MANILA, PHILIPPINES – As part of its annual recognition of employees, User Experience Researchers (USER) celebrated their Year-End Party (YEP) at the Ascott Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, in the Philippines.  

The event was held live and online via Zoom on January 12, 2024, bringing together almost a hundred attendees from their various offices from Singapore, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines. Titled “Glamour Us: The USER YEP 2023,” attendees celebrated their achievements and looked forward to a promising new year, decked in glam rock fashion.  

USER CEO and Founder Dr Frank Qiu expressed his thanks for everyone during the event: “The year that passed took us through a lot of challenges, but I am glad that all of you took part and took up each one with commitment to delivering the best you can. I am happy to see how we do our work – together, as a team – to reach our goals and satisfy our clients. I truly appreciate every one of you in USER and your dedication, and hope that you continue to also challenge yourself, to do better than before. Thank you for being a part of the USER family and let’s celebrate a new year for us and our loved ones today,” he said as attendees cheered. 

It was a long get-together night filled with honouring each other and fun-filled games and activities. 

Rewarding members of the USER community 

Recipients of the 2023 U Awards

Every year, USER recognises its employees for succeeding and becoming exemplary associates in the company with the U Awards. Special tokens are given away to select winners according to four categories which represent the company’s four central values: Unity, Service, Excellence, and Responsibility.  

Winners were selected by management and judges as they displayed valuable acts that helped their team (for Unity), delivered more than what was required or expected (for Service), maintained stellar records and updated their skills with initiative (Excellence), and taking on duties with diligence (Responsibility).  

This year, the awardees were: 

Unity (U): Qin Jiazhen (Chris), Teo Kai Tian, Pauline Lau, Duong Cuong Vu (Vincent), Rodrigo Silvano 

Service (S): Arvey Jimenez, Ng Hor Yan, Jennifer Abanto, Ronaldo Amos Jr., Hannaniah Japa 

Excellence (E): Yeo Yee Shen (Aden), Ma. Bernadette Cabaluna, Marron De Galicia, Liu Dan, Marvin Japh Reboya 

Responsibility (R): Wah Jin Chong (Brandon), Ro-Bryan Picar, Precious Ylyngy Yu, Eswari Manipriya Gangikuntakaranm, Trieu Thi Phuong Thao (Joyce) 

USER also recognised successful ICT Assessment (Software Developer and Solutions Architect) program finishers at the National University of Singapore. 

Filling the night with fun and memories 

The USER fam @Ascott Manila, BGC

Of course, it’s not a year-end party without the festive mood. The evening saw the various performances of USER’s different teams doing their take on the glam rock culture with song and dance performances, as well as other shows that cheered up everyone watching from their seats and online. This was headlined by none other than USER’s annual talent event, called “U Got Talent” (UGT) where teams duke it out onstage to showcase their amazing performances. It is the 4th time the competition was held, with the previous UGT season themed after K-pop.  

Teams were hilariously named after dishes – Team Paksiw, Team Pho Hoa, Team Adobo, Team Char Kway Teow, and Team Sinigang. In the end, Team Adobo won for their jaw-dropping combination of talents they unleashed onstage. 

On top of UGT, raffle prizes were given away for lucky attendees, with prizes ranging from small novelty items to pro-level gadgets. Everyone also enjoyed a hearty guessing game featuring glam rock trivia, including employees attending via Zoom. Lastly, three of the best-dressed attendees were recognised for their head-turner ensembles: Genesis Torotoro, James Angelo Chico, and Tran Thanh Minh (Moon), and were called the “Rockstars of the Night.” 

Aiming for greater heights 

USER continues to expand this year and is setting itself as a leading figure in digital transformation, data analytics and AI, and UX consultancy, among other knowledge bases. Glamour Us: USER YEP 2023 is just the tip of the iceberg as USER drives forward with innovation and unwavering dedication to the betterment of human lives. The company also received the SME500 award recently for its outstanding performance as a company in 2023 and as well as the Progressive Wage Mark from the Singapore Business Federation. 

With more than ten years of servicing MNCs and the public sector, USER and its community of diverse, dedicated, and talented professionals are pushing onwards toward achieving greater heights this 2024.