Safety at MCP
Volunteering on a conservation project means living rurally, spending a lot of time in the water, and joining a community that may be quite different from home. It's natural to have questions about safety, and we'd rather you ask them than wonder.
Below are the ones we hear most often. If yours isn't here, just get in touch.
How we look after you
Is it safe to volunteer with MCP?
Nobody can promise that nothing will ever go wrong, here or anywhere else. Travel carries some risk wherever you go, and so does diving. What we can promise is that we take safety seriously in everything we do.
Our base is in a former botanical garden in Zamboanguita, a quiet and friendly corner of southern Negros. Our staff live on site, so there's always someone around to help with big or small problems. All staff are trained first aiders, and many are first aid instructors.
Our dive training is thorough, and our scientific diving follows strict protocols. Our rescue courses run missing diver and unconscious diver drills about twice a month, which keeps everyone's skills sharp, staff included. Emergency oxygen and first aid kits come with us on every dive. The nearest recompression chamber is in Dauin, about 20 minutes away by car, and the modern hospitals of Dumaguete are within easy reach.
Before you travel
Do I need insurance?
Yes, we require all volunteers to have travel insurance that covers scuba diving. Many of our volunteers choose DAN (Divers Alert Network), which specialises in dive insurance. Our FAQ explains what to look for.
One thing we do ask: please don't drive motorbikes while you're volunteering with us. Traffic here takes some getting used to, and many travel insurance policies won't cover you on a motorbike without the right licence.
Travel advice
What about travel advisories?
Most governments publish travel advice for the Philippines and it is worth reading your government's advice before you go. The US, for instance, puts the entire Philippines at Level 2, “exercise increased caution”, the same level it now applies to France, Germany and Italy.
The strongest warnings are for the far south of the country, the Sulu Archipelago and parts of Mindanao, where armed groups have been active for decades. Our work never takes us there.
Our base and all our projects are in coastal municipalities of Negros Oriental, where we've worked in partnership with ENRD, DENR and the local governments since 2015. If anything in your government's advice worries you, ask us. We'd much rather talk it through with you.
Your health
Which vaccinations do I need?
Life at MCP is an outdoor life. You'll wear sandals, plant mangroves and spend a lot of time in the water, so the odd cut or scratch comes with the territory. Make sure you're up to date on your diphtheria and tetanus shots (most people are). Hepatitis A is recommended too, and comes as a combined vaccine with hepatitis B.
The advice you get for typhoid, Japanese encephalitis and rabies depends on how long you stay and who you ask. The US CDC, for example, suggests the Japanese encephalitis vaccine for stays of a month or more. Health authorities in other countries leave it to an individual assessment. We're not doctors, so we can't make that call for you. It's a decision to make with your own doctor or a travel clinic.
Rabies exists in much of Asia, including the Philippines. Cases among travellers are rare, but avoid petting stray dogs and cats in any case, and report any animal bite or scratch to a staff member the same day.
Good to know
Is there malaria or dengue?
Malaria
There is no malaria on Negros. According to the Department of Health, Palawan is the only province in the Philippines with remaining local cases, so if you plan to travel there before or after volunteering, check the current advice for that area.
Dengue
Dengue occurs throughout the tropics, Negros included, but only a few cases are reported in Zamboanguita each year, and to our knowledge no volunteer or staff member has caught it while staying with us. We don't have many mosquitoes on base, but a little repellent is a good habit, especially in the early morning and late afternoon.
We're here to help
Still have questions?
We're happy to talk things through, with you or with your family.