St. Robert Bellarmine Center for Learning

Faculty development is one of the areas where SRBCL puts a premium on. And every year, one of the activities that is never missed is the whole faculty’s “Lakbay Aral,” where a mere summer outing is extended and enriched so as to make it a learning experience in all sense of the word.

This year’s Lakbay Aral had the teachers and administration trooping to nearby Baguio City last June 5-6, not to simply enjoy the cool climate but to experience the thrill of becoming a miner and to immerse themselves in highland culture.

The day started with a visit to Balatoc Mines where the faculty enjoyed a two- hour tour of the old mine site, experiencing even the blasting of a small portion of the tunnel. With the whole group successfully finishing the tour, our efforts were awarded with Certificates of Completion. After the certificates were awarded and another round of picture taking, our group then proceeded to the city proper for a quick lunch and onwards to Tam-awan Village where the SRBCL group savored the crisp mountain air. A hike around the Village, a taste of their fresh organic salad and a strong cup of Baguio coffee gave some of the teachers enough energy to dance a native wedding dance with the native performers in the Village. Little did the teachers know that each dance ended with a generous shot of the highlanders’ native wine. Other tourists and even the natives themselves could not help but laughing at the various expressions that played across the teachers faces as they had their shot of wine.

After a quick tour of the art galleries in the Village and surrounding areas, we then proceeded to an old favorite spot in Baguio – Burnham Park.  A refreshing stroll, a boat ride, a quick trip to the market and a hearty dinner later, it was time for the group to turn in for the night.

The next day after a light breakfast and short walk, the group leisurely explored the grounds of the Manor in Camp John Hay and headed to downtown Baguio to do some shopping. After lunch the group headed for the last stop in their itinerary, Ambuklao Dam. The long ride from Baguio to the dam took all of three hours of steep and winding roads. The travel- weary group mustered enough energy to enjoy and take pictures of the sights of Ambuklao.

Before darkness finally fell, it was time to head back to Baguio and down to Dagupan – a fully packed trip giving all the participants a little taste of everything.

View Lakbay Aral Pictures.