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Dealing with this summer of grief

THIS seems to be a summer of loss: jobs, money, stability, loved ones, and lives have been given over to the void. It’s not easy to wake up everyday not knowing what the world outside your windows would look like. The pandemic has changed the way we live, and in the moments that we’re trying to do more than just live and work, emotions usually bubble up to the surface.

A talk by Flourish Circle — a mental health space that offers 12-session programs called Flourish 101: Understanding Grief During the Quarantine — last week aimed to understand how a global pandemic can insinuate itself as grief, and how we can deal with it. The talk was hosted by mental health advocate and the reigning Miss LoveYourself International, Clea Torres.

Noel Cabigting, spiritual director, psychotherapist in pastoral practice, and co-founder and program developer of Flourish Circle, tried to trace where grief comes from. “I think it has to do with a loss of connection. It’s one way to capture it. You’re connected to something, and then something happens — and then you’re disconnected from that.”

“Another way to look at it is, there’s a story that you’re living out, and suddenly, that gets derailed. Something comes in, and that changes and derails the story. That could be two images of what grief could be,’ said Mr. Cabigting.

Meanwhile, Sheila Tan (who is a Flourish Circle co-founder, licensed Meta-Coach, Group and Team Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, and Neuro-semantics trainer) said, “We can feel grief for losing something that’s tangible. Sometimes we feel that for things that are intangible. Sometimes that’s even harder, because you can’t define and we can’t express what the loss has been. It could be an ideal, or a dream that we once had, that has become impossible. That’s also a loss that we have to grieve.”

To summarize these points about the causes and sources of grief, Ms. Torres said, “It’s an abrupt stop in something that you were doing, and living out. Grief is the emotion that comes with dealing with that end.” She adds, ““Grief is the emotion that comes from having to handle, or deal with loss — whatever kind.”

Responding to what people are grieving for these days, Mr. Cabigting said, “The emotion of powerlessness and anger, and the sense of things changing. Not just for myself, but collectively, in the world that we’re living in.” He also said that for the people at home, the grief may even be vicarious: just hearing about frontliners in hospitals and stores, or knowing other people who are experiencing either loss or uncertainty.

With grief comes the feeling that things will never change, and one will be powerless to stop it. “Sometimes, feeling powerless and helpless could be something that will be good to acknowledge. Sitting with powerlessness and helplessness could be a form of self-compassion. [These feelings] have the potential to tell you what you’re valuing,” Mr. Cabigting said.

Ms. Tan says that when these feelings come, it’s best to ask the question: “What is it that I feel powerless about?”

“In our minds, there are a lot of things, and they all seem to make sense. It’s like a jumble of a lot of things. [Being overwhelmed] is what could be making us feel powerless and helpless,” she said.

Ms. Tan makes a point that naming what bothers us instead of having it exist in a nebulous state in our minds could be the first step to dealing with it in a healthy manner. “Decluttering our thoughts and giving categories to them — [in something as] simple as that, we realize that [a thought] impacts me the most. We could have a choice in how to deal with it.

“Being at peace with emotions, and not being scared of them, is key.”

Mr. Cabigting calls emotions messengers, bearing in mind that they exist for us to make sense of the world (think of them as an extension of your senses). “Once we know the message, we could make an informed, or mindful decision on how to respond to them,” he said.

“There are things that we cannot change, and we need to just sit with that, and walk through that. There are things that we could hold, and think, or act on,” he noted.

A strange and all-too-sad consequence of a global pandemic, with an invisible virus that floats just outside your walls is that you, or someone you know, can be at risk. The speakers shared how best to deal not just with the grief, but the fear that the pandemic sows.

“This pandemic forces us to ask questions about our limitations. Questions about death can also be helpful, in that we can make decisions about how we want to live,” Mr. Cabigting said.

“Acknowledging death does not mean liking it. It means simply giving it permission to be the reality that you find yourself in.” — Joseph L. Garcia

ERC further extends period to pay power bills

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on late Tuesday ordered power utilities to further extend the grace period for customers in paying their electricity bills that were due within the period of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

In an advisory, it said that electricity consumers in areas under ECQ will have to pay their deferred bills starting May 30, which may be done in four installments in the next four billing months as earlier directed.

The grace period in bills payment provided to households in areas now under general community quarantine is still retained, the ERC said.

Currently, the areas under ECQ include the National Capital Region, Central Luzon (except Aurora), Calabarzon, Pangasinan, Benguet, Iloilo province, Cebu, Bacolod City, Davao City, Albay, and Zamboanga.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country is now under the more-relaxed GCQ from May 1 to 15.

The deadline will also be extended for the payments of dues and obligations by distribution utilities and retail electricity suppliers to power generators and suppliers, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, independent power producers (IPP), IPP administrators and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market operator.

The regulatory agency reiterated its recent order that utilities using estimated billings must indicate in their customers’ bills that they are being charged for their average electricity consumption from January to March, or the past three months before the ECQ period.

Government entities that are contestable electricity customers will start their regular payments of bills from May 16.

Further, ERC said that the suspension of the collection of feed-in-tariff allowance, which is also paid for by power consumers, is only applicable for the March and April billing periods. — Adam J. Ang

WFH during the ECQ: Lenovo’s Michael Ngan

THE pandemic may have brought several industries to their knees because of quarantine measures which limit people’s movements outside their homes — but not Lenovo as the computer manufacturing company is expecting to see a rise in demand for its laptops and other productivity accessories. That optimism also led the company to hold the Philippine launch of the new additions to its Legion gaming line via a digital press conference, the first time it has ever done so.

Michael Ngan, president and general manager of Lenovo Philippines, said the world of work will change with the pandemic — there will be a greater focus on flexibility and agility — which means more people working from home and using laptops and other mobile devices for productivity.

A month after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) started, Mr. Ngan noted that while he still prefers to start his days early, he is appreciating having more time with his children even if they do tend to barge in on virtual meetings every so often.

(The responses were lightly edited.)

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MEETING METHOD AND WHY?
We’ve been using Microsoft Teams and so far, we’ve had a seamless experience with it for conference calls which helps us keep the business running as usual amid the enforced remote work arrangements. Recently, we hosted a launch event in the same platform for Lenovo Legion with over 70 participants from the Philippines and other countries, and to be able to pull that off with the technology we have now is truly incredible.

WHERE IS YOUR HOME OFFICE LOCATED?
I’m currently using a guest room in our home which is now a fully functioning work area, set up with Lenovo’s productivity tools — my laptop, a portable extra monitor, and noise-cancelling headsets. Our company has always advocated “work from anywhere” and while the circumstances are extraordinary, we find ourselves living that lifestyle now and thriving because of our own products. It makes me genuinely proud of seeing how our technology helped several others quickly transition into their new reality.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR WORKDAY NOW COMPARED TO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE OFFICE?
Before ECQ, I’d start my day at around 5 a.m. because I’d have to drop off my kids at school. These days, I still prefer to start as early as possible, say, around 6 a.m. Now that I don’t spend as much time on the road, I have more time to go through e-mails and attend to them after a good cup of coffee. While my schedule is largely flexible, I only pick the most important things I have to accomplish for the day and set attainable goals. Because when that’s all clear to you, you face the day with purpose.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS?
I mostly spend my breaks enjoying time with my children, especially my youngest daughter. Sometimes she just comes into the room, all curious about what I’m up to. I find that bonding and catching up with my children is a meaningful way to spend my free time and it’s something I relish as much as I can.

DO YOU STILL DRESS FOR WORK OR ARE YOU MORE CASUAL IN THE WORK-FROM-HOME SETUP?
While our work-from-home (WFH) setup today doesn’t call for a full business attire like in the office, dressing well helps me be in the right headspace and transition to work mode. You’ll often catch me in a casual shirt or our Lenovo gear. In addition, we at Lenovo make it a point to always be on video during conference calls which is a good enough reason to pay attention to what you’re wearing.

ANY INTERESTING STORIES FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE OF WORKING FROM HOME?
When you have children in the house, it’s inevitable that they occasionally barge in the room and demand your immediate attention. Despite things like that, however, I encourage my team to still communicate with the camera turned on.

The WFH scheme also prompted us as a company to think of more creative ways to engage our people while we are all cooped up at home. We have started doing non-business-related conference calls weekly, just drinking coffee together or doing morning fitness exercises. Sometimes, these are even personally led by business leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. Aside from the fun part, we look forward to these social activities to keep our mental health in check.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME? WHAT WILL THE WORLD OF WORK BE LIKE AFTER THE PANDEMIC?
The past month and so of social distancing disrupted almost everything, pushed us way out of our comfort zones, and defined a new normal for our society. The world of work post-pandemic will demand greater flexibility and agility among workers and as a technology company, we recognize our social responsibility to equip them with good productivity tools. The academe, which is also severely disrupted by the pandemic, will also find itself in the middle of digital transformation as the government is now starting to build an online education platform that we are planning to support using our LanSchool proprietary classroom management software.

As different aspects of life are driven by the current pandemic to subsist online, we will start to develop a BYOD or Bring Your Own Device culture across industries. Regardless if it’s a phone, tablet, or laptop, being able to conduct business from anywhere will empower more businesses and workers. When we fulfill our mission of bringing Smarter Technology for All, we help them easily adapt to any situation and introduce new ways of doing things that challenge the status quo. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Apo Agua plans recovery for delayed P12-B water project

DAVAO CITY — Aboitiz-led Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. is finalizing a recovery plan to get back on track the completion of its P12-billion bulk water supply project in Davao City that has been affected by quarantine restrictions.

Apo Agua General Manager Cirilo C. Almario III, in an email interview Monday, said while they are assessing the delay on the project’s timeline, they are also working on new protocols when construction activities resume.

“We are ascertaining when we can resume full construction activities, while putting in place the appropriate health and safety protocols,” he said.

Davao City is the only locality in Mindanao that was declared by the national government as still at high risk of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and will remain under the strict enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) guidelines until May 15.

Under the local ECQ rules, all construction activities not related to the public health emergency have been halted.

Mr. Almario said Apo Agua, a joint venture of Aboitiz Equity Ventures and JV Angeles Construction Corp. (JVACC), is also “evaluating the full impact of the pandemic on its critical value chains from labor to subcontractors and suppliers.”

“The company is also proactively working with JVACC and its project partner, the Davao City Water District (DCWD), to mitigate the adverse effect of COVID-19 to the project and to recover as quickly as possible,” he said.

The project, which will source water from the Tamugan River and supply at least 300 million liters per day to DCWD, was scheduled to be completed by June 2021.

DCWD Spokesperson Bernardo D. Delima Jr. earlier said the bulk water supply will meet demand projections, which takes into consideration the completion of 68 high-rise buildings and 63 residential subdivisions in the city. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Facebook clamps down on fake news

By Zsarlene B. Chua
Reporter

SOCIAL networking giant Facebook has clamped down on misinformation about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across its apps as more and more people turn to social media not only to connect with loved ones but also to look for information about the pandemic.

And they’ve done so by adding “eight more fact-checking partners” from March to April to bring their fact-checking network to 60 partners debunking claims in more than 50 languages. In the Philippines, their third-party fact-checking partners are AFP, Rappler, and Vera Files.

“We’ve taken steps, a lot of steps to make sure people have access to accurate information, limit misinformation and harmful [content],” Clare Amador, head of public policy at Facebook Philippines, said in a digital conference on May 5.

In the months since the pandemic raged and more people practiced social distancing, Facebook has noted an increase in traffic across its family of apps (Instagram, Messenger, Facebook, and WhatsApp) with 3 billion people using them each month while Facebook gets 1.73 billion users a day in the first quarter of 2020 compared to 1.56 billion daily active users on the first quarter of 2019, according to statistics portal Statista.

In March, Facebook flagged about 40 million posts related to COVID-19 on Facebook “based on around 4,000 articles by our independent fact-checking partners.”

“When people saw those warning labels, 95% of the time they did not go on to view the original content,” Alice Budisatrijo, product policy manager for misinformation at Facebook Philippines, said in the same conference.

She added that they have also removed “hundreds of thousands of pieces of misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm.”

“I think [the pandemic] is kind of a unique situation for us in terms of handling misinformation. So with this pandemic, even though information changes all the time and there’s a lot that even scientists don’t quite know about the disease there are authoritative health experts and authorities like the World Health Organization and the country’s health department and scientists that are working really closely on this that we can turn to and consult,” she said.

This, in turn, makes their work on fighting misinformation clearer as it makes it “quite clear who we can turn to.”

“This is quite different from political situations where there’s not a lot of agreement on what even constitutes misinformation,” Ms. Budisatrijo said.

OTHER TOOLS FOR COVID-19
Beyond battling misinformation, Facebook has also used its disease prevention maps launched in 2019 and was used to track the spread of cholera in Mozambique. Now, its disease prevention maps are used to track the spread of COVID-19 by revealing “the probability that people in one area will come in contact with people in another, helping illuminate where COVID-19 cases may appear next,” a company statement read.

The said maps also show movement trends at a regional level which can provide insights into whether preventive measures are working and a “social connectedness index” showing friendships across states and countries, which can help epidemiologists forecast the likelihood of disease spread.

Currently, the disease prevention maps are not yet available in the Philippines but that Facebook is looking for “the best way to roll this out in the Philippines with some partners,” said Michelle Fojas, Facebook Philippines’ communications manager, in the conference.

The company also announced that they will be giving a $100 million grant shared between “up to 30,000 eligible small businesses” across 30 countries where the company operates including the Philippines.

Beyond saying the grant can be used to cover operational costs, help workforce and connect businesses with more customers, no other information was given on the grant.

The end of the open plan office? Workspaces get post-pandemic makeovers

ONE-WAY corridors, buffer zones around desks, and clear plastic screens to guard against colleagues’ coughs and sneezes may become office standards after coronavirus stay-at-home orders are lifted, say occupational experts.

Government-mandated lockdown orders to contain the global pandemic have radically changed how and where people work, with millions switching from office to the dining room and meetings moving to videoconference.

As curbs are eased, offices are being redesigned to minimize transmission risk and prevent a second wave of coronavirus cases, which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned could hit the United States hard next winter.

International real estate company Cushman & Wakefield, which has overseen the return of almost a million people to offices in China, has come up with a workplace design concept to help usher in the new iteration of office life.

The concept uses the “six feet rule” of social distancing to keep areas around desks empty. A prototype in the company’s Amsterdam offices shows clients how their spaces can be configured.

“It comes down to some basic concepts, things like colored carpet or, in a less sophisticated or expensive application, taping off what six-feet workstations look like,” said Bill Knightly, who works on the company’s COVID-19 task force.

“So it’s very visual. In some cases, installing Plexiglas or some other form of sneeze or cough guards to give folks additional insurance.”

For workers used to the social interactions in modern open-plan offices and hot desks shared by multiple employees, the changes could be hard to adapt to, said organizational psychologist Brad Bell, who has studied the impact of working remotely.

“We’ve found that the more isolation that employees experience or perceive, that has a negative impact on a number of important outcomes… their satisfaction with their work,” said Mr. Bell, a professor of Human Resource Studies at Cornell University. “I think it can certainly lead to stress. It can undermine wellbeing.”

Employers are seeing the benefits of remote work during the pandemic, Mr. Bell said, predicting some might move toward that model permanently.

“What my conversations with companies are revealing is employees are remaining productive. They’re getting the work done. And in many ways, you know, it’s a difficult time for everybody, but are performing much better than many companies thought they would be,” he said.

But there could also be greater demand for office space to allow for social distancing, Mr. Knightly said.

“Do we think everybody who can work from home will continue to work from home? No, not at this stage. That’s not the general consensus,” he said. — Reuters

Holcim sets health controls ahead of operations

HOLCIM Philippines, Inc. has put in place health and safety controls, including social distancing in all its sites, as the listed cement maker prepares to resume operations with the government’s easing of enhanced community quarantine measures.

In a statement on Wednesday, Holcim Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer John Stull said he was confident that the company’s health and safety culture and well-thought-out plans would enable it to protect people from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) when operations resume.

“In Lugait, Misamis Oriental our plant continues to run without any COVID-related incident further proving that our strength in Health and Safety enables us to properly manage these risks. Lugait also provides a model on how we can protect the well-being of people when we restart operations of our other sites,” he said.

The company’s Initiatives draw from best practices across the LafargeHolcim Group and focus on social distancing, personal hygiene and health checks.

The company closed sites and facilities in Luzon in compliance with the government directive of an enhanced community quarantine on March 16, 2020. It also shut down its plant in Davao City after a similar action by the local government on April 2 this year.

Holcim Philippines’ lean workforce in all its sites has installed markers to guide people in staying two meters apart and built hand washing stations. It continues to share information with employees and partners on COVID-19 for them to be mindful of protecting themselves.

Mr. Stull said the company would continue to strictly adhere to the guidance of health authorities and be ready to share best practices to partners, industry groups, and government agencies to help in the safe resumption of business activities.

Holcim Philippines said it had shifted its corporate citizenship budget to provide medical supplies to hospitals treating coronavirus patients and food and hygiene products to communities hosting its facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Manila, Batangas, Iloilo, Misamis Oriental and Davao City.

It said around 1,500 families and government frontline workers had benefited from the first batch of relief operations as of April 14.

Maynilad turns over 100 isolation tents

MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. has handed over 100 isolation tents and hygiene kits to an alumni association of the University of the Philippines that is setting up a 100-bed quarantine facility for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

In a statement, west zone water concessionaire Maynilad said its P1.7-million worth of donations for the quarantine facility in the UP Diliman gymnasium is in support of the “Act as One Ph” initiative started by members of the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association on March 26.

The initiative has so far provided assistance to almost 100 hospitals through donations of personal protective equipment, supplies, medical equipment, and food. The group has put up five frontliner shelters and quarantine facilities, including the new one in UP Diliman.

“As our country continues to battle this pandemic, we will continue to provide whatever assistance we can extend, to help reinforce the government’s COVID-19 relief efforts,” said Maynilad, a member of the group led by Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP).

PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. of the MVP group also contributed to the donation drive by providing new cell phones for use in the operations of the new quarantine facility in the UP gymnasium.

Among the donated items are shower and toilet facilities, beddings, mattresses, and water dispensers.

PHL banks to see credit losses due to coronavirus pandemic

PEOPLE transact at a bank in Makati, Philippines. — BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE BANKS may see loan losses of up to P100 billion in 2020 due to the financial impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to S&P Global Ratings.

“For full year 2020, we estimate credit losses to rise threefold, by P100 billion, equal to 1.3% of banking sector loans,” it said in a report on Wednesday.

This year, banks will witness low single-digit growth, rising bad loans and credit costs and lower profitability as the country could go into recession due to the pandemic, S&P said.

“The effect on individual banks in the coming quarters will be uneven, largely hinging on whether lenders adopt relaxed accounting and provisioning standards,” S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Nikita Anand said.

The report said loan demand may be buoyed by the corporate sector which needs a liquidity boost during this period.

Amid the current situation, the asset quality of banks will be dependent on the performance of the corporate sector as it accounts for 82% of their total loan portfolio.

“Large conglomerates with their strong business profiles, diversified revenue streams and solid liquidity buffers will likely come through the challenging operating conditions intact,” S&P said.

“Micro, small, and midsize enterprises (7% of the banking sector’s books) and leveraged corporates may face challenges,” it added.

S&P also flagged that lenders’ exposure to sectors like hotels and catering (2% of bank lending), wholesale and retail trade (12%), transportation (3%) and manufacturing (10%) will be particularly high risk. Credit cards and unsecured personal loans from the retail segment are also likely to see higher default rates, it added.

“Secured retail loans such as mortgages and auto loans will not likely be in the first wave of nonperforming assets, but will see some stress as unemployment rises,” S&P said.

The firm noted that the country’s local banks are equipped with “good financial buffers and are entering the crisis “from a position of strength,” thanks to a 14% Tier 1 industry ratio and higher loan loss provisioning, which is seen to help mitigate rising risks in their operating environment.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has already implemented an array of regulatory relief measures for the banking industry amid this crisis, including the staggered booking of allowance for credit losses, ditching penalties on legal reserve deficiencies and expanding the single borrower’s limit, among others.

Earlier this week, the central bank has also allowed banks to tap the excess capital from their Basel-III mandated buffers to mitigate the impact of the situation on their operations. — L.W.T. Noble

Apple to hold annual developers event online from June 22

APPLE Inc. said on Tuesday its annual developers conference will start on June 22 and attendees would be able to stream the event for free on its developer app or website.

The company in March decided to make the conference, which is usually held in San Jose, California and attracts more than 5,000 attendees, an online-only event due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Technology giants Facebook Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have also canceled or moved their software developer conferences online due to the pandemic. — Reuters

Treats, sweets, and promos for Mother’s Day

MOTHER’S Day falls on Sunday, May 10 and just because most of the archipelago is under some form of quarantine, that does not mean skipping out on celebrating the day. Especially now with everyone stuck at home and getting a bird’s eye view of what she has to do every single day, ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) or no ECQ. We owe her and all other mothers a lot.

Aside from Zoom visits and handmade cards from the kids and grandkids, here are some treats to arrange as a way to say thank you.

SWEETS AND TREATS
How about ordering sweets from The Peninsula Manila for Mother’s Day? A six-piece chocolate heart box (P750) or a whole raspberry chocolate cake (P2,100) are a couple of special options. Other bakery items and pastries available include Pen Stones, macarons, and pralines, quiches, sourdough loaf, ham and cheese croissants, ensaimada (both ube and ham), and whole cakes (P2,100) including eight-inch cheesecakes, a Decadent moist chocolate cake, and a King Oscar cake, among others. They are now available for delivery and takeout from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Cut-off time for delivery orders is at 4 p.m. (orders made after 4 p.m. will only be for pick-up).

If she is more the savory sort of gal, how about some beef short rib kare kare (P2,490), oven baked lasagna (P2,250), or some pancit canton (P1,990) or pancit luglug (P1,190)? Each order serves up to four people. Orders for these dishes must be made 24 hours before delivery or pickup between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Frontliners with valid IDs get a 20% discount on their orders. For every P2,000 single-receipt purchase, a Peninsula Bread of the Month will be donated to a frontliner. Complimentary delivery applies to areas within Makati for a minimum order of P2,000, otherwise a delivery fee of P200 (within Makati) applies. Cash, credit card, and payments via payment links are accepted modes of payment. For takeout, the order pick-up point is The Pen’s employees entrance at the corner of Sto. Tomas St. and Makati Ave., Makati. Call 8887-7547 or e-mail penboutiquepmn@peninsula.com for orders and details.

Meanwhile, Red Ribbon suggests getting her a special cake for the occasion — Black Forest, its Chocolate Dedication Cake, or a Mango Roll. The bakeshop’s Advance Order service is available until May 8 at https://advanceorder.redribbonbakeshop.com.ph. The order can be delivered or picked up before Mother’s Day. For more information, follow Red Ribbon Bakeshop’s official Facebook page or visit its website at www.redribbonbakeshop.com.ph.

Healthy Options Online has come up with thoughtful sets of baking essentials, natural beauty products, and healthy snacks that can be ordered for one’s mother this weekend. Each Mother’s Day Gift Set comes with a freshly baked treat from Baking Therapy. Add a personalized message for your mom to make the gift more special.

Order by Thursday, May 7 and have them delivered by May 10. Deliveries are limited to Metro Manila, Cainta, and Antipolo only.

PROMOS
The Shangri-La Plaza mall is helping everyone celebrate Mother’s Day online with a special promo called “Slay at Home Mom.” From May 6 to 9, the Shang is inviting everyone to come up with appreciation posts about their mothers. The public can post two photos side-by-side, one showing their mother as her usual self at home and another with her all dressed and made up, both accompanied by a note on how much they love their mother and expressing their gratitude for everything she’s done. Tag @shangrilaplazaofficial, keep the post public, and add the hashtags #SlayAtHomeMom and #CelebrateMomAtShang. The three best posts are set to win prizes from Beauty Buffet. Winners will be announced on May 10, and prizes are to be claimed at the Beauty Buffet store once the Shang re-opens. For inquiries, visit www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial.

Araneta City hosts a series of online activities dedicated to all #HERoesInTheCity through a special Mother’s Day offering on its official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AranetaCity/).

This includes a free, four-part #HERoesInTheCity workshop on Facebook. On Saturday, May 9, physicians will provide useful advice on nutrition and health (2 p.m.) and skin maintenance (5 p.m.). On Sunday, May 10, there will be an online cooking show in partnership with Clara Ole (3 p.m.), and practical insights from “mompreneur” celebrity LJ Moreno (5 p.m.).

Viewers will also get a chance to win free grocery packs via an online raffle. To join they should watch the Facebook video workshops, and tag three friends who are mothers in the comments section to be part of the raffle.

There will also be other promos and games lined up for Mother’s Day on Araneta City’s Facebook page.

Mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. is celebrating Mother’s Day through its Signature Sale on the Smart Online Store (www.store.smart.com.ph) from May 6 to 15. The sale (www.smrt.ph/moveoutsale) offers a wide range of gift options including exclusive freebies and discounts of up to 50% off on select Apple, Huawei, Samsung, and OPPO devices.

Smart subscribers can get discounts of up to 50% discount on the iPhone XS, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad 6, and, which they can use to enjoy the latest Apple TV+ shows or Apple Arcade games.

The sale also offers the Huawei Mate20 Pro with a free Huawei Watch GT (worth P12,990) and Huawei AM61 BT Sport Headset (worth P1,540). Smart subscribers can also get the Huawei P20 Pro which comes with free Huawei Freebuds Lite (worth P4,990) and a Huawei M2 Speaker (worth P2,990); while the Huawei P20 comes with free Huawei Freebuds Lite.

The sale also offers the Samsung Galaxy S10+ with a free Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (worth P7,990). During this period, the Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with free Galaxy Buds (P6,990) and the Samsung Galaxy S10e comes with a free Samsung AKG Speaker (worth P4,000).

The OPPO Reno2 Series also comes with a special discount.

Smart subscribers can also get up to 50% off on the iPhone 6s Plus, Samsung Galaxy A10, and Huawei P20 Lite up, which all come with a Smart Prepaid SIM with free 1GB data.

The Smart Signature Sale gives subscribers the chance to help COVID-19 frontliners as a portion of their purchases will go to the PLDT-Smart Foundation, which has been mobilizing efforts to support health workers, emergency response teams, and communities affected by the pandemic. All Smart, TNT, and Sun customers can also donate to the PLDT-Smart Foundation using their prepaid load, or charged to their postpaid account by texting DONATE to 3456. This Text-to-Donate platform accepts donations until July 16.

THE Ortigas Malls finds a way to celebrate Mother’s Day through a series of free online workshops meant for moms — from making DIY beauty essentials to preparing sweet treats and learning the basics of urban gardening — on May 10 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Greenhills’, Tiendesitas’ and Estancia’s Facebook pages.

Nature, Mother Nurture: an online learning session in urban gardening with Jennie Agcaoili of Plant Project PH will be held at 4 p.m., on the Greenhills official Facebook page and #OMSayItAtHome. Meanwhile, learn to make health and beauty essentials at home including a DIY lip scrub and a simple hand sanitizer at 2 p.m. on the official Tiendesitas Facebook. Finally, learn how to make no-bake peanut butter rolls at 4 p.m. on Estancia’s official Facebook page.

Aside from the workshops, Ortigas Malls is also giving away a bouquet of flowers on Mother’s Day to three lucky moms through an online contest. Winners will be announced on May 8. To join, change your profile photo with Ortigas Malls’ Say it at Home Frame, then “like” Greenhills Mall, Estancia at Capitol Commons, and Tiendesitas on Facebook. Comment #OMSayItAtHome down below. Share this post (https://web.facebook.com/EstanciaPH/posts/1569728716529295?_rdc=1&_rdr) on your timeline in “public” status, and write a message to your mom with hashtag #StaySafe #OMSayItAtHome.

To complete the celebration, Ortigas Malls makes it easier to order from your favorite restaurants through their Click & Collect program, available in Estancia, Tiendesitas, and Greenhills from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. First, check the Ortigas Malls Viber Group (http://tiny.cc/OrtigasMallsViber) to see which merchants offer pick-up services. Contact the merchants, place your orders, pay, and agree on a pickup schedule. Drive to the designated pick-up area to collect your order. For more information, visit the official Facebook pages of Estancia, Tiendesitas, and Greenhills Mall.

As a special gift for moms, Tim Hortons offers its “Sweet Treats for Moms” promo from May 10 to 1. Customers can buy four of the following items and get two of the same kind for free: Chocolate Chunk or Oatmeal Raisin Cookies; and Fruit Explosion or Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Tim Hortons has also launched its Cheesecake Factory 4+2 promo where customers get two slices of Dulce de leche Cheesecake for free if they buy four assorted cake slices of any flavor. Priced at P300 per slice and P4,200 for a whole cake, it comes in different flavors.

To order and know more about their takeout & delivery options, follow Tim Hortons on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TimhortonsPhilippines or visit www.timhortons.ph.

The Mother’s Day promo is available for take out on May 9-11 and delivery via GrabFood and Foodpanda from May 10-11.

Stuff to do at home (05/07/20)

Bayanihan Musikahan

Catch the rerun of #TaumbayanToTheRescue! A Bayanihan Musikahan Special on May 9, 9 p.m., with Filipino musical artists. Bayanihan Musikahan is a fundraising campaign aimed at addressing the needs of communities affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Watch the concert at https://www.facebook.com/bayanihanmusikahan/ To donate, visit https://www.bayanihanmusikahan.org/.

PETA Let’s Get Creative


Catch the PETA’s Let’s Get Creative series with Isprikitik’s Musical Improv class on May 8, 3 p.m., at https://www.facebook.com/PETATHEATER/. Meanwhile, the children’s play Ang Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang is currently streaming at PETA Theater’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=peta+theater+online.

CCP Online

The following shows are premiering online this week: the play Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady, written by Carlo Vergara and directed by Chris Martinez for Virgin Labfest 9, on May 7, 3 p.m., and the concert of actress-singer Bituin Escalante who belts out well-loved Filipino songs in Triple Threats: Everything in Bituin on May 9, 3 p.m. Access the shows through bit.ly/CCPOnlineYT.

Repertory Philippines’ REPisodes

The leading actresses of Repertory Philippines’ REP Theater for Young Audiences are holding a livestream performance in the first installment of “REpisodes” with A Tea Party with Quarantined Princesses on May 7, 4 p.m. Sing along with Shiela Valderrama-Martinez as Cinderella, Becca Coates as Snow White, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as Sleeping Beauty, Cara Barredo as Princess Jasmine, Jillian Ita-as as Beauty, and Justine Narciso as Rapunzel. The project is in support of the Open House fundraiser. To watch, visit https://www.facebook.com/repertoryphilippines/. Donate at http://bit.ly/DonateOpenHouse.

National Library of the Philippines

The National Library of the Philippines offers free access to eResources which includes research related to COVID-19. The resources come from the National Emergency Library, Cochrane Library (Medical & Health Science), De Gruyter — Journals (Multidisciplinary), and more. To view access links to eResources, visit https://www.facebook.com/NLP1901/photos/a.375779479606724/912930019224998/?type=3&theater.

Upstart 10 for 10

Upstart Productions presents Upstart 10 for 10, an online mini-concert fundraiser on May 9, 8 p.m., on its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/upstartproductionsinc). It will feature the following artists: Topper Fabregas, Rony Fortich, Jenny Jamora, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Lorenz Martinez, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, Jill Pena, Felix Rivera, Ice Seguerra, and Reuben Uy. The show is for the benefit of theater professionals affected by the COVID-19 crisis. To donate, visit bit.ly/Upstart10for10.

POC’s Crescendo

Philippine Opera Company presents Crescendo, an online fundraising concert featuring classical music on May 9, 8 p.m. This online concert features some of the country’s top and upcoming classical singers: Alexa Kaufman, Andrea Manuel, Renz Nathaniel Cruz, Lawrence Jatayna, Cloi Sugano, Jack Salud, Jennifer Uy, Miguel Lobato, Stefanie Quintin-Avila, Arthur Espiritu, Andion Fernandez-Ching, and Gerphil Flores. The concert is part of the Open House fundraising campaign for the benefit of displaced performing arts workers who were affected by the ECQ. To donate, visit http://bit.ly/DonateOpenHouse. Watch the concert at https://www.facebook.com/lovephilstage/.

Ang Huling El Bimbo: The Musical online

Full House Theater Company’s Ang Huling El Bimbo: The Musical will be streaming for free on May 8 and 9. The show will be on view for 48 hours. Watch the show at https://www.facebook.com/ABSCBNnetwork/ or at https://www.youtube.com/abs-cbnentertainment.

MegaMoveTunaMax

To keep its promise of encouraging a healthy lifestyle, Mega Tuna launches #MegaMoveTunaMax, a series of Facebook Live events featuring fitness classes. The fitness sessions will run for all Mondays of May via its official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/megapuretuna/). Week 1: HIIT; Week 2: Pop Dance (tentative); Week 3: Total Body Workout; and Week 4: Hip Hop Dance (tentative).

Guggenheim artbooks

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum offers downloadable items from its archives for free. Titles include modern and contemporary art books about Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Vassily Kandinsky, Gustav Klimt and more. The archive is searchable by artist, year, medium and artistic style or movement. Visit the archives, https://archive.org/details/guggenheimmuseum.

Silverlens Galleries’ At Home With series

To keep in touch with art lovers, Silverlens presents Art Boost, an online drive to maintain engagement with art through social media, exhibition catalogues, and videos. The current At Home With series features Bernardo Pacquing, Hanna Pettyjohn, and Chati Coronel. Revisit contemporary artist Gary-Ross Pastrana’s notes on collage making; and Mit Jai Inn’s use of light, color, and structure in his Actantis exhibit. Visit Silverlens’ official social media accounts and its website (https://www.silverlensgalleries.com/) to view the exhibitions.

BenCab Museum online

Azor Pazcoguin’s solo exhibition, TAYP. RAYT. ER, which features oil paintings of items such as typewriters, phones, cameras, is now online from the BenCab Museum’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pg/bencabmuseum/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3024306460961023&__tn__=-UC-R.

BioBalance Wellness consultation

The BioBalance Wellness Institute offers the following services and features: free online consultation with its clinical nutritionist and nurse practitioners, wellness expert psychologist; online health and immunity risk assessment; and more payment options for availed services and products. For more information, contact 0917-521-4860 or concierge@biobalanceinstitute.com.

IkotMNL tour from home

The Museo de Intramuros, Ayala Museum, and Presidential Museum and Library in Malacañang Palace have partnered with Google to put their works online. Learn new things at home and visit the museums through a virtual tour: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/malacanang-presidential-museum-and-library; https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/ayala-museum; and https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/intramuros-administration.

CAST recordings on Spotify

CAST PH offers CAST Recording, a collection of one act plays, recorded online and released as radio/audio drama. The first recordings are A Matter of Husbands by Ferenc Molnár, featuring Pinky Amador and Giannina Ocampo-Van Hoven; and Enemies by Neith Boyce and Hutchins Hapgood, featuring David Bianco and Jennifer Blair-Bianco. Listen at https://open.spotify.com/show/5bLSOsJPkZnlaEFDfSSHbl?si=fDsW-kNpT6iP89En-dWbog.

National Bookstore delivery

National Book Store has reopened its branch in Cubao, Quezon City and now offers delivery services for its supplies to selected areas around Metro Manila. For orders from Marikina, San Juan, and Quezon City, contact 0917-631-1374; Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pateros, and Taguig contact 0917-834-3224; Caloocan, Manila, Navotas, and Valenzuela, contact 0917-302-7475; Makati, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasay, and Las Piñas, contact 0917-791-0916. Orders are accepted on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Film masterclasses

Learn film concepts through interviews and film retrospectives from more than 60 directors, producers, writers, and actors including Bong Joon-Ho, Abbas Kiarostami, Agnès Varda, Spike Lee, Werner Herzog (with Roger Ebert), Jane Campion, Jodie Foster, Todd Haynes, Ang Lee, Jessica Lange, and Clint Eastwood. To watch, visit https://walkerart.org/magazine/series/dialogues-film-retrospectives.

Fully Booked delivery

FULLY BOOKED is back in business for book orders (https://www.fullybookedonline.com/). In a Facebook post, Fully Book stated: “[O]ur Lazada and Shopee stores will be back online, too. Please do expect some delays and changes in our processes.” For advisories, visit bit.ly/fb-ecq-advisory.

English National Ballet shows online

ENGLISH National Ballet launched ENB at Home, releasing one show weekly for its Wednesday Watch Parties. The first in the lineup is Broken Wings, a Frida Kahlo-inspired production starring lead principal and ENB artistic director Tamara Rojo as Frida. It is available to stream for free for 48 hours. Watch at https://www.youtube.com/user/enballet or https://www.facebook.com/EnglishNationalBallet/.

The Royal House shows online

THE Royal House in London launched its #OurHouseToYourHouse series where shows can be streamed through its official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/royaloperahouse/. Watch Arthur Pita’s dance-theater adaptation of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis at https://www.facebook.com/royaloperahouse/videos/217068512883588.

Radiohead Concerts

BRITISH rock band Radiohead has been uploading some of its concerts via its official YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/radiohead). Fans of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, known for songs like “Creep” (1992) and “Fake Plastic Trees” (1995), can watch the concerts Live from a Tent in Dublin (2000) and Live in Berlin (2006).

David Guetta: United at Home

FRENCH DJ David Guetta, the man behind the song “Titanium” (2011) featuring singer SIA, held a live concert fundraiser inside his Miami home benefitting the World Health Organization and other charities. The two-hour concert is currently available on his YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/davidguettavevo).

Josh Groban concerts

JOSH Groban brings his concerts to your home via online, streaming every Thursday on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/joshgroban). The second concert in the series, Stages: Live (2016), premiered on April 30. The singer has also includes commentary throughout each film. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/JoshGroban/.

Worldwide Concert for Our Culture

JAZZ at Lincoln Center’s annual Spring Gala: Worldwide Concert for Our Culture is now available to stream online. The honorees of the event are Clarence Otis and Jacqueline L. Bradley (Ed Bradley Award for Leadership in Jazz) and Phil Schaap (Jazz at Lincoln Center Award for Artistic Excellence). Performers at the gala include: Wynton Marsalis, Cecile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner, Chucho Valdes, Nduduzo Makhathini, and Baqir Abbas. For more information, visit jazz.org/gala2020. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IjJbZetCvGw.

Dior’s Designer of Dreams exhibition

DIOR’S exhibition titled Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams is now available to view online. Originally held at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs from 2017 to 2018, the exhibition traces the evolution of the house of Dior from post-war Paris to the present through a behind-the-scenes in-the-making of the exhibition, plus a virtual tour of its rooms. Visit Dior’s YouTube channel to watch the documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1521&v=FLWDWzMrkBE&feature=emb_title).

Frank Lloyd Wright virtual tours

THE Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Unity Temple Restoration Foundation is offering #WrightVirtualVisits every Thursdays (1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific time) in participating sites. Check the participating sites at https://savewright.org/news/public-wright-sites-swap-virtual-visits/.

Movie night with Jamie Lee Curtis

EVERY Saturday (in the Philippines) until May 8, Lionsgate and Fandango’s Movie Clips YouTube channels will be streaming films. On May 2, watch La La Land (2016) by Damien Chazelle, and John Wick (2014) by Chad Stahelski. Aside from the screening, Ms. Lee Curtis will also engage with the online audience via real-time chats and movie trivia.

Color Tolkien characters

THE official Facebook page of the late author J.R.R. Tolkien has uploaded an illustration of Smaug the Magnificent from The Hobbit Movie Trilogy Colouring Book. Download the coloring sheet at https://bit.ly/2wKY3lp.

MoMA free courses online

After offering virtual tours, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is now offering free online courses. The courses include a series of five free classes for contemporary art, fashion, and photography. It includes readings and exercises which can be completed within 12 to 38 hours. For details, visit https://www.coursera.org/moma.

Print & Play activities for kids

Keep kids entertained with new curated Print & Play activities from HP. The activities from craft making, mazes, dot-to-dot drawing and puzzles are suitable for ages 2 to 12. With HP Print & Play, parents can choose from a range of activities that are best suited to their children’s needs to achieve the best possible learning outcomes. To try the activities, visit https://www8.hp.com/ph/en/printers/printandplay/index.html?jumpid=va_u19mhncewr.

Harry Potter exhibit online

The British Library’s Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition is available online through Google Arts and Culture. Its features include video clips and sketches, a Q&A with exhibit curator Julian Harrison. To view, visit https://artsandculture.google.com/project/harry-potter-a-history-of-magic.

The Nanny’s Pandemic Table Read

The cast of the ‘90s comedy sitcom The Nanny reunites for The Pandemic Table Read of the show’s pilot episode. It stars Fran Drescher as Fran Fine who finds a job as a nanny to the three children of wealthy widower and theater producer Maxwell Sheffield (played by Charles Shaughnessy). To watch, visit Sony Pictures Entertainment’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3a6KuP1X14&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1eEwvK0A7lrLMnt2GTXBPoDR7y8_Q5TXMexTLIo9es9Gei4W1Yi-asITM.

Science experiments at home

Enjoy 44 science experiments with the kids at home with the James Dyson Foundation Challenge cards. To download the challenge cards, visit https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk/resources/challenge-cards.html.

Hogwarts online

Hogwarts Is Here, an online version of the Harry Potter series’ magical school by Harry Potter fans that allows visitors to take courses like the characters from J.K. Rowling’s book series. Various courses include Astronomy, Herbology, History of Magic, and Transfiguration. The website also includes a forum, groups, and library feature. Visit http://www.hogwartsishere.com/.

Color Manolo Blahnik designs

Manolo Blahnik shares a selection of his original sketches for coloring. The shoe designs are downloadable at https://www.manoloblahnik.com/gb/smile.html.

Podcasts on Philippine crime

Stories After Dark features podcasts on Philippine true crime and mystery stories. It currently has 14 episodes including The Maguindanao Massacre (2009), The Ozone Disco Fire (1996), and Pepsi Paloma: Rape or Publicity Stunt? Suicide or Murder? (1982/1985). To listen, visit https://www.facebook.com/storiesafterdarkph/.

Palacio de Memoria virtual tour

Art and history enthusiasts can now go on a virtual tour of Palacio de Memoria, the resplendent Colonial Revival mansion, and marvel at its luxurious facilities and hundreds of Euro-Filipino paintings, sculptures, art displays, and historical pieces online. It features the showroom of Palacio de Memoria’s auction house, Casa de Memoria or the Casa, which houses the Lhuilliers’ unrivalled collection of antiques, the Mosphil Lounge, and a passenger plane that that was refitted to be a lounge for special occasions. To view the complete Palacio de Memoria’s virtual tour, visit https://www.palaciodememoria.com/tours. For more updates, follow @thepalaciodememoria on Facebook and @palacio.de.memoria on Instagram.

E-coloring books

The Getty Museum and the Getty Research Institute of Los Angeles offers the Color Our Collections edition for 2020. To view, visit http://library.nyam.org/colorourcollections/page/11/.

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