Kathy Purr

Museo Iloilo, Fujifilm Philippines, and the UPV Chancellor's Committee on Culture & the Arts invite everyone to KALYE ILONGGO: A Photographic Journey, the first photographic exhibit of Street & Documentary Photographers - Iloilo (SDPI).

The exhibit will feature 60 prints in color and black & white, aiming to raise the Ilonggo consciousness about themes that do not readily fit the usual concept of beautiful.
Consistent with conventions on street photography, Kalye Ilonggo is confrontational and compels the viewers to look at what may often be disregarded or not minded despite being present in everyday encounters.

Inspired by street photographers like Alex Webb, Henri Cartier Bresson, Luis Liwanag, and Rick Rocamora, the photographs in the collection celebrate not beauty itself but le moment décisif, the small gesture, the elusive shaft of light, the geometry, the fortuitous gathering of elements that create meaning to the scene. In effect, the collection invites the viewe…

SM Prime Holdings, in its bid to inform Filipinos about the environment and the need to care for it, will launch the SM Green Film Festival wherein students will be treated to a free screening of environment-themed films every third Tuesday of the month starting July 7, 2015 at 9-10:30 a.m. in all its 57 cinemas nationwide.
Project partner GMA 7 has agreed to provide the initial materials, two station-produced documentaries entitled “Ground Zero” and “Pagbangon” which run for approximately 50 minutes each. The former features natural disasters here and abroad while the latter is an award-winning documentary on the effect of Super Typhoon Yolanda. The Climate Change Commission has also contributed a 5-minute video on the Top 15 Ways to LEDS (Low Emission Development Strategies).
SM Green Film Festival falls under the SM CARES program, which consolidates the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives like environmental conservation, assistance to persons with disabilities…

After a hectic day at work, or a busy time at home taking care of your family, you deserve to escape from the routine, and the best way to do it is to get a rejuvenating massage in the quiet and calming environment of a spa. Slip out of the real world, and lose yourself for an hour or two at Spa Riviera.
But, there are cases that a simple or traditional massage may not be enough to work out the stress from your body. It is for this reason that Spa Riviera offers a special package aptly called Gayuma. Just like what its name connotes, it is like a love potion that once you experience it you can’t help but fall in love with it. Gayuma will not only give much relief to your tired muscles, but will also revitalize your senses and energize you. 
The Gayuma Experience “There are days that I am exhausted and having a massage was not enough,” says Anna Marie Rivera-Wharton, CEO of Spa Riviera. “So, after much thought, we decided to create an overindulging package, and came up with Gayuma. I prom…

Property giant Megaworld, the country’s leading developer of integrated urban townships, is optimistic that its rental income will grow to P9-billion this year as it continues to aggressively expand its leasing portfolio driven by office, malls and commercial centers, and hotels.
Megaworld’s rental income reached P2.7-billion in 2010. In 2011, this increased to P3.8-billion, a remarkable 41-percent year-on-year growth. A year after, rental income grew by 32% to P5-billion, and in 2013, it again grew by 20-percent to P6-billion. Last year, their rental income reached P7.1-billion, still maintaining a double digit growth of 18-percent.
“This year, we expect another double digit growth to our rental income by another 27-percent to P9-billion. However, looking back, we haven’t just achieved double digit growth in our rental income in the last five years but have grown even more than two-fold, and this is a favorable indication of the company’s overall growth,” says Francis Canuto, chief fi…

SHE wore a smile as her eyes radiantly showed happiness that was even more shining as it caught the reflection of the mid-morning sunlight. She was enveloping in each of her arm her two children in what seemed to be a show of love and protection.
Forty-year-old Leonida Bartolome of Brgy. Balabag, Boracay, Malay, Aklan, is a mother to five children namely 21-year-old Judelyn, 18-year-old Jeremy Jhon, nine-year-old Abegail, seven-year-old Joel Jr., and five-year-old Aniza.


Married to Joel, a laborer, the family is one of the Ati community folks who live in Boracay Island.
According to Leonida, her way of life was far different before when they were not covered yet by Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the government of the Philippines’ version of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“I am thankful because we, Atis, are also given attention. We are beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya,” said Leonida.
Leonida’s three childr…

IP traffic set to triple between 2014 and 2019 on the back of Internet user growth, faster broadband speeds, and adoption of video services, according to the 10th annual Cisco VNI ForecastInternet user penetration has increased almost seven-fold from 6.5% to 43% of the global population between 2000 and 2015, according to the 2015 ICT figures released by ITU, United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies. 

According to the ITU, mobile broadband is the most dynamic market segment, with penetration globally reaching 47% in 2015, a value that increased 12-fold since 2007. In 2015, 69% of the global population will be covered by 3G mobile broadband, up from 45% in 2011. ITU also estimates that 29% of the 3.4 billion people worldwide living in rural areas will be covered by 3G mobile broadband by the end of 2015.

The same report also revealed that the proportion of households with Internet access at home advanced from 18% in 2005 to 46% in 2015.

According t…

As part of their employee volunteerism program, SM City Iloilo's team went out of their usual work routine to extend assistance to Brgy. Bolilao Day Care Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo, recently.

The project is called Donate-a-Chair and Paint-a-Table Project. The employees themselves raised the amount used to purchase new chairs for the day care center that were turned over to Brgy. Bolilao's Captain Nenita Juson and the school personnel. The existing tables in the center were then painted so that children will find learning more enjoyable.

The employee volunteerism program is one of the many efforts spearheaded by SM City Iloilo to be in touch with the community. The mall has been initiating activities that would benefit children, senior citizens, the environment and PWDs among others.

Sunnies Studios’ Georgina Wilson shares her journey of starting her own business  and how technology drives its success It’s a little-known fact that business was always a favorite conversation topic for renowned international model and Asia’s Next Top Model Season 3 host Georgina Wilson. With a multitude of successful fashion campaigns and hosting stints under her belt, it is impressive to note that Georgina is beauty and brains with a double major degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Sydney. 




Her strong business acumen is furthered fueled by conversations with fellow entrepreneurs and friends Bea Soriano, Eric Dee and Martine Cajucom, as well as her love for all things fashion. With a fascination on how start-up brands grow to achieve success, together they put up Sunnies Studios, Inc., now one of the country’s biggest eyewear brands.

Since its launch in 2013, Sunnies has beefed up its mainstream presence as evident in its vibrant ads on major billboard sites and onli…

MAASIN, Iloilo – Are Maasinhons ready to embrace a sustainable lifestyle?
Some of the answers were found during the Maasin Bike and Wholeness Day held last May 23. It was a showcase of some sustainable activities, which Maasinhons may embrace.


ACTIVE LIFESTYLE The Bike Fun Ride, Track Race and the Trisikad Competition promoted biking as a better choice compared to fuel-guzzling transportation and as a form of exercise. When you take the car, gasoline burns your money and not your calories. With biking, you burn fat and save a lot of money. The bikers were also dressed in their full gear, reminding everyone about the importance of road safety. The Skateboard Exhibition was another venue for camaraderie, exercise and fun for the youth.


EXERCISE AND MEDITATION A talk on stress management and meditation was also held. Dada Dharmavenanda, an American monk and director of the Ananda Wellness Institute in Cebu, explained that when the body’s glands are disturbed, they cause pain, fear, anxiety, je…

All roads will lead to Iloilo Provincial Capitol Grounds on June 12, as hundreds of cyclists and advocates raise the flag of freedom on Independence Day to stop human trafficking and promote road sharing.


The Independence Day Freedom Ride is a bike ride event organized by advocate group Dakila, in partnership with Centralian Cruisers Cycling Club (C4) which aims to raise awareness on human trafficking and to promote road sharing in Iloilo with the tour of the six district plazas.
The first Independence Day ride in Iloilo was held on June 12, 2013 and participated by more than 500 cyclists.

“We believe that while it is important to celebrate our freedom from colonial rule, it is also important for us to realize that many Filipinos are still enslaved. We want to celebrate our 117th year of independence by continuing the fight for the freedom of others,” Allyn May Canja, coordinator of Dakila-Iloilo said.

“Human trafficking is a serious problem especially in our country because we offer chea…

Equips businesses with WiFi connectivity that can be used by their customers
As the demand for internet connectivity increases, more customers are looking for establishments that offer WiFi access as today’s lifestyle has become more on-the-go and digital.

Same is true for establishments such restaurants, cafes and bed and breakfast inns which are looking into growing their businesses with WiFi availability. From a customer’s point of view, an establishment with WiFi internet is more advantageous so he or she can stay connected for work or personal reasons.
This opportunity led Globe myBusiness, Globe Telecom’s small and medium business arm, to introduce the myBusiness WiFi Hub, a new package that allows businesses to earn more by offering customers access to a WiFi connection. Establishments will be able to offer WiFi for free or for a fee, opening up opportunities to attract more customers and at the same time, earn from this additional revenue stream.
New customers can opt for the Plan…

Climate change brings with it unpredictable weather patterns and stronger typhoons, thus disaster preparedness is very important if one wants to prevent the loss of lives.
One solution is an automated weather station (AWS).  An AWS is an automated kind of traditional weather station that records weather conditions, wind speed and direction, air temperature, rainfall and humidity, among others.


Shell Philippines and Manila Observatory, with the support of Smart Communications will operate 50 of these in the country, with 10 located in the province of Iloilo.
Their Iloilo locations are Shell’s gasoline stations in Brgy. San Rafael in Mandurriao, Brgy. Tagbak, Lapuz Depot, Villa, all in Iloilo City; Passi, Poblacion Ilawod in Lambunao, Aquino Nobleza Street in Janiuay, Brgy. Bolong Oeste in Sta. Barbara and Pavia.
Shell will provide the location, its shell stations; Manila Observatory will provide the weather and climate analysis of the data gathered from the AWS network while connectivity …

For Sun Postpaid subscribers, going for the convenience of the new and exclusive Swipe and Save offer has its rewards.
Promo runs until July 22, 2015
Cherry Mobile One handsets are up for grabs for new and existing Sun Postpaid subscribers under Sun Plan 399 who enroll their account to an auto-charge arrangement using their credit card.
Powered by the latest Android Lollipop operating system, the Cherry Mobile Android One allows its users to enjoy the best and purest Android experience. The 4.5” touchscreen and 5MP camera-loaded smartphone runs on the highly-reliable Quad-core processor, which ensures fast, responsive and better smartphone performance. On top of this, the new Cherry Mobile Android One boasts of notification improvements, longer battery life, multiple-user capabilities, and a scratch-resistant surface.
Availers of the “Swipe and Save” promo can make the most out of their Cherry Mobile One with Sun Plan 399’s value-rich connectivity bundles. These include unlimited Sun call…