Let me share you my story.

I was rushing through my video scripts as my boss in Singapore is fuming already with deadline notices. Good thing I am in Manila. I can only scent her fumes through text, emails and phone calls. Nevertheless, I knew I had to finish the script on time.

For many years I do my living researching and writing stories for people from various walks of life. Initially I thought that has always been enough. Never in my dreams would I write a short story about my own experience beyond the four corners of my notebook.

"I think you're the one they are looking for. British Council needs to send somebody from the Philippines to study leadership in developing climate change solutions. Since you want to breath for a while from your deadlines, this could help you," a friend in Turkey sent.

British Council programme officer Eman Ragaza gave the call, did some background check, interviews and more interviews. Few days after, he dropped the news, "It was a tough decision to make and I hope you will understand... if I ask you to prepare your passport because you are flying end of this month to learn how to be a leader."

I am no leader. I've always believe I am just a follower with wishful hopes on what I want my regular route Commonwealth and EDSA roads to be one day -- 60 km/hr moving traffic in rush hour, rubber-finished fine roads, museum-like subways, trains that arrive every 2-3 minutes, smokeless vehicles and not so many buses fighting over passengers.I dream to see the view of Pasig River with little vintas or ferries cruising while people are fishing or walking on well-lighted side streets because all roads and air offer conducive options to do so.

It seems like a far-out vision and I am not sure if it will happen in my lifetime but I never thought I could find some initial answers in a place called Bogor, Indonesia.

Bogor is a two-hour drive from Jakarta. By an overview, the place is very similar to the Philippines. It is like Los Banos, Laguna by distance with a reminder of Tagaytay for its breathtaking view. It is like Subic for the villas inside the Gunung Geulis Resort, like Baguio for one of the presidential mansions and botanical garden it hosts, and almost like Mindanao for the lifestyle displayed by our Muslim brothers and sisters living in the area. I feel the trip never really went far from home. Faces are the same that of Filipinos and regardless of language and religion differences, everybody seems to share the same hope for a better life.

Bogor is considered as the cleanest city in West Java with approximately 800,000 populations in the central business district and some 2 million in the suburban areas. But according to one Indonesian fellow working for the local government, the place is now under threat of over consumption as the population increase every year.

"Everybody wants to do everything in their own ways. Our acquired democracy from Suharto has turned into demo-crazy now," said Zenki Muhammad, one of the local participants in the Leadership and Management Training who also have come to seek answers on change for his community.

In my six days of knowing Indonesia and the diverse young minds converged to find a common solution to the current problems we all faced, I realized a leader is not just one person pulling the rope together to bring everyone in safe grounds. It is all about teamwork and the self-motivation to initiate something we are dying to start for our-selves and for other people.

"Help me how to help you," as Edward Kellow, head of training from Lead International in London shared to the group. It is said that leadership is found in helping someone fulfill a dream. "But first thing first, you have to initiate it. You have to find practical ways to plan and deliver your actions. Find people with common dreams as yours and open your self for feedbacks as leadership is an everyday learning as well," he said.

Within six days of following the rules of management, we came up with the pledge before the minister of environment at the posh Sultan Hotel, Jakarta in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the British council in Indonesia. The pledge aims to strengthen the Indonesian policy. From there, I am assured that Zenki’s community and the province of Bogor will be taken cared of. Perhaps the good change can also spread throughout the 17, 508 islands and beyond.

I am home now -- overwhelmed, tired and faced with tighter deadlines. After the trip, did something change? I think yes. More than convincing the Indonesian ministry of environment to strengthen its policies on climate change with the help of 29 other young people, I realized I could be part of a system that can create the change I want to see and for that, I am a leader.

So what's your story?