Lola Amour proudly represented the Philippines during their performance debut at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

A new chapter is unfolding in the futuristic "Blade Runner" universe.

When Taiwan-based tattoo artist Jimmy Shy and street-film photographer Yu Chang decided to travel to Hong Kong to document the city’s fading post-war tattoo history, they agreed on one criterion: they would find their subjects only on the street. “We relied entirely on instinct,” Shy says of the project, which started in 2023 but began life as casual phone photos years earlier. “A lot of tattoos were hidden under clothing, so whenever we had a feeling that someone might have the kind of tattoo...

Why today's restaurant manpower challenge is about more than finding people

Musikwela, a Filipino children's educational entertainment program that uses music, storytelling, puppetry and animation to teach values, will release five new episodes in November covering respect for elders, indigenous culture, autism awareness, disaster preparedness and environmental care.  The five 30-minute episodes, co-produced by Ideasquest Inc. and the National Council for Children's Television (NCCT), an attached agency of the Department of Education, aim to make learning more engaging while helping children understand social issues and appreciate Filipino traditions.  During a media launch, Musikwela founder and executive director Ellen Estrada said the program draws from personal experiences and real-life encounters to create stories that children can relate to and learn from.  “Most of the things you see are made by us. We made all the puppets and all the songs. Even the costumes were sewn in a small community in Las Piñas,” Estrada said, explaining how her team handled much of the creative work behind the production despite limited resources.  The new episodes feature the Musikscouts, composed of Estrada's daughter, Yumi Sansano, and three furry puppet characters, Potpot, Lala and Biboy. Through their adventures, the characters demonstrate how children can respond to problems by helping others and practicing values such as empathy, respect and responsibility.    Estrada said she hopes the stories will encourage children to look beyond their immediate surroundings and appreciate the diversity of Filipino communities.  “I realized how rich our cultures are and how much there is to learn about them. We are so rich. We just don't know it, and we just don't teach it,” she said.   “We may be scattered across thousands of islands, but that does not mean we can never be one,” she said.  Musikwela received support through an NCCT grant, while Ideasquest also contributed resources to complete the production.  “Filipinos can create a funny, child-friendly show, but we cannot do it alone. We want to bring it to schools. We want to do road shows. We want to partner with brands that believe we can do more to help our children.,” she said.  Beyond the five episodes, Estrada said she hopes to explore other subjects, including financial literacy. She believes children should learn early about empathy, respect, responsibility and the value of money.  She also encouraged students and aspiring creators to develop stories that reflect experiences and issues they genuinely care about.  “For a story to be meaningful to others, it must be meaningful to you first. It must affect you in some way,” she said.  The new episodes will be available in November through Musikwela's website and social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.

College students in dorms and young couples starting out often need a few items to make their spaces more comfortable. These often include basics like flatware, plates, beddings and maybe a lamp or two. While there are department stores and home store chains that offer pretty much the same kind of mix, one of the newer entrants is the Metro Retail Stores Group. Last month, it launched its own brand of home basics, Metro Living in its four Metro Department Stores located in Alabang, Market Market, Ayala Center Cebu, and Super Metro Colon. Arranged on open shelves and in compact displays, the merchandise is basic and designed to work together.  “For Metro Living, we’ve shifted our entire retail philosophy from selling individual products to delivering fully integrated lifestyle solutions. Previously, customers had to navigate different aisles to assemble a look,” Joel Orense, Metro Retail President and COO told The Manila Times in an email interview.  “Through our dedicated shop-in-shop concept, we bring fully curated, pre-styled living spaces directly to the retail floor. It eliminates decision fatigue, offers immediate aesthetic inspiration, and maximizes customer convenience. We are elevating the overall shopping experience, and based on initial performance, we plan to scale this format to additional key stores next year,” he added.  Placing these household staples in a dedicated location inside their stores was only logical as it takes out the guesswork for shoppers.  Orense said that historically, people bought items for their homes from different stores. While this can actually be a fun exercise on a weekend or during sale season, it can also be a chore for people who might prefer to do something else with their time.  “By engineering a cross-category, cohesive product matrix, Metro Living bridges that gap — transforming single-item transactions into complete room solutions,” he said. The current merchandise mix at the Metro stores includes beddings, pillow cases and cushion covers, kitchen linens, and window treatments. There also plates, cutlery and compact storage systems.  “Metro Living is tailored for the modern Filipino demographic — specifically first-time condo owners, growing families, young homeowners, and value-conscious style seekers,” Orense said. “These consumers want practical, elevated, and contemporary home aesthetics without compromising on affordability or functionality.”

3.5/5 stars Lead cast: Koji Yakusho, Kento Kaku, Kenichi Matsuyama In Netflix’s new comedy series Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?, Koji Yakusho stars as a world-famous Japanese actor who discovers that almost the whole of Japan has forgotten him. Playful and lighthearted, the eight-episode series follows the veteran performer as he loses his celebrity status overnight and is forced to reassess his character and relationships while rebuilding his life and career. Created by acclaimed...

Opera Hong Kong’s first fully staged production of Pietro Mascagni’s 1890 Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 1892 Pagliacci does justice to the classic double bill. Familiarly known as Cav/Pag, the production features lively staging, strong performances in the leading roles and splendid work by the Opera Hong Kong Chorus. Since 1893, the two operas have often been performed together for obvious reasons. Both are set in the rural Italian south and both explore themes of jealousy,...

Five new Kapuso classrooms built by the GMA Kapuso Foundation were recently inaugurated at Panugnawan Elementary School in Medellin, Cebu, and Talisay Integrated School in Daanbantayan, Cebu.