Hands On Manila (HOM) launched its new flagship project, Hands On Volunteer Vacations (HOVV), which will provide service-and-learning travel experience for vacationers who also want to spend their holidays doing community work.
Pilot HOVV projects are categorized in three main areas: environment, heritage, and livelihood. Initial project sites include Mt. Halcon Forest Museum in Oriental Mindoro; Baclayon and Pamalican in Bohol; Boracay and the mangrove plantation in Aklan; as well as heritage and environment sites in Laguna and Batangas.
Volunteers can elect to get involved in activities as diverse as tree planting and biodiversity studies in Mt. Halcon; organic farming at Alaminos, Laguna; or do trail mapping and evaluation of the marine biodiversity in Bohol. In Aklan, volunteers may help in the process of extracting Piña fiber, or do environmental cleanups in one of the seven basins of Jawili Falls. These are just a few of the flexible volunteer opportunities for travelers who are seeking a more socially relevant or meaningful holiday.
HOM worked closely with the Department of Tourism (DOT) for this project and is partnering with the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), and the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS), both of whom will provide logistical support for the vacation aspect of the program.
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