The opening ceremony was packed with SYKES employees and their families who participated in various fun-filled activities such as the inflatable play area, photo booth, and raffle draw. Lucky SYKESers went home with SYKES merchandise and other major raffle prizes such as a Wireless JBL Headphone, an LG 43-inch LED TV, and a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

The event was graced with celebrities as renowned Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Nicole Cordoves and UAAP and ABS-CBN Sports Anchor Martin Javier hosted the event, while Jak Roberto charmed everyone in the arena with a special song number. Energies soared as the CCP Bobcats Cheerleading Team and the UST Yellow Jackets Drumline showcased their talents.

SYKESers showed their support for their teams during the most-awaited parade of athletes as they donned their team colors and uniforms. Another anticipated part of the program was “Crowning Glory” – the first headdress competition wherein participants showed their flair for creativity and resourcefulness by sporting headdresses and costumes with their own interpretation of supremacy using only eco-friendly and recycled materials.

The SYKES Sports Fest and Family Day was officially declared open by Shane Bates, Senior Director for Support Services – APAC, after the lighting of torch and athletes’ oath-taking which was led by Red del Rosario, Director for Site Operations.

Meanwhile in Cebu, SYKESers celebrated their Sports Fest and Family Day on May 6, 2018 (Sunday) at the grounds of University of the Southern Philippines, Lahug, Cebu City. More than a thousand SYKES employees and their families were present to support their respective teams during the event. They started off with the parade which featured this year’s teams, namely the RYBU Blue Lions, SG&A White Warriors, CSBU Red Transformers, DBBU Pink Panther, MLBU Green Stallions, JNBU Black Immortals, and AMBU Gold Eagles.

To start off the series of games, members of AFP-Cebu led the Army Dozen Exercise to ensure that attendees were pumped and warmed up for the entire day of fun activities. The Army Dozen Exercise consists of 12 simple, yet strengthening exercises that takes about 15 minutes to complete.

For the most-awaited part of the event, representatives of Ms. SYKES Cebu Sports Fest 2018 took over the stage alongside the talented University of Cebu Dance Company. The rest of the pageant consisted of a Runway and Question & Answer portion to showcase their beauty, wit, and character. Phoebe Joy Elbanbuena stood out among the rest and was crowned Ms. SYKES Cebu Sports Fest.

The remainder of the activities included Boot Camp Games (Bypassing Security: Decoding Cryptic Spy Messages and Obstacle Course Race) and Sports Competitions (basketball, volleyball, table tennis, billiards, darts, and DOTA). The final leg of the program was the awarding ceremony for winners and athletes. Numerous lucky SYKESers took home various raffle prizes such as a 32-inch Devant LED TV with Speakers, Samsung J7 Prime Smartphone, SKYWORTH Speakers, Samsung Bluetooth Headset, G-Shock Watches, SYKES Backpacks, SYKES T-shirts, and Gift Certificates from First 5 Sports Lounge and Cafe.

The program officially ended after Franklin Pasayloon (Senior Director – District Operations) shared his inspiring remarks. “It has been 15 years, 15 long years that SYKES has remained to be the number one employee-centric company in the region. And I don’t think this is just because of the very strategic business approach that SYKES has. It’s because of the community of people that we have working together every day that made and is making SYKES more successful than ever,’ Pasayloon explained.

This annual event throughout SYKES Philippines is an avenue to promote camaraderie and unity among athletes and its supporters; it also serves as a great opportunity for SYKESers and their families to bond and work out those muscles for a better and healthier self.