VILLAR-LED AllHome Corp. said it saw an increase in store footfall after the government lowered Metro Manila’s pandemic alert level to the most relaxed mobility restriction in March.
“As we anticipate the post-pandemic scenario, we are pleased that mall traffic is returning to pre-pandemic levels. We even see some days exceeding the pre-pandemic foot traffic. This bodes well for AllHome stores, especially our locations that serve as retail anchors to our Vista Malls as conditions normalize,” AllHome Chairman Manuel B. Villar, Jr. said in a disclosure on Thursday.
The eased alert level has given rise to more people returning to malls and other retail establishments, an indicator of the country’s gradual return to normalcy, Mr. Villar added.
“AllHome has shown resilience in capably weathering the challenges of the pandemic, in even the most stringent lockdowns. We are even more confident now as we prepare for the country’s gradual return to normalcy,” AllValue Holdings Presi-dent Camille A. Villar said.
Benjamarie Therese N. Serrano, AllHome president and chief executive officer, said “revenge shopping” had gained traction as consumers gain greater mobility.
“We believe that the trend of revenge shopping will benefit AllHome as a market hungry for experiences, after a prolonged period of various lockdowns, will again rediscover the distinct customer journeys and elevated experi-ences that are present in every AllHome location,” Ms. Serrano said.
The AllHome officials said they are confident that “the opening up of the economy will pave the way for heightened construction activities in the upcoming summer months.”
“We look at 2022 with more positivity as the vaccination rate in the country increases and the restrictions ease up, furthermore propelling the reopening of the economy,” Ms. Serrano said.
“Backed by our resilient performance throughout the two-year period of the pandemic, we look to the future with more optimism and vigor as we reap the positive impact of our team’s hard work and dedication to improve efficiencies and expand profitability,” she added.
AllHome offers a line of products for home improvement and construction, including for maintenance, repairs and renovations, and decorating. Its first store was launched in 2013 in Pampanga. Its product categories include furniture, hardware, appliances, tiles and sanitary wares, homewares, linens, and construction materials.
In the third quarter of 2021, the company’s attributable net income grew by 6.14% to P331.7 million.
From January to September, attributable net income was up 65.4% to P972.6 million from P588.1 million in 2020.
AllHome shares dropped by 0.67% or P0.05 to close at P7.40 apiece on Thursday. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC) will supply geothermal power to Silliman University (SU) for another two years, along with partial supply from the university’s own solar panels.
“We did the math and we saw some savings but more importantly, it is the quality of life that we give to our students on campus. They see that we walk the talk, they see that our campus is green, and the savings from our en-ergy is also passed on to our students so economically, it has benefited the university as far as energy use is concerned,” SU’s Vice President for Development Jane Annette L. Belarmino said in a statement sent on Wednesday.
From its initial two-year contract in 2020, the university in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental was able to reduce 2,602 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The geothermal power will be generated locally from EDC’s Nasulo geothermal facility in Valencia, Negros Oriental, the company said.
“[The renewal of contract is] our institution’s commitment in institutionalizing our Environmental Principles, Policies, and Guidelines that serves as the blueprint for the university’s major component activities in which the re-newable energy utilization is one,” SU President Betty Cernol McCann said.
Apart from the power supply agreement, EDC and SU are also partners in planting 10 million trees for 10 years to rehabilitate the forests on Negros Island.
“In 2020, SU and EDC inked a memorandum of agreement to establish the Silliman-EDC BINHI Arboretum inside the Center for Tropical Conservation Studies (CENTROP), the university’s field laboratory grounds in Palinpinon, Valencia, Negros Oriental, to provide a safe haven for the long-term survival of our Philippine native trees,” the company said.
Last year, SU also committed to EDC’s net zero carbon alliance, which targets to forge collaboration with different entities in the county that have committed to becoming carbon neutral and helping decarbonization efforts na-tionwide.
EDC, a subsidiary of First Gen Corp., has over 1,480 megawatts (MW) in its portfolio, accounting for 20% of the country’s installed renewable energy capacity. Its 1,181-MW geothermal portfolio accounts for 62% of the country’s installed geothermal capacity. — Marielle C. Lucenio
THE Philippines’ largest labor federation said on Thursday that it filed a petition for a P418 pay increase in Davao, which would bring the region’s daily minimum wage to P814.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) cited in its petition that the last wage hike in Region 11 took effect in February 2019.
“Wages were set to the cost of living three years ago. The wages are no longer able to cope with current cost of living,” TUCP President Raymond Democrito Mendoza said, citing increases in fuel and food prices.
The TUCP also noted that poverty incidence in the region was high based on 2021 first half data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Of the five provinces in the region, Davao Occidental’s poverty rate was 31.7%, while Davao Oriental’s was 24.5%.
Davao de Oro’s poverty rate was 21.8%; Davao del Norte 13.6%; and Davao del Sur, which geographically includes Davao City, 7.9%.
The TUCP said that according to 2021 government estimates, monthly incomes in the region should be P13,619 to stay above the poverty threshold. Monthly income is P10,296 at the current minimum wage of P396.
“Our minimum wage earners and their families fell below the poverty level even before the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the succeeding oil price hikes that are now pushing up the prices of basic goods and services,” Mr. Mendoza said.
The TUCP last week filed a wage hike petition of P430 in the Central Visayas or Region VII, which includes Cebu City.
In the Western Visayas or Region VI, the regional wage board issued a notice of public hearing for the minimum wage petition filed by the Bacolod City-based FISHTA Union of Employees Reforms Through Solidarity Actions.
The labor group is seeking a new minimum wage of P750 across all sectors in the Western Visayas. The hearings are set for April 8, 11, and 12 at various venues across the region.
The last wage hike Region VI took effect in November 2019, with minimum daily rates ranging from P310 for non-agricultural establishments with up to 10 workers to P395 for those with more than 10 employees. — Maya M. Padillo and Marifi S. Jara
THE PANDEMIC pushed millions of older Americans out of the labor force. It should have spawned a surge in Social Security benefits applications — but it hasn’t. Perhaps because they aren’t retired.
The disconnect has economists wondering how many of these baby boomers might come back to the workforce — a key question when job openings have remained near record levels for months now.
Here’s a look at the data and the debate it has spurred:
The retired share of the population is now substantially higher than before COVID-19, according to a Federal Reserve analysis. About 2.6 million older workers retired above ordinary trends since the start of the pandemic two years ago, based on estimates by Miguel Faria e Castro,an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Under the US’s federal retirement program, eligible workers receive a percentage of their pre-retirement income in monthly payments from the government. Workers can start receiving Social Security payments at age 62, with full benefits coming at age 66 or 67 depending on their date of birth.
Despite the surge in baby boomers saying in surveys they retired, applications for Social Security benefits have been fairly flat, based on calculations by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research. Around 0.1% of the US population 55 and older have applied each month, which is consistent with what was happening before the pandemic.
The lack of Social Security filings is a bit of a mystery for Laura Quinby, a senior research economist at the Center for Retirement Research. Older Americans often feel the need to apply for benefits in person, so the closure of the Social Security Administration’s local offices during the pandemic might have dissuaded some from applying.
Others might be waiting to reach their late 60s to be eligible for full benefits, Quinby said. Thanks to the COVID-era boom in stock and real estate values, individuals who own assets and have savings can afford to delay applying.
The surge in assets made this an “opportune time for some workers to step out of the labor force and stay out of the labor force,” said Lowell R. Ricketts, data scientist for the Institute for Economic Equity at the St. Louis Fed.
“But we’re still expecting a steady, steady trend that some might want to come back,” he said, especially with the advent of remote and hybrid work, which may lure seniors back to the job market.
Unlike in other developed countries, retirement isn’t necessarily a permanent shift in the US. Before COVID, it wasn’t uncommon that Americans would “un-retire,” out of financial hardship or personal choice. It’s too early to tell whether the pandemic has changed that dynamic permanently or not.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Chief Actuary suggested older people may have “retired” from one job and continued working in another. That would explain why they’re not applying for benefits.
And people under 62 wouldn’t qualify for Social Security anyway. Among them is Hope Cabot, 61, who left her teaching job in Roswell, Georgia, in December. The stress of caring for a mother and of having to teach virtually pushed her to retire sooner than she anticipated. She plans to be a substitute teacher to stay busy and bring in some extra cash to help keep up with high inflation, she said.
“During the pandemic, it was crazy,” she said. “I was not planning on retiring until the end of this year or the end of next year.”
So far Bureau of Labor Statistics data on labor participation show that some baby boomers have come back, while many are remaining on the sidelines.
It’s possible that COVID-19 has led to a reckoning for a generation that reached retirement age when a global pandemic hit their age group disproportionally and threatened life as we knew it. It makes it even more difficult to predict if and when they might look for a job again.
“Just as is the case with younger workers who have seen opportunities to think differently about their lives, people in this demographic are thinking, ‘What do I really want to do with my life,’” said Doug Dickson, who chairs the Encore Boston Network, which helps older workers find a job or volunteer opportunities. “Are they really retired or are they just defaulting to that language because it’s the easiest way to characterize it?” — Bloomberg
BusinessWorld Labor and Management columnist Rey Elbo was recognized this month by Spain’s IE University in Madrid, organizer of the Ibero-American and Asian Economic Journalism Awards.
Mr. Elbo, who writes the BusinessWorld column In the Workplace, won for Asian economic journalism with “What’s the best employee feedback mechanism?,” published in August 2019.
The award was presented in Madrid on March 23 at the Palacio de Linares.
The awards recognize the best journalism with an economic focus published in Latin America and Asia. This year, the awards committee evaluated over 150 submissions.
“It is important to recognize and shine light on leading journalism in the fields of Economics and Business, which intersects with the academic world to help us understand the world, its complexity and to anticipate its development. The work being recognized today fulfills this very important mission,” said Manuel Muñiz, provost of IE University.
The seventh edition of the economic journalism awards for Asia also recognized VietNamNet for Best Regional Media in Asia and Wu Chen of China’s Economic Observer for his article, “Latin America, another lost decade,” which won the award for Best Article on Latin American Economy in Asia.
Adele’s latest album, 30, was the biggest selling album of 2021
LONDON — Global recorded music revenues rose 18.5% last year driven by an increase in listeners tuning into paid subscription streaming, marking the market’s seventh consecutive year of growth to a record $25.9 billion, ac-cording to a report released on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a recovery in physical retail following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns allowed physical music formats to enjoy growth for the first time in 20 years, IFPI, a trade body for the recorded music industry, said in its Global Music Report.
Paid subscription streaming revenues rose 21.9% to $12.3 billion, the IFPI said, adding there were 523 million users of paid subscription accounts at the end of the year. Overall streaming accounted for 65% of total revenues.
Physical format revenues rose 16.1% to $5 billion.
“Around the world, record companies are engaging at a very local level to support music cultures and bring on the development of emerging music ecosystems — championing local music and creating the opportunities for it to reach a global audience,” IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said.
“Consequently, today’s music market is the most competitive in memory. Fans are enjoying more music than ever and in so many different and new ways.”
Total streaming, which includes advertising supported streaming, rose 24.3%. Revenues from performance rights and synchronization, the use of recorded music in adverts, film, television, and games, also enjoyed growth.
The only channel to see a decline was downloads and other digital formats, with revenues down 10.7%, as more people turned to access models of listening to music instead of ownership.
Recorded music revenues grew in every region, with the fastest rate of 35% recorded in the Middle East and North Africa. It was followed by Latin America, with 31.2%, US and Canada with 22%, and Asia with 16.1%.
Revenues in Europe rose 15.4%, sub-Saharan Africa saw an increase of 9.6% and in Australasia the rate was 4.1%.
British music star Adele’s 30 was the biggest selling album of the year while Canadian singer The Weeknd’s hit single “Save Your Tears” garnered 2.15 billion streams, the IFPI has previously said. — Reuters
VOCAL group The CompanY explores musical styles with new renditions of familiar songs in their latest album, Gitna.
The CompanY was formed in 1985 by its original members who were from the touring batches of the Ateneo College Glee Club. It was named after Stephen Sondheim’s 1970 musical Company. The group performs contemporary jazz and a cappella music. The CompanY initially performed as back-up vocalists for pop stars in the 1980s before becoming professional recording artists themselves. They have shared the stage with The Manhattan Transfer, Jim Brickman, Michael Bublé, Noel Pointer, and John Ford Coley.
The group currently consists of four singers — Annie Quintos, and Moy Ortiz who are remaining founding members, as well as Sweet Plantado and OJ Mariano.
Gitna — their first release under ABS-CBN’s Star Music – is The CompanY’s 29th studio album. It showcases pop, jazz, electronica, dance, acoustic folk, and indigenous instruments.
The album key track is also titled “Gitna.”
TALKING GITNA
During a press launch held online on March 22, Mr. Ortiz said that they decided on Gitna as the name of the album because of the term’s ambiguity.
“There is old-school OPM and new OPM [in the album]. In a way, it is like you are crossing the middle — half foot in tradition and comfort music and the other is looking forward and progress,” Mr. Ortiz said.
Ms. Plantado said the group chose the song “Gitna,” composed and originally performed by Davey Langit (2019), as the key track for its uniqueness. Their rendition is a duet and the bridge has the theatrical texture of sung and spoken lyrics.
“We chose a lot of songs from Star Music’s catalogue but we decided to zoom in on this because it’s not the usual love story and the way it combines the lyrics and melody is different,” Ms. Plantado said of “Gitna.” “Moy also had this idea to make it a duet so when he gave it to me and OJ — it brought a different color to the song,” she explained.
It references the group’s experience amidst the changing tides and disruptions in music and contemporary living.
“It’s always good to look back [at the past] and learn from that. Take what you have learned, leave the pain, and carry on,” Ms. Plantado said.
The music video of “Gitna” premieres today at 8 p.m. on Star Music’s YouTube channel.
“When we were doing the confrontation rap part, may kakaibang gigil na nangyari (there was a different overwhelming feeling),” Mr. Mariano said about shooting the music video, adding that he and Ms. Plantado — both also stage ac-tors — were eager to act again.
OLD SCHOOL, NEW SCHOOL
The 10-track album consists of previously released songs “Sumakabilang Puso,” “‘Sang Tawag Mo Lang,” “Disco Plantito, Disco Plantita,” “Sa May Bintana,” and “Walang Sayang.”
The other songs are The CompanY’s versions of “Kumusta Ka” (written by Rey Valera), “Hideaway” (composed by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab), “Sukob Na” (penned by Edgar Frasco Mortiz and Alexeeb Flores), and “Ambon” (written by Nica Del Rosario).
Mr. Ortiz also served as the vocal arranger for all the songs and co-produced the album. It was a new experience to arrange a new styles in music production he said.
“The challenge was with the songs of the new generation songwriters, the way they compose music now is not so much formulaic — you can’t predict where the structure and melody of the song will go, and this is evident in ‘Gitna,’” Mr. Ortiz said.
“It was always about finding our way in the music industry. I think it’s only now that we know ourselves more, we know our music more, what we can give, and what we need to work on still,” Ms. Quintos said.
Gitna is now available on various digital music platforms. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
LOS ANGELES — Ever since Amazon Studios’ 2016 film Manchester by the Sea became the first movie from a streaming service to be nominated for a best picture Oscar, competitors have spent millions of dollars campaigning for a prize that has been out of reach.
This year might be different. Apple TV+’s CODA, a heartwarming story about the daughter of a deaf couple who is torn between her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents, is a leading contender on Sunday for the film industry’s most prestigious award, having claimed the top honors from the Producers Guild and Screen Actors Guild.
CODA faces competition for best picture from Netflix, Inc.’s critical darling, The Power of the Dog, which received the top award from the Directors Guild of America, BAFTA and the Critics Choice Awards.
“It would be great for a streamer to win, I think, because it just expands the landscape,” said CODA star Marlee Matlin, who was the first deaf actor to receive an Oscar for her leading role in 1986 film Children of a Lesser God. “The options for film and opportunities. Why not? I think it would be awesome.”
Claiming an Oscar for best picture — or even being nominated — traditionally delivers a boost in movie ticket sales. King Richard, the biographical picture about Richard Williams, the father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, saw a 443% jump in ticket sales the weekend after its best picture nomination in February, according to box office tracker Comscore. Science-fiction epic Dune posted a 380% surge at the box office in the weekend following its nomination, Comscore said.
But as the global pandemic continues to depress movie theater attendance, a best picture award is just as likely to serve as a boon to the streaming services, where seven of the 10 films nominated for best picture are available for subscribers to watch in their homes. The rest can be seen from living rooms via digital rental or purchase.
A spokeswoman for WarnerMedia’s HBO Max said Academy Award-nominated films Dune, West Side Story, and Nightmare Alley ranked among the most-watched movies on the streaming service in recent weeks. Viewership for The Eyes of Tammy Faye jumped 42% after Jessica Chastain’s leading actress nomination was announced.
“All of these streamers have something to gain,” said one industry insider. “In the olden days — the ‘olden days’ meaning 10 years ago — it was as all about theatrical and using the Oscar and Golden Globe buzz as a marketing tool to get people to go to the theater and see the movies.”
The industry’s resistance to the growing influence of streamers, and in particular Netflix’s willingness to mount multimillion-dollar Oscar campaigns, appears to be fading.
“Cinema is being transformed, but I don’t think it’s the death of anything,” said actor Kerry Washington. “I think we’re just having more and more options and ways to appreciate content.” — Reuters
LONDON — Hit Netflix series Bridgerton returns to screens this Friday with more glitzy balls, romantic courtships, and of course, plenty of gossip columns setting Regency London’s high society alight.
Based on the books by Julia Quinn, season two of the period drama focuses on eldest Bridgerton sibling Lord Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, as he embarks on a search for a wife.
His attention turns to debutante Edwina Sharma, played by Charithra Chandran, newly arrived from India with her family. However, her older sister Kate (Simone Ashley) is not impressed with Anthony’s pragmatic, loveless approach to the marriage market, setting the two on a collision course.
“There’s pressure because it’s such a beloved set of books, but also Kate and Anthony are really complicated and brilliant characters, and I know loads of people love them,” Mr. Bailey told Reuters at the series’ premiere in London on Tuesday.
“So the pressure really was to do them justice and make sure that we don’t drop the ball in the way that we tell our love story.”
The first Bridgerton season, which became a global phenomenon upon its release in late 2020, focused on the budding romance between Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset and featured plenty of intimate scenes.
“We’re telling this incredibly emotional and fraught and charged and complex sexy and steamy enemies-to-lovers love story,” show creator Chris Van Dusen said of season two. “It’s lots of fraught looks and charged looks across the room and finger grazes and hand touches.”
Season two expands on the stories of the other Bridgerton siblings — Benedict as a wannabe artist and painter, Colin returning from his travels, enthusiastic to prove he has matured, and Eloise, who also makes her debut, is ever more in-terested in her books, the feminist movement, and outing Lady Whistledown, the mysterious author of the gossip columns.
Bridgerton has been praised for its diverse cast.
“I don’t know that we’re trying to break a mold or anything,” executive producer Shonda Rhimes said. “We’re just trying to make sure that everybody’s included.” — Reuters
SPECIAL Forces Sergeant James Harper – involuntarily discharged from the Army, pension cut off – is in debt, out of options, and desperate to provide for his family. So he contracts with a private underground military force. When the first assignment goes awry, Harper is caught in a dangerous conspiracy and fights to stay alive. Directed by Tarik Saleh, the film stars Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Kiefer Sutherland, and Nina Hoss.
MTRCB Rating: R-13
Origin Unknown
A FORMER drug runner battles supernatural assassins after taking a sick girl under his protection. Directed by Rigoberto Castañeda, the film stars Daniel Martínez, Lisette Morelos, Paulina Gil, Horacio Garcia Rojas, Arap Bethke, and Adrià Collado. Ready Steady Cut’s Alix Turner writes: “Entertaining supernatural swashbuckling stuff, with more lavish style than substance.”
THE INSURANCE SECTOR posted “significant” growth in various performance metrics in 2021, reflecting its recovery from the adverse effect of the coronavirus pandemic.
THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY posted growth in premiums, income and benefits paid in 2021, data from the regulator showed.
The Insurance Commission (IC) said in a statement on Thursday that life and nonlife insurers and mutual benefit associations (MBAs) showed “significant” growth year on year, based on data from the unaudited quarterly reports of 130 out of 136 licensed entities.
“Life and nonlife insurers and MBAs are bouncing back from the adverse economic effects of the pandemic, as evidenced by these numbers for Q4 2021. Moreover, the year-on-year increase in benefits paid during the same quarter highlighted the commitment and responsiveness of our insurers and MBAs to the needs of the insuring public despite the challenges posed by the pandemic,” Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa said in the statement.
Life and nonlife insurers’ and MBAs’ total premium income was at P374.67 billion in 2021, up by 21.55% from P308.25 billion in 2020, IC data showed.
Broken down, the life insurance sector posted a 25.24% increase in its premium income to P310.24 billion from P247.72 billion as variable and traditional life premiums grew by 30.57% and 10.11%, respec-tively.
“The increase can be attributed to the good performance showed by the single premiums of variable life insurance that reported a significant increase of 79.17%. Of the total life premiums, 77.12% came from variable life in-surance, while the remaining 22.88% came from traditional life insurance,” Mr. Funa said.
The nonlife sector’s net premiums written went up by 3.82% to P51.19 billion in 2021, attributed to an increase in motor car premiums, while MBAs’ premiums or contributions rose by 17.84% to P13.24 billion.
Meanwhile, these three industries’ net income increased by 18.57% to P40.72 billion from P48.29 billion.
The life insurance sector’s total net income rose by 29.7% year on year to P39.17 billion despite the increase in benefit payments amid a 31.46% increase in total underwriting income and a surge in capital gains.
On the other hand, the nonlife industry’s net income grew by 6.68% to P5.53 billion from P5.13 billion.
“A majority of the nonlife insurance companies exhibited net income for this period. However, as compared to 2020’s data per company, there were 27 companies whose net incomes contracted in 2021. The net losses for Q4 2021 are 15.14% higher compared to the same period last year,” Mr. Funa noted.
Lastly, benefits paid grew by 41.92% to P139.78 billion from P98.49 billion as the pandemic continued.
These three industries’ assets likewise went up by 8.4% to P2.09 trillion in 2021 from P1.93 trillion a year prior.
The aggregate assets of the life insurance sector grew by 7.45% to P1.65 trillion in 2021 while the nonlife sector’s assets rose by 13.68% to P318.59 billion. MBAs’ assets climbed by 8.18%.
Insurers and MBAs’ investments also “performed very well” in 2021, the IC said. Their aggregate invested assets went up by 7.9% to P1.84 trillion last year from P1.7 trillion.
As for other indicators, the life sector’s aggregate paid-up capital went up by 1.06% to P26.15 billion in 2021, while its net worth increased by 7.93% year on year.
Total policies and estimated insured lives of life insurers rose by 10.76% and 5.96%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the nonlife industry’s net worth climbed by 9.45% to P115.64 billion.
Lastly, MBAs’ aggregated net surplus decreased by 33.56% year on year to P3.58 billion in 2021, while liabilities rose by 9.98%. Their corresponding total fund balance increased to P49.68 billion in 2021 from P47.04 billion a year prior.
“Villa Bridgerton,” a mansion in Quezon City has been glammed up to give Bridgerton fans a glimpse into the grand and elegant world of the series.
Netflix offers fans a tour of ‘Villa Bridgerton’
TO mark the start of the second season of its show Bridgerton, Netflix invites the public to experience the British Regency Era through “Villa Bridgerton,” a mansion in Quezon City that has been glammed up to give Bridgerton fans a glimpse into the grand and elegant world of the series. Villa Bridgerton, located at 35 Broadway Ave. corner 9th Street, New Manila, Quezon City is open to the public from March 25 to April 3. For more information and to book a free tour of the villa, visit villabridgerton.com. Season 2 of Bridgerton premieres on Netflix on March 25.
Art Fair Philippines 2022 returns
ART Fair Philippines returns with a hybrid online-on site program which is ongoing until April 1. Forty-six exhibitors will showcase artworks in their respective physical locations and through online viewing rooms at the fair’s website. The fair also has special performances and exhibitions at the Ayala Triangle area in Makati. The online exhibitions and other activities are accessible at www.artfairphilippines.com.
Celebrating Earth Hour 2022
THE WORLD Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines) launches the Earth Hour Virtual Run: Shape Our Future in partnership with Pinoy Fitness. The virtual race, which supports the organization’s environmental conservation efforts across the country, will run from March 26 until April 22. Runners who successfully complete 10km, 20km, 40km, or 60km cumulative distance over the course of the run will receive a special Earth Hour finishers’ kit. They will also have a chance to win prizes from Adidas, Rustan’s, Rudy Project, Natura Yoga, fitness trainer Carla Piscosso, Urbanashramyoga, Pinoy Fitness, and WWF-Philippines in a special raffle. Registration is ongoing until- April 9 through the Pinoy Fitness Atleta app. For more information, visit wwf.org.ph, and WWF-Philippines’ official social media pages for the com-plete lineup and schedule. SM is an official partner of the WWF for the virtual run.
Adie Garcia
Adie sings live at the Shang
THE SINGER of “Paraluman,” “Tahanan,” and “You’ll Be Safe Here,” Adie (aka Adie Garcia) performs at Shangri-La Plaza’s East Wing on Saturday, March 26, at 6 p.m. The singer-songwriter initially rose to fame for his viral YouTube videos featuring covers of hits. In 2020, Adie was signed as an artist under O/C Records. His single “Paraluman” had more than 3.5 million views on its first month, and made it to No. 1 in the Viral Top 50 on Spotify. Shangri-La Plaza is also marking Earth Hour on the same day, by being on partial lighting mode from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., while the mall continues its regular operations. For updates and inquiries, follow Shangri-La Plaza on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial and on Instagram @shangrilaplazaofficial.
Light installation at the Ayala Museum
THE AYALA Museum launches its first OpenSpace exhibition titled, I Can’t Tell You What I Don’t Know, Only That I Don’t Know — a large-scale light installation by James Clar, done in collaboration with the award-winning giant parol team from Santa Lucia in San Fernando, Pampanga. The light installation will debut publicly on March 25, 6 p.m. in front of the newly renovated museum in time for Art Fair Philippines 2022. This exhibition is also presented under Art Fair Philippines’ Ten Days of Art.
Walking tour, bazaar at Luneta park
WANDERMANILA and Puesto Creative Events, with the cooperation of the National Parks Development Committee, present Re/Discover Luneta, an appreciation walking tour of Luneta — the most historically significant park in the Philippines — on March 26, 4:30 p.m. Pictures will be taken by the Luneta photographers, guests can enjoy the various attractions within the park, and win prizes courtesy of We Art Popup at Luneta. We Art Popup is a bazaar that will be held at Luneta on March 26 and 27, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Among the participants are Old Manila Eco Market, Two Twenty Two, Ceramics by Neshoi, Giyusepi, Akim.63, Heft, Dream On, JMAM, KDotZone, and Calle Salamanca. The Re/Discover Luneta tour is P200 which will go to the Luneta photographers and the volunteers. The meetup area is at the We Art Popup at the Luneta grounds. To register, visit https://forms.gle/PW1vTVYKreRq1AhN7. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/WanderManila/posts/1890777121112002
Lazada marks 10th anniversary with a sale
MARKING its anniversary, the online shopping destination will hold “Lazada’s Epic 10th Birthday” sale from March 27 to 29. Shoppers will enjoy nationwide free shipping with no minimum spend, a 10% Lazada Bonus Discount for every P1,000 spend, and 10% cashback during the three-day sale. There are also a slew of deals from the following brands and sellers: OPPO, Huawei, JBL, Logitech, Tefal, Deerma, TCL, Asus, Converse, Benc, Nike Philippines, Herschel, Vision Express, Tala by Kyla, Viajecito, SKMEI Global, Pampers, Lactum, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever Beauty, Olay, Maybelline, Kiehl’s, P&G Home Care, Abbott, Bosch Tools, LEGO, Fisher Price, Big Bad Wolf, and a whole lot more. In addition, shoppers can also enjoy exclusive bank discounts and cashback from their preferred payment options. Find out more by visiting Lazada, https://www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines, https://www.instagram.com/lazadaph/, and https://twitter.com/LazadaPH.
SM switches off lights for Earth Hour 2022
AS PART of the company’s sustainability efforts, SM Supermalls, through its corporate social responsibility arm SM Cares, is once again joining the world in observing Earth Hour, with this year’s theme, “Shape Our Future,” focusing on how we can work together in halting and reversing climate change and nature loss by 2030. Earth Hour is an annual campaign launched in 2007 by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that encourages the turning off of non-essential lights as part of energy conservation efforts for the planet. SM has been joining the campaign every year since it was first held in the country in 2008. This year, SM is one of the official partners of WWF for the Earth Hour Virtual Run, to be held from March 26 to April 22. Aside from this, all SM malls will be joining the light switch-off on March 26 from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Aside from joining the campaign every year, all SM malls are equipped with energy and water conservation facilities. The company also regularly joins tree planting activities, and has waste management initiatives such as Trash-to-Cash, e-waste, and used acid lead batteries collection programs, and the plastic waste collection program with the Plastic Credit Exchange. SM has also been investing more in renewable ener-gy. Eight malls in the country and three in China are now equipped with solar panels, with more to follow in the coming months. SM also pledged to increase its use of renewable energy to 50% of its overall ener-gy usage by year-end. SM’s other sustainability initiatives include the annual Green Film Festival, promoting environmental awareness among students and the youth through films; the AweSMSeas project, pro-moting awareness on the negative impact of plastic waste on seas and oceans; and the International Coastal Cleanup joined by thousands of volunteers every year, to name a few. Visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares to learn more.
