Kathy Purr

The experience of wonder is a universal occurrence. One of the thingswe wonder about is the hidden Designer, Creator, and Maintainer of the universe. The world is clear and manifest to us, but its Maker, theultimate Cause of it all, is not. Our reason tells us that He must be there, that He exists, and that He is almighty, omniscient, unchangeable, eternal, and just.
It is enough to look at a blooming rose, admire the colors and symmetry of its construction and sense its fragrance, to conclude that there is an intelligent designer and artist. For the beauty of a rose cannot be pure chance. The same is true for the fertilization of flowers by insects with pollen on their legs. Consider too the arrangements in man’s optical and hearing systems, the superb activity of the brain, and the splendid immunity system of the human body.  Could all of them be just chance? But it is also true that a veil covers God from our sense perceptions.


The mind can figure that this is because He is infinite …

Waking up early to the sound of rain in a strange but happy place. Looking at a historical landmark from my hotel window while sipping a cup of peppermint tea. Watching the raindrops against the window while meditating. A seamless hotel experience. I had all these recently.
April to June are my busiest and most stressful months and it was capped with an unfortunate visit to a hospital’s emergency room and several days of agonizing over my lab results. During that time, I imagined myself having a nice vacation. God listened, sent his angels, so I found myself spending the night at Seda Atria. #grateful


AMENITIES Owned by the Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corporation (AHRC), 4-star hotel Seda Atria is technologically advanced with its fast and paperless check-in. In just one minute, I already got my hotel keycard and was ushered to the elevator that will bring me to my floor.
I spent the whole afternoon and late evening in their luxurious room, just lying down on their comfy bed. Their beds…

There was a time whenever I go to a crowded and noisy place, I would have an anxiety attack - sudden fear, trembling, hot flash, palpitations and shortness of breath.

One unforgettable experience was when I went to SM City Iloilo to buy something. It must have been the combined sound of loud music and simultaneous chattering of the crowd that triggered my anxiety. As soon as I felt the symptoms start, I wasted no time and looked for an escape - SM Southpoint.

Thankfully, there’s an open area with faux grass and a bench near a steakhouse on the second floor. There, I did some breathing exercises until the anxiety goes away.

(Tip: an anxiety attack happens when a person least expects it. It’s not like one goes to a place and starts to think “this place is crazy, I am going to have an attack”. When your companion is having an anxiety attack, stay with him/her but do not attempt a conversation, let the person sit and breathe in silence until ready).



FINDING REFUGE One Sunday morning found me …

Our sense of sight is the most important among the five body senses. With proper care, eye diseases can be prevented or detected and treated early.
While eye diseases occur to people of all ages, this is prevalent among the elderly. “Senior citizens need to have their eyes checked because this is the time when the eyes start to degenerate. Prevention is better than cure,” said Dr. Karen Francia, an ophthalmologist and head of the Panay Eye Center based in Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital.
“Some common eye diseases include cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration,” said another ophthalmologist Dr. Grace Hojilla.


EYE DISEASES EXPLAINED Most often, cataract is related to aging. It is the clouding of the lens in the eye which results in a blurry vision, poor night vision, and double vision. For the patient, the lights seem too bright and colors seem faded.
In the case of glaucoma, there is an increased pressure on the eye caused by fluid build up. This pressure damages the o…

Any life event is best celebrated with a perfectly planned gathering. However, the tedious process of budgeting, scheduling, and dealing with suppliers like the venue, food, decorations, transportation, photographers and more could take a whole chunk of one's time, energy, patience, peace of mind and health.

I should know, for I felt ugly and harassed during my wedding day. We handled the wedding preparations by ourselves but with the help of family. When the wedding day came, I was tired and was coming down with a cold; blame it on the stress from all the preparations. During the reception, I just felt like resting instead of facing the guests. The photos showed exactly how I felt that day.




So, if you found The One and are getting married, why not do it right the first time? Let the experts handle your wedding preparations. It would save you time, money, energy, and unnecessary stress. 

And you would be in your best - radiant, vibrant, energetic and happy - during this once in a lif…

S&R New York Style Pizza has a stand-alone restaurant in Iloilo City and it is on the ground floor, Mabini Wing of Robinsons Place Iloilo.

Previously, the store is housed inside the warehouse wherein only members can enter and purchase. But at the stand-alone outlet, everyone can buy. No membership needed.

"We understand that there is a brand love for S&R New York Style Pizza and not everyone wants to pay P700 for a membership card. So we thought, why not bring it to the malls like Robinsons and SM?" said S&R Marketing Head Velinda Funelas.




The cost of the food in this medium service restaurant is slightly higher compared to that in the warehouse but members will be able to enjoy a 5% discount. So, members need not go to the warehouse at Pison Avenue if they crave for S&R New York Style Pizza while they are within the City Proper area or if they are shopping in Robinsons Place Iloilo.

The store has a great ambience that enhances the customer's dining experien…