Alfie Anthony Neodama’s reflection on the Inner Conditioning Workshop (ICW) held at Bayanihan Economics in Angat, Bulacan, in late 2024 is a story of initial skepticism, humorous misgivings, and eventual introspection. His journey began with uncertainty as he arrived at the workshop location—a secluded place that seemed straight out of an amateur thriller.
“Doubts and questions flooded my mind as we arrived at what seemed like an off-the-road hideout,” Alfie recalls. The eerie setting, with its overgrown grass, untrimmed plants, and spider webs, gave him images of white vans, cults, and the movie Wrong Turn. “It was all bizarre. I was new to it all,” he adds, capturing the surreal beginning of his ICW experience.

Even the location’s name, Barangay Encanto, didn’t help his growing suspicions. But as with all great stories, things began to shift. A simple snack and dinner at Fibonacci Hall started to quiet his nerves. While the servings were healthy, Alfie questioned, “Could they make me full?” But before he could fully settle into his discomfort, a simple instruction—“All right hands raised” followed by the call to move to the workshop hall—shifted his attention to the task ahead.
The days that followed were filled with lectures and mental exercises, which Alfie approached with a mix of doubt and curiosity. “Was I bored? No. But was I convinced? Barely,” he admits. Yet, as the workshop unfolded, he found himself drawn into the practice of breathing techniques. “Breathing is not new to me,” he says. “I’ve used it to calm anxiety since my Jesuit school days.” In that quiet space, Alfie’s mind wandered, sometimes from sleepiness to gratitude, from nostalgia to fear.
It was during these reflective moments that Alfie was confronted with deeper personal connections. “Images associated with my father kept coming up,” he shares. As he listened to the stories of others, he found comfort in the shared experience. “There was a strange validation in everyone’s stories. It made me feel less alone in my doubts.”
While Alfie was uncertain about being completely “renewed” after five days, he recognized that change takes time. “Letting go of the program self, of the doubts and fears, will take more than just a few days,” he reflects. Yet, the experience offered him more than just lectures and techniques—it provided space to retreat from the constant rush of life, reconnect with himself, and appreciate the simple joy of being present.
“Changing the world for good,” Alfie concluded, “requires openness to embrace a new self, a higher self.” And although not all the lessons were fully absorbed, Alfie was grateful for the overall experience. His journey at ICW may not have offered instant transformation, but it planted seeds for long-term growth—seeds that have since influenced his role in shaping the Operating System of SEA Inc.’s IPAT-SIAD program. Just as his own path of self-discovery unfolded slowly, so too does the program’s focus on growth, openness, and transformation within communities.
In the end, Alfie’s reflection serves as a relatable reminder that true transformation takes time—and it often begins with simply allowing oneself to embrace uncertainty and the lessons that follow.
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