International art school opens in BTC

CEBU, Philippines -  Seeing a growing number of Cebuano children having no access to proper art training, an international art school has opened here in Cebu its first branch in the Visayas and its 12th across the Philippines.

Malaysian company Global Art, which sprawls with a roster of 600 centers spread across 18 countries, was launched at the second level of Banilad Town Centre last Saturday.

The company opened its first school in the Philippines in Manila back in 2008.

While bulk of its schools is located in the Southeast Asian region, the company has also established presence in much larger countries such as the United States, China and Australia.

The Cebu branch is franchised by couple Osmund and Carissa Ko, who also owns and manages Speedtalk, a language center in Cebu that provides language and communication solutions.

In an interview, Carissa Ko said that Global Art uses a special program that seeks to transform the way children learn art. The creative programs, she added, are implemented around the world using the same source of teaching and learning concepts.

“Through the variety of our programs, children learn, grow and develop in a creative and conducive learning environment. All our art programs are designed for learners to experience education in a holistic manner,” Global Art Cebu executives said in a statement.

Global Art will provide each student his own set of workbooks and coloring materials that have been specially made for the program.

Carissa said that the school has a wide range of programs that will suit children aged 4 years old to adults. The programs cover creative drawing, painting, sketching, cartoon and comic making and crafts and clay.

The painting program alone will range from painting on a paper, canvas, cloth and even glass. A student graduates on his own pace from one level to the next, said Carissa, who added that Global Art will be open all throughout the year.

“Doing art is not just something to take out the boredom when school is off. It is serious business, as it does not only teach the child to be able to draw or paint but also think creatively and to learn the discipline needed in gaining a new skill,” she said.

TackThis! makes opening an online store easy

Are you still looking for a creative project to pursue this 2014? Why not try opening your very own online store that can take you quickly from being a simple hobbyist to a full-fledged entrepreneur?

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Whether it’s making bracelets and trinkets from scratch, baking cupcakes, cookies and other desserts, or designing sharp and entertaining statement shirts, taking your hobbies to the next level only takes a few mouse clicks with TackThis!, guaranteed no technical background needed.

Powered by Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) subsidiary Voyager Innovations (Voyager), TackThis! takes care of everything in the back-end—from storefront design to shopping carts, all the way to payment processing—so budding entrepreneurs can rest easy and focus on making their products better for their customers.

“With TackThis!, it’s now easy to take your business online. Just sign up for an account, upload photos of your products, and you’ll be on your way to reaching more customers in the Philippines and around the world without the need for a programming or Web design background,” explained Benjie Fernandez, Chief Operating Officer at Voyager.

Since launching in October 2013, TackThis! has already attracted more than 6,000 online sellers across the Philippines who are already making their products available to a wider range of customers via the Internet.

With TackThis!, a comprehensive suite of powerful tools is available at online merchants’ disposal so they can focus on creating or selling their products: a secure shopping cart, a product catalog with inventory system, various payment gateways and delivery systems, marketing and reporting tools, and a mobile-optimized store, among others.

But more than the convenience, what TackThis! offers is greater flexibility for online store owners. After creating their own stores, online merchants can easily “tack” or embed their storefronts on to any website, blogging platform, or even Facebook.

TackThis! gives online entrepreneurs the chance to bring their products closer to their target customers, so tacking options to Blogger, Wordpress, Livejournal, Tumblr, Weebly, and Joomla, among others, are easily available.

Interested online sellers can start putting up their stores for by visiting www.TackThis.com.ph. xx

Primary Group supports Cebu Marathon 2014

The Primary Group of Builders, Cebu's homegrown powerhouse conglomerate, sponsored the last two Hydration Stations of the recently concluded Cebu City Marathon 2014.

The conglomerate strongly believes in the health and wellness activities that benefit the community at large. "We highly encourage our fellow Cebuanos to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle that is why we continue to support events such as the Cebu City Marathon," said Atty. Donn Rabanes, assistant vice president for corporate planning and admin services of the Primary Group.

The Primary Group of Builders is composed of Primary Structures Corporation; PrimaryHomes, Inc.; Primary Properties Corporation; Concrete Solutions, Inc.; Primary Structures Educational Foundation, Inc. - SKILLS; and Primary Skills, Inc. (FREEMAN)