Stuff to do (08/26/22)

Shang holds Sweet Escape dessert fair

SHANGRI-LA Plaza wraps up a #DealightfulAugust with the sweetest event of the year at the Sweet Escape, a dessert fair whipped up in partnership with The Honest Harvest community market. It is being held at the mall’s Grand Atrium on Aug. 25-28 and will feature everything from cotton candy sculptures to Filipino desserts. Among the participants are Lollipuffs Cotton Candy, Zachy’s Pastillas (with flavors like milky, ube, mango, and buko pandan and unique offerings like avocado, matcha, strawberry, cookies and cream, and chocolate mint), Homemade by Rita (mini pecan pies), The Creamery Catering (Filipino desserts in tubs like Hot Taro Sago, AvoCoco, and Coffee Jelly); C&M Coffee; Auntie Anne’s; Big Chill (healthy juices and smoothies), and Gorae (Korean-style hotdogs and bungeoppang or fish-shaped pastries stuffed with sweet filling). These are just a part of the entire dessert spread that guests can taste at the #SweetEscapeattheShang. More merchants that serve other types of sweets like doughnuts, cookies, tarts, chocolate truffles, and other baked goods and other treats. For updates and inquiries, follow Shangri-La Plaza on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial and on Instagram @shangrilaplazaofficial.  

Rustan’s online anniversary sale

LUXURY retailer Rustan’s marks its 70th anniversary this month. Celebrations include in-store events, special anniversary offers, new brands and collections, and a weekend-long sale exclusively at Rustans.com on Aug. 27 to 28. On that weekend, Rustan’s brings the anniversary celebration online offering a selection of brands and merchandise from fashion, fine jewelry, beauty, kids, and home, while treating customers with limited offers and promotions of up to 50% off on selected items. The online sale features 100+ products from Rustans.com’s top brands including Longchamp, Kate Spade New York, SPANX, Michael Kors, Furla, Samsonite, Bally, Superga, Montblanc, Maison Margiela, Estée Lauder,  L’Occitane, Shiseido, Tefal, Breville, and Pyrex. Women will find brands like Anne Klein, Kurt Geiger, LeSportsac, Coccinelle, Triumph, and HOFF with merchandise up to 30% off, while Rustan’s Private Brands Lady Rustan, Luna, and Lotus Resortwear are offering 15% off on regular-priced items. For a little self-care, there are numerous offers and complimentary gifts from the likes of Jo Malone London, La Mer, Viktor&Rolf, Kanebo, Perricone MD, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Murad, and Mario Badescu. For men, brands on sale up to 25% off include Jack Nicklaus, Cross, Hackett, American Tourister, Kenneth Cole, and Dune London. Silver Vault brands have a special offer for customers. Lacor, Cuisinart, Corelle, TruSens, and AirMaster also have offers for the home. Find gifts for children with sale items from Jellycat, Melissa & Doug, Malabar Baby, Baa Baa Sheepz, and Bonjour Baby offering items up to 50% off. Spend a minimum of P30,000 and receive free Philips Audio True Wireless Earbuds. Customers will also be treated to 10% off and free shipping when their purchases reach a minimum spend of P2,000 after using the exclusive codes provided by banks BDO, BPI, Chinabank, EastWestBank, HSBC, PNB, RCBC, and Security Bank. Discounts are capped at P1,000. For more information visit rustans.com.  

Woven Networks holds forum

WOVEN Networks Sharing Sessions is an online webinar happening on Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 featuring craft changemakers from the Philippines and the UK. Speakers will present stories and findings from Woven Networks, a research grant program aiming to grow forest resources and livelihood by strengthening the role of artisans in sustainable development. Malaya del Rosario, Head of Arts at the British Council, said in a statement: “In partnership with the Forest Foundation, we awarded grants to trusted intermediaries — designers, academics and development experts. We were able to map 15 craft communities in the Philippines, from weaving cooperatives in Isabela to the indigenous Higaonon weavers in Bukidnon.” The grantees also involved artisans, foresters and UK-based counterparts in their projects. Representatives from Panublix Social Enterprise, University of Santo Tomas, and the Royal College of Art in London, among many others, will also be speaking at the event. The webinar will culminate on Sept. 2 with the launch of the virtual exhibition, “From land to loom, from fibre to form: Woven Networks research projects,” curated by Tessa Maria Guazon. It will celebrate program highlights and feature objects from the National Museum of Anthropology collection. The four-day webinar is free but registration is required via the British Council Philippines’ webpage. It will be held on Aug 30 to Sept. 2 via Zoom from 4 to 5:30 p.m. (PH) / 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. (UK). For more information, e-mail at Arts@britishcouncil.org.ph.   

Paws N’ Play in UP Town Center

AYALA MALLS is using its platform and facilities to support animal welfare through Paws n’ Play, the mall’s annual pet festival at UP Town Center (UPTC). Now in its 5th year, Paws n’ Play continues to promote humane treatment for animals through pet fairs, dog obedience training sessions, and workshops on responsible pet ownership. The festival begins in August and will run until October on the weekend before World Animal Day. Ayala Malls partnered with the Quezon City Local Government to launch the two-month long festival Paws n’ Plays Year 5 to support five groups: Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS); CARA Welfare; the Philippine Pet Birth Control Center Foundation (PPBCC); Hound Haven PH; and, Cats of Manila. On Sept. 10, Paws n’ Play will hold the Gotcha Gala, an exclusive meet-up of rescued and adopted pets with their owners. The families will be pre-selected from a pool of online entries in response to Ayala Malls’ call for stories of hope and successful pet adoptions. Winners and pets will meet at the BarkYard on the day of the event, followed by a photo and video presentation on their respective adoption journeys. Paws n’ Plays is holding a week-long photo exhibit of Gotcha Gala winning entries at the Gotcha Gallery. From Sept. 10 to 17, Ayala Malls encourages viewers to interact with the photos by leaving notes on the space provided. The festival culminates on Oct. 2 with Paw It Forward, a series of workshops to be held for the benefit of select animal welfare shelters. The workshops are open to all, with a registration fee of P500 as donation to the participant’s chosen organization. The proof of donation serves as the individual’s workshop pass. Visit @UPTownCenterAyalaMalls on Facebook and @iloveuptowncenter on Instagram for updates and announcements on Ayala Malls’ Paws n’ Play festival in UP Town Center.