The sad reality of growing older is that you can never seem to get a hold of your barkada no matter how hard you try to plan your next get-together. But there’s actually a method to arranging those plans that, although won’t guarantee successful meet-ups all the time, will avoid them crashing into dead ends (or the deafening silence that comes after “So, ano na guys?”)

Make the first move

Don’t wait for someone else to get the ball rolling. If you find a promo for a group travel or want to try a new restaurant nearby or just genuinely yearn for a barkada night out, then be the one to reach out first!

Set a specific time, place, and date

Plans tend to fail when they aren’t clear from the beginning. If you’re the one initiating the hangout, then set the specifics right away. As much as possible, avoid this kind of conversation:

A: Labas tayo!
B: Kailan?
A: Kailan kayo free?
C: Saan ba balak?
A: Pwede sa mall or food park. Kayo?
D: Kahit saan.

Annoying, isn’t it?

If you’re not free on the proposed date, suggest another

It’s likewise annoying when someone says “Sorry, I’m not free on that date,” and then disappears without another word. It’s as though they don’t really want to see you and your group of friends for some reason they didn’t even bother to explain.

If you’re guilty of this, then instead of shutting down the plan with your “I’m not free” card, suggest an alternative. It shows that you do care about meeting up despite your busy schedule (which is most likely just as busy as that of your friends’).

Don’t seenzone

Worse than those who don’t suggest an alternative plan are those who don’t bother joining in the conversation. Everyone is trying their best to make the plan push through; show some effort to plan along with them at least! “I’m busy” is hardly an excuse because if you can spare a few minutes to chat with your officemate, you can spare a few seconds to reply to your barkada thread.

Don’t agree to plans and back out at the last minute

Yeah, you may not be entirely positive you’ll be free on the scheduled hangout, but unless something pops up that requires precedence over all other plans (e.g. a work-related meeting) then you have to do all you can to attend that hangout. Don’t back out because you’re too lazy to get off your bed or because there’s a weekend market somewhere else. No one likes a flaker!

Get a consensus on whether to bring Plus Ones or not

You have to make sure the entire group is cool with having Plus Ones during the hangout. Don’t surprise them by bringing the beh to Boys Night Out or to Titahan Session without any word of warning. It just might ruin the entire mood especially when they don’t know or like the beh that well yet.

Always leave open invites to events or places you’re going to

Sometimes, it can’t be helped that plans don’t always push through. A pro-tip we can share with you is to leave open invites to events or places you’ll be going to (e.g. “By the way, I’ll be attending this event! If anyone wants to join me, just hit me up!”) so that if one or a few of your friends happen to be free that day and want to come with, then that already counts as a barkada get-together!

Push through with plans no matter how few you are

If you’re a barkada of twelve, you’re obviously never going to be complete all the time. So it’s always better to push through with plans even if just four of you are free. At least you guys can make the others jealous by showing how much fun they missed!

What are your current pains about planning get-togethers with the barkada? Share them with us below!