TEAM Building Seminar

The venue is much known to have quite a number of outdoor activities and attractions (such as rock climbing, zip-line, and canoeing, to name a few), but their signature attraction is their own customized program called the “Amazing Race” that highlights a group activity Mud Slide for a finale! Many different groups coming from various backgrounds flock over to experience this program (be it schools, companies, and others) and it would be great if TRS’s growing community would take part in it, as well.

Penciled in to be held for 1 night and 2 days on October 14 (Sunday) and 15 (Monday), this event garnered a lot of excited and anticipated talk within the company. Surely, majority of TRS couldn’t wait to spend the weekend differently!

Tasked to meet up in between 5:00 am to 5:59 am, the participants were given strict orders to leave at exactly 6:00 am on the dot. The trip going there was pleasant (albeit a little bumpy) and once arriving at the destination, the staff had to take a mini-boat ride to cross the lake and into the actual venue.

The team was then led to the function room that would be used for the whole duration of the team building seminar. Shortly after, Teacher Mary (Northridge branch) commenced the start of the program the way TRS proudly starts any and every program or event: through devotion and prayer. The explanation of rules and general objectives of team building shortly followed afterwards, and then come the games!

The first game was called “Baby Rattle”, in which each team (divided into TRS Branches) nominates a representative to play for them. Each representative would then take turns to shake two makeshift gigantic baby rattles (in this case, two empty 1.5L soda bottles filled half with marbles); the first one to transfer all marbles to the bottom wins.

The next game was called “Separation Anxiety”, a game consisting of segregating multicolored M&Ms to separate cups, each for a singular color. Same rule applies than the former, in which teams appoint a representative for them. Once the games segment was done and that the winners and runner-ups were recorded, it was time for lunch, freshening-up, and settling in our respective rooms. After that would be the official start of the Amazing Race, and everyone was really excited!

Gathering for the assembly and grouping into new teams, a Caliraya staff facilitates the participants into the next activity: Team Chants! Everyone was given time to brainstorm and rehearse morale-boosting cheers to present to everyone else. Each presentation was unique to each team and it was surely an entertaining sight to witness! Once the chants were done, the Amazing Race officially starts.

The race consisted of running around looking for missing pieces of Caliraya’s map, tag-team rock climbing, swinging makeshift seats down an open grassy field, drenching running clothes for relay swimming, going through a mini obstacle course, battling the waters while canoeing, and testing your bravery as well as possible fear of heights through walking a high bridge. All these were not timed, but it was a group effort to try winning that coveted 1st Place title! Tiring as it may have sounded, surely it was fun-filled for all who partook in it.

The rest of the night was scheduled to be calmer, with team bonfires and night swimming. However, plans were set to have changed as it started raining. The managers were quick to make use of the time now free due to the weather conditions, and got to work with coordinating rehearsals and meetings of the following day’s events.

The teams all ended a jam-packed first day through brainstorming creative team chants, all geared up and ready to perform for tomorrow’s chant contest.

Come morning was less activity-filled, but still as fun! Competitive as it may be to win the first place for the chanting contest, the teams were more invested in having fun and just performing their best together. As soon as it has started, the awarding took place shortly and rounds of fun pictures were taken to seal the day certainly one for the books.

The objective of this year’s TRS Team Building Seminar was to strengthen in-branch co-worker relationships, to provide an opportunity for each branch to get to know people they haven’t gotten the chance to meet, and basically bond as one big TRS Family. We can surely say that the objectives were met for it is because of this event that a lot of new friends are made, plenty of already-existing relationships made stronger, and countless of good memories were created. Yay for TRS’ TBS in Caliraya experience!

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