The Ayala Museum and the Filipinas Heritage Library extends its commemoration of the Declaration of Philippine Independence beyond June 12.

CHILDREN’S playground and party place Fun Ranch is closing its doors due to the pandemic as its management felt it would be “too long a wait before the situation becomes ideal for children to play freely and have parties again,” the company told BusinessWorld.

Over the last two and a half months when Metro Manila and many parts of the country were under varying degrees of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce site Lazada noted that many people used their time to learn a new skill — including making their own milk teas at home — as their customers bought quite a few interesting things while on lockdown.

Rustan’s department store will open its doors again on June 5 after having been shut down along with the rest of the metropolis during the strict COVID-19 quarantine which has run since mid-March. With the relaxation of the protocols, the store has been allowed to open, albeit under stringent health and safety protocols.

Mikhail Red continues his oddward journey with Neomanila, his third feature, set in Metro Manila’s mean streets — to be more precise, in the city of Pasig, one of the more eccentric corners of the National Capital Region.

Ballet Manila online Ballet Manila present’s Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s favorite roles from her Swan Song Series for streaming at its official social media pages (www.facebook.com/balletmanilaofficial) and (www.youtube.com/c/balletmanilaofficial). The series opens with Swan Lake premiering on June 6 (6 p.m.). It will be available until June 12 (10 p.m.).

DAVAO CITY — With face mask now a must-have accessory, fashion designer Wilson Niñofranco Limon has taken the opportunity to help meet demand while continuing his advocacy of promoting local craftsmanship.

PLAYWRIGHT Jay Crisostomo’s entry to this year’s Virgin Labfest theater festival, Dapithapon, tackles the struggles of student life and adolescence.

LONDON — Two of London’s famous red telephone boxes have been reborn as a coffee stall, and the owners say the lack of inside space that was a drawback when they opened a week before lockdown could now be an asset in a socially distanced capital.

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands — At the Dadawan restaurant in the southern Dutch city of Maastricht, an unusual group of new staffers has been brought in to help after the Netherlands eased its coronavirus lockdown this week: robots.

PARIS — The Café de Flore in Paris, once a favorite drinking hole of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, spread its tables along the pavement, in front of the neighboring book store, and reopened on Tuesday for the first time in 11 weeks.

WE understand that in times like these, one would like a little bit more of protection. But this does not mean that style has to be abandoned.