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AN AUDIO VIDEO PRESENTATION
One of the best moments in an employee’s work life is the team building activities. Everyone is looking forward to that special day to take a break from work, and to have some bonding with their teammates.
Journey to something awesome
Our DILG Zambales team led by Provincial Director Armi V. Bactad was fortunate to have a time off from our hectic schedule and experience the beauty of our beloved province. When you are blessed with such wonderful and magnificent places to explore, one must grab the chance to do so and that we surely did! The province of Zambales is a gem among the provinces in Central Luzon that has a lot to offer and one of them is the island of Magalawa in Palauig.
An estimate of 1hour and 30 minutes drive from the DILG Provincial Office, our team headed north to the clear waters and powdery sands of Magalawa Island. We drove past the ZAMECO Electric Cooperative and Salaza Bridge to Luan Port where we experienced a rocky but scenic ride while passing by the Radio Veritas. From the port, a boat took us to Magalawa Island just within a maximum of 15 minutes. It was a short and virtually no current boat ride to the island.
We were warmly welcomed by Punong Barangay Cesar O. Abella and the members of the Sangguniang Barangay as we have learned that Magalawa is an island barangay. Upon checking-in at Armada Resort, we immediately occupied one of its cottages near the shore and savor the beauty of the island under the shade of the Camachile Tree.
Our Agenda: Cooking and Non-stop eating!
We brought our own food and started our day of adventure by putting the barbeque and hotdogs on stick. I was unfortunate to have myself injured while doing this chore so I just opted to eat which is way more fun. We borrowed grillers from their cooking station and had a very smoky and hot cooking session with everyone fanning the food as we can’t wait to eat. It seems that everyone is hungry because the cooked barbeques and hotdogs don’t last long on the table. Everyone had a stick or two on their hand eating happily. Food was not a problem because we have a lot for everyone to share.
The barangay officials were also generous to give us coconuts to quench our thirst. The sweet coconut juice and its soft meat was like an oasis under the scorching heat.
Our lunch on the other hand was served at the Floating Resto-bar of the resort where the group feasted a sumptuous seafood lunch. It was a shaky experience I must say because you would literally feel that you are floating as the bar was swaying along with the timid waves. We were served with fresh seaweeds with two (2) different varieties, seashells also known as “mamulantak” in the locality, prawn sinigang and grilled fishes. I had fun eating “mamulantak” because you had to slurp it hard in order to eat the meat inside the shell, and it’s not every day that you get to eat this kind of food.
Exploring the beauty of Zambales
After a satisfying meal, the team walked around the resort and took a lot of pictures; however, those pictures weren’t able to capture the splendor of the place. A lot of starfish in different sizes and color can also be seen and it’s fun to just hold them and take pictures.
It was also decided to tour at the Bacala Rest House located in the middle of the bay near San Salvador Island, Masinloc which is a 30-minute boat ride from Magalawa Island. Bacala is a two-storey guest house with rooms on the second floor. It was high tide when we got in Bacala, so unfortunately the sandbar was not visible. But what is really note-worthy about the Bacala guest house is its calm ambience since it’s in the middle of the bay. It’s a great spot if you are looking for a serene place to just relax and meditate.
Worth remembering
The day we had in Magalawa Island may be long and tiring but it is short enough because we had so much fun. It’s an experience that makes me realize how fortunate I am to be blessed by nature and experience it with the whole team. Everyone’s happiness is evident on the smile plastered on our faces as we leave the island. As we head back to the main land, we are once again ready to take on the challenges coming ahead of us with a refreshed body and mind. But as we have promised this is just the start of our journey as a team and definitely, there will surely be a next time!
