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Charting the course of the University through effective planning is quite tedious that involves a lot of mental activity day in and day out. This also calls for constant brainstorming among the University planners to come up with productive outputs. Mental activities like these can easily exhaust and stress out the planners physically and mentally. Recognizing the need to constantly recharge to regain energy and mental alertness, the sector on Planning, Development and Information System annually conducts a team building activity normally carried out in an amicable atmosphere where the personnel can enhance their capabilities, relax and improve camaraderie with one another.

This year the activity was held on August 31 and September 1 in Boso-Boso Resort and Convention Center in the highlands of Antipolo City. The venue had a breath-taking scenery, green forests in abundance, the fresh air smell so relaxing and rejuvenating. Over-looking the discussion hall were vast settlement areas and significant structures of the city like the windmills, churches and a huge statue of Liberty.

The event was indeed fun-filled – indoor competitive games, swimming, fellowship meals and group sharing of best practices and concerns including assessments of the sector annual performance. Dr. Edgar Gay-ya, the new VPPDIS gave assurance of his all-out support for the activities, programs and projects of each delivery unit. The PDIS directors on the other hand pledged enhanced performance and productive outputsthrough improved collaborative planning across the campuses.

The event was graced by the arrival of the TUP President, Dr. Adora S. Pili on the 2nd day. Her spiritual lecture caught us by surprise because we were expecting an academic topic as programmed. Surprised as we were, yet so grateful for the rich food for thought she shared with us. In a nutshell, she talked about life’s journey towards self-actualization and transformation by going through the stages of satisfying one’s basic needs, love and security. She expounded on the three types of love – erotic, filial and the highest form which is unconditional love or agape. According to her, not until we are able to share unconditional love with others, we would not be able to reach self-actualization and transformation which is at the apex of the journey. Only those who reach this stage could be counted among the circle of special people who can transform others and make this world a better place. In conclusion, she reminded us that we are given just a little while before our "graceful bow" and time is the essence so we must fast track our journey towards the apex because we cannot transform others unless we, ourselves are transformed.

Our journey back to TUP was uneventful, yet the wisdom shared by our president kept lingering in my mind with the question "Which stage of the life journey am I now?"