Taiwan ‘White Terror’ brought back to life for gamers
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — As the 70th anniversary of a bloody political purge in Taiwan looms, a new horror video game set during the island’s “White Terror” is winning rave reviews.
Your Weekend Guide (February 24, 2017)
PERFORMANCES
Ballet Manila presents Don Quixote on Feb. 24 and 25, 8 p.m., and Feb. 26 at 3 p.m., at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City. Tickets are available at TicketWorld (891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph).
The Cultural Center of the Philippines and Ballet Philippines presents Swan Lake from Feb. 24 to March 5. Nonoy Froilan restages one of the greatest classical ballets of all time, which concludes Ballet Philippines’ 47th season. The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will perform on gala performances on Feb, 24, 8 p.m., Feb. 25, 7 p.m., and, March 3, 8 p.m. Tickets are available at TicketWorld (891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph).
Airdance presents This is Not a Circus, an attempt to break the conventional perception of aerial arts as a mere spectacle, a trick, a circus act. On Feb. 26, 6 p.m., at the PowerMac Center Spotlight, Circuit Lane, Circuit Makati, Makati City. Tickets are available at TicketWorld (891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph).
The second recital of Contemporary Japanese drum (WADAIKO) group, Utsuwa, in the Philippines will be on Feb. 25, 7 p.m., at the TIU Theater, #5 Mile Long Compound, Amorsolo cor. Dela Rosa St., Makati City. There will be other participating artists and live painting by Atsuko Yamagata and Marie Ikura. Entrance is free.
Artist Playground’s Prelude to Macbeth will be showing on Feb. 24 to 26, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Little Room Upstairs, Landsdale Condominiums, Mother Ignacia St., Quezon City. For tickets, contact TicketWorld at 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph.
A stage adaptation of Aaron Posner’s My Name Is Asher Lev by Twin Bill Theater will be having 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. shows until March 5, at the PARC Foundation, 494 Lt. Artiaga St., San Juan. The cast includes Nelsito Gomez, Robie Zialcita, and Naths Everett, under the direction of Steven Conde. Tickets are available through TicketWorld (891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph).
Tanghalang Pilipino’s Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl will have performances until March 5 at the Little Theater, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. Translated by Guelan Luarca and directed by Loy Arcenas. For details, call 832-1125 local 1620/1621.
Multimedia arts festival Fringe Manila has returned for a third year with a lineup of performances from up-and-coming and returning artists. It is ongoing until Feb. 26 at numerous venues around Metro Manila. Tickets for the various performances are available at TicketWorld (891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph). For more details and schedule of events, visit fringemanila.com or Fringe Manila on Facebook (facebook.com/FringeMNL).
Repertory Philippines presents John Pielmier’s Agnes of God, directed by Bart Guingona and featuring Becca Coates, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, and Pinky Amador. It runs until March 12 at the Onstage Greenbelt Theater in Makati City. For tickets, contact TicketWorld (891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph).
PETA’s hit original Filipino musical Care Divas, about gay Filipino caregivers in Israel and their penchant for crossdressing, has performances at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City until March 19, Tuesdays to Sundays, at 3 and 8 p.m. For tickets, contact TicketWorld (891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph).
Tanghalang Ateneo presents Edgar Calabia Samar’s Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak na Tabon at the Rizal Mini Theater, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City until Feb. 25. For inquiries, call 0916-314-5475.
The touring show of Wicked, a retelling of the story of The Wizard of Oz focusing on the two witches, is ongoing until March 12 at The Theater at Solaire. For tickets, contact TicketWorld (891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph).
ART
Rom Villaseran deviates from his usual body of works in his solo exhibition, Ilaw ng Buwan, on view at the ground floor of 8 Rockwell, Hidalgo Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City until Feb. 28.
LIGALIG: Art in a Time of Turmoil is on display until May 27 at the Ateneo Art Gallery (AAG). The exhibition features works by Martino Abellana, Nunelucio Alvarado, Virgilio Aviado, BenCab, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, Orlando Castillo, Charlie Co, Kiri Dalena, Leonilo Doloricon Antipas Delotavo, Alfredo Esquillo, Edgar Talusan Fernandez, Anna Fer, Marciano Galang, Emmanuel Garibay, Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi, Renato Habulan, Neil Manalo, Alfredo Manrique, Manny Montelibano, J. Elizalde Navarro, Galo Ocampo, Onib Olmedo, Jose Tence Ruiz, Pablo Baens Santos and Lazaro Soriano. Also at the AAG are Lines: Pictures and Poems by Jose Garcia Villa until August and AAG in Review: Bellarmine Hall (1960-1967) and Print and Drawing Room (1997-2005) until May. Also on view is #LUZ@90 which celebrates the 90th birth anniversary of National Artist for Visual Arts Arturo R. Luz. It is on view until April 8. The Ateneo Art Gallery is at the Rizal Library Building, Ateneo University Campus, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City.
Maria Taginuchi has a solo exhibit at the Silverlens gallery at the Lapanday Center, Chino Roces Ave., Makati City. The self-titled exhibit is on view until March 22.
The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines presents a Korean media art exhibit, Eternal Light, featuring 15 works and installation art by Korean artist Han Ho, at the KCC Exhibit Hall, Taguig City until April 28.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s The Serenity of Madness, a traveling exhibition curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong and produced by Independent Curators International, New York, is on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts, 950 Pablo Ocampo St., Malate, Manila.
That’s The Way Aha Aha I Like It, an exhibit of recent works by sculptor Pete Jimenez, and Agnes Arellano’s mini-retrospective Born of the Moon are on view at the Altro Mondo in Greenbelt 5, Makati City. Also on view at the gallery are paintings, prints, and videos of 21 mentors of the School of Design and Arts of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in a group show titled Re-Calibrated, on view until March 5.
Take 5 on Aquarelle, an exhibition of watercolor paintings by five-generations of artists — Alfredo Roces, BenCab, Elmer Borlongan, Kelly Ramos, and Abi Dionisio — is on view at the BenCab Museum in Baguio City until April 7.
ArtInformal has three ongoing exhibitions: Forging/Foraging by Jacob Lindo and Jel Suarez; New Dogs, Old Vices by Bree Jonson, and Mike de Leon’s Kakaba Ka Ba? by Nix Puno. The gallery is at 277 Connecticut St., Mandaluyong City.
THE CHAIR PROJECT: A Study Collection of Seating Furniture by Tesa Celdran is on view at Pineapple Lab in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City, until Feb. 27.
Chalk Zaldivar’s Stress in Numbers is on view at the Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery on Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.
The Arturo Luz: First Light, curated by historian Dr. Ambeth Ocampo, is on view until June 11 as part of Ayala Museum’s “Images of Nation,” a program in honor of the National Artists for Visual Arts. Ayala Museum is located at Makati Ave. corner De La Rosa St., Greenbelt Park, Makati City.
EVENTS
The 8th Manila Transitio Festival — organized by the Intramuros Administration, #vivamanila, and artist/tour guide Carlos Celdran to remind Manila’s residents that they once lived in a proud, beautiful city and that the memory of the 100,000 civilians who died in the battle should be honored — will be held on Feb. 26 at the Baluarte San Diego, San Lucia Cor. Muralla Street, Intramuros from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. This year’s theme is “Folk Art. Folk Traditions. Folk Music” and will feature work by artists Russ Ligtas, Mitch Garcia, Ian Madrigal, Martin Lorenzo De Mesa, Mars Bugaoan, Jodee Aguillon and Hataw, Leeroy New, Derek Tumala, GA Fallarme, Denis Lagdameo, Rosa Mirasol Esguerra Melencio, and Tad Ermitaño. The main stage will spotlight the Tres Marias, a trio consisting of Bayang Barrios, Cookie Chua, and Lolita Carbon who are considered to be the country’s foremost voices in rock, folk, soul and protest music. Paolo Garcia (Parallel Uno) will DJ music between sets. Entrance fee is “pay what you can.” For more information, visit Manila Transitio Festival’s events page on Facebook or e-mail vivamanila1@gmail.com.
The 3rd Filipino Komiks and Art Market is happening will be held on Feb. 25 at the Centris Elements, Quezon City, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Over 300 artists will be offering their latest komiks, artworks, stickers, prints, postcards, and more. For details, visit February 25 Komiket on Facebook.
Diversification: The export sector’s Holy Grail?
Diversification has been the Holy Grail of the export sector, as dependence on electronics (at two-thirds of the total) has rendered the Philippines’ export earnings hostage to the ups and downs of a lone commodity. Starting 2011, the Philippines began shedding this reliance on electronics, but in the last two years, the proportion of export earnings from this commodity group has been increasing to again reach more than half of the total.
Private fund infusion in PPP deals across ASEAN
Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte has vowed to raise the Philippines’ infrastructure profile by the end of his term, committing to set aside an infrastructure budget that is equivalent to at least five percent of gross domestic product (GDP) over that period. His commitment comes after the previous administration’s disappointing record of project completion under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program. Despite this, the Philippines’ PPP pipeline has been one of the most robust across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Data from the World Bank show that the country enjoyed the biggest private infusion for PPP deals in recent years.
Philippines’ economic freedom ranking improves
The Philippines rose to the 58th spot in this year’s Index of Economic Freedom, riding on robust economic growth and fiscal gains, although concerns remain on whether these can be sustained under the new government.
