TRTC is Group Wedding Venue

Twenty-nine couples said "I do"  in the second group wedding held at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training since it opened in May 2011.  

Rina Villanueva, one of the happy brides, said, "The staff were so attentive.  They made us feel special."  Her groom, Reden, said, "We thought it would be a simple wedding.  It turned out to be rather fancy!"

The brides and grooms are mostly workers at factories where the  Covenant Community Service Cooperative (CCSC) ministers.

In the first group wedding held at TRTC, 21 former street-dwelling couples were married in a ceremony jointly organized by CCSC and the Kaibigan Ministry of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Group of Ministries. Read story here: http://cctkaibigan.blogspot.com/2011/12/21-kaibigan-couples-tie-knot.html

CCSC, also a member of the CCT group, reaches out to informal service workers and factory workers through job generation, spiritual development, social services, micro finance loans, and savings mobilization.

TRTC is International Micro Finance Training Venue

Here and below, micro finance workers from Asia, South America, Africa, and the US at the opening
night of the third Transformative Economic Empowerment training session. 

The Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center was the venue for the third Transformative Economic Empowerment, a international training session hosted by the Center for Community Transformation and the Ka-Partner Network. Attendees were micro finance workers from Peru, India, Uganda, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Moldova, Thailand, and the US.  

The focus of the session, held during the third week of October 2013, was training in vision and leadership and spiritual integration in micro finance. It included visits to CCT branches, interviews with community partners (micro finance recipients) and staff, and overviews of CCT programs and services for the poor.   

Speakers included CCT Chairman Bertram Lim, CCT President Ruth Callanta, and Dr. Melba Maggay.  

The Ka-Partner Network is composed of the US-based organizations endPoverty, Hope International, Peer Servants, and Five Talents.   

Photos: Griffin Wilson

Choose the Correct Room Setup for Your Event

Here’s a tip for first-time event planners, coordinators, and facilitators: seating layouts can affect the impact and success of your sessions.  So make sure you use the appropriate physical arrangements for your meeting.

HowToDoThings.com (http://www.howtodothings.com/business/how-to-arrange-seating-for-a-conference-or-training-session) suggests the following seating arrangements for big groups (41 or more):

Theater Style

• Used for very large audiences where the speaker is the main focus
• Participants sit side by side in long rows
• Does not encourage note-taking since tables are not provided
  
  

Classroom Style

Photo from: http://shakerlibrary.org/services/
meeting-rooms/dietz-community-room/

• Same as theater style but with tables
• Appropriate for long lectures
• Encourages note-taking

Chevron or Herringbone Style

(From http://venuesafari.com/
wedding-seating-tables/)

• Chairs are arranged at an angle
• Encourages interaction among participants
• Facilitates viewing of visual presentations
• Most dynamic of all the seating arrangements

LLRX.com (http://www.llrx.com/columns/guide59.htm) and Carnegie Mellon University  ( http://www.cmu.edu/conferences/facilities/meeting/uc/room-styles.html) suggest the following for small groups (40 and below):

Hollow square or rectangle

http://www.thousandhills.com/meetings-and-events/
branson-conference-facilities/branson-meeting-room

• For meetings where hierarchy is not an issue
• Excellent for facilitator-led meetings
• Encourages audience participation
• Awkward to use when showing visuals.

Boardroom

• Very good for groups between 6 and 15.
• Suggests formality and hierarchy.
• For groups over 15, people at the far end table may feel left out and form a separate group.

Perpendicular

• Seats can be on either outside or inside of tables.
• Instructor can survey students' work.
• Facilitates easy exchange between presenter and audience.
• Center may be used for exhibits or demos.

U-shape

• Encourages collaboration. 
• Center area may be used for simulations and role plays.
• Can be used with or without speaker table.

Semi-circle or circle

• Can be set up with or without tables.
• Presenter's role is minimal.
• Excellent for sharing  or reflection sessions
• Encourages a sense of group and bonding.

Cluster

• Good for presentations with breakout groups.
• Clusters easily return to being a single group. 
• Tables can be either round or small rectangles.

Staff at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center will be glad to arrange the chairs and  tables in your function room according to your need. Simply provide them with the number of expected attendees and the seating arrangement you need.   

Recreational Facilities at Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center

If you need to relax a bit between conference meetings or training sessions at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center, be sure to check out these facilities available to all guests:

Outdoor.

• Two basketball courts  
• Mini soccer field 
• Trampoline
• Exercise machines
• Children's play area 

Indoor. 

 The second floor of the Pabilyon offers:

• Ping pong
• Billiards
• Air Hockey 
• Foosball
• Darts
• Jenga (a tower building game played with 54 wooden blocks) 
• Several chess boards 
• Monopoly and other board games
• DVD player 

Or if you just need to clear your mind, watch the koi and listen to the gurgling water at the fountain area.  Have fun! 

Amphitheater at TRTC Now Ready for Use

A semi-circular amphitheater at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center (TRTC) was recently completed and is now ready for use.  It is best suited for such events as dawn watch prayer services, early morning worship services and music festivals, according to Edna Panuncio, TRTC administrator.  Seating capacity is 500.

For inquiries and booking information, please get in touch with Eva Lope, CCT partners development officer / CCT servant, at evaranlope@yahoo.com.ph, evamlope@gmail.com, 09192933157, 09232497605, and 8066912.

TRTC Has Four New Easy-Access Rooms

The new rooms at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center  are conveniently next door to the
administration offices.  

The shared lounge.  The backdoor shown leads to the retreat center's fountain area. 

The rooms are close to the parking lot and are wheel-chair accessible. 

The Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center has four new guest rooms built specially for the use of guest speakers, senior citizens, and the wheelchair-bound. The new rooms (each with private bath, hot and cold shower, and twin beds with pull-outs), are conveniently located close to the assembly hall, dining hall, administration offices, clinic, and parking area. A common lounge has hot and cold drinking water and access to the retreat center's fountain area.

For inquiries and booking information, please get in touch with Eva Lope, TRTC guest coordinator, at evaranlope@yahoo.com.ph, evamlope@gmail.com, 09192933157, 09232497605, and 8066912.

Photos:  Myra Gaculais del Rosario