Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Friday, November 26, 2021

A delightful and techy Holiday experience at SM ChristmaSaya Village

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The season of joy is near! With the number of COVID cases going down, we can all look forward to Christmas with newfound excitement and giddy anticipation! Of course, we should still celebrate with caution, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a great time with our loved ones. With fun tech like augmented reality, we can rediscover our favorite SM mall, meet friends, shop to our heart’s delight, and play games with loved ones without leaving our homes!

How? SM Supermalls has come up with the awesome virtual ChristmaSaya Village to bring everyone together. Read on and find out all the fun things you can enjoy in this delightful tech experience.

Reimagined Christmas shopping and dining. Imagine that you can shop and visualize products in real-time from the comfort of your own home. Sounds awesome, right? You can do just that with SM ChristmaSaya Village! First, register online at smchristmasayavillage.ph to join this awesome augmented reality shopping experience from November 22 – December 25. You can create your own avatar, e-meet fellow shoppers and SM ambassadors, and enjoy bonding time with your family and friends while playing fun games. SM’s ChristmaSaya Village lets you immerse in virtual Christmas zones — from dining to shopping!

Festive Christmas centerpieces and a fun play area. Even when you’re staying at home, you can still enjoy SM Supermalls’ merry and bright Christmas centerpieces at the virtual ChristmaSaya Village. But of course, nothing beats seeing the real thing -- the sparkle, the colorful lights, and the dazzling size of these centerpieces! So, if you’re going to be shopping at SM, be sure to stop by and see them in person and take photos with family and friends to capture the joyous moment. Be enthralled by the 32-feet Christmas tree centerpiece at SM City Clark Pampanga, be giddy with excitement over SM Aura’s romance-themed centerpiece featuring regal swans and gorgeous red trees and be spellbound by the magical Christmas garden with a 45-foot Christmas tree surrounded by multi-colored butterflies at SM Megamall.

Exciting prizes, deals, and discounts. While exploring key areas, shoppers can find and collect coins in random gift boxes, which they can use to redeem vouchers based on the equivalent value of your coins. Use these vouchers for your Christmas shopping, have fun, and win more – the sky’s the limit!

The pandemic may have changed the way we traditionally celebrate Christmas but with innovations like ChristmaSaya Village from SM, there are now so many fun things we can do with friends and families even we’re not physically together! We may be apart, but let’s find ways to come together and bask in hope, joy, and love during this most wonderful time of the year!

SM implements strict #SafeMallingAtSM protocols nationwide and offers an equally convenient online shopping option with the SM Malls Online app on Google Play or App Store. For more information, visit www.smsupermalls.com and follow @smsupermalls on all social media accounts.

Registration link: https://smchristmasayavillage.ph and full mechanics https://gosm.link/SMChristmaSayaFB

The Grand Opening of SM City Grand Central

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In the thriving center of Caloocan City, a grand mall has found a new beginning. SM City Grand Central, once a defining shopping destination in the city, is opening its doors this November 26, 2022, Friday at 2pm to a new shopping generation.

The brand-new SM City Grand Central is nothing short of spectacular. The sprawling SM Store and SM Supermarket, speak of the grandness the mall takes pride on. It has 6 levels of top-notch stores, trendy shops and multi-cuisine restaurants that signal the rising demand for global tastes.

Connecting the mall with the rest of the city is the LRT Monumento Station. A central station that welcomes a booming influx of commuters, office workers and families passing through. Grab-to-go shops of fast food, cafés, bakeries and pasalubong stores line the station, offering commuters a quick refreshing break in between train rides.

Level 4 is a wonderland for gamers and techies with Cyberzone offering a myriad of gadget and computer shops. The cinema is also featured on this level alongside a food court that boasts of innumerable flavor choices.

Top off a day of shopping at Level 5 where a sprawling outdoor terrace of greens offers a space of calm. Lush greeneries intersect with cafés, restaurants, and yes, a chapel for anyone seeking a spiritual retreat.

Come and experience the renewed pride and grandness of SM City Grand Central. Holding its reign once again as the grand shopping destination in Caloocan City and the rest of Camanava.

FDCP, DFA to Hold Film Festival Tribute to National Artist Kidlat Tahimik

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

To honor the invaluable contributions of National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Kidlat Tahimik to the development of independent Philippine Cinema, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Public and Cultural Diplomacy arms will hold free screenings and a talkback session on November 28 to December 8.

The National Artist, born Eric de Guia, is known for his films that often critique neocolonialism, and his bamboo camera which symbolizes his exceptional local storytelling. The “Tribute to Kidlat Tahimik: Lolo of Filipino Indie Cinema” aims to boost the creative industry and showcase Philippine culture by featuring his award-winning and internationally-acclaimed films.

Kidlat Tahimik has received accolades from local and international award-giving bodies such as Cinemalaya, Gawad Urian, Prince Claus Fund, Amiens International Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival through decades of his career.

Five notable works from the National Artist will be screened for free on the Vimeo Channel including the following: Perfumed Nightmares (1977), Sino Lumikha ng Yoyo? Sino ang Lumikha ng Moon Buggy? (1979), Turumba (1981), Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari? (1994), and Balikbayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III (2015).

Additionally, the “Talkback with Kidlat Tahimik” will be moderated by professor, writer, and producer Jag Garcia that will take place on November 30, 4 PM via Zoom.

“Through this retrospective and talkback session with National Artist and Father of Philippine Independent Cinema Kidlat Tahimik, made possible by a partnership with DFA, audiences, especially our local independent filmmakers will hear from the National Artist himself. As we shine the spotlight on his films, we hope to see more independent films influenced by local stories and our culture on the silver screen in the near future,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Diño.

The event is also in line with FDCP’s marking of the first Philippine Film Industry Month last September, as mandated by Presidential Proclamation 1085, with the theme "Ngayon Ang Bagong Sinemula," which celebrates the heritage, significance, and legacy of Philippine Cinema.

To view the films, register through this link: https://bit.ly/KT_FestivalRegistration. To join the talkback session, register at https://bit.ly/KT_TalkbackSession.

Festival Schedule and Program of “Tribute to Kidlat Tahimik: Lolo of Filipino Indie Cinema” from November 28 to December 8:

November 28 - 29

Screening on Vimeo

● Perfumed Nightmares (1977)

● Sino Lumikha ng Yoyo? Sino ang Lumikha ng Moon Buggy? (1979)

● Turumba (1981)

November 30

● Talkback with Kidlat Tahimik

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM via Zoom and FDCP FB page

December 1 - 2

Screening on Vimeo