Teaching as a volunteer in a college / university

I think it is illegal to volunteer.

@sekmet , I'll be on an SRRV. SRRV holders are eligible to work, study and invest in the Philippines.

I would suggest opening communication with local universities in the area. Find out who the teachers are on the subjects you're interested in    helping with. Then open communication with said people and I would be highly surprised if they didn't have you come in occasionally to offer some western experience.

Thanks for your reply, Larry. I spent a few hours on this yesterday but didn't get anywhere. I went to university sites, but had difficulty finding names of the people concerned. When I did get names I ran them through LinkedIn and it seems nobody is there (so I can't just send them a DM).

Perhaps you meant that I should do this in person when I'm in the Philippines.

"some western experience". Yes, essentially, that's what I bring to the table. In a country where your average waiter and shop assistant is a graduate, I would expect you need to have some kick-ass academic paperwork to get taken seriously in a university. Unless, of course, you're bringing something else.

I would suggest opening communication with local universities in the area. Find out who the teachers are on the subjects you're interested in  helping with. Then open communication with said people and I would be highly surprised if they didn't have you come in occasionally to offer some western experience.
-@Larry Fisher

Unfortunately, if you want to offer any kind of free teaching/tuition services here in the Philippines ( just to keep yourself busy) they will view you with suspicion, and more especially if your a foreigner, they will assume you are just some sort of a paedophile because most Filipino's do not volunteer to

do things for free.

I know. That's why I'm specifically looking to do this in a college / university!

I've volunteered extensively in schools here in the UK, been a school governor, been a mentor for children in care....

I also have a full "enhanced" DBS as I'm a registered foster parent.

But I don't need suspicion and drama in a foreign country which is why I'm steering well clear of schools and kids and focusing on universities instead.

I would suggest opening communication with local universities in the area. Find out who the teachers are on the subjects you're interested in helping with. Then open communication with said people and I would be highly surprised if they didn't have you come in occasionally to offer some western experience.
-@Larry Fisher
Unfortunately, if you want to offer any kind of free teaching/tuition services here in the Philippines ( just to keep yourself busy) they will view you with suspicion, and more especially if your a foreigner, they will assume you are just some sort of a paedophile because most Filipino's do not volunteer to
do things for free.
-@FindlayMacD

they will assume you are just some sort of a paedophile because most Filipino's do not volunteer to

Given that University undergraduates are generally over 18 that's a non sequitur. As I understand it the legal age for consent in the Philippines is 16.

If the OP does get into the 'henhouse' the mind boggles at the number of Filipina's who will literally throw themselves at him - a successful foreign single businessman presumably wearing the corduroy jacket with the de riguer elbow patches. " Now Miss Lopez I need to go over your thesis - meet me in my study after lectures finish"

I would suggest opening communication with local universities in the area. Find out who the teachers are on the subjects you're interested in helping with. Then open communication with said people and I would be highly surprised if they didn't have you come in occasionally to offer some western experience.
-@Larry Fisher
Unfortunately, if you want to offer any kind of free teaching/tuition services here in the Philippines ( just to keep yourself busy) they will view you with suspicion, and more especially if your a foreigner, they will assume you are just some sort of a paedophile because most Filipino's do not volunteer to
do things for free.
-@FindlayMacD
they will assume you are just some sort of a paedophile because most Filipino's do not volunteer to

Given that University undergraduates are generally over 18 that's a non sequitur. As I understand it the legal age for consent in the Philippines is 16.
If the OP does get into the 'henhouse' the mind boggles at the number of Filipina's who will literally throw themselves at him - a successful foreign single businessman presumably wearing the corduroy jacket with the de riguer elbow patches. " Now Miss Lopez I need to go over your thesis - meet me in my study after lectures finish"
-@Lotus Eater

I'm single, but hey, there's no law against wearing a wedding ring to ward off the hordes of girls throwing knickers at me

But, seriously, yeah, I'll have to navigate this when (if) I get into that situation. I've done some volunteer teaching of high school kids in the UK and you'd be surprised at how often 16 year old girls fancy their male teachers (in a field that is dominated by female teachers)! You get used to being polite and not hurting their feelings.

"Corduroy jacket with the de riguer elbow patches", LOL

If the OP does get into the 'henhouse' the mind boggles at the number of Filipina's who will literally throw themselves at him - a successful foreign single businessman presumably wearing the corduroy jacket with the de riguer elbow patches. " Now Miss Lopez I need to go over your thesis - meet me in my study after lectures finish"
-@Lotus Eater

Actually, not being interested in hook-ups and the like, I was pondering this comment of yours. From what I've been hearing in Youtube videos by expats, women there seem to want tall and white. I'm neither. So maybe this won't be a problem in my case!  What's your take?

@JustCallMeJoe

Your post touches on many sub-topics, of which others have also advised.  A similar path was considered when I retired to the PI in 2013.  If teaching would have been my final post-retirement path (with dual masters), I had to research/consider/factor the following:

• Degrees from the USA are typically with 2 more years of study, if the person is 30 years older or more.  In general, you could be over-qualified.  Nonetheless, a person should...
• Take the Philippine Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET)... this means a person that has graduated with undergraduate degrees in Education field, in order to be qualified to take the LET
• A 120-hour TESOL/TEFL, CELTA, or IELTS certificate course will most likely be required
• In general, no LET, no teaching, if you are only at the bachelor level!
• Your location and transportation needs will be nearly as important as your internet speed/reliability and computer skills
• Plan towards engaging private institutions where there is a focus on English
• If non-adults are an option - Consider International institutions where the infrastructure is in place and approved ( i.e., https://www.gooverseas.com/volunteer-ab … ivhq/52323 )
• Submit a CV and not a resume (since CV is used only for academic applications).  Also note that CV/Resumes in the PI will have a different content expectation vs. the USA
• Conducting online classes (if you land in a location with strong internet or work for an institution, if you are legally able)
• Your class material must be submitted/approved and it will be "borrowed" by others/admin without your permission.  The copyright sign, ©, remains a good deterrent

A detailed understanding of the SRRV and Alien Employment Permit (AEP) are in order also.  Be prepared for:

• If told you are exempt from the AEP requirement, you will need to get a certificate of exclusion from the local DOLE office
• AEP - About PHP 9,000 for one year of residency with each subsequent year costing about PHP 4,000.

To get data on current demands in the PI, check out job websites like: https://ph.indeed.com/q-english-teacher … lsrc=aw.ds

With the many moving parts, research it well.....  best wishes.

Thanks for your reply, Larry. I spent a few hours on this yesterday but didn't get anywhere. I went to university sites, but had difficulty finding names of the people concerned. When I did get names I ran them through LinkedIn and it seems nobody is there (so I can't just send them a DM).
Perhaps you meant that I should do this in person when I'm in the Philippines.

"some western experience". Yes, essentially, that's what I bring to the table. In a country where your average waiter and shop assistant is a graduate, I would expect you need to have some kick-ass academic paperwork to get taken seriously in a university. Unless, of course, you're bringing something else.
-@JustCallMeJoe

Don't expect anyone here to be on LinkedIn. Facebook is everything here for the most part. I mean even businesses. They often don't have websites. They have FB. It's zero cost to them. So I would probably start with communication to University top brass with your offerings and intent. Then ask them if things like this would be helpful to their students. Again, focusing on helping students is paramount in your conversations IMHO. You have plenty of time before you arrive here. I'm sure you can make some contacts ahead of time.

Best wishes.

I would suggest opening communication with local universities in the area. Find out who the teachers are on the subjects you're interested in helping with. Then open communication with said people and I would be highly surprised if they didn't have you come in occasionally to offer some western experience.
-@Larry Fisher
Unfortunately, if you want to offer any kind of free teaching/tuition services here in the Philippines ( just to keep yourself busy) they will view you with suspicion, and more especially if your a foreigner, they will assume you are just some sort of a paedophile because most Filipino's do not volunteer to
do things for free.
-@FindlayMacD
they will assume you are just some sort of a paedophile because most Filipino's do not volunteer to

Given that University undergraduates are generally over 18 that's a non sequitur. As I understand it the legal age for consent in the Philippines is 16.
If the OP does get into the 'henhouse' the mind boggles at the number of Filipina's who will literally throw themselves at him - a successful foreign single businessman presumably wearing the corduroy jacket with the de riguer elbow patches. " Now Miss Lopez I need to go over your thesis - meet me in my study after lectures finish"
-@Lotus Eater

I'm single, but hey, there's no law against wearing a wedding ring to ward off the hordes of girls throwing knickers at me

But, seriously, yeah, I'll have to navigate this when (if) I get into that situation. I've done some volunteer teaching of high school kids in the UK and you'd be surprised at how often 16 year old girls fancy their male teachers (in a field that is dominated by female teachers)! You get used to being polite and not hurting their feelings.

"Corduroy jacket with the de riguer elbow patches", LOL
-@JustCallMeJoe

It's not the horny students you have to worry about it's the school authorities because they will automatically assume that you are some kind of paedophile because they will assume you must have some ulterior motive to be doing something for nothing.

Thanks for your reply, Larry. I was aware that FB is big in PH, but given my target was senior management in academic institutions/universities, I figured they'd be on LinkedIn. I was wrong.  And that's a shame because I do have a strong LinkedIn presence and visitors to my profile could have checked my professional credentials easily including recommendations from very senior people in business / industry. Your "top brass" would probably ignore messages in FB - they must get tons of messages from students, wannabe students, people wanting to sell them stuff, whatever.

TBH, I wouldn't want to approach any educational institution that lacked a website and was relying on a FB page instead. FB-only is okay for small businesses but not for any serious academic institution. I did review the websites of about 20 institutions. Some of them had email addresses for deans and other top brass. I sent a few emails off and, yes, I emphasised the nature of my interest - ie, not financial, purely altruistic. So far, I haven't had any replies.

@Calif-Native, thanks for sharing your notes from when you were looking for a teaching job. I followed the link to the Indeed recruitment agency site but, of course, those are all paid jobs, not volunteer positions and they would therefore require high academic qualifications and LET certification / board approval to teach in the Philippines. I don't want to compete for (paid) jobs with flipinos who need a job more than I do. And I don't fancy signing up for any course / study for 6 months to a year to get local qualifications. I am, after all, looking to provide free services.

@JustCallMeJoe I probably don't have to say you should of course link your LinkedIn with initial correspondence.

It's not the horny students you have to worry about it's the school authorities because they will automatically assume that you are some kind of paedophile because they will assume you must have some ulterior motive to be doing something for nothing.
-@FindlayMacD

FindlayMacD, you did point this out before. I did reply, as did @Lotus Eater, to explain that with universities, or evening courses for full-time employees, the students will be adults.

But you have a completely valid point regards the culture difference. In the UK, I took in several Ukrainian refugees since the war started. Like in the Philippines, there is no established voluntary sector in Ukraine so most of the refugees who came to me struggled to understand why I sponsored/hosted them. They were initially very wary and suspicious that I was going to demand something from them in return for what I was doing! Some of them were young ladies and their first concern, of course, was that I'd expect some sexual favours! That's natural because in their culture people don't normally put themselves out in any great way for complete strangers.

This culture difference may mean my approach is treated with suspicion even by colleges / universities who have no under-18 students.

It's not the horny students you have to worry about it's the school authorities because they will automatically assume that you are some kind of paedophile because they will assume you must have some ulterior motive to be doing something for nothing.

-@FindlayMacD

FindlayMacD, you did point this out before. I did reply, as did @Lotus Eater, to explain that with universities, or evening courses for full-time employees, the students will be adults.

But you have a completely valid point regards the culture difference. In the UK, I took in several Ukrainian refugees since the war started. Like in the Philippines, there is no established voluntary sector in Ukraine so most of the refugees who came to me struggled to understand why I sponsored/hosted them. They were initially very wary and suspicious that I was going to demand something from them in return for what I was doing! Some of them were young ladies and their first concern, of course, was that I'd expect some sexual favours! That's natural because in their culture people don't normally put themselves out in any great way for complete strangers.

This culture difference may mean my approach is treated with suspicion even by colleges / universities who have no under-18 students.
-@JustCallMeJoe

I seem to recall that there are a couple of ex pats on this forum who have wife's/partners that are teachers in the Philippines. Maybe they could give you some advise.

I am surprised about the refugees you sponsored from Ukraine being suspicious of you, after all the scheme was sponsored by the Government and people that hosted the refugees were actually paid to do so or at least initially, not sure if that is still the case now.

I am a fellow Brit and used to be married to a lady from Ukraine, living in England. The first time I visited her in Ukraine, behind my back, she set up a visit to her old University where she had arranged for me to stand up in front of the students and give them a 30 to 40 minute talk about life in the UK. Bit of history, geography but mostly about customs, food, leisure activities, etc. It seemed to go down very well and the students asked plenty of questions. Still remember it to this day, University of Poltava.

The scheme was sponsored by the government, yes. I made three bedrooms available and was paid a total of £350 pm.  However, even a single b/room in our area in the southeast costs £600 pm for lodgers. The government payment was just to cover extra utilities and bits (like petrol for ferrying them about).

You must have enjoyed your trip to Ukraine. I had planned some sking in Bukovel last year but the war messed up my plans.

The scheme was sponsored by the government, yes. I made three bedrooms available and was paid a total of £350 pm. However, even a single b/room in our area in the southeast costs £600 pm for lodgers. The government payment was just to cover extra utilities and bits (like petrol for ferrying them about).
You must have enjoyed your trip to Ukraine. I had planned some sking in Bukovel last year but the war messed up my plans.
-@JustCallMeJoe

Yes I visited Ukraine a few times before and during my marriage, very hospitable people and very hard working also. Met lots of lively people, wife's family, friends, ex Uni teacher included and travelled around the country, Saw the sights of Kyiv and was shown round there by two of my wife's old Uni mates (twins, very tall twins). Also spent a few days in Odessa and a week down by the Sea of Azov and of course plenty of visits to my wife's town and Poltava.

Indeed, lovely people (though I'm not that keen on borchst and golubsi, LOL). I've never been to Ukraine, but would love to visit Kyiv and Odessa (and Lviv and elsewhere). In addition to the numerous people I've sponsored, I've been assisting other local Ukrainians - finding jobs, school places, dealing with bureaucracy - and we have a large local group (100+) who meet every Tuesday evening for dinner (paid for by a local business friend of mine). They are mostly ladies (and a few children) as men are not allowed to leave Ukraine at present.  I've made a lot of friends and have invites now to all parts of the Ukraine just waiting for the war to end!

Anyway, back to volunteering in the Philippines. Thanks for the tips about expats here who have spouses / girlfriends working in teaching. Do you remember the names of those members? I could drop them a DM.

Sorry but I cannot remember the names. Let us hope one or more read this post and are able to assist you. I wish you luck with this. Another thought - These bloggers based in Duma or a lot of them always seem to give the university a mention. Not really sure why but maybe they may have some info.

GuestPoster1607 started a topic (Advise Re Marriage recently and he said his girl was a filipino teacher.

GuestPoster1607 out of touch, hence the new name.

GuestPoster1607 out of touch, hence the new name.
-@mugteck

Good point. I think there are more members with teacher partners

GuestPoster1607 out of touch, hence the new name.
-@mugteck

I just hope he had insurance cover for the cancelled wedding

To the OP, Joe.

While We don't know your financial situation/lots of money/pension/s etc. have you considered an SRRV with the PRA? Once accomplished I believe you can get a work permit as well as other perks.

https://pra.gov.ph/srrv/

Have a look and see if any of the visa types suit your needs.

There is also (if you qualify) the quota immigration visa.

https://tinyurl.com/3k5mar5d

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

To the OP, Joe.
While We don't know your financial situation/lots of money/pension/s etc. have you considered an SRRV with the PRA? Once accomplished I believe you can get a work permit as well as other perks.
https://pra.gov.ph/srrv/

Have a look and see if any of the visa types suit your needs.
There is also (if you qualify) the quota immigration visa.

https://tinyurl.com/3k5mar5d

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.
-@bigpearl

Hi Steve, as I explained in my 2nd post in this thread, I'll be on an SRRV. So, yes, the assumption is that I'll have a work permit. But the goal is still the voluntary work I described earlier (unless someone wants to give me a tenured position as a university professor despite me having little to no academic qualifications, LOL).

My bad Joe, I missed that, soz.

Cheers, Steve.

My bad Joe, I missed that, soz.
Cheers, Steve.
-@bigpearl

I had to laugh at this because I have not heard anybody use the expression Soz since my school days, really takes me back in time.