-minded people who like nature, simple living, learning new things and getting their hands dirty.
  
  If that sounds like you, welcome on board!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Videography

  

  Self development

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Languages

  

  Music

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Cooking & food

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Animals

  

  Architecture

  

  Art & design

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Adventure sports

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Beach
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  For us, Workaway has always been about much more than exchanging a few hours of work for a place to stay.
  It is about sharing everyday life.
  
  Bibe grew up here, and her family has been part of this community for many years. Our island is part of a little community called Riverside Liwa, where family, friends, surfers, artists and local families live side by side.
  
  There is no real separation between our home and the life around us. You will meet our neighbours, hear people chatting across the river, share food, probably meet a lot of dogs, and slowly get to know the people who make this place what it is.
  
  It is a nice way to discover the Philippines from the inside rather than just passing through the usual tourist places.
  
  You can learn about Filipino food, family life, local traditions and the simple rhythm of life here.
  
  And we can share some of the things we have learned while building this place: gardening, natural construction, bamboo, woodworking, basic plumbing and electrical work, living with solar power, making things from what we have around us, and generally figuring things out ourselves.
  
  But we also hope to learn from you.
  
  Maybe you play music, take photographs, paint, cook, build things, grow plants, speak another language or simply have a different way of looking at things.
  
  We like that part of the exchange too.
  
  You bring a little bit of your world, and we share a little bit of ours.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  There is always something happening on the island.
  
  Sometimes it is a real project. Sometimes it is simply a mountain of leaves that appeared overnight.
  We mainly need help taking care of the place and continuing the little projects that we never seem to completely finish.
  
  At the moment, this can include:
  
  - Sanding, painting and taking care of the wooden huts
  - Small carpentry and bamboo projects
  - Gardening, planting, watering and looking after the vegetable garden
  - Collecting leaves and keeping paths and outdoor spaces nice
  - Small maintenance and repair tasks
  - Painting signs or making things out of wood
  - Creative decoration and artwork
  - Helping us with photos, videos or ideas for our social media
  - Cooking and sharing meals
  
  You don't need to arrive knowing how to do these things.
  
  We have learned most of them ourselves, one mistake at a time, so we are happy to show you what we know.
  And if you have your own ideas, even better. We like people who look at something and think, “Maybe we could do this…”
  
  We usually ask for around 3–5 hours of help a day, 5 days a week, with two days off. We are quite flexible about when you do your hours, as long as the work gets done.
  
  Life here can be physical sometimes. You might spend the morning carrying something, sanding wood, digging in the garden or cutting bamboo, and end the day covered in dust.
  
  You also need to be comfortable with tropical life: humidity, heat, mosquitoes, ants, mud, insects and plants growing absolutely everywhere.
  
  We don't expect you to be an expert.
  
  We just ask that you come with a good attitude, a little energy and the willingness to help.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Tagalog: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We can teach you how to speak french, english and Tagalog. We are interesting to learn any new language ! :D
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  Accommodation

  You will have your own little space on the island.
  
  Depending on what is available, this can be a small simple hut, or a place for your own tent or hammock.
  There is a shared outdoor shower and toilet nearby.
  
  It is very simple, and that's probably the best way to describe it.
  
  You will wake up surrounded by trees, hear the river and birds in the morning, and probably discover a few insects that you didn't know existed.
  
  There is electricity from our solar system and WiFi.
  
  We share our meals during working days. Food is simple and homemade, and we enjoy cooking together when we have time.
  
  For your days off, you can explore the area, eat out or do your own thing.
  
  We don't have much luxury here, but there is plenty of space, nature and quiet.
  And after a few days, most people seem to stop noticing the lack of the things they thought they needed.

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  What else ...

  Liw Liwa is a special little place.
  
  It is close enough to Manila to be a popular weekend escape, but once you cross the bamboo bridges and arrive on our side of the river, things become a little quieter.
  
  The beach is about a 10-minute walk away, and surfing is a big part of life here. If you want to learn, we can show you the basics or help you find someone to teach you.
  
  You can also swim in the river, take our paddle board out, walk through the forest, explore the surrounding area or simply lie in a hammock and do nothing.
  
  There are small restaurants and cafés around the village, and plenty of places to discover in Zambales — waterfalls, mountains, beaches and rivers.
  
  But honestly, you don't always need to go anywhere.
  
  Some of our favourite moments are the simple ones: cooking together, sitting around the fire, playing music, talking with friends, watching the sunset over the river or having a beer after a long day of work.
  
  We are both into art and music, so if you play an instrument, sing, or just enjoy making noise, bring your music with you.
  
  And because we have two little girls, our life is not as spontaneous as it used to be. Some days are peaceful, some days are chaotic, and some days we have absolutely no idea what we are doing.
  
  That's family life.
  
  We are simply looking for someone who is happy to share a little part of it with us.
  
  If you want a polished, comfortable and predictable experience, this probably isn't the place.
  
  But if you like waking up in nature, learning by doing, meeting local people, eating together, getting your hands dirty and becoming part of a little community for a while...
  
  Maybe you'll like it here.
  
  We'd love to meet you.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  We have a high speed wifi (up to 90mbs on weekdays), usually on weekend the signal get bad because of the many guests in the village. Fees for internet connection can be asked.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Talong, Mister Chow, river and many more !

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