29 July 2021
Outgoing Board Member Sid Tayag, a lawyer by training, doesn’t shy away from challenges. She reflects on her experience on the Board over several terms, noting that the last year was especially challenging, owing to the disruption caused by the pandemic. But adapting to the new reality, both at home, at work and at the Club, has helped her and her family thrive
ON WORK
How do you juggle work, Club and family time?
It can be challenging, but I try to make sure that at the start of the week I look at my calendar and schedule everything that needs to get done. So even my workouts I schedule and block off in my calendar.
What do you find most challenging about your law practice?
The most challenging thing about being a lawyer is also what I love about it the most – things are never the same and even if you’ve done the same kind of project so many times there will always be surprises and new challenges. It keeps you on your toes.
Do you and your husband work from home at the same time or do you alternate going to the office and working from home?
Right now, unless we have a meeting that requires our presence, we are able to work from home. We work in the same law firm so we are able to share a working space at home so it makes things really convenient.
What has been keeping you busy?
Right now I’m busy putting up a gymnastics school that will be based in Makati. I’ve been involved in the gymnastics community for some time now and its been such a great “first sport” for my kids so I thought it would be great if we had a dedicated gymnastics school in the Makati. It’s quite challenging because of the pandemic but hopefully once things normalize we will be able to open our doors to welcome kids and adults of all ages into our gym.
On Family
You are the eldest of three girls. How was it like growing up with sisters?
My sisters and I are close in age so it was fun growing up with two sisters. We did a lot of things together and spent a lot of our time at Polo, mostly playing tennis and hanging out in the Sports Lounge.
What sport/s did you play as a Dependent?
I played tennis but tried all the other sports that Polo offered. I have a sister who also did gymnastics in Polo, but we all mostly played tennis. My friends and I would sometimes play duckpins and a few times I tried badminton, back when the badminton courts were beside the sports lounge.
What are your fondest memories of the Club growing up?
Hanging out in the sports lounge with our friends. Eating garlic fries, milkshakes, Army Navy sandwiches and of course Polo burgers.
As I grew up I remember going to the parlor a lot, and I think I got my first manicure at the parlor in Polo. I think what I loved about growing up in Polo is feeling very safe there and now, with my kids, it’s the one place I allow my kids to roam around on their own.
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Snaps from law school, travels and work
What do you miss doing the most with your family before the pandemic hit?
The smaller things – I miss just being spontaneous with the my family. Being able to go out to eat or watch a movie without planning things way in advance. For the bigger things, I miss travelling with my family. Not just my immediate family but also with my parents and sisters. We would usually take one big trip together to celebrate my dad’s birthday, and it was always a time to bond and relax and enjoy each other’s company.
How are the kids dealing with online classes and being at home most of the time?
My son loves online classes and if it were up to him, school would be online forever! My daughter misses going to school but their school was able to really adapt well to migrating to an online platform so it was pretty painless for all of us.
In the beginning my kids had a hard time being stuck at home so being able to go to Polo was really such a blessing. Our whole family started playing tennis during the pandemic. I went to the courts for the first time in almost 30 years with a 20-year-old racket!
How do you keep them motivated in sports, especially now that kids are still not allowed to go out?
It’s really hard to keep kids motivated especially now that they are no competitions, no group activities and a lot of the classes are via Zoom. So we try to be creative and we let them try different things and different sports. We just want them to stay active even if for the most part they are stuck at home.
Do they still get to practice the sports they love?
They’ve had to take a break from some of the sports they are doing that are considered contact sports, but they’ve also discovered new sports that they are allowed to take in person like tennis and golf. And my kids recently watched the Hunger Games so they both want to take up Archery!
What is your biggest indulgence at home at this time?
We put up a pretty comprehensive home gym and a sauna so its nice to be able to work out then hit the sauna from home. But once in a while I go to the Polo gym since the equipment is really great and the trainers are so helpful.
What is your daily fitness routine like? Do you exercise as a couple or as a family?
I do SRT classes online almost everyday and for cardio I sometimes do spinning classes or rowing classes, but mostly I get my cardio nowadays from walking our dogs. I sometimes work out with my husband but I can’t keep up with the kind of exercise my kids do! It’s too intense for me!
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Precious moments with the family
On Club Matters
How would you describe your Board experience? What do you like about being on the Board?
My experience being on the Board was very fulfilling. I learned a lot from the amazing Members of the Board with whom I was fortunate enough to serve, and also from the wonderful Management Team alongside whom I had the pleasure of working.
What will you miss most about your monthly Board meetings?
The food! But seriously I will miss the camaraderie with the other Board Members and the Management Team. While our meetings were long, they were never heavy, and everyone was always very professional and respectful. A lot of serious work got done but here was a lot of light moments.
What would you have liked to implement at the Club if the pandemic had not gotten in the way?
We had all these plans to get everyone at the Club together via music, sports and other community based activities. I was very excited about the sportsfest the Sports Committee was planning. Hopefully that will come to fruition soon!
Of all the Committees you have chaired, which one did you have the most fun handling and why?
All the committees I participated in were great and I had fun being a part of all of them. But I have to say the most fun would be Membership because I was on that committee for a long time and chaired it twice, so I really got to know a lot of the Members in the committee as well as the Management Team.
My colleagues in the Board and the Committees
What do you think is the most important project accomplished by the Board in the past year? What should it prioritise in the next Board Year?
I think the most important thing the Board accomplished in the past year is really how the Board dealt with the pandemic and all the challenges we faced as a Club. From ensuring that we took care of the employees and service providers to making changes to the way we do things to give the Members a place to go to amidst the pandemic and just continuing to make Polo a second home for many of our Members.
I think this Board has put in the groundwork for the start of the renovation and improvement of the facilities in the Club this year starting with the Olympic pool and the jogging track and hopefully the next Board can prioritize the continuing renovation of the other facilities.
What are some of the things that would be important to tell Board candidates about serving on the Board?
I would tell the candidates that being on the Board of Polo is a great experience. And while it’s a lot of work, it also has a lot of rewards, especially when you hear the positive feedback from the Members.