RAFI-KAC Hones Leaders Among Summit Participants

More than 90 student leaders from 35 universities nationwide went through various leadership challenges facilitated by Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. Kool Adventure Camp (RAFI-KAC) during the 8th Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit (AFLBS) last August 16-17 at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Cebu City.

 The challenging activities were aimed at giving participants insights on how to succeed in business, such as breaking barriers, getting the right resources, expanding social and business networks, and contributing for a common goal.

 This is the seventh year of RAFI-KAC to provide integration and low initiative games and team-building exercises for the AFLBS delegates.

 “Every year, we are excited to be part of the AFLBS team. It’s always very inspiring and refreshing. We introduce new games and initiatives, always learning from what we can improve from the previous year,” Marie Sol Gonzalvo, deputy director of RAFI-KAC Youth Development Programs, said

A group solves a puzzle of the AFLBS logo. (Contributed photo)

Pipeline Extreme, the most challenging activity on the second day, served as an application of the leadership values delegates acquired from the start of the summit. The objective of the activity is to successfully transfer balls through pipes into a container over a set distance while simultaneously solving a puzzle.

 A pre-summit summit activity called the Explore Adventure Challenge was done last August 15. The participants were divided into ten teams. Every team was given a map to guide them in going to each of the checkpoints, where they performed tasks given on their challenge cards.

 They visited various areas in Cebu City to give them a deeper understanding on the Aboitiz history, the family’s way of doing business and most importantly, the leadership journey and legacy of Don Ramon Aboitiz, the patriarch of the Aboitiz family.

 Kevin Colina, a delegate from the University of San Carlos (USC), said that the most important leadership value he learned after completing all KAC activities is caring for people.

 “If we have this good relationship with the members, then we can work freely,” Colina shared.

 For Rhyle Cilfford Sayat, also a delegate from USC, working together harmoniously despite differences makes group success achievable.

Jon Ramon Aboitiz shows an old photo of the Aboitizes during a tour around the Aboitiz ancestral house, which is part of the pre-summit activity. (Contributed photo)

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. Other focus areas of RAFI are Integrated Development, Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture and Heritage, and Education.

 RAFI-KAC has been offering adventure education programs for leadership and team development for youth and professionals for the last decade. It is currently building the Philippines’ first fully dedicated adventure education center, which is set to open in 2014.

 For more information on KAC and its services, you may contact (6332) 260-9000 local 1001 and look for Althea Santillan or e-mail info.kac@rafi.org.ph. You can also visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/kooladventurecamp, or follow @rafiorgph on Twitter.