Batuan, Philippines 2025

The cost of this trip for each volunteer is tax deductible donation of TBD.  We expect the volunteer fee to be less than $950.00. You will be notified of the final cost as soon as possible.  Volunteers are also responsible for purchasing their international airfare to Masbate City (MBT). 

About the trip: GFR has been invited to provide primary health care and dental care in Masbate Province, Philippines.  Masbate is the 8th poorest province in the Philippines and Batuan is a Fifth Class Municipality.  The primary occupation is fishing, farming, but mining is also prevalent. Our local partners live in Batuan for 6 months of the year and their large family has been residents in the area for many years.   

Your team will provide medical and dental care, midwifery,  and health education for the very youngest to the very oldest patients. In addition to general care, we will focus on providing reading and prescription glasses to our older patients.  Depending on the expertise of our team, we will also work with the local government to build a sustainability project.

Sustainability:  GFR will continue our focus on maternal and neonatal/infant mortality reduction on this trip.  Many maternal and infant deaths occur on the island because families lack the funds, can’t find transportation, or simply wait to long.  Educating certified and volunteer midwives and educating families about how to care for acutely ill children will help to change improve outcomes.  Our local partner will ensure the continuity of our work.  

GFR has a long history of building and repairing schools, clinics, and community centers in areas where we provide care, as well as placing permanent drinking water treatment facilities in communities that have great need.  In 2022, we built a school in the Peruvian Amazon, and in 2023 we built a community center and orphanage in Liberia, in addition to completing the installation of water purification systems in India, Uganda, and Zambia. In 2024, we installed new water treatment facilities in Zambia and India and built a new community center in the Peruvian Amazon.

Trip Highlights: We don’t even know where to start telling you about the highlights of this trip.  

Each day an advance team will arrive at clinic while our team is eating breakfast in the Kamalig – a special meeting area that our hosts provide where we can sit above the water and watch the boats, the sunrise, the sunset and much more.  They will set up clinic for us – all of the tables, chairs, supplies, and signage will be ready for you upon arrival!  

All of our food is cooked to American standards by a team of women who want nothing more than your clean plate at the end of the meal.  Dinners will be at the homes of a variety of community members or in the Kamalig.  If a fiesta is happening, we’ll be there.  There may even be a special dancing night at our hotel!  

The hotel is air conditioned and lovely.  It is a 10 minute drive from the Kamalig.  Showers are cool but not cold and towels are provided.  The rooms are lovely and large.  The hotel is right on the beach where the sunrise and sunset await your viewing.  

Our translators are excellent.  They are top notch nursing students from the nursing school in Masbate City and they will stay with us at the hotel along with their teachers.  This is an amazing opportunity for them to learn and for you to teach – and for them to teach and you to learn.   These students are spectacular!  

On our day off, our host will provide a full day excursion to one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines with snorkeling, a traditional feast, and a day to relax and recharge.  The crystal clear water holds gorgeous starfish, sea urchins, fish, and more for your viewing pleasure.  Snorkel masks are provided but feel free to bring your own if you are so inclined. This is included in your fee to GFR.  

Want to dive or learn how?  You may arrange by private arrangements with our host for an after-trip experience!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:  You will be expected to walk on uneven footing and walk on narrow ramps up and down for entry to the boats, carrying your gear. While our support team will help you, you need to understand that this is a requirement for this trip.  Our team will travel to clinics each day by either boat or motorbike.  A van will be available if you don’t want to ride on the back of a motorbike.  Our motorbike drivers are safe, trusted family members of our host and will take the utmost care.  

February is the end of rainy season!  Please make sure you have a heavy duty rain poncho suitable for wearing on a motorbike or an open catamaran-type boat!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR PHYSICIANS, DENTISTS, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, NURSE PRACTITIONERS, MIDWIVES: You are required to submit the following documents by November 1, 2024.  These documents are REQUIRED, by the government of the Philippines, to be APOSTILLE certified by the Secretary of State where your documents are issued.  Your current Medical License, Certificate of Good Standing, copy of information page of your passport, and 2 passport-like photos are required for approval by the Philippines for you to practice.  

Arrivals and Departures for the Medical/Dental Team:  Plan to arrive in Masbate City, Masbate (airport code: MBT) on or before early morning February 22, 2025.  The airport is on the main island of Masbate but your team will work in the township of Batuan, on the nearby Island of Ticao. The official start date of the trip is February 22, 2025.  Your hotel and food are “on your own” prior to the morning of February 22, 2025.  

Please note: At this time, there is only 1 flight per day from Manila to Masbate City at 0535 (AM) on Cebu Pacific.  There is also an overnight ferry from Manila, which is less expensive than the flight.  You are responsible for booking your own travel from Manila to Masbate City to meet the requirements of the team.  You will incur an additional expense if you miss the arrival day in Masbate City for a guide and additional ferry costs.  This information is subject to changes by the airline and the ferry line.   We will update this information if additional options become available.

After meeting your team at the airport in Manila, on the overnight ferry, or in Masbate City in the early morning of February 22, 2025, your team will meet with our local team members and travel on the early ferry to Batuan.  We will hold 5.5 days of medical and specialty clinics with a rest/sightseeing day during the week.  On March 1, 2025 your team will take the late afternoon ferry back to Masbate City and will be free to fly home on March 2, 2025.  Please see the “after the trip” section for more information on staying longer in The Philippines.

What’s Included: This trip includes lodging, transportation, translators, water, and most meals within the official dates of the trip (February 22, 2025 arrival in Masbate City and March 2, 2025 departure from Masbate City).  Most clinic supplies and any special projects are covered by GFR. 

What’s Not Included: Your international and local airfare, snacks and drinks other than water, personal vaccines, and pre/post trip travel costs and expenses, trip insurance, transportation to and from the Manila airport to the domestic terminal, and any post-trip adventures you wish to engage in while in the Philippines There may also be a small licensing fee in the Philippines which you will also be responsible for when you complete the formal application for the Ministry of Health (appx. $25.00 for physicians).  US Citizens may travel to the Philippines for up to 30 days without a visa.  Other nationalities should be researched accordingly.  

Cost: The cost of this trip is appx. $950.00 per person plus airfare.  You are responsible for purchasing airfare that meets the required arrival and departure times.  We always suggest giving yourself extra time for delayed or canceled flights and that you purchase trip insurance from a reputable carrier.  This trip is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.  You or your donors will receive a tax receipt upon making a donation. Please note: All donations made on your behalf through the application system or the Global First Responder website are non-refundable to you.  Any funds that you or your donors donate will be 100% utilized for patient care or projects directly benefiting our partner communities.  

How is your cost calculated?: At Global First Responder we strive to keep your costs low and our quality high.   We value your participation and willingness to volunteer your time and expertise. Everyone at Global First Responder is also a volunteer, donating their time to administrative tasks and paying their own way to participate in medical and construction missions around the world and here at home.  The fee you pay covers the actual cost of your expenses in country including lodging, transportation, meals, and translator fees and expenses and a small fee (<$150.00) for a share of medications and supplies so we can continue to offer high quality care and medications to our patients.  At GFR, no one is paid a salary, and everyone is a passionate volunteer, doing our part to help drive our mission of “One Global World, One Global Family”.

After the trip:  There is so much to do in the Philippines that it is hard for us to choose what to highlight for you! In Masbate Province, the natural beauty of the area is unparalleled, with beautiful white sand beaches, sandbars, and rolling green hills. The Manta Bowl Shoal is a top dive location for whale sharks and mantas, and San Miguel Island is renowned for its untouched corals and varied macro life. Consider staying on Ticao for a few days – the island is absolutely beautiful!  It is a diver’s paradise, a hiker’s paradise, and a fisherman’s paradise.  If you want to dive, we’ll put you in contact with our host for some world-class diving!   If you prefer city life, spend some time in Manila or Cebu via a stopover on your way home!  February is peak time to see the whale sharks of Cebu so consider spending an extra day to see or swim with these extraordinary filter-feeding sharks.  

 

Click here to apply for this trip:  I want to join the GFR team in BATUAN, PHILIPPINES!                                                                                                          

If this is your first time applying in our application system, please create AND SAVE a login and password.  You may use this login and password for all future trips you apply for (and we hope to see you on LOTS of GFR trips!!) and you will need it to complete certain requirements of our trips.

Sample Itinerary: 

PRIOR TO February 22, 2025: The trip will officially start on the morning of February 22 in either Masbate City or at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in Manila for the flight to Masbate City.   We highly recommend arriving in Manila on February 21 to spend the night (or in Masbate City) and meet your team!  Hotels and meals are “on your own” prior to the morning of February 22 – please make your own hotel reservations in Manila or Masbate City (you will know the host hotel well in advance).  Arriving a day or two ahead is a great way to rest up from your long flight, explore Manila, and find and meet your new teammates!  

February 22, 2025: Transfer from Manila to Masbate City to Batuan, Ticao.  Following your early flight to Masbate City, there will be a morning team meeting at 0800 after breakfast and a 45 minute ferry ride to Ticao Island.  Upon arrival in Batuan, your team will come together to organize supplies and get ready for the week. There will be some team building during the day and you wil be checked into the host resort for some down time.  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are included.  Transportation by ferry, motorbike, chariot, and van.

February 23 – 25, 2025: Your team will have clinic for the next 3 days in 3 different locations.  Our advance team will do the clinic setup. Upon arrival at clinic, you will set up clinic areas and prepare for patients!  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Transportation by motorbike, van, and boat.

February 26, 2025: Today is your rest day!  The activities are “on your own” but we hope you will join the team for a day of snorkeling on a beautiful, small beach.  You can snorkel and feast on a fabulous local bar-be-que, set up by our amazing hosts.  If you prefer, you can set up hiking, diving, or simply rest on your own.  Breakfast and dinner are included.  Lunch is included if you join the team at snorkeling.  Transportation by foot and boat.  

February 27 – March 1, 2025:  The next 2.5 days are clinic days.  You are recharged and ready to work!   We will have a banquet and recap of the trip at a surprise location on February 28.  Late afternoon on March 1 we will catch the last ferry back to Masbate City  Breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the hotel in Masbate City on March 1 are included. 

March 2, 2025: Today is the departure day for the team Masbate City to Manila.  Saying goodbye to your team will be hard!  We hope you will stay longer in The Philippines – natural beauty, diving, waterfalls, and the city of Manila and its rich and long history await!  See the after the trip section for more information. No meals are included today.  You can plan to fly internationally in the late afternoon or book a hotel to enjoy a day or two in Manila.