Experience island life and culture in Coron, Palawan, Philippines

Details

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  Description

  We’re a young travel social enterprise based in Coron, Palawan, creating meaningful travel experiences that genuinely benefit local communities. We believe tourism should go beyond sightseeing—it should create connection, opportunity, and positive impact.
  
  After a long pause since 2020, we're finally restarting operations and entering an exciting new chapter. This means fresh energy, new ideas, and a rare opportunity for volunteers to help rebuild something special from the ground up. If you've ever wanted to join a small startup where your ideas can genuinely shape the future, this is it.
  
  Our signature experience, brings travelers to a remote part of Coron Island, where we work alongside indigenous Tagbanua families. Our guests spend the day kayaking through hidden coves, learning Filipino cooking, playing beach games, sharing stories, and taking part in hands-on cultural experiences that celebrate local traditions and heritage. More than a tour, it's about creating genuine friendships and memorable encounters between travelers and local communities.
  
  We're still a very small team, made up of myself (Aldrich), a operations manager, our Tagbanua partner families, and volunteers like you. We're looking for curious, kind, adaptable people who enjoy taking initiative, solving problems, and helping turn ideas into reality. You don't need to know everything—we value enthusiasm, patience, and a willingness to learn far more than previous experience.
  
  Beyond the experience, our wider mission includes:
  • Supporting indigenous livelihoods by creating handmade ornaments for European Christmas markets.
  • Youth development through English-language and educational programs.
  • Cultural preservation by helping keep traditional knowledge, crafts, and local stories alive through tourism.
  
  No two weeks are exactly the same. Depending on the season and your interests, you might help welcome guests, host activities, promote our experiences around Coron, assist with photography or social media, improve the beach base camp, brainstorm new ideas, or contribute to creative projects that help our social enterprise grow.
  
  Our beach base camp is intentionally simple rather than luxurious. You'll wake up to a beautiful tropical beach, crystal-clear water, spectacular sunsets, and a peaceful island atmosphere—but also basic facilities, tropical heat, insects, occasional rain, and limited mobile signal. We're continually improving the space by building better bathrooms, expanding our kitchen and lounge, creating a small beach bar, and developing new guest experiences. Volunteers become part of that creative process.
  
  Because we're rebuilding a young business, flexibility is important. Plans sometimes change with the weather, guest bookings, or new opportunities. If you're happiest with rigid schedules and highly structured routines, this probably isn't the best fit. But if you enjoy entrepreneurship, learning by doing, wearing different hats, and helping shape something from the ground up, you'll likely find the experience incredibly rewarding.
  
  This isn't a beach holiday where you'll occasionally lend a hand. It's an opportunity to live simply, contribute meaningfully, meet fascinating people from around the world, work alongside indigenous communities, and help build a travel project that aims to make tourism a genuine force for good.
  
  If that sounds like your kind of adventure, we'd love to hear from you.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Creative DIY projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Hospitality/Tourism

  Light maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Chance to travel around and explore hidden places... Experiencing life in the great outdoors... Learning local cultures and cuisine... Becoming friends with like-minded travellers from around the world... And so much more!
  
  Two meals are included for volunteering: breakfast and lunch. Our simple breakfast consists of a fruit, pastries, oatmeal and coffee/tea in the morning, which volunteers are responsible for arranging from the bakeshop. Lunch is typically rice with vegetables and the occasional meat; we are very happy with vegetarians. As for dinner, you may have access to a kitchen for prepping meals and save. A cheap, yet hearty meal in town range from 70-120 pesos per meal. We also like to eat together and practice 'kitty' system for a bigger budget. For a week in town, you shouldn't expect to spend more than USD20 on meals.

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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

  We’re looking for enthusiastic, hands-on volunteers to join us in the following areas:
  
  HOSTING
  -Create a fun, welcoming, and social atmosphere for guests 💥
  -Engage with travelers through games, conversations, and shared experiences
  -Help make each day feel unique, memorable, and full of positive energy
  - Support daily operations before, during and after trips to the island base camp
  
  ARTISTIC & CREATIVE SKILLS
  -Capture high-quality photos and videos for our website and social media (TikTok, Instagram)
  -Write engaging travel blogs highlighting Coron town and feature our team and partner families
  -Contribute to creative projects such as murals, signage, and visual design
  -Share your skills by teaching art and creativity to indigenous young adults
  
  DIGITAL & TECH SKILLS
  -Assist with marketing, promotions, and growing our online presence (SEO, content, social media)
  -Help improve and expand features on our website
  -Support backend operations such as spreadsheets, budgeting, and accounting systems
  
  OTHER PROJECTS & INITIATIVES
  -Help set up and maintain a compost system and herb garden (starting October 2026)
  -Research and develop Filipino and indigenous fusion cuisine
  -Collaborate on menu development (with a heavy focus on vegetarian-friendly meals)
  -Contribute ideas and skills to improve our camp and overall guest experience
  -Develop team building games and challenges for the experience
  
  2026 SCHEDULE
  May 1-June 5
  June 21-July 19
  October 1-December 15
  
  APPLICATION
  We’ve been lucky to receive a high level of interest—thank you! We receive many applications each week, but space is very limited both on the boat and in our Coron town accommodations. If you’re interested, please apply at least 2 weeks in advance and take the time to complete our Volunteer Questionnaire thoughtfully. This helps us find the best fit for both you and the experience.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Tagalog: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Volunteers are housed together in a small, shared, co-ed studio apartment rooms (13sqm) located in a very residential area of Coron's town center. The accommodation has its own basic bathroom and a small kitchen counter, and is fan-only without air-conditioning. The toilet is small and requires a manual flush. Living standard here is very basic. All the necessities are within 5-10 minute walking distance.
  
  Meanwhile, while out on a trip to base camp or remote islands, our team sometimes camp between huts and tent arrangement-- either way it's nothing short of paradise! Either hut or tent will have a 4-inch, single-size foam mattress with pillow, beddings and mosquito nets. On the islands, we assume no fresh water for showers and of course, no air-conditioning. Phone data can be surprisingly good, though most guests deplore the connection. We have solar power for charging small gadgets and some lighting, but is strictly for team use only.
  
  Two (2) meals are covered on working days while in town: breakfast and lunch. Either we give a food stipend or cook together.

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  What else ...

  We currently do not have a motorbike available, but do have an SUV to take the team on distant road trips! Just split fuel cost. There are waterfalls, beaches and river mangroves waiting to be explored! Meanwhile, the more-commercial town of El Nido is just a 4-hour ferry ride away, with trips departing twice daily.
  
  -- How to Get Here --
  · From Metro Manila: 2Go Ferry departs on Fridays 5pm and arrives in Coron the following morning. Atienza Ferry departs 2x weekly from near Intramuros. Daily flights on SkyJet, Cebu Pacific and PAL from Clark Airport (CRK) in Angeles City, 2 hours north of Manila is the best and cheapest option.
  · From Puerto Princesa: 2Go Ferry departs once a week and arrives later that evening.
  · From El Nido: 4-5 hours by ferry on Montenegro, Jomalia or Atienza.
  · From Cebu: Daily flights on Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines.
  
  -- Meet our Local Team --
  · Captain: Benjamin
  · Guides: Noeme, Bernard, Lucy
  · Lead host: Simo
  · Admin: Aldrich, Lovely, Rusheen, Angie
  · Beach Crew: Kuya Undes, Robert, Alben, Gela, Hilven, Rizel
  
  -- Things to See and Do Locally --
  · Road trip to West Busuanga for waterfalls, beaches, giraffes and dugongs!
  · River kayaking around Kingfisher Park and Old Busuanga mangroves
  · Motorbike to Cabu Beach and Maquinit Hot Springs near town
  · Climb Mt. Tapyas near the office for sunrise or sunset views - great exercise!
  · Workout at the local weights gym or learn Muay Thai with a coach

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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