Virtua Solutions Outsourcing capped the year 2020 with a bang as it held its first-ever virtual Gala party on Dec. 19. Members had a fun night even in the comforts of their home with all the games and gimmicks in store for them.
The road to the virtual Gala Night
Like many companies, Virtua Solutions got caught up in the different COVID travel restrictions. Because of that, the company was not able to hold the traditional year-end party like it did in 2019. Instead, CEO Francis Guintu announced that it would be a virtual event instead.
The plan was simple, hold the party on Zoom. But there was an exciting twist. Instead of showing up in regular clothes, all the employees will dress up in their best party attire. Those who had the grandest get up will have a generous prize.
There’s also the Virtua Got Talent contest, where awesome prizes await the most talented one in the company. Participating employees only need to send their videos as entries. And, of course, there was the obligatory raffle with some surprise prizes for the lucky winners.
The Festive Virtua Gala Night Begins
Partygoers started arriving at the online venue by 6 PM. After a slight delay, company founders Frank and Penn Camille Lat welcomed everyone. The two thanked the teams for their work throughout the year and promised a night of .
After the quick opening remarks, host Lowla presented the contestants for the Virtua Outsourcing Star of the Night. Eleven dairing employees pulled all the stops (and all the clothes in their closets) to create their looks for the night. Some were on the minimalist side while others went for a more flamboyant look. Hey, definitely need to look good for that 5000 pesos prize.
Virtua Stars Rock
Up next for the night was the Virtua Got Talent contest. Five participants from the different departments took to the virtual stage and showed what they got in store. .
Jojit Wayan donned his signature fedora and serenaded the ladies with a country ballad.
For her performance, Francesca Cunanan brought out her brand new mic and did a sultry Nina cover.
Meanwhile, Maria Guzman’s emotional rendition of Expose’s I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me had everyone wondering. Me pinaghuhugutan ba siya?
Virna Dimalibot brought everyone to Disneyland with a beautiful operatic rendition of The Little Mermaid song “Part of Your World.”
The last contestant (or so everyone thought) Juniann Asa showcased her powerful voice in a pop-rock ballad.
But to everyone’s surprise, a last-minute entry made it through. Tonee Villanueva jokingly admitted that she shot her MV just that morning. But her performance was everything but rushed, with a slow ballad while sitting on the couch.
Another fun surprise came with the reveal of the night’s guest performer. Iconic singer and Patron Saint of Prepositions (no one knows where that came from) Sheryn Regis thrilled everyone when she came online. Her signing prowess was still mesmerizing as ever even after yours out of the limelight and despite a slight technical issue.
Honoring Virtua’s best
Besides showcasing their artistic talents, the Virtua Gala Night also honored the most outstanding employees of the year. The list of awardees are:
- Zaius Awardee: Charo Arias
- Network For Good CSAT Awardee: Tonee Villanueva.
- Intercom CSAT Awardee: Jeannie Garcia
- Best In Attendance: Francesca Cunanan, Lorraine Palileo, Jeannie Garcia
Francis and Penn remarked that all the awardees put out extraordinary efforts in satisfying client demands. For their part, the awardees said they were always happy to be of service. They also thanked their colleagues for the support that they gave for the work.
Prizes Galore
And of course, there are tons of cash prizes. There were several minor raffles draws throughout the night, with up to a thousand pesos up for grabs. Everyone also eagerly participated in the minigames for a shot at more cash. As someone jokingly remarked, matindi ang pangangailangan nila. .
Aliesha Johnson from the Content team bagged the biggest bundle of cash after winning the Star of The Night and the second raffle. Maria followed her closely in the earnings list after winning the Virtua Got Talent contest. She also had Lady Luck by her side that night after winning two minigames and the third raffle.
But the luckiest ones were the major raffle winners. Karynn Cancino took home the Yubao Heavy Duty Powerbank. Meanwhile, Annalita Vizcarra won the Espresso Machine for hwe kitchen.
And for the 50-inch smart TV grand prize, the organizers threw in a last minute surprise. Instead of the roulette, everyone remaining got to duke it out video-karera style. They spent the next three minutes frantically cheering their Santas to the finish line.
To everyone’s surprise, Yuri Agbulos pulled away in the last five seconds to grab the coveted TV.
Lucky boy Yuri quickly wondered what to marathon on his brand new TV. And everyone jokingly demanded a redo.
Despite not winning any prizes, the rest of the Virtua crew was giggling the whole time. They also came home with their gifts. Frank capped the night by pointing out that all the gifts were very Tito/Tita-ish. All of Virtua can’t help but agree.