Summer Fun in Dahican!

In a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, a trip to the beach during summer time is a wonderful break from the daily office grind.

After days of preparation, the team finally set off to the beach for a much needed R&R, and for us to do our own version of “summerfrolic”.

So off we headed to Dahican, Mati for this quarter's company outing. We left the office early morning via three vans, expecting to reach Dahican in time for lunch.

Everybody was excited to see the “Welcome to Davao Oriental” sign, thinking that Dahican was just in the next turn. Well, it was not. It took us another 45 minutes to get to the beach. We were not complaining though, since the view getting there was also breath-taking.

By 11 AM, we finally reached Dahican Surf Resort. All the wonderful stories we heard about Dahican were proven to be true. The people were warm, the sand white and powdery, the waves were high, and the beach - simply amazing! 

Our cabanas were also well kept, and the over-all ambience of the resort was relaxing. While waiting for our lunch, we took the time to go around the resort, posed for some group photos and started to enjoy the beauty that is Dahican.

Our lunch, comprised of grilled fish, kinilaw, and sinigang na bangus (all freshly-caught!), was finally served at around 1 PM. The food tasted so good, especially since many of us were already starving after the long the trip.

In the early part of the afternoon, some team members tried skim boarding,  others spent some 'langga-langga' time, some had their obligatory I-am-here-in-Dahican pictures taken, while a few simply satisfied themselves with the view of the beach and the people around.

Later in the afternoon, we had some group games. During the games, our creativity, agility, speed, teamwork, and ingenuity (no surprise there!) were put to the test. Of course the team that worked better emerged triumphant, while the others who lost had so much fun nonetheless.

After the activities, the group decided to play 'labo-labo', our own version of dodgeball.  A few just chilled with a few drinks (beer!) in hand, while others just opted to enjoy the sand, the waves, and the view.

Come dinnertime, the ambience in the resort changed to something intimate, yet festive, with the colored lightbulbs turned on and house music being played. 

While waiting for our food, we ate some balut and had the activity, “2 truths and a lie”. It's amazing how much you learn from your teammates in one game! We also voted for the most valuable team player for the first quarter of 2014, with Earvin getting the most votes.

Dinner was served ala Boodle-fight style. It was a fun experience for most of us since it was our first time eating with a big group, without any plate nor utensils. Dining etiquette was the least of the concerns of the starving Ingeneers. The next thing we knew, all the food was gone!

The rest of the night was spent exchanging stories by the beach, gazing at the stars, exchanging laughter, getting drunk, and just enjoying each other's company until the wee hours.

We were also greeted by a sea turtle which made our night in Dahican all the more special.

The second day was spent mostly swimming, skim boarding, some more eating, and, of course, picture taking.

Before heading back home, our hosts made sure we were served an even satisfying lunch - grilled pork and sinuglaw, and the best-tasting native tinolang manok. We then left Dahican full and happy, not only because we enjoyed the beach and food, but most especially because we were able to renew the team spirit and camaraderie while forging friendships with our new team members.  

Thank you Mati! We had so much fun! We hope to see you soon, but for now, we have beautiful memories to bring home with us and treasure for a long time! :)