Leaders’ Boot Camp

This month of September, my employer will be sending its leaders (supervisors and managers) to a two-day boot camp in Caliraya, Lumban, Laguna. Clearly, not everyone can be sent on the same day (contingency wise) so we were divided into three batches. The first batch of supervisors went there last September 3-4, the second batch is going this Friday, September 10-11, and all the managers on September 16-17. Trainers on supervisory level are also part of this event… Luckily, I was part of the first batch that went to Laguna last Friday. I don’t want to be the last person to experience, you know.

Caliraya Recreation Center was the chosen venue of our boot camp. It’s a 2-3 hour ride from Manila… well, depending on the traffic and if the driver is aware of the short cut roads in Calamba. I’ve been to Caliraya a couple of times when I was a kid since my father grew up in Kalayaan, which is the next town. We loved to go to The Japanese Garden because of the beautiful scenery of assorted local and imported flowers. More than fifteen years fast forward, I’m going back to Caliraya for a different purpose.

Given the travel time, we were told to gather at around 530 in the morning so the bus can leave at exactly 6am… Yes, we’re riding a BUS--- I miss my field trip days back in elementary and high school. I took out my camera with all the excitement and boom, I can’t turn it on… the battery was corrupted.. it needed replacement.. I knew it! So unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take pictures. I just shared the KODAK moments with other leaders and friends who brought their more-high tech digital cameras. =(

It was almost 11am when we arrived at the place, which means we have less than two hours to rest before we eat our lunch and start the activities. We all quickly headed to our lodges… yes, lodges, what do you expect..? this is a boot camp so everyone will be staying in one room. The girls will be sharing in two lodges (Lodge 1 and 2) and the boys will be sharing in one (Lodge 3) --- that made me smile! Just kidding! Each lodge was divided into two floors.. so the three ‘beautiful’ boys of Lodge 3 (including myself) occupied the 2nd floor… we’re afraid to be raped of course, LOL!

To cut the story short (and not to spoil the experience of those who are part of the next batches), the activity went smoothly, no accidents or emergencies whatsoever, and ended at around 10 in the evening. Genesis1 Dynamics, led by Sir Alfred Yap, facilitated the teambuilding conference. At the end of the day, everyone was tired and wants to sleep but we brought in our bed an experience that is worth the wait.

One of the activities that made me feel like a 60-year old man with aching joints and ligaments is the Algorithm march. I’ve seen this performed by PBB teens before but I never thought it will cause pain that will last for three days… and I am not kidding.. perhaps because we have to make the performance close to ‘perfection’ during the activity since it was a competition, so we have to do it x number of times… and that created trouble! (sigh).. Below is the link to the video… Ooops, why not do it with a partner… practice several times until you get it perfect and feel, not see, what happens next.   =0)


Algorithm video link.
Photo credits: world wide web.