Barangay Latuan, the Cave capital of Zamboanga.

Latuan Rice field and the Jalon Cave

Locals said that the Jalon Cave  is “the graveyard of Subanon people” long time ago. Like most other caves in the Philippines specially in the Northern part of Luzon, tribes used to leave dead body inside the cave as their belief and customs. So if you happen to do some caving activity in Latuan, consider  the Jalon Cave  and discover history on your own because  it (cave) is not yet been authenticated by any agency concerned so be the first.

History and story behind this rock formation. Can you see anything?

Barangay Latuan is blooming, booming and transforming through tourist spots and more

A not so far community (barangay) in the eastern part of Zamboanga City where farming plays the major role of all the locals living here. A very simple, calm and fresh life can be found here,  far from the busy  traffic and rude pedestrians. I grew up and had my grade school life, my parents, relatives and some childhood friends are living here, this is our place Latuan.

Latuan Elementary School

COPRA (Coconut Farming)

Community Chapel

The only thing that I clearly remember until now is my school life way back 1991-96, years where I first learned my ABCs and 123 had my first crush until I bid goodbye in 1996 to pursue my High School and partial College  years in  the city then moved to Manila to finish my Marketing course and to work as well.

We need a Church that is Humbler, Simpler and more developed capacity for silence

The Catholic Church just got a rockstar!

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle

Luis Antonio Tagle a 55-year old Archbishop of Manila might soon  be the the leader of the Catholic Church, we can never tell he has what it takes to be a leader because he is a rockstar, isn't he?

Biking in San Mateo is one of the best summer activities this summer

Biking has always been in my bucket list of activities since college but never in my free time had the chance to participate such adventurous activities like Biking/cycling and Motocross tho motocross is really out of my experimental world but I wanna try it in the near future and I hope I can.

Bikers Cafe

In just 4 months since I came back here in Manila to work for an Apparel Company, I've been receiving a lot of orders from different group of  athletes and from different schools, but whenever there's a group of cylclistas dropping by I really see to it that I am not only after for the deal but also for the information about their group, the location, and everything else happening beyond their adventurous organization.


So to make this long and winding road post shorter, I met Bryan Pangan of Bikers Cafe,  he is the king of the mountain in San Mateo Rizal who has a deepest passion in mountain biking and in some way promoting wellness among his group. What I like about his group is the uniqueness and perseverance an also the so-called building friendship on road. Although I didn't have the chance to meet the entire group but i can really sense the bond going on.

What makes me more excited to experience mountain biking in San Mateo?  It's the Bikers Cafe. This is really far from my imagination before, that whenever there's a race or biking activity, bikers would end up refreshing themselves under the umbrella tree near the beach or having some mini-party together with the group.

Refreshing on the top of the mountain after biking? Bikers Cafe is waiting for you there, whether you're a hard core biker, a junior or just a visitor. I am thinking of if this place was made before world war II  or after it I'm sure Salvatore would ask Elena for a last date here in this place hmmm more romantic than in Italy.  If you are familiar about these characters well your not young anymore, Salvatore and Elena -- the lovers from Cinema Paradiso, an Italian classic movie full of twists and turns and romance.

I will close this POST as it is, because I might be the spoiler for others who want to feel the surprises waiting in San Mateo specifically at the cafe but should you decide to  share summer activities in my blog you may write me anytime at lanceromel@cheerful.com

50th PMAP Annual Conference: Global Opportunities. Leaping Forward. Defying Limits.

The global economic landscape is seeing a new dawn, with Asia as its center and the Philippines, its sweet spot. The turnaround could not have come at a more opportune time. A young Filipino workforce is raring to go and governance is breaking through a renaissance of accountability and transparency. The message is unequivocal: We are open for business! It’s all systems go.

This year, the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) will hold its Annual Conference that recognizes a challenge: the country is at the center of Global Opportunities. But more than recognizing that reality, we see it as our mandate. There’s no other way but to seize these possibilities. We are now at the brink of living our dreams and imaginings. There are no excuses. This time, we have to make it work!

Members of 50th PMAP Annual Conference Directorate doing the thumbs up sign to signify that everything is in full gear at the launch of the country’s biggest HR event.

The horizon has opened up and all eyes are on the Philippines as the world’s new economic tiger. The ball’s on our court and the challenge is to leap forward. We can no longer afford to move at our current pace. Catch-up, leapfrog… that is what we should do. But to realize this, we need to defy limits, break free from our self-imposed restrictions that used to define who we are and what we can do.

As we usher in this golden year of the PMAP Annual Conference, the organization take stock of the rich mine of ideas in our sharing and learning community. Fifty years of thought leadership, advocacy and camaraderie. A story that in this milestone year turns into our quest for GOLD. “We EXPLORE the terrain as we paint the global economic landscape, create strategies, and search for talent. We MINE our collective experience as we extract issues, build consensus, and crystallize our advocacies. We REFINE our practice as we re-examine functional HR competencies. We SMELT the ore of our skills as we deep-dive into focused workshops to forge proficiency, mastery, and leadership. And we SHOWCASE best practices in HR and people management as we celebrate models and successes,” PMAP Vice President and Conference Chair Roberto Policarpio said during the launch.

The 50th PMAP Annual Conference will be happening at the Philippine International Convention Center  from September 25-27 with the theme, ”Global Opportunities. Leaping Forward. Defying Limits. 

For registration, contact PMAP at tel. no. 726-152 or email pmap@pamp.org.ph. Visit www.pmap.org.ph and like www.facebook.com/PMAP1956 for updates and important announcements.