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Kepwealth moves acquisition of additional office spaces to 2021

PROPERTY developer Kepwealth Property Phils. Inc. has moved its continuing acquisition of leasable office spaces to the first or second quarter of 2021 due to the business challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Tuesday, the company said that it decided to “proceed cautiously” while evaluating available properties and checking the market demand for office spaces.

The move comes after a review of the company’s plans on how to use the proceeds from its initial public offering (IPO).

“Originally, the company had projected to complete the acquisition until the end of the second quarter of 2020. We now believe that our shareholders’ interest would be best served to move the acquisition to the first or second quarter of 2021,” the disclosure said.

Last year, the company was able to raise P384.77 million when it listed its shares on the stock exchange.

Proceeds from the IPO will be allocated to the purchase of new spaces for commercial and office leasing.

Further, the company said the earlier acquisition of its two contiguous floors and 18 parking spaces in One San Miguel Ave. had only been turned over after the enhanced community quarantine.

In March, the company forged deeds of absolute sale with Amberland Corp. for spaces in the said building in Pasig City.

Meanwhile, Kepwealth also disclosed that a couple of properties that it is managing had expressed their desire to pre-terminate the “asset management agreement” with the company.

The company’s disclosure did not state the names of the properties.

“Nonetheless, as we see when the country eventually bounces back economically, the company continues to work to explore potential tie-ups with property owners,” Kepwealth President Augusto Pablo A. Corpus Jr. was quoted as saying.

On Tuesday, shares of Kepwealth in the stock exchange rose 0.21% or P0.01 to close at P4.85 per share. – Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

New ecclesiastical pieces on view at Palacio de Memoria museum

PALACIO DE MEMORIA has expanded its collection of Euro-Filipino art pieces in its museum with new ecclesiastical pieces ranging from paintings of religious figures and ivory statues, to church furnishings.

The majority of the museum’s ecclesiastic collection dates back to the 14th century, though it has pieces that span that period into the 20th century. Among the new items at the museum are unique portraits of religious figures in unusual figurations, including Christ, the Virgin Mary, and different saints.

“We are the third largest Catholic country in the world, and our religion is an important part of our history and our identity as Filipinos,” said  Palacio de Memoria general manager Camille Lhuillier in a statement. “ Aside from their artistic merits, we hope the new pieces in our museum will help enlighten people about our Christian cultural heritage.”

There are paintings depicting religious life, including a 17th century painting from Spain showing the martyrdom of Saints Fausto, Jenaro, and Marcial of Cordoba, as well as an oil painting dating back to the 17th century Flemish-Spanish school portraying the scourging of Christ.

Also part of the new selection are ivory icons of ethical provenance, such as a Madonna and Child sculpture from 18th century Portugal and the Crucified Christ figure encased in a wooden frame. There are also reliquaries of venerated individuals including the apostles and various saints.

The museum collection extends to church artifacts like furniture, altar pieces, and other items used in a liturgical ceremony. This includes a wooden oratorio with a tableau of the Holy Family in polychrome terracotta, a two-seat choir stall from 18th century Portugal, a wooden processional cross from Spain, and a bishop’s chair from Bolivia with a depiction of a relief of Archangel Michael and the Blessed Virgin along its wooden frame.

Aside from the new pieces, the museum will also soon serve as a chapel where religious gatherings such as weddings or baptisms can be held.

Palacio de Memoria is located at 95 Roxas Boulevard, Tambo, Parañaque. Tours are available upon request. For more information, visit https://www.palaciodememoria.com or follow @thepalaciodememoria on Facebook and @palacio.de.memoria on Instagram.

PLDT-Smart says nearly 1,500 cell sites in Visayas upgraded to LTE

SMART COMMUNICATIONS, Inc., the wireless unit of PLDT Inc., said on Tuesday all its cell sites in central Philippines had been upgraded to LTE or long-term evolution, which increases the capacity and speed of wireless data networks.

“The activation of LTE in far-flung coastal community Kawayan, a fifth-class municipality in island province Biliran, Eastern Visayas, brings to nearly 1,500 the number of sites in the region now operating on LTE,” Smart said in an e-mailed statement.

The mobile network operator added all of its sites in the Visayas are now on LTE.

“Smart has also expanded LTE capacity in the Visayas by 31% compared to end-2019,” it said.

To date, all of Smart’s sites in the VIsayas are already on LTE. Smart has also expanded LTE capacity in the Visayas by 31% compared with end-2019.

Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT-Smart senior vice president for network planning and engineering, said: “Rolling out in an archipelago and in the countryside presents unique challenges. This has to be taken into consideration. Recently, we fired up an LTE base station in Pag-asa Island in the municipality of Kalayaan, the country’s most remote cell site. We have also fired up a cell site in Brgy. Tucdao, Kawayan in Biliran. These are far-flung communities, but we are committed to doing this. We have been constantly improving our services by expanding our network wherever possible.”

Smart announced recently that the Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea is now covered by its LTE network service.

Telcos are hoping to improve connectivity in remote areas soon in response to the new normal caused by the pandemic.

Industry participants said the goal is achievable with stimulus legislation that reduces the requirements for permits needed to put up and operate cellular towers.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte recently signed Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan II), an economic stimulus program that grants the government the power to simplify the permit process for building cell towers.

“PLDT and Smart will continue to invest in building the network. In terms of affordability, we are trying to balance the needs of our customers and their capability to avail of our services. We always make sure that we offer reliable services. Expect improvement in our services this year and next year,” Mr. Tamayo said in a recent online forum.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. – Arjay L. Balinbin

Ancient statues emerge from the shadows in blockbuster Rome show

ROME — After decades locked away in a basement, some of the finest sculptures from antiquity have been pulled from the gloom and returned to public view in Rome.

Busts of Roman emperors, intricate sarcophagi and an ancient Greek relief carved 2,500 years ago are just some of the 92 pieces on display in the city’s Palazzo Caffarelli.

The marbles belong to the aristocratic Torlonia family and represent a fraction of their 620 sculptures, believed to be the largest such private collection in the world.

“We could do seven, eight, 15 more exhibitions,” said art historian Salvatore Settis, who was picked by the family to help curate the show and had the difficult task of deciding which works should see the light of day.

Like many leading Rome families, the Torlonias initially put their huge collection on display in a museum. But after 101 years, they locked its doors in 1976, looking to convert the building into private apartments.

“The reappearance of such a legendary collection is a very important event,” said Mr. Settis. “When I saw them for the first time it was very emotional because I knew most of those pieces from books, but I had never seen them.”

The Torlonias, who built their wealth off the back of papal contracts, snapped up established collections, some dating back to the 15th century, and built up a collection of collections.

Among the pieces on view is a fountain basin carved in ancient Greece that was believed to have stood in the garden of Julius Caesar when it was already considered an antiquity.

Many of the works have undergone substantial restoration over the years, including a statue of a goat whose body dates to the first century AD but whose head is believed to have been created by the famed 17th century Italian sculptor Bernini.

Anna Maria Carruba helped prepare the statues for the exhibition.  

“Many of these pieces were already restored from 1600 onwards. We didn’t need to work on the structure of the statues but only on the surfaces, cleaning them, removing the dust that had accumulated over the years and materials used in previous restorations,” she said.

The Torlonia Marbles show had been due to open in April, but was pushed back because of the coronavirus. It runs in Rome until June 2021 and is expected to move on to at least one other European country and the United States before returning to Italy where it will be given a permanent home. — Reuters

AllHome opens new store in Las Piñas

ALLHOME Corp. has opened a new retail store in Las Piñas City to tap the builders market in the Calabarzon region.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Villar-led company said it recently opened AllHome Builder’s Centre Evia, which covers almost 2,500 square meters of store area.

The new store features wider aisles and higher shelves and offers items such as tile designs, modern sanitary wares, hardware items, and comprehensive building materials.

“AllHome Builder’s Centre aims to make material-sourcing much more convenient and less time-consuming for builders and contractors. This store is designed to provide the no-frills shopping experience preferred by busy builders,” AllHome Chairman Manuel B. Villar, Jr. said in the statement.

The company wants to ride on the increase in construction projects in Cavite, Laguna and Batangas, particularly the exclusive residential developments in the Alabang area.

AllHome will give away an AllHome Builders’ loyalty card for free to new customers, hoping to generate traction by offering promos and discounts. Its target is to grow its membership base by tenfold in the next three years.

The Builder’s Centre is located at Evia Lifestyle Center in Las Piñas City. As of end-June, AllHome had 45 stores spanning 296,772 square meters of net selling area.

During the first six months of the year, the company’s earnings dropped 37% to P275.65 million, attributed to store closures when Luzon was under a strict lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

AllHome shares at the stock exchange closed at P5.96 apiece on Tuesday, up six centavos or 1.02% from a day ago. — Denise A. Valdez

Even during the pandemic, the Smile Train chugs along

THE COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has managed to stop a great many things in the world, but not everything.

“Another baby is born with cleft every three minutes — even during a pandemic,” said Miss Universe Catriona Gray, the Global Ambassador for cleft charity Smile Train, in a public service announcement released last July. This sentiment was reiterated by Smile Train Southeast Asia Director Kimmy Flaviano who showed the video last month during a webinar to give updates of the charity’s activities during the pandemic. “During the pandemic, the world doesn’t really stop,” said Ms. Flaviano. “Mothers are still giving birth to people with cleft.”

Smile Train, is arguable the world’s largest cleft charity, treating children with cleft lips and palates (Forbes lists it as #90 of the 100 Largest US Charities in 2019). It was founded in 1999, and established a presence in the Philippines in 2001, where it has since performed about 63,000 surgeries, with 5000 surgeries done every year on average. But due to restrictions on movement because of the COVID-19 lockdowns, as well as limited capacities in hospitals, Ms. Flaviano reported that “In the last three to four months of our fiscal year, we saw a drop in the number of cases [of cleft palate surgeries].”

The charity has supported more than 500 surgeries from March to August, said Ms. Flaviano, as well as provided support for 4,101 surgeries for the fiscal year of 2020. This presents a drop from 5,270 surgeries performed in the fiscal year of 2019.

However, Dr. Nikki Valencia, a Smile Train partner plastic surgeon, said that the De La Salle University Medical Center in Cavite is already preparing to perform surgeries in the near future. In addition, she also said that a handful of hospitals have already begun to resume their cleft palate surgery activities. “There are already some partners who are doing surgeries for cleft palates,” she said.

“Smile Train also has protocols in terms of when and who can receive surgeries,” said Ms. Flaviano.

“It’s not just about surgery,” she explained. “What we strive to do is to be able to provide comprehensive cleft care.”

Because of that, the charity has increased its awareness campaigns. These include Facebook live sessions where new mothers of children with cleft ask questions, among other concerns. “A lot of questions go up when they’re not able to speak to a doctor, or go to a clinic,” said Ms. Flaviano.

Speech therapy sessions and remote consultations are also part of Smile Train’s programs, due in part to its relative convenience, thanks to telehealth and telemedicine partners and programs. “This is something that can be done, even if they don’t go to the hospital,” said Ms. Flaviano. They’ve had over 100 patients, with over 500 sessions since April 1. “These are especially for older patients, who [may not] have the same self-confidence to apply for a job, or don’t have the skills to apply for a job. We’re trying to provide them with different avenues to be able to support them,” she said.

“Even during a pandemic, Smile Train is here to help. They can depend on us, and they can entrust their child to us,” said Ms. Flaviano.

For inquiries, schedules, and sessions, visit the Smile Train Facebook page at facebook.com/SmileTrainPhilippines. — JLG

San Miguel gets permit for sale of P20-B shares

SAN MIGUEL Corp. has received regulatory clearance to sell 266.67 million preferred shares to generate funds for its infrastructure projects.

In a disclosure to the exchange on Tuesday, the company said it was given the permit to offer securities for sale by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week.

San Miguel was given a pre-effective letter by the SEC on Sept. 29. After complying with submissions, its registration statement has been rendered effective on Oct. 9.

The company is offering up to 133,333,400 Series 2 preferred shares with an oversubscription option of up to 133,333,267 shares at P75 each.

This forms the first tranche of its shelf registration of up to 533.33 million preferred shares, which it intends to use to raise cash for its P734-billion Bulacan airport project and P62.7-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 7.

Based on earlier disclosures, San Miguel intends to offer the shares until Oct. 19, with listing date tentatively set on Oct. 29. The company expects to generate P19.89 billion in net proceeds from the offering.

San Miguel has tapped BDO Capital & Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., Philippine Commercial Capital Inc., PNB Capital and Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp., and SB Capital Investment Corp. as joint issue managers, lead underwriters, and bookrunners for the offering.

The company posted an attributable net loss of P7.59 billion in the first six months of 2020, reversing its profit of P13.23 billion last year, due to the effect of the coronavirus pandemic to its fuel and beer businesses.

San Miguel shares closed flat on Tuesday at P99.90 apiece. — Denise A. Valdez

Crimson, Quest hotels hold Passionately Pink Virtual Run 

IN SUPPORT of breast cancer awareness month, Chroma Hospitality, Inc., the management company behind Crimson Hotels and Resorts and Quest Hotels and Resorts, launches the fund-raising project Passionately Pink Virtual Run from Oct. 26 to Nov. 8.

Proceeds from the virtual run will go to STAGEZERO by Project Pink Support Group, a non-stock, non-profit organization, which aims to encourage and empower patients, families and communities to conquer cancer through knowledge, emotional, social and spiritual support.

The public is invited to run for a cause whenever and wherever they are as they can do the run at their own pace and choose from the 3k, 5k, 10k, 15k, 25k distances. Registration ends Oct. 25 and is priced at P1,200. The race kit includes a Passionately Pink race shirt, a medal and a certificate of donation. To register, visit https://bitly.com/chromarace2020.

Now on its fourth year, the campaign has expanded as other Crimson and Quest properties — Crimson Resort and Spa, Boracay, Crimson Resort and Spa, Mactan, Quest Hotel Conference Center, Cebu, Quest Plus Conference Center, Clark and Quest Hotel, Tagaytay — will bring initiatives meant to educating people about breast cancer.

Federico Lopez is MAP Management Man 2020

FEDERICO R. LOPEZ, the chairman and chief executive officer of publicly listed First Philippine Holdings Corp., has been named “Management Man of the Year” for his advocacies, including his drive for the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

The award is given by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), the decades-old organization with more than a thousand members composed of top company chiefs.

In a statement on Tuesday, the association said the “MAP Management Man of the Year 2020” award is bestowed “on individuals in the business community or government for attaining unquestioned distinction in the practice of management and for contributing to the country’s progress.”

it said the conferment of the award follows a thorough, stringent selection process. The award has only been conferred 44 times in the five-decade history of the award.

MAP said Mr. Lopez, or “Piki”, was chosen “for passionately pushing for the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy through his various advocacies to proactively address the irreparable damage of climate change.”

It also cited his move to champion the power industry’s deregulation for the benefit of the country, while steering the Lopez group of companies to “being in the forefront of energy security and sustainability, and clean technologies for renewable energy and natural gas.”

The association also credited Mr. Lopez “for developing a deep bench of Filipino technical and managerial talent who are globally competitive,” and his leadership role that led the Lopez group “to national development in terms of production, value added, income generation and job creation.”

“The criteria for the award include integrity, leadership, and management qualities; contribution to nation-building and values formation; effective stewardship within the confines of the highest standard of business and management practice; among others,” MAP said.

MSME loans counted as alternate reserve compliance reach P80B

THRIFT LENDERS have disbursed P80 billion in loans to micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that qualify as alternate reserve requirement compliance, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said on Tuesday.

“As of end-July 2020, thrift banks were able to provide a total of P80 billion loans to MSMEs. These were used as alternative compliance of thrift banks with the reserve requirements as of end-September 2020,” Mr. Diokno said at the 2020 Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) Convention held virtually on Tuesday.

The central bank in April allowed lenders to use credit to MSMEs as part of their reserve requirement compliance as part of its regulatory relief for banks and to provide support to small businesses amid the pandemic.

Mr. Diokno said the MSME sector has a role to play in the country’s recovery trajectory amid the coronavirus pandemic as they account for 99% of enterprises across the country.

CTB President Cecilio D. San Pedro said the thrift banking industry is in the process of standardizing and simplifying required MSME loan documents in line with the central bank’s goal to boost small businesses’ access to credit.

“We have formed a CTB Technical Working Group for this project which will be working closely with the BSP team,” Mr. San Pedro said.

Thrift lenders are also seeking further relief measures as the pandemic stretches on, including the extension of the reduced minimum liquidity ratio (MLR) beyond December. The BSP has slashed the MLR for stand-alone thrift and rural lenders to 16% from 20% until yearend.

“So there is a request and we will we reassess this level based on prevailing market conditions, as well as capacity of thrift banks to effectively manage exposures. I can assure you that we will revisit the current policy towards more relaxation,” Mr. Diokno said.

Thrift lenders also asked Mr. Diokno about the possibility of upsizing the maximum insurance coverage under the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) currently at P500,000 to boost banking clients’ trust in lending institutions during the pandemic.

While the insurance coverage is mandated under the PDIC’s charter, Republic Act No. 3591 allows a window to revisit the amount under certain circumstances, Mr. Diokno said.

“This decision would require a collegiate policy decision — the PDIC Board — and it has to be approved by the President of the republic. I can assure you I will bring this up to the PDIC,” the BSP chief said yesterday.

The thrift banking industry’s gross nonperforming loan ratio stood at 6.64% at end-August from the 6.09% seen a year ago.

The sector’s net income declined 15.8% to P6.459 billion in the second quarter from the P7.673 billion booked in the April to June 2019 period. — L.W.T. Noble

MVP group maintains assistance to frontliners

COMPANIES led by Manuel V. Pangilinan have sustained their support and assistance to hospitals, frontline workers, communities, and families through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign “Tulong Kapatid.”

“When the world found itself in such unprecedented situations, of cities in lockdown and countries under quarantine, the lifeline that kept communities functioning was communications such as digital capabilities and opportunities,” the businessman said in a statement on Tuesday.

“School children could keep studying and have more access to e-learning essential tools. Under these very constrained circumstances, it became clear which basic services are truly essential — the various relief assistance to communities in both the metro and far-flung areas,” he added.

Mr. Pangilinan, or MVP, said the group is committed to support the government and the frontline workers in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

His group said that in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of providing quality education, Tulong Kapatid continues to ramp up its digital education efforts to help schools and communities ensure that no learner is left behind. 

For instance, PLDT Inc. recently launched a webinar series to the women of three upland communities in Arakan, North Cotabato.

The initiative by the Philippines’ largest and only integrated telecommunications provider aims to promote gender equality and equip the Arakan women with skills to access and use digital technology.

The seminars, held in cooperation with the Philippine Eagle Foundation, serve to launch the telco’s new digital campaign. The project will run for five months. It will also assist women with children in home-based, modular learning during the pandemic.

Arts & Culture (10/14/20)

Exhibit honors frontliners

ARTIST Juanito Torres, who has built his practice around the “mythologizing” aspects of Philippine nation-building, will be opening a one-man show entitled The New Reality: Truth is Stranger than Fiction on Oct. 21 at Galerie Joaquin at the UP Town Center in Diliman, Quezon City. It will run until Oct. 31.

BGCArts holds glass art workshops

BGCArts (Bonifacio Global City) will be holding glass art workshops, in partnership with Lundbeck Philippines, Inc., in celebration of World Mental Health Month. The workshops will be held online, under the tutelage of Fchel Estanislao. Workshop 1 on Oct. 17, is Best in Glass, which tackles glass painting on everyday glassware. It is open to students ages seven and above. Workshop 2 on Oct. 24 is Artistic Transfiguration, which is a glass to wood workshop. Both classes will run from 10 a.m. to noon on Zoom. Access to the workshops is by donation — the requested donation amount is P500. The contribution supports programs that champion the arts in the community and helps artists affected by the pandemic. For details inquire via e-mail at programs@artsatbgc.org.

Artists join Araneta City’s mental health campaign

AS ARANETA City continues to campaign #YouMatter for World Mental Health Day, the Gateway Gallery launched the Gallery in Your Hands exhibit on Oct. 11 via its mobile app. The virtual exhibit features artworks depicting different struggles and inspiring journeys of artists who once suffered and recovered from mental illnesses. These artists are now staunch advocates of fighting the stigma on mental health.  Among the artists who shared their works for the virtual exhibit are Paulo Dumlao, Christine Sioco, Tarik Garcia, Sasha Garcia,  Enrico Paulo Cipcon Gregory, Mary Michelle Ibisate, Merc Tenorio, Melissa Basmayor, Ja Turla, Vanessa G. Tan Gana, and Samantha Kei Manansala. Download the Gateway Gallery mobile app to view all the pieces in the #YouMatter virtual gallery. Interested buyers of any of the exhibit artwork can contact Gateway Gallery via its official Facebook page @GatewayGallery. 

Kwago holds its last Bad Connection

IN RESPONSE to the global pandemic and the current socio-political condition, Kwago bookstore has been hosting Bad connection or subtitles to silence — a series of 20-minute art performances over Zoom featuring various artists and poets across Asia. Bad connection or subtitles to silence does not announce who is performing at each gathering to give room for surprise, serendipity, and spontaneity. Bad Connection, which began staging performances last May, is now in its sixth and final installment for the year.  In collaboration with the Japan Foundation, Bad Connection will also be releasing a publication and will be mounting an exhibition by year end. It will also hold an artists conference in February 2021. The last online gathering is on Oct. 16, 8:30 p.m. The event is free. Just bring a pen and paper.  Follow the link to join Bad Connection/5: http://bit.ly/joinbadconnection5. Visit the Facebook event page for more details: http://bit.ly/BC5day_ . To have a glimpse of the past gatherings, visit Kwago’s Youtube page: bit.ly/kwagoTV.

Haegue Yang works  on view at MCAD

THE MUSEUM of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde brings the genre-defying artworks and installation pieces of celebrated South Korean artist Haegue Yang in her first solo exhibition in the Philippines titled The Cone of Concern. Curated by MCAD Director Joselina “Yeyey” Cruz, the titular Cone of Concern refers to a graphic tool for weather forecasting that specifically traces the path of an oncoming storm or tropical depression. This system built to predict the path of a typhoon presents how humans attempt to confront natural phenomena. The artistic proposal in the midst of this concept is to draw out the metaphoric towards the notion of solidarity amongst those facing difficult circumstances, and with human imagination, understand our very own condition in the universe. The exhibition features a complex layer of objects — woven anthropomorphic sculptures, light sculptures, rotating sound bells, whirlwind-derived structures, textile canopies and sound elements — against a lenticular print backdrop of a digitally altered meteorological image. The exhibit will have an exclusive online viewing on Oct. 15, 5  p.m. through the official Facebook channels of the museum @MCADManila. In compliance with the health and social distancing protocols, art enthusiasts who wish to visit the physical gallery should book an appointment beginning Oct. 16 through https://www.mcadmanila.org.ph/the-cone-of-concern/. The Cone of Concern will be on view until Feb. 28. MCAD is located at the De La Salle-College Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts Campus, Dominga St., Malate, Manila.

Silverlens’ upcoming exhibits

SILVERLENS’ upcoming exhibitions will be accessible both online through individual exhibition catalogues and on site in the gallery space, beginning on Oct. 17, 10 a.m., until Nov. 21. The main exhibition is a solo show by Norberto Roldan entitled Ziggurat. He will be featuring 19 installation works that repurposes found objects. A majority of these pieces were salvaged from the fire that ravaged Green Papaya where the artist stored most of his works. Roldan has also since constructed three new installations, which he will debut in this exhibition. In the gallery’s secondary space will be a solo show by the late Pacita Abad entitled Masks and Spirits. This show, which lifts its title from Abad’s celebrated series, will feature five vibrant large-scale trapunto paintings from 1982 through 1994. While the gallery has previously shown Abad’s Masks and Spirits works outside the country, this exhibition marks the first time her pieces will be gathered and displayed in Silverlens’ space. Alongside these two shows is a solo exhibit by Yvonne Quisumbing entitled Apothecary: Prelude at the gallery’s Front Room, Quisumbing presents a new set from her APOTHECARY series: 10 paintings executed on a sculptural medium — fiberglass. These pieces are rooted in Philippine heritage and are inspired by Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing’s Medicinal Plants of the Philippines. To schedule a visit to the gallery, visit https://bit.ly/Visit-Silverlens. The gallery is at 2263 Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati City.

Play with Art Filter on your phone, learn about art

GOOGLE has launched five educational and fun 3D-modeled augmented reality filters on the Google Arts and Culture app based on iconic paintings, objects, and accessories from all over the world. People can now take a video or image of themselves and become Van Gogh or Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits, or Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. They can wear a traditional Samurai helmet or an Ancient Egyptian necklace. Users can explore the artifacts in high-quality detail from every angle. History and context are available for every filter to make the experience educational. The team behind the product update is guided by Google’s AI Principles to build the feature with social benefit, security, privacy and scientific rigor top of mind. Art Filter applies machine learning-based image processing because making this kind of AR feature possible needs a sophisticated anchoring of the virtual content to the real world. Through this approach, the artifacts are able to position themselves organically and smoothly on people’s head or react to their facial expression. Art Filter — similar to the popular Art Selfie feature — runs completely on any device; videos and photos are not stored unless the user chooses to save them or share them with friends. To get started, open the free Google Arts & Culture app for Android or iOS and tap the rainbow camera icon at the bottom of the homepage.

Curatorial development webinar

AN ONLINE Talk for the Curatorial Development Workshop series to be hosted live on Zoom and Facebook on Oct. 21, 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. A project of the Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM), the Philippine Contemporary Art Network (PCAN), and the University of the Philippines Vargas Museum, the Public Talk will have as its speakers Kamiya Yukie (Gallery Director, Japan Society, New York), Chuong-Dai Vo (Researcher, Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong), and Taufik Darwis (Co-Founder, Bandung Performing Arts Forum, Bandung), as they share their insights on art and curation in their respective practice in these challenging times. The Online Talk is free and open to all. To join, register in Zoom at http://bit.ly/CuratorialDevelopmentTalk or follow the Official Event Page (https://web.facebook.com/events/341854070463053/) and The Japan Foundation, Manila on Facebook.

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