AGENCY UPDATES
CID goes to Isla Arena, PalawanPalawan’s Isla Arena, a private island known as a “pugad ng pawikan” or a sea turtle sanctuary, became the personal playground of Corporate Image Dimensions, Inc. (CID) as it hosted the company’s corporate planning session cum rest and recreation activities for this year.
CID staff, led by its Chairman Luis J. Morales and Managing Director Larry M. Zurita, turned the two-and-a-half hectare island into a conference venue by day and a party place during the night.
“Isla Arena, in the town of Narra, is the perfect venue for those who want to have a one-of-a kind nature trip,” said Morales. “Plus it has modern-day facilities that will enable you to still connect with the outside world.”
Dedicated to the conservation of the pawikan or the Philippines’ native turtle, the island ensures sustainable ecotourism practices that promote a different ‘barefoot sophistication’ that CIDers are only too glad to experience.
Planning sessions
The CID planning sessions held during the second and third day at the captivating private island revolved around making the company more relevant to its ever-growing clientele. Morales and Zurita gave a short history of the company on the first morning, followed by a discussion on “Louie’s Loop”, the circular model of communication designed by the CID chairman. Maite Alvarez, the director for operations, moderated the activities. Zurita then led the staff to mapping out new directions and goals in the afternoon. The departments then split up to discuss their specific directions and goals.The second day of the planning session saw the different departments presenting their specific directions and goals. The other departments helped out in threshing out possible jams and loopholes – all in the effort to smoothen relationships and improve efficiency. A meeting on growing the business capped the two-day planning session.
Interspersed in the “serious” discussions were various team-building activities, which lightened up the mood and allowed the staff to know more their peers.
R&R
No company outing is ever complete without recharging one’s batteries. Isla Arena provided various opportunities for this: from the boat ride in the dark night full of stars, the welcome bonfire, the beautiful greenery and the enticing waters.Thus, while not busy in the sessions, CID staff explored the island, tanned themselves in the beach, swam and snorkeled in its 25-hectare lagoon and reef, engaged in games, shot at targets or stuffed themselves full. Cocktails and videoke capped the nights.
On the island, Mother Nature rewarded the staff with one spectacle after another. Day three started with a rare sighting of a waterspout a.k.a. buhawi in the Sulu Sea, just off the island. Nightfall saw a pawikan climbing ashore and laying its eggs – said to bring luck to the people in the island who witnessed it – in this case, the CIDers!
Mother Nature wasn’t finished though: the last day saw a heavy rainsquall passing through the island, the first after months of dryspell.
Turtle hatchlings also gave a surprise as they poked through their shells and clambered out into the sand. CID staff took the opportunity to release the baby pawikans into the water, and hoped that they would meet again with these magnificent creatures.
The bright future
With a belief that the Island will indeed bring more blessings to the company and its employees, CIDers went back to the hustle and bustle of the city and the daily grind of work with refreshed minds and bright new outlook to meet the challenges ahead.“We hope that with these planning sessions and R&R activities, CID has found time to reflect upon business opportunities, improve the relationship among its staff, and expand further its services to its clients,” Zurita said, “And we can always look forward into the bright future ahead of us.”
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| Isla Arena, Palawan |
