Int'l Guests Enjoy Pinoy Games at TRTC

A palosebo player gets help climbing a slippery bamboo pole during
Pagdiriwang at TRTC.

Development workers from around the world played traditional Filipino games during one recreation portion of a recent conference at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center. The games included palosebo, tumbang-preso, sangkayaw and a modified version of sipa.  In addition to Filipino food served by the TRTC kitchen crew, and folk dances presented during the opening night of the week-long event, the lively, outdoor games helped introduce Filipino culture to the guests.   

The guests were in the Philippines for Pagdiriwang, a gathering of leaders, staff, volunteer workers and friends of Christian microfinance programs from 24 countries.  Countries represented were Australia, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Congo, Egypt, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, Moldova, Norway, Peru, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, USA and Zambia.

The conference was held on November 8 - 14, 2015.   

Shelley Lyombe from Zambia (above) and
 Susan Leach from the US (below)
  take their turns in a sangkayaw relay. 

Because keeping a sipa  aloft by kicking it needs more than just
a few minutes of practice, this modified version aims to
keep the sipa in the air  using the hands.   

Footwear from Africa and elsewhere are used to topple
tin cans in several rounds of tumbang-preso. 

Camia Scent Fills Retreat Center Air

Evenings at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center are always lovely, but they are even lovelier this time of the year because of the scent of camia blossoms that perfume the air.

Camia flowers are white with a pale yellow center and they usually start releasing their fragrance in the evenings.   Enjoy them and their soft fragrance at TRTC.

Nice Facility…and Wonderful Food, Says Foreign Guest

A guest from the United Stated praised the staff, facilities, and food at the CCT Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center in a review posted in TripAdvisor in November 2014.

Keith B. of Chicago, Illinois said, “I attended a student conference and had a very good time despite a typhoon coming through. The staff kept the place well and fed us wonderful meals. They certainly know how to get people through the buffet line. We didn't get to use the entire facilities, but we were safe, enjoying fresh air, and enjoying air conditioning in the large main hall across from the dining facility.” TripAdvisor is a widely-used and recognized travel website.

Since it opened in May 2011, the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center has been noted for its warm hospitality and its staff who serve above and beyond their regular duties. The retreat center has served guests of all ages attending all types of events (including school retreats, youth camps, corporate conferences, marriage seminars, and even weddings) and from several nations (including Australia, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, India, Kenya, Malawi, Moldova,  the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the US, and Zambia.)   

It can accommodate a total of 484 guests in five dormitories (with a total of 80 rooms) and in four easy-access rooms. Meals are served buffet style in a dining hall across from the center’s main assembly hall which can seat 1,000.  Recreational facilities include a game room, basketball and volleyball courts, a mini soccer field, a children’s play area, and an obstacle course that features a tire run, balance beams, horizontal bars, and low ropes. It is just a few minutes away from the Picnic Grove, People’s Park in the Sky, and the ridge overlooking Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. 

TRTC is run by the Center for Community Transformation group of Ministries, a network of 12

nongovernment organizations that minister to the Filipino poor.

For rates 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.