Event Geek

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Kool Adventure Camp (KAC) offers a kayak program that aims to develop and enhance leadership skills. The program is open to both corporate professionals and youth groups.

“This is not just a recreation program. This is a leadership development program using kayak as a tool. With all the beautiful and rich marine biodiversity and potential islets in Cebu, there is no reason for us not to have this kind of water activity,” Anthony Terence Ocampo, KAC deputy director for Professional Programs, said.

A kayak program will last for three to four days, wherein participants will be navigating and paddling to the sites covered by the route, like the islands of Olango, Pandanon, Caohagan, Banakon, and other islands between Cebu and Bohol.

The program will test the endurance, patience, teamwork, and communication and planning skills of the participants, as well as how they respond to changes in the environment.


The 52 tandem kayaks donated by Outward Bound Singapore will be utilized in the kayak program, which is preferably conducted during the second or third quarter of the year to avoid bad weather conditions such as typhoons and monsoons.
The head facilitators of the kayak program are Ocampo and Sheerene Abrea, KAC Professional Development Programs facilitator, who are both certified with Kayak Coach Level 1 by the Singapore Canoe Federation.

To ensure the safety of the participants, the KAC facilitators conduct Risk Assessment and Management System (RAMS) before every expedition. They follow operating procedures and standards from medical to rescue and program design, which are internationally benchmarked.

The program’s pilot group is RAFI’s Micro-finance team, who kayaked from Om Shanti, Cordova to Shalala Beach, Pangan-an and Caohagan Island last July 14-17, 2011.

“The program helped strengthen our teamwork as we cooperate with each other and focus to reaching our destination. I felt secure with several colleagues who know how to handle the kayak and the KAC team boat that followed us along the way,” Nineveh Mascariñas, finance supervisor of RAFI Micro-finance, said.
KAC is one of the programs under RAFI’s Leadership & Citizenship focus area, where future leaders are nurtured to prepare them to take an active role in affecting change. RAFI’s other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, and Education.

KAC is currently building the Philippines’ first outdoor experiential center at Barangay Cansomoroy, Balamban Cebu, which is set to open in 2013.

Forty-two youth government leaders from the different barangays of Mandaue City re-learned the values of teamwork, coordination, and trust in a comprehensive three-day experiential leadership camp facilitated by the Kool Adventure Camp of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. In the photo, the young campers posed before the Climbing Wall, one of the “dragons” at the camp that tested their leadership abilities and confidence.

Forty-two Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation officers of Mandaue City sharpened their leadership competence through a recent three-day leadership camp at the Girl Scout of the Philippines Camp in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

These officers come from Barangays Alang-alang, Bakilid, Banilad, Basak, Cabancalan, Casili, Casuntingan, Centro, Cubacub, Guizo, Ibabao, Jagobiao, Looc, Mantuyong, Pakna-an, Pagsabungan, Subangdaku, Tingub, Tipolo, and Umapad.

The Kool Adventure Camp (KAC), an adventure-based education program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), conducted the leadership program.

This is the second year that the Mandaue City Government through the office of Mayor Jonas Cortes sent its young leaders to KAC for training.

The leadership program taught the participants self-awareness, self-confidence, “playing to win”, teamwork, balance, coordination, concentration, and trust, among others.

“Playing to win is about playing to win not only for our group but for all of us, even for others who are not part of our group. It does not matter who our groupmates are. As long as we have one goal, we should help each other. I learned through the KAC facilitators that if we want to run faster, we run alone, but if we want to run far, we run together,” Sheila Mae Ceniza, SK councilor of Barangay Mantuyong, said.

The program also featured KAC’s Challenge Ropes Course where participants conquered the high elements—Climbing Wall, High Y, and Pamper Pole—at a height of twelve feet above ground level or higher. All high elements, which require a safety mechanism called a "belay" system, produce powerful memories and provoke deep thoughts and emotions, while challenging physical abilities.

Alyssa Tenchavez, SK chairman of Barangay Basak, noted that being a negative thinker is something she wants to change after going through the three high elements, or the so-called “dragons”.

She added that to conquer the challenges, one should have trust and self-confidence and works well with his or her team. When asked about her dragons in real life, Tenchavez identified among them her being the SK chairman in her barangay since she is a newly-elected officer from the opposition party.

Integration activities, goal setting, and recognition of accomplishments were done on the third day of the leadership camp wherein participants put together a goal for their community and recognized their individual responsibility in ensuring that these goals are met.

KAC is one of the programs under RAFI’s Leadership & Citizenship focus area, one of the five focus areas of RAFI where future leaders are nurtured to prepare them to effect change. Its other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, and Education.

Since 1999, KAC has organized more than 240 camps for corporate/adult programs, public high schools and other youth programs. It is currently building the Philippines’ first Outdoor Experiential Center at Barangay Cansumoroy, Balamban, Cebu, which is set to open later this year.

KAC is an organizational member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology-USA and Association for Experiential Education-USA.

For more information about KAC and its programs, please call 418-7234 local 407 and look for Althea May Santillan, or email at althea.santillan@rafi.org.ph, or visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.

Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) President Roberto Aboitiz (second from right) led the groundbreaking of the new Kool Adventure Camp of RAFI in Barangay Consumoroy, Balamban, Cebu. With him are (L-R) Cebu Provincial Board Member Alex Binghay, Balamban Mayor Ace Binghay, and Ben Azel Ponio, president of BSP & Company Inc., the main contractor for the construction of the KAC site. (Inset) RAFI Chief Operating Officer Dominica B. Chua (with microphone) explained to partners, campers, and RAFI employees the different features of the camp through its scaled model.

After more than a decade of running camps with the youth and other sectors, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) saw the importance of taking adventure to greater heights through the creation of the Philippines’ pioneer outdoor education center.

RAFI officially broke ground on its Kool Adventure Camp (KAC) site at Barangay Cansumoroy, Balamban, Cebu last Mar. 26.

The 10-hectare campsite is seen as the first outdoor experiential center in the Philippines. It will house outdoor high and low challenge courses, indoor challenge courses, corporate conference halls, training halls, trekking trails, dining & kitchen facilities, tent areas, youth bunks and corporate cabins.

KAC will also feature the High Element Challenge Cluster, a challenge course that combines both low initiatives and high ropes courses in one. The campsite also includes an Iconic Structure, a multi-face, multi-element high challenge ropes course.

“This is where we will grow and multiply the program,” RAFI President Roberto E. Aboitiz said during the groundbreaking ceremony, referring to the ongoing KAC program of RAFI.

The construction of the campsite started on June 2010 under the supervision of the Aboitiz Construction Group Inc.-Metaphil Division. Construction is carried out by BSP Construction, Inc..

The design of the entire camp site was completed through the collaborative ideas of architect Estela G.D. Lopez of EGD Lopez and Partners for the site development design, architect Socorro Atega for the landscape design, and architect Ed Gallego of Gallego Architects for the architectural design.

KAC, launched in 1999, is an adventure-based education program that provides youth and adults with learning and development opportunities through experiential education. Its program offerings, which seek to build character, develop competence, and inspire active citizenship among its participants, include youth adventure camps, adventure training and consulting, corporate adventure workshops, land and sea leadership expeditions, urban backpacking, games and initiatives, and trainer’s training, among others.

“We have a 10-year-old program that deals with the hearts and minds of the youth in the Philippines. We have graduated close to 8,000 campers. What we promise is that those who will attend our program will never be the same again. You may come into the program with different backgrounds but when you graduate from our program, you will be enthusiastic, you will engage in various activities, and you will become leaders of tomorrow,” Aboitiz said.

KAC is one of the programs under RAFI’s Leadership & Citizenship focus area, one of the five focus areas of RAFI where future leaders are nurtured to prepare them to effect change. Its other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, and Education.

KAC is an organization member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology-USA and Association for Experiential Education-USA. For more information about KAC, please call 418-7234 local 207 and look for Daphne Dia or visit www.rafi.org.ph.