(SPOT.ph) With the merry month of December just around the corner, we only have a few weeks left to save up for the coming holidays. But that doesn’t mean we have to skip out on cool activities to do for the rest of the year. There are always plenty of fun and awesome things happening in the city, and your calendar will be easily filled.
We round up 10 activities in Manila that you can do for free this month:
Watch 14 short films in a day
Missed the International Silent Film Festival at SM Aura? Filmmaker and musician Khavn dela Cruz hosts 19-Kopong-Kopong, an art festival featuring 1920s avant-garde silent short films. To provide background music to the clips, he will be joined by Lourd de Veyra on electric guitar and Jazz Nicolas of The Itchyworms on synth. Included in the roster of 14 films are Walther Ruttmann's The Victor (1922), Rene Clair's Entr’acte (1924), and Dziga Vertov's Kino Pravda No. 23 (1925).
19-Kopong-Kopong is on September 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cine Adarna, Magsaysay Avenue, University of the Philippines – Diliman, Quezon City.
Bring your dogs to an obedience class
For three Sundays in September, the University of the Philippines’ K9 Search and Rescue is holding obedience classes for dogs at the UP Town Center in Quezon City. Your furbabies can take fun-filled classes like “Basic Dog Obedience,” “Street Smart Dog,” and “Becoming a Good Dog.” In true school fashion, the dogs will also have their own graduation ceremony at the end of the month.
Obedience classes are on September 8, 22, and 15 at The Barkyard, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Pre-registration is required.
Know more about the "war on drugs" through art
Dulo MNL is showcasing an art exhibit on the truth and implications of the so-called "war on drugs" through Ang Ungo sa Kahayag ug Kangitngit (Monsters, Day and Night). See photographs by the Nightcrawlers of Manila, works by artists like Leeroy New and the Ugatlahi Arts Collective, and performances by BLKD x CALIX.
Ang Ungo sa Kahayag ug Kangitngit opens on September 6, 6 p.m. at Dulo MNL, 4992 P. Guanzon Street, Poblacion, Makati City.
Take a stand for the environment
We’ve been feeling the alarming effects of climate change for years now, and it will only get worse. You can join the cause and take a stand to make our leaders hear the need to address issues concerning our environment through Greenpeace’s Climate Emergency Hour. To participate, just ring any bell or alarm at exactly 2 p.m. and join the whole world in demanding immediate action to address the climate crisis.
Climate Emergency Hour is on September 20, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Honor our heroes through poetry and music
Have you been meaning to check out a spoken word event? Ampalaya Monologues’ Silang Mga Minsang Umibig is the perfect chance to get your feet wet, as it celebrates our heroes that fought against the dictatorship through poetry, music, and other performances. You can even sign up to present your own piece!
Silang Mga Minsang Umibig is on September 14, 5 p.m. at Bantayog ng mga Bayani, Bantayog Road, Diliman, Quezon City.
Know more about art, straight from two artists
Curious about art? Want to know more about the process of an artist? Check out this free talk by Ateneo Art Awards’s shortlisted artists, Doktor Karayom and Archie Oclos, right at a museum dedicated to modern Philippine art. This is just one of the many public programs facilitated by the Ateneo Art Gallery to engage more people in the arts.
ArtSpeak: Doktor Karayom and Archie Oclos is on September 5, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Ben Chan ArtSuite, 2/F Ateneo Art Gallery, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. Pre-registration is required.
Find out what it takes to win a dog show
All kinds of dogs are welcome at the 2019 Philippine Bullmastiff Federation Specialty Dog Show from September 14 to 15. You can just watch for free, or sign up your pup if you think they have what it takes to compete. The show dogs will be judged by a panel of professionals from Japan, Korea, and China.
The 2019 Philippine Bullmastiff Federation Specialty Dog Show is from September 14 to 15 at the Philippine Canine Club, Vista Valley Subdivision, Marikina City.
Reflect on our society through a film
Art reflects life, and life reflects art. For CineMaralita, a film festival that reflects the plight of the Filipino urban poor, the reality isn’t too far away from movies. It showcases 12 entries divided into three sets to better make sense of what’s happening to our country. One set focuses on the lives of people in Sitio San Roque—which is currently facing “relocation” to make way for property development in the area, another is about the migration of countryfolk to the city, and the third is about the situation of marginalized communities within the campus of the University of the Philippines.
CineMaralita Film Festival is on September 7 at Cine Adarna, Magsaysay Avenue, University of the Philippines – Diliman, Quezon City.
Check out the latest in pet fashion
Doodle Paws Couture, a pet supply store, is hosting the third Pet Fashion Week at SM City East Ortigas in Pasig City. The week-long event features fashion shows starring four-legged pets, a trade fair showcasing pet accessories and treats, and other fun activities that you and your pet can enjoy.
Pet Fashion Week runs from September 9 to 14 at SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City.
Enter for free at the Manila International Book Fair
The country’s biggest book fair is back, full of countless booths as well as events for book lovers. You can skip the long lines and the entrance fee by printing out free ticket vouchers care of Adarna House. You can print out as many as you want—in black and white or colored ink. You might want to check out this local publisher’s newest titles at the second floor of the SMX Convention Center during the much-awaited fair.
The Manila International Book Fair runs from September 11 to 15 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.
this strange new world.
