On weekends you can enjoy the beach, try out some diving or explore the local area. Head for example for Coron Bay, located at the northwest of Palawan (between Busuanga and Culion islands) that is known for being one of the best wreck diving locations in the world. Only 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa you can find the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park which has recently been voted as one of the new 7 wonders of nature.
Our accommodation is in Tigman village in Aborlan District, a small and laid-back community on a beautifully unspoilt beach which is great place to relax BUT please note there are often jelly fish in the sea, so it may not be possible to swim. The rooms are shared between 4-8 people on a single gender basis. Please note the whole village shares the water supply and there is very little water pressure, so most of the time it's necessary to take a bucket wash as the actual showers don't have enough water pressure to work.
Connection to Wi-Fi in the camp is very poor and most of the time it's not available, so we advise buying a Globe Sim card with 3G on arrival into the Philippines. We provide linen, mosquito protection and fans, but no towels. Laundry facilities are limited so please expect to wash your clothes by hand.
All volunteers are expected to be environmentally conscious and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to participate in keeping the accommodation neat and organized.
Arrival Transfer
Airport transfer is included on Sunday before your program start on the following Monday. Pick-ups are available all day between 10:00 and 17:00 - your travel advisor can help inform us on your flight arrival information. If arriving on Saturday, you need to book an extra night at our accommodation (including meals) and a transfer because this night is not included in the program fee (just ask your travel advisor to help book this for you).
After passing customs at the Puerto Princesa International Airport, proceed to the arrival gate. Our representative will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name. You may need to wait for several participants to arrive before the group leaves the airport. The travel time to our center is about 90 minutes from the airport.
What to do, if...
... you are waiting at the airport / bus terminal but can’t find the person to pick you up?
Make sure you have passed customs and are at the exit as described above. If you are there already, stay where you are and wait some more. The coordinator might just have got stuck in traffic. If after waiting at least 30 minutes you still can’t find the person, try calling our transfer coordinator (phone number below). If she doesn’t answer on the first try, keep trying.
...you can’t reach the transfer coordinator on the phone.
Please send her a text message and wait at the meeting point. She might be busy and will get back to you shortly. If for some reason she doesn’t get back to you, try again.
...you don’t get an reply to your messages.
Stay at the meeting point. We will meet you there in any case.
DO NOT LEAVE THE MEETING POINT, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL TO OUR CENTER ON YOUR OWN.
Early/Late Arrivals
Volunteers arriving before or after the Sunday need to make their way to their accommodation on their own. We only offer pick-up transfers on the Sunday before your program begins. We discourage late arrivals as it may take longer for you to settle into your program. If arriving early/late, please make sure to let us know beforehand, preferably when making the booking.
Any emergency early/late arrivals need to be communicated to us via email philippines@thegreenlion.net and the late arrival instructions need to be followed (see following).
Instructions: How to get to us on your own
By taxi: You can take a taxi at the airport straight to our center (address below). A ride should not take more than 90 minutes and should not cost you more than 2000 PHP. We suggest you negotiate the price with the driver beforehand.
By bus: You can also take a bus to our center (address below). From the airport please take a tricycle to the new bus station which should not cost you more than 200 PHP. At the bus station, please take the bus to Aborlan. The first bus leaves at 05:00 and the last one at 23:00, buses are leaving every 2 hours. The bus ticket costs 130 PHP. Get off at Plaridel and not at Aborlan since you will need to continue your trip to Tigman village, the place where our center is located. Plaridel is a village located at the highway next to Tigman village. At the Plaridel highway you can take a tricycle to our center which will cost you around 60 PHP. We suggest you negotiate the price with the driver beforehand, please feel free to contact our coordinator if you require assistance.
** Please note: All prices are referential, and the actual charges may vary. We cannot be held responsible if you pay more than mentioned above. **
Departure Information
We will assist you in arranging a local bus or taxi back to the airport at the end of your stay. A bus will cost around 130 PHP + 2 tricycle costs of around 140 PHP in total. A taxi from our center to the airport should not cost you more than 2000 PHP.
Please note that you will need to pay the country tax which costs 550 PHP when you leave the Philippines. A terminal fee at Puerto Princesa International Airport for a domestic flight is 200 PHP.
Please note: All prices are referential, and the actual charges may vary. We cannot be held responsible if you pay more than mentioned above.
Contact Information
Transfer & Program Coordinator: Glory Rose Bumanlag (she speaks English, Filipino)
Mobile: +63 (0) 915 382 8221 Philippines
Email: philippines@thegreenlion.net
Other Useful Contacts
In-country coordinator: Mr. Abe, Miko (he speaks English, Filipino)
Contact For Emergencies
Mobile: +63 (0) 977 470 2104
E-mail:philippines@thegreenlion.net
Emergency Numbers
117 Tourist Police (The Tourist Police are trained to assist you in English. Direct any safety concerns to them.)
16016 Fire Brigade
16911 Medical assistance
Addresses
Head Office & Accommodation
Tigman Village
Aborlan
Palawan
The Philippines
During the week three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) a day will be served on site at the volunteer accommodation. At the weekends only lunch and dinner are served but there is bread and spreads available for breakfast. The cuisine is mainly local Philippine including lots of vegetables, meat, egg and rice. Please inform us of any dietary restrictions or intolerances during your application. However, we need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but also as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible and accommodating to the local food. Water, tea and coffee are always available and there is a local kiosk where you can buy and extra snacks and drinks if needed.
What to Bring
Malaria precautions, sun block, teaching materials such as English books, toys, games, color pencils, erasers etc.
Dress Code
Your clothing should cover your knees and shoulders while at work. Normal shoes or sandals, no flip-flops are allowed at the school.
Local SIM Card
We highly recommend buying a cheap local SIM card for your whole time in the Philippines (for your own personal safety and for easier/cheaper communication with other volunteers, staff and family back home), and especially if traveling to us by yourself this becomes especially useful. The SIM cards are extremely cheap, costing as little as $3 at the airport and even less from street vendors. The best SIM card to buy is Globe.