MT. MAKILING, LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA. Members of the Systems Services Group (SSG) of Delbros, Inc. spent one whole day of high-adrenaline and endurance-testing activities at the Philippine Scouting Center for Asia-Pacific Region in Los Baños, Laguna on November 8, 2008 as part of their annual out-of-town teambuilding activities.

Facilitated and closely-supervised by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) Mountaineering Club, the activities included a 30-foot high wall climb, 40-foot high and 50-foot long flying fox, 30-foot high and 25-foot long canopy walk, 30-foot high and 15-foot long horizontal ladder, 40-foot high rappel, and 30-foot high free fall.

These tower and tree-top activities forced the participants to confront their fears (of falling from at least 30 feet high). At the same time these gave them a rare and extraorinarily “high” feeling for accomplishing challenges that are completely different from the cerebral challenges that IT professionals are accustomed to facing in the workplace.

But that was just for the morning part of the day-long teambuilding session. After lunch and in the middle of a heavy downpour, the group proceeded to the Challenge Valley, an extreme obstacle course designed to test the physical limits as well as mental skills of Boy Scouts.

Bong Saculles, Chief Information Officer of Delbros Inc., organized and led the teambuilding activities. He was joined by Medel Castro, (outgoing) SSG Manager; Sherwin De Jesus, Systems Development Manager; Mark Obra, Database Administrator; Ford Ordoñez, Senior Technical Support Specialist; Edmond Deus and Rolly De Guzman, Technical Support Specialists; and programmers Marcel Divinagracia and Howard Manalastas. The group was also joined by Jayson Gungon from the Delwater purchasing department as guest participant.

Through the extreme physical challenges they were exposed to the Delbros IT personnel were subtly taught how to adapt to fast-changing situations and how to formulate practical solutions quickly.  The extra-ordinary challenges the group went through in Mt. Makiling also inculcated in them the values of supporting and assisting each other in tight and trying situations.

The facilitators from the BSP Mountaineering Club were led by Derek Bonifacio and Sophie Castillo, both professional staff of the BSP National Office.

Prior to their Mt. Makiling caper, the Delbros SSG members went to 100 Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan in February 2008.

Related Articles:

• Geeks on a Weekend Adventure, Part 1 (Geek Fear Factor)
• Geeks on a Weekend Adventure, Part 2 (Challenge Valley)

#