LIST: 5 things to do on Valentine's Day 2021
MANILA, Philippines — It's the red-letter day on Sunday!
Everyone's been anticipating Valentine's Day despite the pandemic, and we've listed some activities you might want to try to make this year's celebration more memorable.
Watch Philippine cinema classics
Set aside your Hollywood and Korean fix for a while. There are quite a number of good titles from the archives of Cinemalaya and Gawad Alternatibo.
CCP Arthouse Cinema's “Of Love and Revolutions,” a special Valentine’s Day cinematic offering that features stories of love and revolutions in different types and forms, runs from February 12 to 26, 3 p.m. via CCP Vimeo Channel.
Flirt with cupids in “Ligaw Liham,” a film directed by Jay Abello and Manny Montelibano. Set in a town where mail is still a necessary means of communicating to the outside world, it tells about the story of Nor, the town simpleton, who falls in love with a beautiful married woman.
Love for the country rules in “Signos,” “Sister Stella L.,” “EDSA People Power: The Philippine Experience,” “Revolutions Happen Like Refrains in a Song,” and “In the Middle of the Night.”
“Signos,” a film by director Mike De Leon, is a documentary featuring personalities, such as, press freedom icon Joe Burgos, nationalist Jose “Pepe” W. Diokno, acclaimed director Lino Brocka, human rights lawyer Rene Saguisag, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Sin, and sectoral representatives from the peasants, labor unions, and religious groups who spoke truth to power during the dark years of the '70s under a dictator.
A translated narration by Jose F. Lacaba of “To Those Who Follow In Our Wake” written by Bertolt Brecht serves as a poignant voice in the film. Compiled and edited by De Leon, the documentary was a collaborative effort of several filmmakers including Jose F. Lacaba, Sylvia Mayuga, Ricardo Lee, Ding Achacoso, Joe Cuaresma, Lito Tiongson and Jovy Zarate.
Most of the personalities shown and interviewed in "Signos" became the inspiration behind the characters portrayed in the acclaimed film "Sister Stella L," starring actress Vilma Santos and also directed by Mike De Leon. It won the Gawad Urian’s Best Picture in 1984, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actress (Vilma Santos).
"Sister Stella L" tells the story of the social and political awakening of a nun as she becomes involved in a labor strike and becomes engaged and empathizes with the plight of the workers and their fight for justice and freedom.
Meanwhile, “EDSA People Power: The Philippine Experience” is a series of video clips shot during the People Power Revolution stitched together in remembrance of the role of the people in toppling a dictator. It was directed by the Filipino People, and Eva Mari Salvador.
“Revolutions Happen Like Refrains in a Song” is director Nick Deocampo’s love song about the historical struggle of the Filipino people that led to the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Social and historical, as well as personal, the film captures the life of Filipinos in the clutches of poverty, prostitution, and dissent, intertwined with the story of the transvestite Oliver, and the filmmaker’s own personal experiences and history.
A historical and social view of Filipino life caught in the throes of poverty, prostitution, and revolutionary change, the documentary film chronicles the filmmaker's personal history as it intersects with the social upheaval of the past 20 years climaxing in the 1986 People's Power Revolution.
In the "Middle of the Night" puts the spotlight on President Duterte’s infamous War on Drugs. Awarded first prize during the 2017 Gawad Alternatibo, director Bryan Kristoffer Brazil documents the different yet similar cases of brutal killings in the Philippines that have become so rampant and the aftermath - the lives that were rendered insignificant, the love lost, the injustice, the fear, the pain and the struggles of the families left behind by the “war."
All screenings are free. To watch the films, go to vimeo.com/ondemand/ofloveandrevolutions and use the promo code RADICALOVE. For more updates, follow the official CCP and CCP Media Arts Division Facebook page. You may also visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph).
Listen to new inspiring music
Stream acoustic favorite Moira Dela Torre's latest music video and single "Pag-ibig ang Piliin." The track is a collaboration between the artist and PLDT Home.
Composed by Jonathan Manalo and co-written by singer-songwriter Trisha Denise, it tells listeners that love is the most powerful choice through its moving lines.
Moira said she was “honored to be chosen by PLDT Home” to sing this new song. She explained that the message of the song is what she has been trying to embody in the many years that she has been an artist.
Manalo shared that the main message of the song highlights the ultimate power of love that changes and conquers all.
“This a love song that puts emphasis on ‘Love’ that is worth fighting for. Love against all odds, even if the world seems to disapprove, no one can question the power of a person’s great true love. When you choose to fight for love, it is the ultimate power, nothing, no one can stand in your way,” he said.
Moira’s latest music video is directed by Benedict Mariategue and produced by Playback Productions for PLDT Home.
Alternatively, you can catch some acoustic music and get serenaded by Saxophonists at Estancia and instrumental music at Greenhills and Tiendesitas on February 14. — Video from PLDTHome via YouTube
Have your own nail 'sparty'
For those who want to have nice nails in an instant, Posh Nails recently launched its new do-it-yourself (DIY) Nail Wrap Kits. The new Nail Wraps are nail art stickers that can be applied in just 10 minutes. There are more than 40 Nail Wraps designs to choose from to suit your mood or #OOTD (outfit of the day), and each set comes with 16 nail art strips, a nail file and a wooden stick that is used for easy application.
Apply these in four steps:
- Prep the hands and nail area with alcohol.
- After choosing the right sticker size, remove the clear protective strip and peel off the adhesive base.
- Position the sticker’s rounded side on the cuticle area and flatten the sticker using the wooden stick until it is smooth and wrinkle-free.
- File off the excess sticker
The Nail Wraps, available at official Posh Nails stores in Shoppee and Lazada, are a quicker way to get a manicure or nail art. These can be applied on your own, or through the help of a professional manicurist via a home service available for booking from the brand's social media sites. The home services are a good way to help salon workers displaced by the current pandemic. The brand ensures the workers' and clients' safety as the manicurists undergo COVID-19 testing every two weeks, are fully garbed in personal protective equipment, and follow strict safety protocols.
The brand's Chief Executive Officer and President Cat Ilacad made sure that there is something that will appeal to her customers with a range of fun designs for women and even for kids.
“We believe that looking good makes us feel empowered. There is a certain joy in seeing our nails perfectly groomed and manicured. We work better, we communicate better, and we also work better with others when we feel good about ourselves. It is a chain reaction," Ilacad said.
Extend your love by adopting fur babies
Be an advocate of responsible pet ownership and sign up now. Mars Petcare is spearheading a Valentine's adoption drive to help homeless pets find their forever home. The company is behind the brands Pedigree and Whiskas.
As part of their Valentine’s Day promo and in partnership with the City Veterinarian Office of Imus, Mars Petcare will provide a one month supply of pet food to those who successfully sign up for adoption from February 13 to 15, while stocks last.
There will also be a livestream on February 15 at the Pedigree Official store on Shopee and Lazada covering the "Date with Your Pet" campaign and pet adoption program via Lazada and Shopee's Pedigree pages.
Express your love through words and poems
Drop by and check out Ortigas Malls' Letters of Love and get inspired by beautiful words that speak of romance and love. Catch them online on February 14 at noon and 6 p.m at Greenhills’, Tiendesitas’ and Estancia’s social media pages.
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