Summer in the Philippines isn’t just about stunning beaches; it is also a season bursting with vibrant festivals! Our HGS OSS team captured that same celebratory spirit with their unforgettable May Huddle.
This season, the fiesta fun was nonstop. With events ranging from contests to exciting games. The teams truly made this one huddle to remember!
A Fantastic Fanfare
Step into the Philippines’ culturally vibrant landscape, where festivities never cease to dazzle in every region. From solemn religious rites to exuberant local celebrations, each region boasts its own unique festival flair. For instance, the Sinulog Festival in Cebu- a spectacular tribute to the Santo Niño (The Child Jesus). Picture the streets alive with rhythmic dances, colorful contests, and vibrant processionals. Of course, let’s not forget the tantalizing array of food stalls, tempting both locals and tourists alike to savor the flavors of Cebuano traditions.
Join us as we immerse ourselves in the vibrant energy of “Fiesta Fantasia“! Inspired by the rich celebrations that ignite our spirits! At HGS OSS, we’ve infused the essence of these lively festivals into our very own huddles. As our Vice President and Head of Shared Services, Paul Butalid aptly put it, “This month’s all about bringing in the heat of the season!” We’ve prepared an array of bubbling festivities for our teams across HGS OSS sites, whether they were working on-site or remotely. There was something exciting awaiting everyone during this May’s huddle!
Queens, Cheers, and Vibrant Atmospheres
The start of the May huddles was packed with a lot of activities that matched the Filipino Festive fever, and our teams chimed in the amazing energy as they gladly participated in these amazing events we had in store.
Mom’s Memory Lane
For Mother’s Day, we asked our teams to recreate and share their most treasured moments with their mothers. Each entry tugged at everyone’s heartstrings as participants reminisced about the good times they shared with their moms. One participant shared how her mother indirectly taught her to be independent throughout the years, Today, she now gives back to her mother by spoiling her with love and gifts! This amazing story really shows that a mother’s love is both inspiring and rewarding.
Let’s take a walk down Mom’s memory lane and see these lovely entries:
We thank all the teams who took the time to share these amazing stories with us.
Cultural Caravan Contest
Our teams released their creative spirit as they transformed their very own work bays and recreated a colorful scene straight out of a Filipino festival. It’s almost as if we were instantly transported into the region itself. One of the entries was inspired by the Panagbenga Festival (Flower Festival) in Baguio, and they even added the local specialties for the judges to try, both their eyes and mouths were fed with the views and the delicious food!
Don’t just take our word for it, just look at these amazing entries!
Island Hues Contest
Our remote teams also had their fair share of the fun in participating in our Island Hues Contest. They have embraced the meaning of “staycation” as they decorated their own workspaces into a tropical paradise inspired by the Philippines’ famous beaches. One of the winning entries embraced the beautiful beaches of Boracay as they adorned their space with inflatable palm trees and even set their desktop wallpaper to the famous white sand beaches!
Let’s look at the winning entries and hey, you might be inspired to decorate your own space! }
Queens of May
This contest is an embodiment of the Philippines’ traditional Santacruzan, where our lovely contestants engaged in pageantry fun as they attempted to woo the hearts of the audience with their amazing looks and glamorous wit. This contest showed everyone’s amazing personalities, as some of our contestants still managed to charm the crowd even though they were new to the pageantry scene. Let’s clear the way for the top 3 queens, and our currently reigning Queen of May:
The HGS OSS Fiesta Fever!
What’s a fiesta without some lively palaro (games)?
Our teams at The Curve have their game face on as they play a unique game called “Cup Relay,” in this game 2 teams of 5 must pass a plastic cup over to their teammates, but the catch is that they are only able to use straws that are on their mouths to pass this cup. This game sounds tricky enough as it is, but the winning team managed to pass the cup successfully and take the win.
While that game sounds tricky, the games over at Twenty-Four Seven have stepped up as they introduced the “Fan Relay”, this game is also comprised of 2 teams of 5, and each team member must pass a small obstacle course but, they have a piece of cardboard tucked between parts of their body like the neck or between the knees. Despite the difficulty, the teams were both neck in neck in the race. In the end, one team took the win!
Hats off to our winners, we hope to see you again for more amazing huddles together!
Join the Salo-Salo!
The fun continued for our Twenty-Five Seven teams when they had an assortment of activities. They had a dance-off to the famous song of the summer named Pantropiko by the Filipina Girl group BINI. The fun vibe of the contest really got the crowd cheering their favorite dancers. After the energetic games and activities, our teams bonded over a delicious spread of Sorbetes (Filipino ice cream) and Kakanin (sticky rice snacks).
These snacks are a staple of Filipino festivals, and they serve as a special treat for all ages. If you’re feeling the heat of the sun, you can always spot a colorful cart that sells the famous sorbetes from the Sorbetero (Ice cream vendor) who serves you the ice cream either in a cone or from a bun. On the other hand, it is always a tradition for Filipino Families to have an assortment of sticky rice treats to serve their whole family. These treats symbolize the Filipino’s strong personal bonds, much like the bonds each team member has here in HGS OSS. This huddle really captured the genuine festive fun, and the refreshing treats provided a sweet ending to a truly festive Filipino experience for our HGS OSS teams.
Celebrations Never End!
This month’s huddle was a blast, filled with amazing events to celebrate our team spirit and cultural heritage. But the fun doesn’t stop here! We are continuing the huddle fever at HGS OSS up until the month of June. Get ready for a rainbow of surprises as we celebrate Pride Month!
Citations
HGS Offshore Staffing Solutions. “Sunshines & Banderitas: A HGS Summer Huddle Recap.” HGS OSS, 16 June 2023, hgsoss.com/newsroom/sunshines-banderitas-a-diversify-summer-huddle-recap/
Taboclaon, Aleah. “Sinulog Festival in Cebu Island Province: Everything You Need to Know.” Guide to the Philippines, guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/history-culture/sinulog-festival-cebu-guide
