This summer, the beloved LINE FRIENDS characters are joyfully returning for the third time, to celebrate and honor Asia’s iconic landmarks and traditions through the first-ever ‘City Exclusive’ collection at Starbucks.
This time, BROWN, CONY, and SALLY travel across Asia to your cities to experience the vibrant local cultures of these places, inviting you to see your hometown in an exciting new light. From enjoying delicious dim sum in Hong Kong, visiting Thailand’s beautiful islands, or shopping around Myeong-dong in South Korea, BROWN and his friends are ready to explore exciting activities with you in your local area.
The adorable Starbucks® X LINE FRIENDS City Exclusive collection features lifestyle essentials, including a ceramic mug, tote bag, plastic cold cup, and tumbler in unique and colorful designs, so you can show off your hometown with pride as you explore your area’s iconic landmarks and delicious delicacies.
United by the brands’ shared aspirations to continue creating delightful everyday moments, the ‘City Exclusive’ collection aims to inspire customers to experience their hometown with a renewed sense of appreciation. This marks the third collaboration between Starbucks and LINE FRIENDS, following the launch of the joyful LINE FRIENDS Holiday and Earth Day collections, loved by customers around the world.
The limited-edition collaboration will be available beginning July 15th at select Starbucks® stores in Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan while supplies last.
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 32,000 stores around the globe, the Company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online atstarbucks.ph/stories orwww.starbucks.ph.
Proudly Filipino jewelry brand V! known for its chic and playful collection of modern luxury pieces recently opened its new store at Shangri-La Plaza—a treat for all modern Filipinas in the #ShangCommunity.
Offering every day and statement jewelry, V! has a variety of rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets in refreshingly youthful designs mainly using ethically sourced Palawan South Sea pearls as their centerpiece. The pearl is the world’s only organic and living gem that comes from a living creature, the oyster. The South Sea pearl is considered as the largest and rarest of them all. No two V! pearls are alike, and each has unique characteristics that make it distinct from another.
With a name derived from vivere that means “to live” in Latin, V! delivers an aesthetic that celebrates the beauty and joy of life in all its colors. This sustainable jewelry brand offers creations made with other gemstones like diamond, sapphire, and ruby. Every gem is cut, polished, and perfectly set in each piece to withstand everyday wear and tear.
Some of the eye-catching South Sea pearl jewelry from V! includes its newest collection: Flow, which reminds us that the beauty of nature lies in the details. The Bloom earrings, necklace, and ring set captures the beauty of flowers using 14k yellow gold and South Sea pearls. Complete any bold look with the lariat style Cascade necklace that features a single pearl gently dropping from a ring, available in either yellow or white gold. Another one is the Lily necklace that features a delicate butterfly charm with a diamond stone gracefully perching on a pearl.
The jeweler also has dainty and versatile pieces perfect for daily wear. Some of these are the stackable Visionary Bracelets, and the Louise Two-Way Pendant Ring, which can be worn on the Simone Chain as a pendant or mixed and matched as a ring. For something more colorful, V! offers the Glow Bracelet with a rainbow of semi-precious stones.
Whether looking for pieces that give life to an everyday look or something more striking for more formal affairs, #ShangRecommends checking out the inspired offerings of Filipino jeweler V!, located at Level 2, Main Wing.
For updates and inquiries, follow Shangri-La Plaza on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial and on Instagram @shangrilaplazaofficial. Find V! @vjewelryoffcial on Instagram and Facebook to learn more about the brand.
The first lock-in workshop-mentoring of Ternocon 3 held last week at the Teachers’ Conference Center in Batangas City culminated last July 10, 2022.
For the last day of the workshop, the finalists completed their toiles (an initial version of a garment) for the competition and presented them to mentors Joey Samson, Dennis Lustico and Chito Vijandre with Ricky Toledo. In the evening, a closing program was hosted by the City Government of Batangas at the Sampaguita Farm where CCP President and officer-in-charge of the Artistic Director’s Office Margarita Moran-Floirendo was present along with Atty. Reginald Dimacuha, Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Mayor of Batangas City. The 1930s balintawak ternos made by the finalists were worn by the dancers of Likhang Sining Dance Company in a special Subli dance performance.
Ternocon Artistic Director Gino Gonzales acknowledged the continuing support of the CCP and Bench thru the generosity of Ben Chan, Chairman. He addressed the finalists and emphasized “Ternocon allows its participants to undergo a process that involves attitude change, as we are not merely addressing fashion or dress issues. Our country has so many problems, and we simply cannot solve everything. As designers, you can be part of the solution by dealing with issues within your backyard. When you grapple with the national dress and make it for your countrymen, you make a significant contribution to the nation. At TERNOCON, we all come from different backgrounds and perspectives, different religions, different regions, different political inclinations… but what unites all of us together is our love for country, and I think this should be your primary motivation for creating ternos that will be showcased at the CCP stage in the final phase of this competition. Love for country.”
In her closing message, Ms. Floirendo stressed that “Ternocon has somehow made a good impact on how Filipinos of today think of the terno. We have seen a remarkable increase in the number of Filipinas wearing the terno for many different occasions. Despite this, we all know that we still have a long way to go in fulfilling our mission. But with everyone’s support and cooperation, we can succeed.”
The 12 finalists are: Amor Albano (Ilocos Norte), Glyn Alley Magtibay (Oriental Mindoro), Bon Hansen Reyes (Rizal) and Gabbie Sarenas (Rizal) from Luzon. Bree Esplanada (Cebu), Karl Nadales (Iloilo), Al Rey Rosano (Negros Oriental) and Marc Carcillar (Iloilo) from Visayas. Glady Rose Pantua (Zamboanga) and Ron Santos (Davao) from Mindanao. From the National Capital Region (NCR), Yssa Inumerable (Parañaque) and Cheetah Rivera (Quezon City). The three semi-finalists who are from Batangas and NCR are Geom Hernandez, Dee Javier (Manila) and Daryl Maat (Caloocan).
Ternocon 3 is a joint undertaking of CCP thru its Cultural Exchange Department and Bench/Suyen Corporation in cooperation with local partners, Batangas City Government and the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation Inc.
The next round of consultations (face-to-face and online) will be in August-September, while the 2nd part of the workshop-mentoring will be in October 2022. The final competition with cultural show is slated for January 28, 2023 at the new CCP Black Box Theater or Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.
British singer-songwriter Anne-Marie announces Dysfunctional Tour coming to Manila on October 16, 2022 at the New Frontier Theater. Presented by Wilbros Live. Tickets go on-sale on Tuesday, July 19 at 10AM via TicketNet.com.ph and at all TicketNet outlets nationwide.
Anne-Marie’s rise to stardom has been nothing short of meteoric. A former 3x world karate champion and West End child star turned multi-platinum-selling artist, Anne-Marie has gone onto become one of the world’s most-loved and successful pop stars of our times. Following a string of chart-busting singles over her career to date – from her Ed Sheeran co-write and UK Top 3 ‘2002’ to the garage-infused juggernaut and KSI collaboration ‘Don’t Play’ – Anne-Marie is an artist who wins on her playful commentary, magnetic vocals and infectious personality, as was perfectly showcased her 2016 debut and four million-selling, Speak Your Mind, which became that years’ biggest-selling debut release in the UK.
Last year saw Anne-Marie make new strides, too. Making her prime time debut as a new judge on talent show The Voice this year – a show she won – Anne-Marie released her much-anticipated and critically acclaimed second studio album, ‘Therapy’. A title that holds an extremely important message to the Mind Charity ambassador, Anne-Marie has continually campaigned for the conversation surrounding mental health, be that in her YouTube documentary titled ‘How to be Anne-Marie’ or fronting ITV’s Britain Get Talking campaign. Anne-Marie also released her debut book, You Deserve Better; part memoir, part practical self-help, Anne-Marie drew on her own experiences to help readers tackle life’s challenges, embrace opportunities and celebrate their successes.
Over her career to date, Anne-Marie has become a BRITs Critics Choice finalist; Nordoff Robbins ‘Best Newcomer’ winner; LGBT ‘Music Artist’ winner for 2021; 9 x BRIT Award nominee; an official ambassador of The Princes Trust and more.
Another Mekeni food product will be available in the US market soon as Mekeni Food Corporation announced that they are bringing their well-loved tocino through Island Pacific Supermarket.
Mekeni President Prudencio Garcia said that this new development in their world-market journey is a testament to their commitment to uplift the lives of Filipinos and bring pride to the country.
“This is another step for us to introduce our own Timplang Atin to the rest of the world. When we introduced our first batch of Mekeni-branded products to the US, we want Filipinos abroad and foreigners alike to have access to the world-class quality and taste we offer,” said Garcia.
Last January, Mekeni made their Kikiam and Fish Balls available on the West Coast also through its partnership with Island Pacific Supermarket, one of the area’s biggest Asian/Filipino supermarkets.
The products were widely accepted by the Filipino community on the West Coast. Stocks immediately ran low just a few days after the new products were announced by Island Pacific on their Facebook page.
“We received a lot of positive feedback from families, friends, and friends of friends in the US. Some even asked us to bring more Mekeni products, said Marilou Uy, Mekeni AVP for Export. This inspired Mekeni to speed up its efforts to bring its tocino to the US.
“This is a major feat for a brand like Mekeni that started as a backyard business of a simple family. This milestone is a celebration of the efforts of the whole Mekeni family through the years,” Garcia said.
Before the US, Mekeni exported food products to international markets such as Dubai, Bahrain, Brunei, Qatar, Australia, Canada, and the UK. It is also the first company accredited by the Japanese government to export cooked products to the country.
For over 30 years, it has been known for its world-class manufacturing capabilities. Mekeni is the first in Asia and the second in the world to receive the certificate of compliance with ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System standard. In 2012 and 2013, Mekeni received the Century International Quality ERA Award (Gold Category) in Switzerland and The International Arch of Europe Platinum Award in Germany, respectively, which further cemented its commitment to food safety and quality.
For more information about their products, visit Mekeni’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mekeniph.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is pleased to announce the fellows accepted to the Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas which will take place on July 19-31, 2022 in Bacolod City:
Archel G. Barayoga
Jasper John V. Cabra
Faye Lisette P. Gachon
Nicole Garganera
Pnuema Lorena C. Lorenzo
Jim Benedict D. Lubrico
Rocky O. Nicor
Daveson E. Torculas
The Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas is a two-week mentorship program on the study and practice of dramatic writing for the stage. The Fellows from the Visayas region will take part in lectures, discussions, and workshops on playwriting and script critiquing. They will also be given access to watch recordings of selected past festival plays, as well as the opportunity to participate in the talkback and interaction with known playwrights and directors.
The eight (8) fellows accepted to the program will be mentored by multi-award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas, and will be given access to past festival plays as part of their mentorship. The Fellowship Program will conclude in a staged reading of the fellows’ works directed by Dennis Marasigan which will take place at the Negros Museum on July 31, 2022, 6:30PM.
The Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas is a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Writer’s Bloc in collaboration with the Province of Negros Occidental, The PerfLab, and the Negros Museum.
In celebration of the National Children’s Book Day (NCBD), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), in partnership with the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is holding a series of book activities for children this month.
Themed “Tahanan ng Katotohanan: Aklatan!” the celebration aims to promote the significance of truth/truth-telling.
The CCP, together with The Independent Publishers Collab Philippines, a community of small press, launched the ‘Tahanan ng Katotohanan: Aklatan Online Children’s Book Fair’ featuring children’s books and other literary works from independent publishers. It will run until the end of July 2022 and can be accessed through the official Facebook pages of the CCP, CCP Intertextual Division, and TIPCPH.
On July 19, at 10 a.m., the PBBY will recognize this year’s Alcala and Salanga Prize winners through a virtual ceremony that will be streamed on the official Facebook pages of CCP and PBBY.
NCBD is celebrated every third Tuesday of July, not only to commemorate the date of the publication of Jose Rizal’s “The Monkey and the Turtle” in Trubner’s Oriental Record in London, but also to highlight the importance of nurturing young readers’ curiosity and imagination.
For details, visit the following Facebook pages: Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People. For inquiries, contact the CCP Intertextual Division at 8551-5959, 0919-3175708 or send an email to ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com.
#TUDUM, The Netflix global fan event, is back after a successful launch last year. Prepare for an exciting day filled with Netflix exclusive news, announcements, and interviews with some of the biggest stars and creators on September 24, 2022.
The virtual event that garnered over 25 million views from Netflix fans in 184 countries around the world last year is returning Saturday, September 24 with five global events in 24 hours: starting in Korea followed by India, then the United States and Europe with a special preview event of the great entertainment coming from Latin America, and concluding with a celebration out of Japan.
Tune in for an exciting day of exclusive news, never-before-seen footage, trailers, and first looks, as well as interviews with Netflix’s biggest stars and creators. The free virtual event is a celebration of Netflix fandom and is dedicated to sharing the scoop on over 100 fan-favorite shows, films and specials from across the globe.
Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event will be available acrossNetflix YouTube channels in a number of different languages. Visit Netflix’s official fan site, Tudum.com/event, for the latest news from this global fan event, and stay tuned for details about our title and celebrity lineup in early September. Mark your calendars now for September 24!
When Robinsons Land launched ARTablado (a portmanteau of “art” and “entablado”) in 2020, the goal was to provide a platform for the best in Filipino art, putting the spotlight on artists from all walks of life. Later that year, it launched its first-ever national painting competition with the theme “Create,” since Robinsons Land ARTablado believes that in every Filipino lies a spark of brilliance just waiting to be illuminated. And even in the middle of a pandemic, Robinsons Land ARTablado decided on pushing through with the competition as a way of helping Filipino artists get through a crisis of such global scale.
The grand prize winner in the Representational category was Ambrocio Mallari, an artist who proves that art is ageless, limitless and undeniably boundless. (“Boundless,” by the way, is the theme for this year’s ARTablado initiative.)
Two years after his victory at the ARTablado Create Painting Competition, Mallari mounts his first solo exhibition titled “Nostalgia: Ode to Art Journey” at Robinsons Land ARTablado in Level 3 of Robinsons Galleria.
Ambrocio shares how totally unexpected his victory was. “Hindi ko po inaasahan dahil sa dami ng kalahok. Simple lamang ang aking istilo gamit ang oil on canvas na siyang dinalubhasa ko ng maraming taong pagsasanay—mula pa noong ako ay nasa advertising noong 1972.” And those decades of honing his craft have distilled Mallari’s vision into its essence with his winning piece titled “Kanlungan ng Lahi.”
He talks about the particular artwork: “Ang Pilipinas ay tahanan ng ibat’-ibang pangkat na hinulma ng kasaysayan. Kanlungan ito ng iba’t-ibang tribo at pangkat etniko na bumubuo sa mayamang kultura ng lahing Pilipino.”
For Mallari’s ARTabalado exhibition which is on view from July 16 – 31, the artist attempts to recreate the past by “not caricaturing the moment, but instead rendering its former glory.”
He amplifies, “I want to celebrate the human, the marks that people make upon the world. Treasure the local, the ordinary, the eccentric, the simple life that I experienced growing up in the province. I want to capture the rich culture of our nation with its story and history as well as the icons that marked the glory.”
Mallari goes for a throwback to those glorious days of hand-painted movie posters and billboards in the late Seventies that remind him of bittersweet memories—the hardships in life cushioned by a daily dalliance with paint, canvas and inspiration.
Thus, “Nostalgia: Ode to Art Journey” is an artist’s grand statement about “remembering the past, celebrating the present, and looking forward to a better future.”
Mallari concludes, “Malaki po ang pasasalamat ko sa RLC’s ARTablado. Dahil sa patimpalak na ito, akin pong napatunayan na sa tulong ng Panginoon at ng pagsusumikap ay maaari pang ipagpatuloy ang pangarap sa kabila ng mga pagsubok na pinagdaanan.”
Even at the age of 65, Ambrocio Mallari feels that his journey as an artist is about to get more interesting.
In the age of social media, there are a lot more avenues for women to be critical of themselves, especially when their ages become more visible.
Fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, dark spots—each one of these can manifest as early as your twenties or maybe even later in your forties. Of course, all of these depend on how you take care of your skin and the lifestyle that you have.
Avon Anew Crew
Either way, when it comes to embracing aging, it has always been a struggle for most people to fully come into terms with these natural changes. However, what you do now can affect your future and if you’re taking the right steps right now you don’t have to worry about what the next days (or years) might bring!
This is what the Avon Anew Crew advocates: a pro-aging movement where women can be confident about their beauty regardless of their age.
“Aging is not as dreadful as people make it out to be,” says viral TikTok content creator and professional voice artist Inka Magnaye. “I was told that I’m too old to do TikTok, but do I follow that? No!”
Inka Magnaye
Being a woman of her own right, being on TikTok in her thirties isn’t the only stereotype Inka is trying to break. As part of the Anew Crew, she also explains how being more mature means her body will keep changing and accepting everything that comes with it. “That’s why when it comes to pro-aging, it means I personally accept what’s happening with my body and I realized that it’s fine. I’m thirty-three now and my body will react differently, so I should just adapt and embrace it.”
For Inka, aging isn’t an enemy women should fight, but rather natural life stage one must be ready to come to terms with and proper skincare can help you do that. She continues, “I regret learning and getting into skincare a little bit later in life but hey, the best time to start is now, right?”
Somehow, for most women, aging can also be a barrier that will keep them from doing other goals they want in life. But for beauty enthusiast Agoo Bengzon, aging is being content with one’s accomplishments while still looking forward to what the future might bring. “It’s being content with who I am right now while still being optimistic about all the cool things that I might achieve for myself. Do not let a number dictate your choices and capacities in life!”
Agoo Bengzon
When asked how her skincare routine has differed now that she’s in her forties, she shares, “I am now looking for ingredients that target problems such as wrinkles and sagging skin! Before it was just about hydration and maintenance.” Agoo further reiterates that it’s not important to have young-looking skin, but rather maintaining a healthy one.
As women grow into their more mature selves, skincare can be a challenge especially when these physical changes start to manifest but that doesn’t mean you need to pressure yourself in maintaining your youth. That is why for entrepreneur and content creator Ayn Bernos, she now prioritizes products with moisturizing benefits for her skin.“As I’ve gotten older, I also got to know myself and my needs that includes some things that soothes me and makes me feel good everytime I wake up in the morning that’s why I go for products that helps me feel plump and refreshed.”
Ayn Bernos
Being in her late twenties, Ayn acknowledges the stigma about women getting old and she feels that it only means she’s growing to herself even more. “It’s the complete opposite of what I was thought growing up and what I’ve learned from society and media,” says Ayn. “Aging is going against the expectations that everyone has given us and embracing life as it is. It’s a privilege to age.”
For these influential women, using their voice to encourage others to be embrace aging breaks the limits that prevent women to do or be what they want—which has been prevailent in society for a long time.
Whatever stage in life you’re in, there will always be expectations thrown at you, but that shouldn’t diminish the accomplishments you’ve already done or yet to do in the future. These will all matter less when you embrace aging confidently like Inka, Agoo, and Ayn.
Anew Renewal Serum
Take it from the Anew Crew and get the right care for your skin no matter what age you’re in with the Anew Renewal Serum, powered by ProtinolTM that provides seven incredible skin benefits in just seven days.
Turns out, 84% of women agree that the Anew Renewal Serum is as good or even better than their luxury serum but at a third of the price. Read more on how ProtinolTM can help your skin here!
