At The Language Gap, you don't have to learn another language to make an impact - if you are fascinated by another culture or have a skill you want to learn or share, we can find the right option for you. Kaya (19) was about to start a degree in Architecture in the U.K. and had always been fascinated by the Philippines - it was time for a project out there as part of her gap year! With full support with a brilliant team on the ground, a fun team of volunteers and an easy booking process with a trusted partner all managed by TLG, her dream came true:
"I spent a month volunteering in Tigman Village in Palawan, Philippines in May-June 2026. I did construction and renovation, and we were mainly working on renovating the village school. The main project was building the school stage, I painted metal panels for the roof, mixed and laid concrete, and painted the stage. We also did other jobs such as fixing and painting furniture, filling in holes in the walls and floors and cleaning and painting the classrooms.
I also had the opportunity to participate in other volunteering projects, such as childcare and healthcare. I would play games with the local children, and help teach them their lessons. Also, in the evenings we would go and watch the kids have dance practice at the village basketball court, which was really fun as they are so talented. I also had the opportunity to join the healthcare volunteers on an outreach project to a remote tribal community, where I took pictures and helped them out.
While I was there, I learnt so much about the local culture. I chose to do a culture week at the beginning of my programme, where I did various activities such as a Filipino cooking class, a language lesson, traditional coconut carving at a local farm, traditional roof weaving, and a visit to the Agriculture University where I tried such amazing local fruits! Every Monday we had a culture night, where the local high school dancers would preform traditional Filipino dances.
One of the highlights of my trip was getting to know and bonding with the local community. In the volunteer centre, most of the staff are from the local village, and they are so kind and took such good care of us. They cooked us the most amazing food, every meal I would eat so much because the food was just incredible. It really felt like I was a part of their family. The village kids regularly hang out and play at the volunteer centre, so even if you are not doing childcare as your main project you still get to spend time with the kids. They are so sweet and they all speak fluent English so I really got to bond with them.
Photo: Kaya hard at work painting a panel for the new roof for the school stage.
Another highlight was meeting and spending time with the other volunteers. I met people from all around the world, and new people come every week so it was really easy to make friends. The volunteer centre has a really nice pool; it was great to hang out there together. It is also super close to the beach which was so beautiful and such a nice place to spend time, but unfortunately we couldn’t swim there due to jellyfish season. Every Wednesday we would go to Nara, a town half an hour away from the village and have Jolibee, a Filipino fast food chain. We would also visit a nearby waterfall, which had such clear and cool water, perfect for cooling off.
Photo: Kaya is surprised by the friendly pigs on an island near Port Barton.
I also really enjoyed exploring the island of Palawan, and also other places in the Philippines. On my first weekend, a few of the volunteers and I went to Port Barton, which is a beach town a couple of hours away from the volunteer centre. While there we did a boat tour where we snorkelled and visited beautiful islands. We also visited a beach with wild pigs! On another weekend I visited Puerto Princesa, and went to Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which is the longest river cave in the world, and is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. I also had the opportunity to go to Cebu and Bohol, where I visited my childhood nanny.
Photo: Kaya makes friends with local children at the village basketball court.
After my volunteering placement I spent a few days in El Nido, which was so much fun. There are lots of solo travellers there so it was really easy to meet people; the hostels there had really fun events. The boat tour in El Nido was incredible, I got to see the 2026 most beautiful beach in the world, Entalula Island, which definitely lived up to its name. I also did the El Nido to Coron 3-day boat expedition, where I spent 2 nights on remote islands sleeping in traditional bamboo tents. The food was amazing, made fresh every day and I made lots of friends on the trip. We spent the days visiting islands and snorkelling. I honestly don’t think I will ever go to another place that has beaches more beautiful than the Philippines. I definitely recommend going to volunteer in Palawan; I had such a wonderful time and connected so much with the community."
Photo: Kaya snorkelling with a pink turtle in the Philippines.