Tourism continues to grow as a significant industry generating economic growth and development in the Philippines. Associated with its success is the participation of communities surrounding tourist destinations. As a result, community-based tourism (CBT) initiatives have emerged to account for community’s increasing participation in tourism development. While gaining increased popularity, understanding how local community participation is promoted in such initiatives has become an imperative. It has become necessary to investigate whether CBT has achieved its objective of addressing the inequitable distribution of benefits and negative impacts of tourism development in the country. This study will specifically explore the cases of community participation in El Nido Resorts, Bojo Aloguinsan Ecotourism Association, and Kawit Community-Based Heritage Tourism to understand how local community participation is incorporated in tourism destination development in the Philippines. The findings of this study will pose implications in the development of community-based tourism initiatives and programs in the Philippines and other developing economies.