If it wasn't for the guard at Warehouse 2, I wouldn't even know about Archivo 1984. It's like the…read moreshy sister or brother of Vinyl on Vinyl. They share the same warehouse space along Chino Roces Avenue but it's at the end of the warehouse. It has a white sliding door as your entrance which I don't think you'd take as a sliding door at first. I thought it was a door that would slide up! Going up to Archivo 1984 is one of a protagonist's stop to unveil a mystery in a movie (or a book). It's very steep and you'd be excited and curious to know what's upstairs as your second impression of the gallery. Once I saw what the first level gallery looked like, I was wowed! Elodie Brunet's textile pieces were showcased at the gallery until 6th of June. They were perched up the ceiling and when the wind blows, it looked so pretty. They circled the first level of the gallery and it felt like being in a movie! There are three rooms at Archivo 1984, the main gallery, the upstairs gallery and an anteroom. Mylene, the curator, told me that they house mostly Filipino artists. The owner loves to showcase Filipino artwork and join art fairs as well. They even have a Manansala art work on hand! The feel of the place is very homely. It's very relaxing and the lighting was perfect. I stayed for a while and talked to Mylene about the gallery. The upper gallery also has the younger artists creations on display. They cater to a mix of art made by Filipinos for Filipinos (and international community).

It's a cute and quaint museum. There are 3 floors of exhibits and the main one right now was the…read moreBenCab exhibit which was actually super cool cause it was sponsored by Samsung digital lol. We mainly came to just educate ourselves more and this is where I learned about the most famous name in the Philippines aside from God, Jesus, and Ayala: Rizal. They have buildings, parks, streets, you name it after this guy and the yuchengco museum had an entire floor dedicated to this guy and what he did for the Philippines. It was super cool. They have a good selection of paintings on the first floor including several Vincente Manansala's which are a big deal here (at the Ayala museum they had THREE huge rooms dedicated to Manansala's Art alone).

If you work or live in Manila and didn't know that the RCBC building was a cultural center, I'm…read morehere to tell you! The RCBC building at the end of Ayala Avenue has a fine arts theatre that has a lot of plays and shows and a museum! I've personally gone to the Yuchengco Museum quite a few times and I really like it there. Their permanent collection isn't so extensive but I enjoy how they always have new exhibits and even workshops. At least once a year they have the Habi exhibit and trade fair where entrepreneurs from around the country come together with local textile. I absolutely love this! I always come out of there with yards of textile for myself. There was once even a talk they gave about different tribes and what their patterns mean, it was a great experience! I love learning about our culture (especially when translated to textile) and I'm glad that there are venues like these that provide the opportunity to do so.

Dos Pueblos Artes is one of those art galleries that sells art and at the same time makes them. You…read moreknow the sort. It's one of those galleries where people can walk in and commission to have their portrait made. The portrait can be accurate or can be done in a cartoonish manner just for laughs and kicks. It's nice to find places like this every once in a while. The number of establishments that offer this kind of service has dwindled. In fact, I can't even recall where else I've seen something similar to what this place has to offer. I imagine that this would be a great stop for people who are on a date or something. They would both have their portrait taken or better yet, together, and afterwards look at the product and spend the entire time mocking and laughing at the finished product. I'm not sure about the price, but I'm sure the cost of having one done isn't too much and is probably affordable for most people.

SUPPORT ARTISTS, SHOP LOKAL!…read more Whether it's traveling to Iowa or Metro Manila, I love finding businesses that operated by locals. So many merchandise are made elsewhere that it is terrific to just shop because everything I look at is homemade. I love what 98B COLLABoratory has created and their mission as an artist ran organization! Make Lab is the space they have created and I hope to find something like it every time I travel. In such a global commercialized market, locally made is something I gravitate towards. These types of merchandise isn't mass produced and can only be purchase by traveling to that specific place! There is something magically about that! The place is a large floor with stores divided off. There is art also displayed and a coffee shop. Parking is horrid but that is Manila for you. Entrance is free and the hours are stated but it can vary when it is actually enforced. Visit more than once, it will be worth it!

As we all know, SM Megamall's The Artwalk has a number of art galleries. I've known this all my…read morelife but I never really got to visit any. I was on the way down from the fifth floor after buying paint brush cleaner and an exhibit caught my eye. I suddenly thought that it was time to actually enter a gallery rather than just looking through the windows. The Crucible gallery was holding an exhibit for an artist I'm quite familiar with named, Nemo. His art is very out of the box weird. The good kind of weird. He paints/sketches monster-like people or creatures but making them look friendlier (in my perspective). He uses really eye-popping neon colors and portrays them in a really funky way. His style are one of the styles I really like when it comes to art! It was a really good experience there in the gallery because the way they placed the works were so people could see his concept well and the contrasts of the different materials he used such as paper and wood. The people in charge were also kind enough to answer the questions I had. The gallery showcases a lot of artists with different styles. They always update their exhibits as well! It's a good idea to drop by and check out all the amazing art they have from time to time. It could be very relaxing!

This gallery has the cutest name around. Pocket Universe. It sounds like something that might have…read morekittens and puppies inside. Though, this gallery is named 'pocket' for a reason--it's really, really small. It's actually a room on the 2nd floor of this bar we all love, Saguijo. It's a place to catch art by more low-key, local artists and caters to art that's more diverse and raw in style and aesthetic. I've caught an exhibit here once or twice, and even though it is small, it's very laid back and intimate. Though, if you're here for a group show, then of course not only the walls get crowded, but the place as well. So if you're heading to Saguijo for that next gig, check upstairs and you might just come across an art exhibit, too.

The annual Metro Manila Film Festival has got to be the most popular film festivals in the…read morePhilippines. It did after all start in the 1970's. I feel like this film festival is already like a holiday to us Filipinos because it's nationalistic to the core. It promotes and supports solely Filipino films running from December to January the next year in all theaters nationwide. But for others who still want to watch foreign films, 3D and IMAX theaters are excluded (if you didn't know). During the start of the festival, there's a parade of floats that represents each film included in the festival. It's quite an event for the masses since the actors and actresses greets people from their respective floats. The traffic gets pretty heavy so don't pass by Parañaque and Roxas Boulevard where the parade takes place this year. Important to know first hand! It's usually chaotic and super crowded since Filipinos love their celebrities. XD During this festival season, I usually watch comedy, documentaries or historical movies as I seem to be drawn towards them and I always highly enjoy them. Most of their films are also highly commercialized so if you're into those kinds of films, this festival is for you. There's also an awards night which is great to give due credit to the filmmakers that deserve the recognition.

Sometimes a friendly salesman or salesgirl is all it takes to make a sale. The problem with some…read morestores is their inability to differentiate between friendly and irritating. So it was with a mild surprise that I found this little store, one of many in the Quiapo underpass. Yanga Handicraft does not have the best collection of native arts and crafts, nor are their prices the cheapest. But on a hot afternoon when I was just browsing, the friendly guy manning the store was unobtrusive and allowed me to browse without pestering me. For some reason, I also like it when people call me 'kuya' or big brother. It seems so respectful yet friendly at the same time. So this guy told me to look all I wanted to and tell him if there was anything of interest to me. I've had several balikbayan friends arrive over the years and they all seem to know of the Quiapo underpass. It's not just trinkets that are sold here, by the way. There are also some little necessities like the 'walis' made in Baguio. Anything made of bamboo or shells can be found here at the underpass, including baskets and containers for small gifts.