During the weekend of June 10th-11th, some members of Access Healthcare International Office Administrative Services were the guests of honor for the first official Meet and Greet held at Cagraray Island, Albay in the Philippines hosted by Josephine Smith. Upon meeting at the airport in the Bicol region, the team had lunch at the Cagsawa Ruins which included dessert of spicy ice cream (Jessie was brave enough to try the super extremely spicy variety…yikes!). They then boarded a pump boat to the private island for sightseeing, team building fun, games and dancing along with an awards ceremony all with a perfect view of Mt. Mayon which is an active volcano. See what each of them had to say about the experience:

“Working from a home setup, you don’t know who you work with or who’s with you in the company or in AHIOAS, but since we have this kind of event (team building), you have the chance to know each other or see the faces behind the monitors. It feels so good because there’s no such company that would give you such an event or fun day. Always remember that there is no “I” in Team; you must work together to achieve your goal. Another thing is there is no shortcut to success, we must work hard for it. I also wanted to share something about my experience with Access. I’ve been with Access for almost a year now and I can say that I am working with a great company. I am blessed and forever grateful that I am working here in Access/AHIOAS. I really hope that we keep growing and growing, continue helping others and that we can all meet in person.” ~ Rose

“I’d just like to share my experience on the team building which was, to me, an amazing opportunity to get to know my colleagues since we’ve all just been working virtually. Although some were, unfortunately, not able to attend, it was still a meaningful event. I believe that it was a great way to strengthen the bond of the team, feel comfortable working with them and know that everyone is willing to lend a hand whenever help is needed. Apart from the scenic views, exquisite foods and homey vibe of our location, Ms. J ensured that we would truly enjoy our stay there with the fun activities they had also organized. We are all appreciative and grateful to Ms. J for all the overall experience and thoughtfulness. Looking forward for the next team building or events and hopefully all of us will be complete.” ~ Lyra

“Sharing my sentiments on the meet and greet we had. I don’t know where to start, but all I could say is everything was a blast for me. Ms. Josephine was a really good and generous host, and a boss lol. My colleagues are awesome. It felt like we’ve all met each other before and there’s no gap/awkwardness between all of us. We just enjoyed the moment. We played games, won prizes, ate a lot of yummy foods they provided, did karaoke and had drinks. I hoped everyone was there with us too!!!! I almost forgot that I was on team building. It was more like a family on a vacation.” ~ Yhaniee

“I had really so much fun in our Bicol escapade. It was nice to meet and bond with the AHI team. The first time M, Jessie and I met at the airport, we already clicked, as if we’ve met before in person; there was no awkward moment. Same with Yhaniee, Lyra, Rose and Ms. Josephine. Ms. Josephine was a great host. She and her team were so accommodating and made sure that we were comfortable during our stay. The assigned cabin to me was in front of the beach with a view of the breathtaking majestic Mayon Volcano. The highlight of the event for me was the awarding. We didn’t know that there would be an awarding ceremony. I was out of words and felt happy when Ms. J presented it. I wasn’t expecting that special recognition ‘coz I’m already happy with shoutouts from the team. I also dedicate that special award to my manager, Rachelle Woods. She was my mentor and my inspiration to give my 100% in doing my job. I’d like to thank her for the trust and confidence she has in me. She’s the BEST!!! I’d also like to thank Diego and Danielle for creating AHIOAS and making this event possible. They are the first people who believed in us. That trip made me realize that what we have here in Access Healthcare is different. We’re not just co-workers/colleagues, but we are FAMILY, and we make a great team. This is the best company, and I can’t see myself leaving this organization (not unless they kicked me out LOL).” ~ Angie

“M, Ange and I (aka the Big 3), it was our first time meeting each other and it was super fun because it felt like we already knew each other for a long time; no awkward moment, just happiness. “Team Mang” is what we called our team when we played the games such as our team chant (which we only had 15 seconds to plan). I learned a lot in this (even though the other team cheated us…our scissors were missing for one of the games only to find out the other team was using it…lol). But like in real life, fighting what life throws at you makes you win and as a group, that’s what we did…we won with 100% team work.” ~ Jessie

“I had a really good time in Albay, Legaspi. The place was majestic and the food was great. But most of all I was able to finally meet few members of the AHI Family, especially Ms. Josephine. There was no awkwardness in meeting everyone; we instantly clicked, it was like it’s not our first time to be meeting each other. There was no feeling out period or anything; we were like one big family heading to an island where we could spend our weekend. Aside from the gifts and prizes from the games we won, for me, the cherry on top of the event was being recognized. I received the Most Valued Player Award. Gifs on teams are amazing but having something to look at every time I wake up adds up to the drive to do more and work smarter/harder. I would like to take this chance to thank Danielle and Diego for making this happen. To Ms. J, who really took care of us, she really did an amazing job! I am looking forward to the next event if one comes and hopefully everyone can attend.” ~ M