Evia Lifestyle Center is home to UP’s new innovation hub

Evia Lifestyle Center, the south’s premiere lifestyle shopping and dining mecca, just added a new dimension to its approach to modern mall-going by opening an exciting new hub for inventive breakthroughs and learning – The University of the Philippines @Lab Innovation Hub.

The family of Vista Land Chairman Manny Villar and Senator Cynthia Villar, along with officers from the University of the Philippines (UP) recently launched this new Innovation Zone as the first phase of development for the upcoming UP Alabang Campus in Vista Alabang. 

Evia Lifestyle Center currently houses this groundbreaking Innovation Zone and Incubator Hub that will, in the words of former Senate President Villar, assert UP’s role as “the most dynamic University and the leader in education in the country”. The hub, nicknamed UP @Lab (a play on words that simultaneously mean “ablaze <alab>, a futuristic hub <@Lab> and its location <ALABang>) is designed to be the first spark that will initiate the academe and industry partnerships that UP aims to create by putting up a campus in Alabang. 

"UP @Lab is a dream brought to life by the Villars for UP’s student-locators because it brings us closer to accessing industry funding that makes our inventions and ideas a reality", said Dr. Luis Sison, Project Leader of Diliman-based DOST-UP Enterprise and Innovation Hub.

"This first building block of UP Alabang allows us to solve issues that plague fledging start-ups, such as limited access to industry and business expertise that have hindered the progress of technology innovation and development in the country", said Dr. Aura Matias, former Dean of the UP College of Engineering. "True to its name, UP @Lab shines as a beacon of hope for technology development in our country", she added. 

UP @Lab is located in Level B1 of the Evia Lifestyle Center. It is a fully-equipped innovation hub complete with four start-up offices, two meeting rooms, and an open workspace area for visiting locators. The hub will be run by the same team behind UP Diliman’s DOST-UP Enterprise Center as a starting point for eventual operations in UP

The new UP Alabang campus in Vista Alabang’s upcoming University Town, will house two new tech-driven centers for innovation for the country’s premier university - the UP School of Technology Entrepreneurship, and the UP Alabang Enterprise Center. The campus complex will be co-developed by UP and Vista Land as part of a donation and development agreement signed last June by university officials and the Villar Family. The Villars donated five hectares of land in the upcoming University Town of Vista Land's “communicity” development Vista Alabang in Daang Hari. The agreement also includes a donation of PHP 300M worth of buildings and equipment to be used in the creation of the campus. 

Aside from becoming the latest education hub, Evia Lifestyle Center continues to provide an impressive array of choices for shopping at Vista Group’s concept stores – AllElectrics and AllToys, global fashion brands like H&M and Uniqlo, local favorite go-to stores like Bench and Bayo and shoe stores such as Res Toe Run and Payless ShoeSource. Various dining options are also available at favorite resto brands located at the Piazza like Mama Lou’s, Merlion Cuisine, Mesa, and TGI Fridays. Shoppers can also enjoy a unique dining experience at Another Story, a place that transports one to the realm of imagination and make-believe. Evia Lifestyle Center is also home to Vista Cinemas, which boasts of its MX4D and Dolby ATMOS technologies, and its state-of-the-art VIP Theater.

*This is Press Release

Invite good luck into your life by celebrating Chinese New Year at Evia Lifestyle Center

Welcome the Year of the Red Fire Rooster at Evia Lifestyle Center in Vista Alabang on January 28-29, 2017 to attract prosperity and good luck all year long.

On Chinese New Year’s Day, January 28, make sure to catch the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance show in the Atrium at Evia Lifestyle Center at 4:00 PM. Have your photo taken beside the Money Tree with red envelopes that are symbols of wealth and prosperity, and shop for lucky charms at the Chinese New Year Bazaar. Both are located at the Atrium from January 21 to 29. Also watch the New Year fireworks display on January 28 at 6:30 PM at Evia Lifestyle Center Outdoor Promenade.

Catching a Dragon and Lion Dance is lucky because the sounding of the drums and cymbals purify the atmosphere and chase negative energy away. The presence of a Lion or Dragon scares away evil spirits and brings good luck to businesses and activities in the area. Since Lions and Dragons are symbols of strength and good luck, seeing them perform will make their good luck rub off on you.

The Chinese give away red envelopes that contain money on Chinese New Year because red is the symbol of energy, happiness and good luck. Actually, the color red is more significant than the money inside it because wrapping money in red envelopes is expected to bestow more happiness and blessings on the receivers. Have your photo taken with the red envelopes to remind you of good fortune all year long.

As for Chinese charms, traditionally it is best to get a new charm every Chinese New Year to enhance one’s good fortune. The right charms for the year help align with the new energy of the Year of the Rooster and make way for new beginnings. This year’s lucky charms are, of course, the Rooster, as well as Feng Shui coins, Lotus Flowers, prosperity candles, wind chimes, and personalized feng shui bracelets.

                 

All these can be found and experienced at Evia Lifestyle Center from January 21-29, 2017.

To find out more about Evia Lifestyle Center, visit www.facebook.com/evialifestylecenter or follow us on Instagram, @evialifestylecenter.

Enjoy #ChristmasFeels at the Evia Lifestyle Center in Vista Alabang

Holiday shopping is much more fun in a place where you do not just see the happiness of Christmas, but feel it as well. At Evia Lifestyle Center, Vista Alabang, you can experience the warm, velvety feel of the Holidays as you go from store to store.

Get an instant Holiday fix from the giant Christmas tree in the middle of the Atrium that brings to life the merriness of the season. Fill your heart with hope as you gaze upwards to the tip of the tree that almost skims the glass dome ceiling.

Look around and enjoy the rich colors of Christmas on lamp posts and lintels -- the Red, Green and Gold ablaze at every corner, with each store adding its own brand of holiday cheer to the halls of the mall.

Red, Green and Gold signify a traditional Christmas because Christmas celebrations originated in western and northern Europe where Christmas comes in the cold, dark winter. Ancient Christmas revelers used colors from nature to bring happiness to the winter feast.

Green stands for the plants in season: holly, ivy and mistletoe. Red comes from the Holly berries that abound during the white, wintry period. Gold symbolizes the Sun which sometimes shines during the cold winter season.

All these classic Christmas colors come alive in the decorations at Evia Lifestyle Center where Christmas shoppers are greeted even at the driveway with Santa Clauses lined up in a row. While there, Christmas bargains and fun activities entice them to stay longer, take in the atmosphere and experience the calming spirit the Holidays bring.

New stores have opened up at Evia just in time for Christmas. Global fashion brands like H&M and Uniqlo are now open, as well as local favorite Bench and shoe stores, Res Toe Run and Aerosoles. Kids, for whom this special season unfolds, can find their hearts’ desire at All Toys – a real toy wonderland that features a delightful play area for active games and fun for all children. On the side, shoppers can snack, dine and enjoy the spirit of the season at famous resto brands located at the Piazza like Mama Lou’s, St. Marc Café, Merlion Cuisine, Mesa, Hap Chan, TGI Fridays and Sbarro. Unique concept cafes like The Coffee Project and Another Story transport you to the realm of imagination and make- believe.

Enjoy the Holiday vibes and spread Christmas cheer by shopping at Evia. Catch Santa Claus at his special Meet and Greet at the Atrium all weekends before Christmas from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/evialifestylecenter.

Vista Malls Unveils Customized Community Malls at “All About You” Event

Customized malls that reflect the heart and soul of their community are the gifts of the New Year for Vista Land residents. Vista Land & Lifescapes Chairman Manuel B. Villar welcomed the tenants and investors of Vista Malls at a pre-Christmas Investors’ Night at the Laurel House in Vista Shaw, Mandaluyong City to tell them about the wonderful things in store for Vista Land’s commercial projects in 2016.

Six community Vista Malls are already up, Mr. Villar announced: the flagship Vista Mall at EVIA in the heart of Vista City in Daang Hari, the yuppie-oriented Vista Mall at Trevi Residences in Pasong Tamo, Makati City; the scenic Vista Mall Lakefront in Sucat, set on a hill overlooking Laguna de Bay; Vista Mall Pampanga, a center for upscale fashion boutiques and diverse dining options; Vista Mall Antipolo, a mall-next-door that acts as a “big backyard” for its huge community of families; and Vista Mall CDO, an activity hub complete with biking trails, running paths, and pit stops for outdoor sports enthusiasts that will surely delight the active community that it serves.

The exciting news is that more Vista Malls are in the works beginning 2016, Villar shared with mall tenants and partners. With over 80 projects nationwide, Vista Land never forgets to think of ways to give their homeowners all the conveniences and amenities to live the lifestyle they have always dreamt of in Vista’s trademark COMMUNICITIES, he said. These amenities, which are at the center of all Vista Land township projects, house facilities to match the personalities of the communities that they serve.

“We will grow Vista Malls nationwide and provide more communities with more expressive community-centric residential set-ups. The growth plan has already begun, and as we expand our business, we aim to grow yours too. We will all play a part in this growth story together,” Villar said.

Representatives from lifestyle products and services Salon de Laurel, Victoria’s Secret, Snap Fitness, Omnicare, Skin Perfect, Derma Gold, and Newtrends; food and beverage outlets like Starbucks, Jollibee, KFC, Hainanese Delights, Savory Chicken, Sam’s HK Restaurant, Marison’s, Gilligan’s and Black Canyon Coffee; Powermac, Powerbooks and National Bookstore were at the special gathering.

They were presented the different mall options and given a tour of a Live Gallery that showcased the various Vista Malls. Bannered by the line “All About You”, the Investors’ Night event emphasized the unique character of each Vista Mall, each one designed to cater to the needs, wants and desired activities of every Vista community. Proving why Vista Malls are truly “All About You”.

For more information, go to www.vistamalls.com.ph.

*This is Press Release