Trip Lang #18 - One Weekend in Batlag Falls

February 22, 2015.

This trip was supposed to be a team building event before the big reshuffle in our account. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up with only four members joining the trip.

With big budget and few people to join, we decided to invite some of our colleagues who were available that weekend.

The players:

Meeting place was La Mirasol in Taytay where Ryan lives. It was 7:30AM when we left the place and head to Tanay. We had to stop over at 711 in Teresa Public Market to buy ice and add tilapia, talong for ensalada and charcoal for grilling most of our food.

Around past 9AM, we arrived at Daranak. There's an entrance fee of Php50. No pets allowed and they also don't allow plastic cups or anything made out of Styrofoam. So, we had to leave our plastic cups by the entrance before entering.

Actually, we could just stay in Daranak and occupy one cottage but we thought it would be too crowded on the later part because this place is a known summer or weekend getaway. So the whole team head up to Batlag Falls. It was a 5 minutes trek on a cemented pathway before we reach the entrance. Unlike Daranak, Batlag Falls is privately owned so we had to pay Php100 per person for a day trip.

Upon reaching the place, we looked for an ideal spot we can occupy to avoid many people. We found a perfect spot near the falls and had to pay Php200 for one table.

The place easily captivated everyone of us with its beauty. The water falling is cold. The whole surrounding is green. The air is fresh. Yes... Nature indeed.

What's the best thing to do on this kind of trip you'd ask? Eating! So we prepared all food that needs to be grilled. We have liempo, tilapia, hotdog and talong. I also cooked adobong chicken and devils egg the night before for this trip. We plan to pig out with so many food and just few of us.

After two kilos of food per person later, we dipped in the very cold water and started picture taking.

Our entire afternoon was spent swimming, eating, playing cards, swimming, eating and swimming again... Oh! Did I mention eating? Hahaha. Yes. We're hungry like that.

The park closes at 5PM so around 4PM we started rinsing and packing our things. This whole Sunday was spent relaxing and bonding with friends and having a good time.

Overall, our visit to this place was awesome! Great for nature lovers. Not too far from the metro, anyone can visit and unwind on weekends. The place is good for overnight camping too. They have a few simple toilet and bath for the people to use so no need to worry about mother nature calling.

Trip Lang #15 - Valkyrie in Mt. Balagbag Resort

It's been a long time since the last team building and everyone was waiting for the team building budget. We've planned so many trips hoping that the money we're waiting for would be enough to cover majority of our team building expenses.

When the time came, everyone was a bit sad. Php 2,800 for eleven people was the money given to us. I know! Not even close to what we were hoping for.

Nevertheless, we have to come up with a plan, a great plan. We have to. We need to. So... Thinking... Thinking... Thinking... And there it was. Mt.Balagbag Resort. I've been to this place many times that I already lost count. With the budget we have, this is the only place I know would be favorable for everyone.

The players:

December 5, 2014 - start of our team's Friday-Saturday off. Everyone agreed to meet at Jollibee, Farmer's Plaza, Cubao by 3:30AM and start the trip by 4AM. Since everyone is a pure blooded Filipino, we left Cubao around 30 minutes after 4AM.

It only took us an hour to reach Tungko versus the usual travel time of two hours. We head straight to the terminal and bought our food for lunch from the market nearby.

Another hour of jeepney travel and we finally arrived at the jump off point. We purchased a container of water and ice before we continued our journey to the resort. Most of us took a tricycle to the terminal and the boys and MC walked all the way to the top.

The tricycle ride was comparable to mind-shaking and body-bumping roller coaster ride, literally. It was the definition of "rough road". All people going up should now drop by the Licao-Licao Barangay Hall to register and pay a registration fee of Php10. 

Upon reaching the trike terminal, we asked for some kids to be our porters as we were having hard time carrying the ice box and other stuffs we have bought from the market.

Everyone was catching their breath upon reaching the resort. We took a breather, took some selfies and groupies then we started preparing our food.

After all the food that needs to be cooked have been cooked, we ate our sumptuous lunch. A little bit of rest then we started our team activities. Some jumped right in to the swimming pool and others just lazily rested and soaked in the view.

The epic pool race!!!

The rest of the day were devoted to drinking, playing, chatting and picture taking and eating some more.

It was almost dusk when we left the resort and dark has taken over while we were on the road. It was tiring. With a limited budget, we can only go so far. But as long as you're with the right people, a little goes a long way... Always. To the best team ever! Cheers Team Valkyrie!

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Credits to Mikael Valbuena for most of the pictures.

Trip Lang #14 - Valkyrie in Minalungao National Park

It's been a while since our last team building. The first quarter fund that we employees were supposed to be given at the end of the quarter was late. Second quarter was almost over when we were given the money. The good thing, we have more money to spend for our trip.

Destination? Minalungao National Park located in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija. Ella have seen an episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Sojo where the park was featured as one great summer destination. After checking the internet for pictures and ways on how to get here, the team agreed to visit this place. We decided to create a day trip itinerary because most of us don't have the luxury of time.

There were sixteen of us traveling. The current Valkyrie Team was complete. Me, Sugar, Melai, John, Jeiko, Uno, Nei, Ella, Renn, Abby, MC, Ryan plus some of our loved ones were also there to join us. Alvin, Bams, Bebang, GM and of course, Chase dog (Sugar's Chihuahua).

Our trip was scheduled June 11, 2014. The plan was to take off 12AM after shift so we will be at Papaya Market by dawn to buy our food. We met at Robinson's Market in Eastwood where our rented van was waiting.

Estimated travel time was 4-5 hours to get to the park's lobby. Everyone had decided to sleep the entire travel time in preparation for some activities we prepared. I personally slept like chicken to check the GPS from time to time to make sure we're on the right track.

It was around 4AM when we reached Papaya Market. Not a stall or store was open so we had to wait an hour for the meat and vegetable sellers to arrive. We busied ourselves drinking coffee and hot chocolate from a vending machine.

There was one vegetable stall near the coffee maker that opened so we started buying things we need like mangoes, spices, eggplant, okra etc...

Not too long after tricycles full of newly butchered pigs arrived. Pork barbecue baby! We bought about five kilos of liempo to go with the one liter Mama Sita's barbecue marinade that we purchased from Robinson's market. Then one by one, stalls started to open and the sun finally came out. We bought Tilapia, Bangus, and other things necessary for our day trip... Most of the food we purchased were the best for a day of swimming in the river.

The team waited for about thirty minutes more for the ice plant to open so we can buy some before continuing our journey to Minalungao Park. We busied ourselves with picture taking in the parking area on Papaya Market.

When finally the boys were able to secure a box of ice, we head directly to the park. It rained the night before so the road was slippery and muddy on some part.

We were stopped by a lady at a check point where we had to pay twenty pesos per person for the park's entrance fee and a parking fee of fifty pesos for our van. After settling our payment, we were off to "the lobby" of the park.

Honestly, we were a bit disappointed because the water was brownish-green, not the deep-green we saw in the internet. It was understandable though because it's natural for rivers to turn brown after a night of rain. Nevertheless, we occupied two nipa huts, put our things down and started preparing our food.

So much food on the table and we were all so excited about one thing... LIEMPO!!! hahaha.. Liempo as price for the winners of the activities awaits. Liempo as incentive for the most behave team. Liempo forever!!!

While some were cooking and grilling, we have the rest of the team preparing our team building activities. We have Egg Drop and Amazing Race The Valkyrie Edition.

The whole team were divided in to three groups. First, we've done the Egg Drop where in each team have to protect four eggs they were given from breaking or cracking. They were provided with straws, strings, tape and plastic.

Discussing strategies.

Each team were so proud of their own creation...

Ang basag na mga itlog!

We had so much fun with this activity and we laughed our hearts out. The strategies were all awesome. Yellow team wrapped their eggs with straws, secured it with tape and put it inside the plastic. Red team where supposed to build a nest around the egg (or at least that's what it looks like), secure it with tape and added the plastic as a blanket. Blue team was trying to be more creative and industrial by wrapping the eggs in a nest and making a parachute out of the plastic bag thinking it would prevent the whole thing to fall faster and eventually break. Hahahaha! Clever! But not quite as there was only one egg left without cracks. Nice try guys!

Next, Amazing Race The Valkyrie Edition. First, Leg Locked Relay.

And then, Retrieve and Survive

Retrieving balloons from a freezing cold river.

Next activity, The Thinker - Q&A

Videos

Each individual showed their competitive nature and fought for their team to be the first to finish. Nevertheless, after all the bruises, freezing water, running and shouting... Everyone was able to help build and complete the puzzle as a team.

When lunch time came, we stuffed ourselves with the sumptuous food that we cooked just before the activities started. Look... They're so yummy... ***droooling...

We were half way through eating our food when the rain started pouring down. Everyone hurried to secure what's on the table and made sure the food don't get wet.

When everything have been secured, we jumped in the water and enjoy the rest of our day. Our team also rented two bamboo raft to visit the rock formations.

The rest of the day involved eating, swimming, drinking, laughing, and more more fun. Happy... Bonded... For it was another day for us to enjoy each other's company.

This is how the river looks like on a sunny day, courtesy of www.pinasmuna.com.

Here's our simple itinerary of the trip and the expenses. (some amounts are estimated as we were not able to write everything down)

Until the next team building!!!