Driving Passion: TeamAsia Town Hall 2017

By Hapy Benitez

Last February 3, TeamAsians gathered in Launchpad Coworking, Alabang for a catch-up afternoon also known as our Town Hall.

Launchpad Coworking’s wall of encouragement.

It was my first time attending a Town Hall of any kind, and as such, I looked forward to it. For this year-starter event, TeamAsia opted for a venue with a laid-back vibe (for which our own office is known for!). The Town Hall unofficially opened with refreshments. We were served a satisfying combo of burger and potato chips with iced tea—not to mention the popcorn and gummy bears free for the taking on each table. I must admit: for me, that set the good mood right off the bat.

The best food combo to feed hungry TeamAsians.

When the official program began, TeamAsians were given an energetic welcome by Marketing and Accounts Director Denise Limon. She kicked it off by calling on the new members of the family and having them introduce themselves the TeamAsian way—by name butt-spell or talent presentation. You can just imagine the awkwardness of it all, but it was hilarious all the way through!

The Web and IT team.

The Finance and Administration Department.

The Marketing and Accounts Department with Ms. Maricel and Ms. Bev of the Finance and Admin Department.

The Experience Department.

The Content Department with Meynard and Pat of the Creative Department.

The Digital Department.

2017 is indeed a remarkable year for TeamAsia because we will be celebrating our 25th year anniversary in May. And to kick off this celebration, our Managing Director, Bea Lim, unveiled this year’s theme: “25 Years Driven by Passion”.

TeamAsia Managing Director Bea Lim launches #OurSuper25.

To underwrite this mantra, a guest speaker, Sam Pimentel, shared with us important principles on passion and overcoming difficulties. Being the first Filipina to conquer the North Pole, Sam knows how passion plays a big part in winning against struggles to achieve your goals. She shared with us her rigorous training before joining the last degree ski expedition to the North Pole and the harsh environment she and the other hikers went through to reach their destination.

At the heart of it all, there are two things I learned from Sam:

1. Never take your eyes off your end goal

2. Finish what you started

“If you believe that you can do it, you will find solutions to overcome the problems.” – Sam Pimentel on conquering the North Pole.

For TeamAsia, 2017 is the Year of Passion. That is why one of the highlights of the Town Hall was the Directors’ announcement of each department’s plans. Coming from the year where TeamAsians were challenged to “Think Big”, there really is no way to go but up. It really excited me to learn that so much is in store for us in the coming months—new projects, weirdly-named innovations (such as one of my favorites, the “Project Baby Monitor”), and new territories to foray.

Directors Denise, Bea and Jeff announce what TeamAsians can look forward to in 2017.

TeamAsia’s ManCom: Pam Jocson (Experience), Anna Limon (Content), Maricel Salialam (Finance), Denise Limon (Marketing and Accounts), and Beverly Aguilar (Human Resources)

Each of us has something we are passionate about. They may be the little things in life, or the big dreams we want to attain. Nonetheless, they motivate us to get out of bed and work hard each day.

Before she closed the Town Hall, there was one thing that Ma’am Monette Iturralde-Hamlin said that struck a chord in me. After observing what we had written on the big 25 standee that has been displayed in our lobby for weeks now, she discovered something interesting: most of us had written not just what, but who makes us passionate. Ma’am Monette gave us something to ponder when she made us realize that we do not need to look far to find our motivation—because we draw it from the people who are close to our hearts.

TeamAsia CEO Monette Iturralde-Hamlin gives her closing remarks and a thought for TeamAsians to ponder.

For me, each day is fueled by the comforting thought that I can end it with my family and a good book. This makes me passionate to deliver the best that I can for each day so I can go home in peace, knowing that I can have tomorrow worry about itself.

How about you? What are you passionate about?

TeamAsia Intern