The Manila Hotel Reopens Heritage Museum

The Manila Hotel reopens Heritage Museum following extensive enhancements aimed at delivering a more engaging historical experience. Located at the lobby level of the iconic hotel, the revamped museum presents a newly curated collection of artifacts, documents, and interactive displays that highlight the hotel’s role in Philippine history, culture, and hospitality since 1912.

The Heritage Museum showcases the hotel’s architectural and cultural legacy, notable guests, world leaders, and contributions to society over the past century. Previously unseen photographs and antique décor pieces are now on display, giving visitors a closer look at the milestones that shaped The Manila Hotel’s legacy. New additions include digital installations, the hotel’s oldest surviving menu, and a curated display of antique furniture, among others.

“The Heritage Museum is more than a walk through the past, it’s a way of honoring The Manila Hotel and its intertwined relationship with the history of our country. Every piece you’ll see here was chosen to reflect our story as a living landmark,” said Rachy Cuna, The Manila Hotel’s social director and design consultant.

Designed for both history enthusiasts and casual visitors, the Heritage Museum reflects the hotel’s ongoing commitment to preserving its legacy.

The Heritage Museum is open daily from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. For guided tours or additional information, guests may contact Guest Services at +632 8527 0011 or +632 5301 5500, or email guestservices@themanilahotel.com. 

LIBERATOR LAGER! “Fulfill Your Promise.”

Crisp, refreshing, and easily enjoyable, Liberator Lager is brewed using a precise selection of high-quality Pilsner malt and finest American hops. Classic European brewing techniques bring all the ingredients together to deliver a beer that has the right touch of malt sweetness and a subtle yet unique tropical profile of citrus, passionfruit, and melon. A fresh pour of Liberator Lager from the draft makes it an undeniably satisfying drink with Romulo Café's most popular dishes.

Liberator Lager was conceptualized by Enzo Squillantini, co-founder of the popular Romulo Café Chain of Restaurants with his wife Sandie Romulo-Squillantini, primarily to honor the memory and legacy of Gen. Carlos P. Romulo, who was the “last man off Bataan” on April 9, 1942 and “one of the first” to return as Aide-de-Camp of Gen. Douglas MacArthur on October 20, 1944, during the famous landing at Leyte, captured in this iconic monument that stands in Palo, Leyte, then called “Red Beach”.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur issued his immortal promise “I Shall Return”, after he was ordered by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to leave his beleaguered headquarters in the Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor, “the Rock”, and regroup in Australia to lead the Allied effort to mount a counteroffensive against the Imperial Japanese forces that have invaded and occupied Asia.

After 2-1/2 years, Gen. MacArthur did fulfill his promise to return and liberate the Philippine Islands from the Japanese on October 20th, 1944, codenamed A-Day, leading the greatest naval armada the world has ever seen, consisting of 600 magnificent ships carrying 250,000 Americans, larger than D-Day in Normandy, France, and supported by clouds of planes at which he declared, “People of the Philippines, I have returned!”

LIBERATOR LAGER is also our salute to the brave Filipino men and women who have fought and died to attain our freedoms and protect our liberties in the course of our nation’s historic struggle for independence. Starting with the sporadic revolts against Spain throughout the islands, that finally culminated in the historic Cry of Balintawak when Filipinos tore their cedulas to signify the start of the revolution against an abusive colonizer, followed by those who fought during the Philippine-American War, and finally for those 75,000 Filipino soldiers and 10,000 Americans in the Battle for Bataan and the Last Stand on Corregidor, the subsequent Death March, and the thousands of Filipino guerillas who continued the struggle behind enemy lines during the brutal Japanese occupation of World War II.

Finally, in today’s world, Liberator Lager represents a toast to all of us who love our freedoms (as much as our beer), specially to those noble men and women with integrity, who keep their word, honor their commitment and fulfill their promise, to their spouse and children, to their colleagues and customers, to their friends and neighbors, to their nation and to God. Mabuhay!

Celebrate Victory! Celebrate Freedom! Celebrate with Liberator Lager! Pair this craft beer with our signature dishes like Lola Virginia’s Chicken Relleno, first served by the wife of Gen. Carlos P. Romulo in Washington D.C., our best-seller Tito Greg’s Kare-Kare, and all-time favorite, CPR for Crispy Pata ni Romulo.

LIBERATOR LAGER – Fulfill Your Promise.

“I am a Filipino born to freedom, and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance – for myself and my children and my children’s children – forever.”

 I AM A FILIPINO
By Carlos P. Romulo

SINDAK 1941: A FILIPINO MUSICAL BRINGS TO LIFE THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM AND LOVE

Philippine Stagers Foundation, a professional mobile theatre company from Manila presents an all original musical about love and the struggles of the Filipinos during World War II, under the Japanese regime, written and directed by Atty. Vincent M. Tanada and music by Pipo Cifra.

The dates of performances are from July 11, 2019 to March of 2020. The musical will be shown in select theatre venues all over the Philippines.

The Story:

This is a story about the resiliency, sufferings and sacrifices of the Filipinos during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines being told through the eyes of four intertwined souls, brothers Felipe and Nestor, and their love interests Sofia and Emilia, respectively. The story will be narrated by a mute wanderer Tata Edong.
The difference between the brothers was very obvious in the onset, Nestor was more successful in school, and eventually he used all the things he learned in school to start a very successful shoe making business. On the other hand his older brother Felipe ended up ploughing the fields. Eventually they will realize the impact of the war, that everyone is a victim, and that it spares no one.
A quick look in our history would tell us, ten hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Intramuros, Manila was decimated. The occupation of the Japanese led to the formation of HUKBALAHAP. USAFFE experienced a beating from the Japanese forces resulting to General Douglas MacArthur’s departure to Australia together with his troops. The remnants of the defenders of the Philippines were forced to march to their deaths in Bataan.
In these trying times the star-crossed lovers will traverse the challenges of Japanese tyranny, meeting an array of colourful characters such as the brothel owners Mauricia and Salvacion, and the father and son rebels, Gorio and Pancho. They will showcase the resilience of the Filipino spirit and prove to the world that despite all the odds, our freedom is fought by and won by the Filipinos. The brothers will go on their separate journey as a collaborator and a freedom fighter. This musical will fill in the gaps of our history and pay homage to all the unsung heroes of our land.
SINDAK 1941 will show the adverse effects of war and how morality is twisted just to survive.

The Philippines is the apex of the Second World War and the end of it is the turning point that would spell success or failure between the ruling powers. The Battle of Leyte Gulf is arguably the biggest Naval Battle in history. The two pairs will play major parts in this tragic battle. Lives will be lost, tragedy will be told, but SINDAK 1941 will give you a spectacular musical experience that would show our history through the eyes of our countrymen and how the resilience of the Filipinos won the day for the Philippines.

The Cast and crew

The musical will showcase a very talented pool of multi-awarded actors for theatre including Vince Tanada (Two-Time Aliw Awardee for Best Actor, Star Awards’ Best New Actor and Famas Awardee) and Jomar Bautista (Felipe); Patrick Libao and Johnrey Rivas (Nestor); Yesh Burce, Kath Medina and Vean Olmedo (Sofia); Cherry Bagtas and Rachelle Penaflor (Emilia); Franie Zamora, Joel Molina, Kuya Manzano and Chris Lim (MacArthur); Adel Ibarrientos (Mauricia); OJ Bacor (Salvacion); Neil Tolentino (Gorio); Dean Rafols (Pancho); Chin Ortega (Tata Edong), Gerald Magallanes (Masanobu), Gian Daquioag (Homma), Carl Adaron (Kunitake), Bea Martin (Cromwell) and the Aliw Awardee for Best Ensemble Cast, the actor’s pool of the Philippine Stagers Foundation.

The artistic team of SINDAK 1941 is composed of the following: Vince Tanada (Book, Lyrics and Direction), Pipo Cifra (Music), Carlon Josol Matobato (Choreography), Jeffrey Ambrosio (Set Design), Emy Tanada (Costume), Art Gabrentina (Lights and Sound Design), OJ Bacor (Production Management), JP Lopez (Associate Direction and Stage Management), Vino Oriarte (Photography), Alwin Llanes and Carlo Parungao (Video Editing).

Show Inquiries

The musical SINDAK 1941 will run from July 11, 2019 up to March 2020, to be shown in various theatre venues all over Metro Manila and select venues in various provinces all over the Philippines.

For ticket inquiries and show buyers you may get in touch with 0956-669-0335. For more updates, follow #sindak1941 and Philippine Stagers Foundation on Facebook, PHILIPPINE_STAGER for Instagram, and @philstagers on Twitter.

HISTORIA, CULINARIA, Y CULTURA: A Celebration of Philippine Independence Day Through Food, Fashion & Culture

Experience a celebration of Philippine Independence Day like no other when HISTORIA, CULINARIA, Y CULTURA kicks off on June 8, 2019. The 2-day festival celebrates 121 years of Philippine Independence through a showcase of heritage food, fashion and culture in Taal Heritage Town, Taal, Batangas.

The Historia aspect aims to educate visitors on interesting and little known facts about Philippine significant segments in Philippine history, particularly on the aspects of art and architecture. There will be talks by experts on Philippine History Art and Architecture, and guided tours to historical places in Taal—especially the houses of illustrious Filipino families that have helped achieve Filipino nationhood.

There will also be Film Showings featuring momentous period films that showcase the skill and soul of noted Filipino filmmakers. Apart from that, amateur and professional photographers will display their snapshots of Taal’s historical places in a 2-day Photo Contest.

Culinaria Filipina will be highlighted during the Pop Up Lunch. Here the the Malolos Congress menu will be recreated and served in one of Taal’s ancestral house where the attendees will be required to put on full period costume.

Calle Tienda, on the other hand, is a 2-day food fair (from June 8 to 9) to be held at Taal’s Social Plaza featuring local and fusion Filipino delicacies. On Calle Jose Diokno, topnotch Filipino culinary artists will conduct food demos on popular Filipino delicacies, traditional cuisine, and long-lost heritage menus.

Cultura, the distinctive Filipino culture which marries Western and Eastern influences into one fluid and vibrant way of life, becomes the inspiration of 3 centerpiece events. The “Mutya at Ginoo ng Kultura”, is the first ever search for the male and female ambassadors who embody Filipino cultural ideals and promote heritage tourism by advocating the preservation and conservation of local culture.

In cooperation with the Lyric Opera of the Philippines, or LyrOpera, “Kundiman ng Lahi”, on the other hand, is a concert of well-loved Filipino music that highlights the different aspects of the Filipino psyche.

As a fitting finale, the grand “Historia en La Moda” is a fashion exposition gala that traces the evolution of traditional Filipino attire from pre-Hispanic times to the genteel days of the pre-war era. “Historia en la Moda” will see the masterful creations of Manila’s top fashion designers as they capture the transformations of the Philippine traditional wear.

These events will happen on June 8 and 9 , 6:00 pm, at the Taal Social Plaza in Calle Mariño-Agoncillo, Taal Heritage Town, Taal, Batangas.

“HISTORIA, CULINARIA, Y CULTURA” is one of the advocacy programs of CASA HISTORIA, a group spearheaded by acclaimed designer Lito Perez and includes members from different professions and endeavors who share a passion for Filipino arts, culture and history.

Perez started the daring initiative to help preserve architectural legacies—an integral part of the rich tapestry of Filipino cultural heritage—in danger of being torn down. In Perez’s vision, past clutches hands with the present to assure the survival of these architectural gems by giving them a significant purpose in the contemporary setting without compromising their integrity and soul. This strategy assures the structures’ continued existence, while re-purposing it for a new function and pumping new life into these ancestral mansions.

In the past couple of years Casa Historia has preserved and maintained houses like Villa Tortuga (Taal, Batangas), Arce Mansion (Vigan, Ilocos Sur) and Casa La Demetria (Pagsanjan, Laguna). Perez has also served as a consultant for the restoration of Ning Balemi (Pampanga), Villa Saryaya (Sariaya, Quezon), Tampuhan Café (Taal, Batangas), and Casa Asunción (Balayan, Batangas) which is owned by the famous actor Leo Martinez. Currently in the process is one of the oldest houses in the Philippines Villa San Vicente in Vigan Ilocos Sur, as well as a few other houses waiting to be restored and given a new life: Casa Lilang (Taal, Batangas), and the Historic Noble House in Caysasay, Batangas.

Visit our Facebook page @HistoriaCulinariayCultura and @casahistoria  you can call us at Globe: 0927-9751683 or  0916-6336706 Smart: 0961-2523338

ARTISTS LIBERATE INTRAMUROS!

THE FIRST OPEN CITY FESTIVAL of the MANILA BIENNALE 2018

Bring Back the Soul of the City! Give an offering to the spirits of Intramuros by witnessing The Open City Performance Festival of the first Manila Biennale on February 21-25, 2018.  Participate in live artistic rituals, art interventions with local and international artists in the forms of music, dance, fashion, street art, installation, performance, sound, and film over a four-day extravaganza, the likes of which have not been seen before in Old Manila.

Performances highlights listed below with photographs and biography.

HIGHLIGHTS:

FEBRUARY 21, 2018 WEDNESDAY

THE OPENING OF THE STREET ART PROGRAM
Tram tours of Street Art Program curated by Adrian Alfonso
3:00PM Baluarte San Diego (Starting Point)

THE OPENING OF THE OPEN CITY FESTIVAL 

Vernissage of OPEN CITY FESTIVAL 

3:00PM Baluarte San Diego 

MODELAB

JOL3NA
5:30PM Plaza San Luis (Cocktails by Don Papa)
Performances:
TINA HAVELOCK STEVENS
MALE GAZE 

BT4A

FEBRUARY 22, 2018 THURSDAY
LIVIN' LA VIDA IMELDA by CARLOS CELDRAN

4:30PM
Teatrillo at Plaza San Luis

OPENCITY FESTIVAL AT THE PLAZA SAN LUIS

7:30PM

Featuring
M.O.B. (USA)
CAROLINE GARCIA (AUSTRALIA)
RAQUEL DE LOYOLA (PHILIPPINES)
JEF CARNAY (PHILIPPINES)
VIM NADERA (PHILIPPINES)
KHAN OF FINLAND + JOTA (GERMANY/BOLIVIA)

FEBRUARY 23, 2018 (FRIDAY)
DON PAPA INTRAMUROS ARTISTS BALL

6:00PM

Plaza San Luis
Dress Code: Be creative. Artists go free. 

Performances:

#VIVAMANILA PASYAL AND CREATIVE OPEN MARKET
HENRI LAMY
THIRD WORLD IMPROV
RHOSAM PRUDENCIADO
MIA CABALFIN
VIC Co.Lab
MAYLEE TODD

SHIGEKI FUKUDA

ATSUKO SATORI

DEX FERNANDEZ

FEBRUARY 24, 2018 (SATURDAY)
PINK SHORTS: Manila Biennale Queer Performance Program by Short + Sweet 

A TWO DAY FESTIVAL

February 24 and 25, 2018

Separate ticketing: Cost: Php300.00 / Php500.00 / Php600.00

7:00PM

Teatrillo
Text Rhadem Morados +63 9150211768

TOQA: MANILA, LUZON SEASON ONE:

Fashion show/Art Intervention and Dance Party by Toqa 

Please RSVP AT www.toqa.tv 

3:00PM

Puerta Real Gardens

FEBRUARY 25, 2018 SUNDAY
MANILA TRANSITIO MEMORIAL CONCERT AND COMMUNITY RITUAL

PRE TRANSITIO RITUAL

Ioana Georgescu 

Neo-Angono

3:00PM 

Fort Santiago 

PROCESSION TO TRANSITIO FROM FORT SANTIAGO TO PUERTA REAL

4:00PM

COMMUNITY RITUAL

6:00PM

Featuring:

Carlos Celdran

Goldie Soon

MUSIC

Bayang Barrios
The Executives Band

MARCH 4, 2O18

ART+ MANILA BIENNALE 2018 FINISSAGE

3:00PM 

Plaza San Luis (Meeting Point)

A final tram tour of the Manila Biennale 2018 by Art+ Magazine 

Description:

Much like the Glastonbury Festival in England or the Burning Man of Nevada, the Open City Festival is envisioned as a new tradition for Intramuros, an international art festival which promotes self-expression as a means of activating a sacred space. Under the umbrella of the first Manila Biennale, Open City provides the ephemeral component to the Biennale's critically acclaimed visual art installations that were unveiled on 02 February.

Curator Carlos Celdran says, “This festival caps a month long celebration using art to activate, commemorate, and reinvigorate the City of Intramuros.  We want to foster a community which will keep the City alive, not only during biennales but beyond. Proceeds from the event will benefit the succeeding Manila Biennales and will ensure that this new tradition in Philippine arts will be passed on to future generations."

Art festivals such as the Manila Biennale and its Open City Festival are a key aspect of art tourism, social development, and urban transformation. The art and artists are on show as much as the city.

This program is OPEN to all Art Passport Holders and Day Pass Holders.

BE A PATRON OF THE ARTS!

Purchase an art patron passport for Php 5,300 and support the next Manila Biennale in 2020! This passport not only gives you an all-access pass to the exhibitions, performances, talks, and film showings, but also places you as a patron of Intramuros’ revival. Each passport holder will be credited in the soon-to-published Manila Biennale 2018 catalogue. 

#MNLBNL2018 ART PATRON PASSPORT: Php5,300.00
Inclusives:
- Access to MNLBNL lounge at the Plaza San Luis.

- Access to privately planned picnics and tours. 

- Bespoke access to exhibitions.
- Unlimited access to all 3 Manila Biennale exhibition sites inside Intramuros
- Transportation to exhibition sites via kalesa ride
- Entrance to the OPENCITY Festival Performance Art Series February 21 to 25, 2018
- Entrance to the Artists Ball on February 23, 2018, Friday.
- Entrance to Manila Transitio Memorial Concert February 25, 2018, Sunday.
- Priority reservations for all lectures, movies, programs, and performances of the OPENCITY FESTIVAL 21-25 February 2018.
- Discounts and special deals with Manila Biennale partners.

- Priority Reservations of the Manila Biennale Limited Series Art Book Catalogue.
- Valid for one month (February 3, 2018 - March 5, 2018)

For more information, please come to the MNLBNL Lounge in Plaza San Luis (Barbara's), open Tuesdays to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, 

or message us through our Facebook page: Manila Biennale:Open City.  

SELECTED OPEN CITY FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL ARTIST BIO:

Photo: MODELAB - INSTALLATION/ART INTERVENTION

Exhibition Date: February 21–25, 2018

Collaborators: Brisa Amir (PH), Arca Ceramics (MX), Dulce Chacón (MX), Jose Mari Cuartero (PH), Tad Ermitaño (PH), Indy Paredes (PH).

Baluarte de San Diego Gardens, Manila

MODELAB is an artistic initiative that explores public space attending its past, current dynamics, and the role it plays in society both as environment and architectural materiality. Since 2014, Modelab has organized different projects, in different cities, in close collaboration with artists, scholars and scientists. Modelab is devised by Claudia Arozqueta and Rodrigo Azaola of Mexico City, United States of Mexico.

"WAYS OF SOLITUDE" is a public art project curated by Modelab in the Baluarte de San Diego gardens that explores the role of solitude in the history of Manila. Through a series of interventions involving different media (installation, sound art, painting, gardening, ceramics, stencil art) the project reflects on three periods of Manila’s history in which solitude has a strong presence: the colonial era, the post-war period and the present. An e-publication, including an essay by scholar Jose Mari Cuartero from Ateneo de Manila, will be available for download on the day of the opening at www.modelab.info

Photo: Tina Havelock Stevens (Australia) - PERFORMANCE/VIDEO

Performance date: February 21, 2018 Wednesday

TINA HAVELOCK STEVENS is an artist from Sydney, Australia who works across performance, video, sound and experimental documentary. Havelock Stevens’ background as a documentary film maker and drummer in the post punk music scene has a direct influence on the way she practices. She makes portraits exploring the state of the contemporary world and works in a spontaneous open-ended way that allows for unexpected outcomes. Havelock Stevens’ works have been exhibited at institutions and festivals worldwide with recent shows at Campbelltown Arts Centre, Australia 2017 (Winner Fisher Ghost Prize); Fremantle Biennale 2017; UNSW Galleries, Sydney (John Fries Award Finalist); Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 2017 (The Big Anxiety Festival); MILL 6 Foundation, Hong Kong, 2016; Performance Space, Carriageworks, Sydney 2017 -2015; Bulletspace,, New York, 2014; Dark Mofo  & Mona Foma, MONA, Hobart 2016/2013; Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne 2015/2013; PS 122, New York ,2013; and Artspace, Sydney 2010.

"BEATS OF DARKNESS" is a video and sound work produced in the time frame of a week specifically for Manila Biennale:Open City. Made with a methodology of spontaneous response the artist uses a combination of experimental documentary and drumming performance that tunes into the frequencies of specific sites and place. Using the 1979 film ‘Apocalypse Now’ as a departure point BEATS OF DARKNESS features sites that were once locations for the production shot in areas of Baler. When projected at Intramuros the work acts as a double echo to reflect on the Philippines relations with the US economically, politically and culturally. For Open City the artist will perform the soundtrack as an improvised live score in front of the projection in collaboration with local ethnomusicologist and percussionist Tusa Montes.

Photo: Khan Oral (Germany) and Jo-ta (Bolivia) - PERFORMANCE / VIDEO

February 22, 2018 Thursday. Plaza San Luis 

KHAN OF FINLAND, born of Turkish-Finnish parents in Frankfurt/Germany. 1992-2002 living in New York City, he owned the electronic record shop Temple Records NYC, hosted downtown art events and parties, run three record labels, produced and performed with a variety of artists and projects: Captain Comatose, Tiefschwarz, Air Liquide, Diamanda Galas, Julee Cruise, Kid Congo Powers, Little Annie or Brigitte Fontaine. 2002 he moved to Berlin where he works and lives as a producer, performer, and visual artist. His catalog counts more than 300 physical releases. Group and solo exhibitions worldwide. Theater and soundtrack work for television and feature film including cameos. Khan presented “Angels Of Disguise” photo-book/box-set (Fantome Verlag) at Kassel’s documenta13. 

JO-TA, born in Bolivia, he made studies in environmental engineering (BOL) and Master of Arts, Visual and Media Anthropology (DE). In 2009 he started as a Vj working at the Festival LaPazTook, shortly after he joined the collective Oi Mas Bass, with which he organized the Latin American festival Kiebre (2011-2012) in La Paz. He performed with artists like Efecto Mandarina and Bolivia National Symphony Orchestra among others. Also he participated in different audiovisual festivals worldwide. 2014 he was called as Secretary of Culture at the Embassy of Bolivia in Berlin, Germany. Jo-Ta currently works as a Video Artist for Rebeam creating International Networking and he is a partner of VisualCom. His last show was a collaboration with Monom Sound at the opening, founded by 4D Sound in Funkhaus-Berlin. 

“PHONE CUE" is a site-specific installation/performance with video projections, sound stream, and light. Artist Statement: "Today we barely see the stars. Bright city lights bleach the skies. We'd rather look at the glow on our cell phones. Today’s stories are told on our Facebook walls. The gods we evoke come as shiny electronic gadgets. We dance in line on eBay sales, we leave our marks on the corner of Instagram and Snapchat. The modern city is the place of our desire. We come to meet our dreams. A dream that seems to expand endlessly and is shared by millions. Still we feel isolated. This project proposes that we have a choice and that there are alternatives to a normative commercial life where citizens are more than mere “purchasing powers”. We do not stand in line for summer sale, we stand in line to dance and celebrate life in the city." 

Photo: Ioana Georgescu  - PERFORMANCE / ART INTERVENTION

February 25, 2018 Thursday. Fort Santiago and Puerta Real 

IOANA GEORGESCU is an artist and novelist born in Bucharest, Romania. She lives in Montreal, Canada. Her work is presented worldwide and encompasses performance art, video-installation, photography, drawing, painting and literary fiction. Her projects are often site-specific and process-based, They interrelate and trigger chains of reactions. They address memory, identity and displacement in relation to body and site. Ioana has exhibited and performed in Barcelona, Berlin, Vienna, Novi Sad, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City, New York, Cairo, Yogyakarta and Beijing. She has participated in three international action and media arts festivals in Manila : Tupada’05, Tama’06 and Tutok’08. Open City Manila Biennale 2018 is in continuity and marks her fourth return to the Philippines.

"MANILA CITTÀ APERTA" Two parts work with performance and video-installation components. Water Monument, a collaborative art action at Fort Santiago and Dust Monument: a video projection at Puerta Real. The Manila “open sequence” is part of the Mobile Monuments series. Memory and intersecting histories are experienced and expressed through performing bodies and performing sites. Several bodies are at play: human, architectural and even microscopic. They evolve and interact, crossing virtual and real spaces. A dialogue between past, present, life and death takes place and generates a new narrative.

Photo: Maylee Todd - PERFORMANCE / VIDEO / INSTALLATION

February 23, 2018 Friday. Teatrillo at Plaza San Luis

MAYLEE TODD is a Canadian independent musician, performance artist, producer based in Toronto, Canada. She released her first solo album, Choose Your Own Adventure 2010, and her second record Escapology 2013 on the Do Right Music label. "Baby's Got It" reached number 10 on the Billboard charts throughout Japan. Todd has performed on the Billboard Live Stage and CrossOver Jazz Fest. Her music covers a wide variety of genres including pop, indie-rock, soul, jazz, electronica, and bossa nova. She has a taste for exotic instruments, and sequencers such as the Paraguayan harp. She is distinguished as a stage performer by her flair for comedy and the dramatic arts. Maylee Todd's latest project is Virtual Womb.

"VIRTUAL WOMB" is a visual and auditory show, where the audience walks through her work and interacts with video projections. Her work is a place of gestation, rebirth, death, mediation, new ways of thinking and tapping into a collective consciousness; a multimedia show containing interactive therapy, installation, projection mapping and dancing all set to a live musical performance. 

Photo: Hamish Lang - Sound Art

Exhibition Date:February 21– March 4, 2018. Plaza San Luis

Hamish Lang is a Melbourne based sound artist.  

‘Buhat (Since) Broken’ is a reinterpretation of the classic Filipino love song ‘Buhat (Since)’ and a homage to the actor Rosario Moreno through a haunting soundscape. Unfortunately, Rosario’s career came to a tragic end during the Battle of Manila in 1945. Before this, she featured prominently in some of the earliest examples of pre-war Filipino cinema, earning her the title ‘Queen of Tearjerkers’. One of her boldest roles was playing the character Magdalena in the movie Tunay na Ina (or True Mother). The story focuses on Magdalena’s attempt to hide her secret child who was a product of rape from her soon-to-be husband. The story is one of loss, redemption, secrets and, above all, love. The film famously features the song ‘Buhat (Since)’, which is sung multiple times to convey hope and celebration. For the piece ‘Buhat (Since) Broken’, the original song has been reinterpreted into a melancholy soundscape, which stretches and breaks the original song into something familiar yet unsettling. The piece has been eroded using both modern and vintage recording techniques and is broken down, much like the walls of Intramuros were in 1945. 

Photo: M.O.B  - PERFORMANCE / ART INTERVENTION

Photo: Caroline Garcia - PERFORMANCE 

February 22, 2018 Thursday. Teatrillo at Plaza San Luis.

CAROLINE GARCIA is a culturally promiscuous, interdisciplinary artist. She works across live performance and video through a hybridised aesthetic of cross-cultural dance, ritual practice, new media, and the sampling of popular culture and colonial imagery. Caroline’s practice is shaped by alterity. In her work, she centers peripheral bodies by adopting the role of shape shifter - sliding into the gaps between cultures, experiences of otherness, and timeless clichés of exotic femininity. She takes an intersectional approach to contemporary dance (read: twerking), the politics of diasporic identity and notions of cultural piracy. She is concerned with reimagining forgotten choreographies, alternate ways of viewing images of the past that eschew classical myths, and the mimetic capacities of the Filipina. Caroline has presented at The Art Gallery of NSW, The Museum of Contemporary Art, The Institute of Modern Art (QLD), The Art Gallery of Western Australia and Fremantle Arts Centre for Proximity Festival (WA), Underbelly Arts Festival, Channels: The Australian Video Art Festival (VIC), Junction Arts Festival (TAS), and Art Month Sydney, among others. She has exhibited at the ACMI, CCP, The Substation, Firstdraft, Sydney Contemporary, The Sydney Film Festival Hub, BLINDSIDE, Blacktown Arts Centre, Penrith Regional Gallery, and UTS ART. Caroline’s latest work Flygirl, was recently developed at The Curtis R. Priem EMPAC Residency in New York, facilitated by Australia Council for the Arts. 

THE BREATH OF DEATH is a new and interdisciplinary work, that will be presented across the platforms of performance, dance, installation and video art. The main performative component of this work will explore the practice of using a ‘blowgun,’ a simple weapon consisting of a narrow, long tube for firing light projectiles or darts. This weapon uses force created by one’s breath to give the projectile momentum, limited by the user’s respiratory muscles. The blowgun, also known as the sumpit is still used by indigenous groups from the Philippines, including natives from Palawan and Sabah (formerly part of Mindanao) for hunting or warfare. This blowgun performance interrogates ethnographic images of ‘the savage’ as well as subverting gendered forms of labour and war, especially in regards to the military. 

Watch Out for The Manila Biennale Opencity 2018!

The Manila Biennale will be a month long art exposition set inside the walled city of Intramuros from February 3, 2018 to March 5, 2018. It will be a collaborative effort the Manila’s art community and framed by the built heritage of Old Manila. The many gardens, plazas, museums, halls and chambers of the walled city will be transformed into artist residency studios, galleries, performance venues, lecture halls, pop up shops and cafes. The theme OPENCITY refers to Intramuros as the genesis of Manila’s culture; an homage to the walled city’s beginnings as a port for the Galleon Trade, a time when our capital opened itself up to the world and welcomed new ideas, products, and people. OPENCITY is also a tribute to Manila’s role in World War II, a vulnerable moment in December 1941 when Manila was cleared of all military presence and civilian run; a moment of freedom between two colonized periods of our history.

MANILA BIENNALE:OPENCITY2018 PASSPORT The Manila Biennale will defined by a passport. Owners of these #mnlbnl2018 passports will be defined as citizens of the #OPENCITY The passports can be bought starting December 1, 2017, Monday in time for Christmas holidays. Buyers can purchase for themselves or for friends. #mnlbnl2018 citizens can purchase the passport online or at special retail spaces in Manila. They will receive an email receipt and number for proper documentation.

Only one (1) passport per citizen and it is not transferable. The Biennale Passport purchase portal will be active in November in time for Christmas. Php3,750.00 per passport pre-sale. Php5,000.00 per passport Only 1,200 passports will be printed. \ PERKS: This passport will allow the #mnlbnl2018 citizen access to sites, events, and experiences not available to the average visitor of Intramuros. Entrance to all of the #OPENCITY curated exposition spaces.

Free electric Jeepney rides between all exhibition sites within Intramuros. Free entrance to all parks and museums of Intramuros and partner museums. VIP concierge services inside the VIP Lounge with Free Wifi and refreshments at the VIP Lounge. One (1) invitation to the Artist Ball on February 21, 2018. Priority reservations for all lectures, programs, and special exhibitions of OPEN CITY programming between February 21, 2018 – March 5, 2018. Exclusive invitations to specially planned events and parties of Manila Biennale Sponsors: Discounts and special deals will be listed on our INFOMUROS #mnlbnl2018 app.

UPON ARRIVAL at Manila Biennale grounds: Starting point is Fort Santiago. #mnlbnl2018 must immediately head to #mnlbnl2018 passport booth/conceirge. The passport citizen will present an ID at the concierge upon arrival for proper registration. No ID. No registration. This is to assure security. Passport will be handed over to citizen, citizen may now enjoy exhibtion grounds. Passport will be stamped upon entry to each site as a memento. Passport will act as an ID for access to special lounges, events, and deals with connected partners.

 

The Manila Biennale 2018 is a partnership between Intramuros Administration, The Cultural Center of the Philippines, Anthology Architecture and Design Festival, Fringe Festival Manila, Design Center of the Philippines Managed and coordinated by VivaManila. Producer: Stages under Ms. Stella Sison. Intramuros Administration under the Department of Tourism is our government partner and host of the event. This collective effort by all arts communities in the Philippines will all fall under a common #MNLBNL2018 calendar and website.

Manila Biennale:OPENCITY2018 co-festival partners Pasinaya Art Festival February 1 – 4, 2018 festival of FREE performance art, theater, music, dance, literature Producer: Cultural Center of the Philippines Location: Fort Santiago. Maestranza. Casa Manila Area Fringe Manila February 8 – 25, 2018 alternative art, performance, music, theater, visual arts Producer: Fringe Manila and Pineapple Lab Location: Various sites around Intramuros Anthology Architecture and Design Festival February 9 – 11, 2018 Architecture, Design, Literature, Performance, Visual Arts Producer: wtadesign.com Location: Fort Santiago

History Asia to Premiere TV Special “PRESIDENT OBAMA: IN HIS OWN WORDS”

Encores:   16 Jan, Mon 11PM / 17 Jan, Tues 6AM / 17 Jan, Tues 1PM / 20 Jan, Fri 9PM/ 20 Jan, Fri 2AM / 21 Jan, Sat 3PM / on History

With the transition of power for the President of the United States of America to take place in a matter of days, HISTORY interrupts its regular programming to bring to Asia its two-hour TV special on the outgoing commander-in-chief, “President Obama: In His Own Words”.

Reflecting on his historic presidency; President Obama shares his thoughts on where the country was when he was elected, where it is now, and where he sees it going under his successor's command.

Comprising two interviews conducted before and after the 2016 Presidential election, “President Obama: In His Own Words” is the President's first-hand account of his time in office - his successes, his failures, his unfinished business - and what he hopes will be his legacy.

Also included are additional interviews with members of his staff including Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry, Congress, and the press, to make for a unique examination of the Obama presidency from the inside out, and a profound and candid historical record that will stand for generations.

As the 44th President of the United States of America, Obama was the first African-American to be elected to the office. Among the work he will be remembered for, Obama signed into law various economic stimulus legislation; the contentious "Obamacare"; changes to domestic financial regulations; and enabled LGBT individuals to serve in the US Armed Forces. In foreign policy, Obama ended US military involvement in the Iraq War; signed the arms control treaty with Russia, ordered US military involvement against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya; and ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

During his second term, Obama promoted domestic gun control and called for greater inclusiveness for LGBT Americans. In foreign policy, Obama ordered US military intervention to ISIL; reduced US combat operations in Afghanistan; promoted discussions to the 2015 Paris Agreement on global climate change; brokered a nuclear deal with Iran; and normalized US relations with Cuba.

The outgoing President was the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his efforts to promote nuclear non-proliferation and a fostering a new climate in international relations, especially in reaching out to the Muslim world.

HISTORY® is available on Sky Cable Ch 67; Cable Link Ch 43; Dream Satellite Ch 30; Destiny Cable Ch 57; and Cignal Ch 125. HISTORY HD™ is available on Sky Cable Ch 165.

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About HISTORY™ and HISTORY HD™

HISTORY™ and HISTORY HD™ are the leading destinations for entertaining hit series and revealing, award-winning event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and fascinating manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of genres ranging from real-life characters who bring history to life every day, to natural history, contemporary history, technology and science, as well as archaeology and pop culture. Hit series include Kings of Restoration, Pawn Stars, The Vikings, Ancient Aliens, Duck Dynasty, Counting Cars, Hidden Cities Extreme and Ride N’ Seek. For more information, please visit:

Homepage: www.historyasia.com

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About A+E Networks Asia

A+E Networks® Asia is owned by the award-winning, global media content company, A+E Networks, which is dedicated to offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from linear channels to websites, to DVDs, gaming and educational software.  A+E Networks Asia is comprised of Lifetime®, HISTORY®, FYI™ (formerly bio.®), H2™ and Crime & Investigation®. A+E Networks Asia operates and distributes its portfolio in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Fiji, Macau, Taiwan, Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Globally, A+E Networks’ channels and branded programming reach more than 330 million households in over 160 countries.