The CCT Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center, opened in 2011, is on six hectares of rolling terrain in Tagaytay, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is located about 60km or about 1.5-2 hours from NAIA airport. The venue is run by the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries, a network of nongovernment organizations that minister to the Filipino poor.

On site, the dormitory buildings are next to outdoor activity areas, including a swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts, a ‘mini’ football field, an amphitheatre – and an obstacle course!

Helpful info:

• Tagaytay has a mild tropical monsoon climate. Our best estimate is high 20s / low 30s with some humidity. There is AC in the rooms.
• The general dress code is casual, plus something more formal or celebratory for the Fri night dinner.
• Currency: Philippine pesos. Cash is the way of things here. You are likely to need some cash for transport, the on-site café or souvenir shop to buy ‘pasalubong’ (literally meaning ‘something brought back’, referring to the Filipino tradition of bringing gifts or souvenirs back from a trip for friends and family). PLEASE NOTE THAT CARD PAYMENT IS NOT ACCEPTED ON SITE.
• Electric plugs/sockets: there are multiple outlet types used in Philippines – Type A (two flat parallel pins), B (two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin) – as used in North America – and C (two round pins, as in Europe). The most common are type A/B. The system operates on a 220V supply voltage and 60Hz. For further info, visit www.travel-images.com/electric-plugs.html.  
• WIFI is available on site. Ensure your mobile phone’s roaming capacity is off or check your phone’s data plan. A Rocha cannot be responsible for roaming charges.
• Bring: Cash, refillable water bottle, travel mug, flashlight / torch, ear plugs, any medication you may need, sunscreen, insect repellent, and, if you wish, running shoes and swimsuit. Flip flops (shoes that can get wet) and/or umbrella may be useful, but not necessary. Things dry quickly.

• Bedding and towels are provided.

• Printing is not available on site. If you wish to have this document in paper form, please print before traveling.

• CCT is a smoke-free and alcohol-free venue.
• No outside food to be brought on site, and no food to be consumed in the rooms please (anti-ant!). There is a café (cash) on site if you are hungry outside of meal times.
• There is also hot / cold water from a machine when you wish: bring your own tea bags if you like a particular brand!
• We are asked to be quiet / lights out (ish) after 10pm – people can talk in our two smaller meeting rooms but quietly.
• They have a strict evening meal time of 6pm, as their staff need to have finished their work and go home at 8pm. That means we’ve had to change our schedule, and that we’ll be a bit tight between the Learning Circles (shortened – apologies!) and the evening meal. We also need to be prompt, as they need us all present before they can serve. The good news is that we then have a chunk of free time after dinner! Thank you for your understanding and help in making this work.

To be confirmed: We hope to have a morning outing on Wednesday, possibly to nearby Taal Lake, a freshwater lake located within a complex volcanic caldera. The active Taal Volcano, responsible for the sulphur content of the lake, is located on Volcano Island in the centre of the lake, known as Volcano Island. In the centre of Volcano Island lies a crater lake known as Yellow Lake, which has its own small island, Vulcan Point: an island in a lake, on an island in a lake, on an island!