Galerie Joaquin | A Garden Within

“A Garden Within” is Hayara Ocampo-Tejido's latest solo exhibit at Galerie Joaquin's newest location. This is her first for this new location at Opus Mall opened in August 2025. It’s a low-key exhibit that was revealed on September 12th: a new set of paintings from Haraya that continues to evolve like her real garden at home. The new pieces occupy whatever space Galerie Joaquin has to offer; it certainly makes the gallery vibrant with the chosen style and colours Haraya has put together in these ensemble pieces, and they certainly make someone’s wall something to look at when you explore her latest works.

MIBF 2026 | Discovering Nordlys

This past Friday, the only reason I went to this year’s Manila International Book Fair was to meet a good friend who recently launched his latest book, and it's been four years since he came back from living in Denmark. It was good to see him, but before I got to see him, a bit of confusion cleared up. Amidst the miscommunication making me think I missed his signing session, I decided to spend time exploring the second-level halls of this year’s MIBF. I actually stumbled upon the Norwegian Embassy, which is kind of out of place for a booth that promotes interesting books. But I was sorely mistaken to think that caught my attention...

Supergirl Day | The Maiden of Fandom

The end of June is closing in, but local events like Supergirl Day aren’t celebrated quite as often as most major comic book events like Free Comic Book Day, but it’s always a welcome situation when it is about a comic book character never quite the conversation. The premiere week of the movie Supergirl was the right time for it. In the Philippines, how often do you get something like this compared to the recent event that just wrapped up at SM Mall of Asia, which did not even invite a local comic shop like Comic Odyssey to sell their Supergirl comic books? But this one not only promotes the movie, but also brings in local artists who worked on the books!

HW Then & Now | Deora II

The Hot Wheels original Deora II has been significantly and contrasting from the original version. It’s consistently been released in multiple variations for the last twenty-five years, and it is still being produced and sold in the mainline range. Just like the original, there was an actual, real-life car version of this popular vehicle made from custom-made parts that resemble the actual toy. It’s the DNA of the original concept vehicle, and how Hot Wheels make their die-cast cars stands out among the other brands that keep them ahead of the pack. Of course, over the years, there will be significant changes to the casting due to cost-cutting and other changes to keep its production costs just like this 2024 edition of the Deora II, which is considered a fan-favourite despite the changes in the last five years!

Mr. D.I.Y | Back in Business

It’s been a full month, but recovery really takes time. Mr. D.I.Y. is one of the local establishments in Davao Oriental that took a while to reopen. Because the way the store was built, the contractor they hired cut corners on some parts of the facility, and it was a good thing that the posts that made up the foundation of the building were not compromised, and the last time it was seen being repaired was in late October. The early morning weather was not that bad, but towards the last quarter of the year, Davao Oriental has its ‘rainy season’ with most of the Mindanao region experiencing the same weather, as most people in this area are spending the Holidays with this kind of frequent downpour towards the start of the year.

Galleria Nicolas | Sweet Dreams...

In every artwork, there’s always a journey behind its proof of concept, and it is unrelated to the familiar title of the exhibit. It might be a theme that often relates to the personal experience of the artist having indulged in something he or she enjoys in their everyday life. Sometimes, there’s no context to it, and then there is the storytelling that drives each painting that stands out. Jomike Tejido’s “Sweet Dreams… Are made with these” is not taken from the classic song that British synth-pop duo Eurhythmics popularized in the 80s. But something special and interesting takes on the title of his latest exhibit at the Galleria Nicolas, which is currently running at the gallery that inspires even the kids at heart.

Caravan Pop Up | Night Market Finds

When you hear pop-up stores, they are shops that do not have a permanent location. Mostly, a small business that only exists online or simply has the business for a season, since they might have an actual day job. It’s been a common practice that most pop-up shops in the modern day are a table set-up inside a shopping centre or an event they are participating in year in and year out. But there are pop-up caravans that travel all over the region through rural areas that participate to be part of the town fiesta. Some of them don’t even carry named brands or licensed products. Like most stores in the province, they sell affordable items ranging from housewares, tools and even some random toys for kids to play with.