Darshen shares what drew him to volunteer in Tondo on Valentine’s Day
Those online may know Darshen as the fabulous Singaporean man who flies business class and whom luxury sales associates love for being unable to resist buying beautiful things.
Because of this, many were surprised when the 32-year-old content creator first posted a TikTok video doing volunteer work in the slums of Tondo, Manila, back in Nov 2024.
And this wouldn’t be his first and last time there, as he recently travelled back to spend Valentines’ Day with the community in need.
Source: @darshen on Instagram
In an exclusive interview with MS News, Darshen shared that these reactions came as no surprise.
“I think I give the impression that I was into this bougie lifestyle, so people couldn’t fathom that I would be in Tondo,” he said.
“It was a surprise to them, but it was not like a surprise or shock to me, because I’ve known about the stories.”
Hearing stories about the slums of Tondo
When Darshen was about 17 or 18 years old, he had heard about the harsh realities in Tondo at church.
“I heard a lot of stories about how young girls were forced into prostitution for survival, young people playing with dead animals as toys, and that was the norm,” he shared.
He added that many people in the community went hungry and lived among garbage, citing the example of a public housing project built around a landfill called ‘Smokey Mountain’, which was found in Tondo in the 1990s.
“Those stories really moved me, really stayed with me till I became an adult,” said Darshen.
However, because he was young, he didn’t have the money or the resources to partake in mission work. As such, he resolved to find a way to help the community once he became an adult.
Image courtesy of Darshen.
Many years later, Darshen unexpectedly found himself with just the platform he needed to make a difference.
“I wanted my platform to be more than just about me,” he shared. “I wanted it to also highlight communities that don’t have a voice but want to be heard.”
Becoming a part of Project PEARLS
Darshen heard about Project PEARLS — the Philippines-based non-government organisation (NGO) he is now part of — from a Filipino friend.
The organisation, which has a 15-year history of helping various underprivileged communities in the Philippines, including Tondo, has several programs that aim to uplift the people in these communities.
One is a scholarship program, in which they cover children’s school fees and supplies. When the kids graduate high school, the organisation also sponsors them throughout university, so they can get decent jobs.
“They [Project PEARLS] really do believe that education is one of the key ways to actually break the cycle of poverty,” Darshen shared.
The NGO also runs a Hunger Relief Program, where they feed hundreds of people in Tondo at least three times a week, or more, if they have the donations to fund them.
Image courtesy of Darshen.
Another initiative by Project PEARLS is the Giving Resources and Opportunities to Women (G.R.O.W.) program, which empowers women by teaching them skills such as sewing and design.
These women would turn recycled materials into apparel, which are then sold on the G.R.O.W. website.
Source: @projectpearls on Instagram
“The proceeds are used for the feeding programs, so it’s given back to the community,” explained Darshen.
Seeing the organisation’s heart for the people through their actions, the content creator said he felt “very confident” to work with them.
First time visiting Tondo
Darshen shared that his first time visiting Tondo in Oct 2024 felt surreal.
“Everything that I’ve heard, it’s what I’m seeing with my own eyes,” he said to MS News.
Back then, Darshen joined Project PEARLS’ Hunger Relief Program and helped feed 500 individuals. For an hour, he scooped rice nonstop as people kept pouring in to get their fill.
Source: @kdarshen on TikTok
“It was really labour-intensive, because I got assigned to the rice cooking station and, the rice, you got to really go in with the strength. In my mind, I was like, thank God I worked out this morning,” he recalled, laughing at the memory.
However, something else made Darshen’s first experience volunteering in Tondo a challenge — the mosquitoes.
“I was getting bitten by mosquitoes all over my leg, my arms, my neck,” he said, noting that he made the mistake of showing up in a sleeveless shirt and shorts.
Learning from this experience, he made sure to cover up during his next few visits.
Image courtesy of Darshen.
“You just want as much precaution to also protect yourself, so that you are able to serve the people better as well,” Darshen said.
Why Darshen chose to spend Valentine’s Day in Tondo
Despite the mosquitoes and the labour, Darshen kept returning to Tondo for the cause he believes in.
Most recently, he flew to the Philippines to spend Valentine’s Day with the members of the community, marking his fifth visit.
When asked why he traded beautiful flowers and a nice fancy dinner for volunteer work, Darshen explained:
“I heard that many of the women in Tondo have never received flowers before, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
Image courtesy of Darshen.
He shared that while he is fortunate enough to be surrounded by his loved ones, he wanted this Valentine’s Day to be different.
“I didn’t want Valentine’s Day to just be about receiving love or receiving the flowers. I wanted it to be about giving love,” said Darshen, who added that he will cherish the experience for the rest of his life.
Seeing how happy the women were to receive a single stalk of rose, he was compelled to be grateful for everything he had.
Besides giving away flowers, Darshen also visited the homes of Dayday, a resident who has hydrocephalus, and Jefferson, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Image courtesy of Darshen.
“We’ve been trying to get sponsors and donors for their needs,” Darshen shared.
The influencer added that he has been trying to spotlight their stories on his platform, while also liasing with Filipino brands for their support.
Image courtesy of Darshen.
Spreading love through his content
An unexpected encounter during his recent trip to Tondo made the experience even more special.
A Filipino woman living in Singapore, who was in Tondo helping Project PEARLS that day, approached Darshen and told him she was inspired by his videos to donate and volunteer.
She shared that she had pooled money with her friends to sponsor the residents’ meal.
Darshen could not believe that his videos had made such a difference.
Image courtesy of Darshen.
“I’m so glad I did it, and that I was able to inspire a little change,” he said, adding that the encounter has made him realise to be more conscious about the content he puts out.
“I didn’t used to think that until now that I saw it first hand.”
Darshen noted that the chance meeting further underscored what he believed to be the message of Valentine’s Day — “to inspire other people to love others”.
Becoming Project PEARLS’ global ambassador
As one of Project PEARLS’ global ambassadors, Darshen will be returning to Tondo to do outreach again as soon as his schedule permits.
He was offered the role by one of the NGO’s founders, Melissa Villa, after his visit in July 2025, accepting it despite some initial pushback.
Darshen explained that some individuals in his life were concerned that he would be pushing himself too hard.
“Every time I go on a on a trip, it’s out of my own personal funds as well,” he said.
“It’s out of my own pocket money and out of my own funds that we run these kinds of outreach programs.”
Image courtesy of Darshen.
Despite this, Darshen believed in sharing his blessings.
“I wanted to be able to also share it, and if I could inspire other people to do the same, we could make a little difference,” he said.
“That’s why when she [Melissa] proposed becoming a global ambassador, I knew what it took, and I was ready for it.”
Tondo in need of medical professionals
Despite the ups and downs of volunteering, Darshen encourages other Singaporeans to join similar causes.
He shared that Project PEARLS, in particular, is in need of doctors and nurses — from Singapore or otherwise — to help them provide medical assistance to the residents of Tondo.
“I will just put it out there that we really need doctors and nurses to also step in and be on board,” he appealed.
Besides providing care to high priority cases such as Dayday and Jefferson, the organisation aims to reach the general community through weekly health checkups.
“A lot of them are sick and they don’t realise it, or they do not want to go to the hospital because it’s going to cost them money,” Darshen explained, adding that these individuals can only endure their conditions, causing their health and their life to deteriorate.
While Darshen is aware that change will take time, he will continue his efforts as long as it takes.
“The real, sad truth is that we can’t change Tondo overnight, but we are doing what we can in our own means,” he said.
Those who are interested in supporting Project PEARLS’ causes by donating or volunteering can sign up at www.projectpearls.org.
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Featured image courtesy of Darshen.
