Inter-office decors bring ALU-TUCP offices alive

A reindeer’s head made from used box hang on the wall of the legal department’s office.

For nine years, a single Christmas tree stood at a corner of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) Central Visayas Office in Cebu City when Christmas drew closer.

This year, however, ALU-TUCP officials decided to spice up the holiday celebration by calling on the cooperation of their employees to decorate their own offices.

Today, the second floor of Mariner’s Court in Pier I Cebu City, where the ALU-TUCP is located, show colorful and unique decorations made by the employees themselves.

Atty. Nora Analyn Demetrio-Diego, ALU regional vice president, said that for the first time in the nine years that they have occupied their new office space, employees helped mount their own Christmas decors.

“And without them knowing it, they had a team building in the process,” she said.

Books from ALU-TUCP’s education and information division were piled to form part of their office Christmas tree. (Right) Santa’s sleigh hang on the corner of the finance department’s office.

Diego, who assumed as regional VP last January 16, 2018, said she thought of asking the help of all their 40 office employees instead of just relying on utility workers to set up the Christmas tree.

The employees not only accepted her challenge but surpassed her expectations as well.

Personnel from ALU-TUCP’s eight divisions: legal, finance, operations, education, admin, clinic, national office, and AMCI (Associated Multi-Purpose Cooperative Inc.) — mounted their own Christmas decors in their own offices.

“When before they would close their office lights during lunch break to sleep, now the offices are very bright even during lunch break because they’re all busy setting up their decors,” Diego said in Cebuano.

For ALU Regional Auditor Elmer Babatuan, the activity allowed them to “showcase the Christmas spirit” so much so that people who enter their office feel joy.

Babatuan said that they encouraged their employees to be thrifty by using recyclable materials as Christmas decors.

In Babatuan’s office at the finance department, the case of an old airconditioning unit was used to create an image of Santa Claus on board a sleigh.

Santa’s sleigh hangs from a corner of the office together with lanterns made out of discarded electric fans.

The lanterns are adorned with cut up purchase orders and requisition slips shaped like a star.

Books from ALU-TUCP’s education and information division were piled in a corner to form part of their office Christmas tree.

Over at the ALU administration division, a Belen (nativity scene) made out of newspaper and plastic bottles stands out with the images of Mother Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus made from empty bottles of fabric conditioner.

At the operations division, another Belen draws people’s attention.

The images are made out of empty water bottles while the faces are drawn at the back of spoons.

A small statue of the baby Jesus lies in the middle of the nativity scene.

At the AMCI office, lanterns made from green softdrink bottles hang from the ceiling; while a huge Santa stands at the reception area to greet visitors of the ALU-TUCP clinic located at the Mariner’s Court ground floor.

At a corner of the clinic’s reception area, a Christmas Village also attracts guests.

Butterflies made of paper fill the hallway leading to the doctor’s clinic.

With the success of their inter-office Christmas decorations this year, Diego said they plan to make this a tradition in the coming years.

“Makalipay baya pud nga inig sulod namo diri nindot ang offices (It makes us so happy to see that all our offices are nice),” Babatuan for his part said.