Fear not: Pokemon, free museum entrance, events for Museum Month, Halloween
MANILA, Philippines — October is Halloween month elsewhere, but in the Philippines, it is also known as the Museums and Galleries Month.
This month, the calendar is marked with exhibit openings and fairs, as well as Halloween trick or treat activities.
Here is a compilation of things to do this October:
Dia de los Muertos spectacle
From October 27 to November 1, Alabang Town Center will transform the Activity Center into a village inspired by Dia de los Muertos, the Mexican tradition of honoring the departed.
Participants can unleash their inner artist by decorating calaveras, or sugar skulls, with a vibrant palette and intricate designs in the heart of the makeshift village.
There will also be Mexican delights for the participants to savor, including churros and tacos.
Kids get a goodie bag that has mixed candies, chocolates and delightful surprises. They can also enjoy Halloween trick or treat around the mall at participating merchants, scheduled for October 31.
For the tech-savvy, there's an extra surprise in store. By downloading the Zing App and linking it to their GCash or credit card, they can unlock an additional Halloween treat.
To get a village pass, make a minimum single purchase receipt of P500 or more from any Alabang Town Center establishment, excluding bills payment, services and telecom lane. Each pass admits one child and one adult.
Free day for teens at the museum
Teens get free entrance today, October 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Ayala Museum in Makati.
Titled “Be You(ng)!,” participants will enjoy access to the museum’s ongoing exhibitions including "Splendor: Juan Luna, Painter as Hero," "Pre-colonial Treasures of the Philippines," "Diorama Experience of Philippine History," the "Imprint" exhibition on Fernando Zóbel and "Mindscapes."
Other activities include a free interactive textile workshop for design students; a stage takeover where teens can showcase their performative talents; online and onsite creativity challenges; a special sale at the Museum Shop; freebies from the museum’s merchant partners who will put up booths on the day itself and a chance to view the culminating project of the museum’s first teens’ program titled "Becoming."
Teens ages 13 to 19 must reserve their slots to visit Ayala Museum for free on October 22 and each can bring up to three companions of any age.
'Rodeorchestral ride' with PPO
Come in your best cowboy costumes to the "Tricks and Musical Treats: A PPO Family Concert," the annual Halloween event of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), slated on October 29, 4 p.m. at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater.
Dubbed “Giddy-UP to Our Rodeorchestral Ride!" the event will be held in the mall grounds for the first time, away from its home at the CCP Main Building, which has been undergoing rehabilitation since the start of 2023.
Directed and hosted by theater actress-director Liesl Batucan-del Rosario, the cowboy-themed musical adventure will also feature pre-event activities starting at 2:30 p.m. These include a musical instrument petting zoo where children can touch and experience the different musical instruments often used in an orchestra such as violin, flute, oboe, trumpet and percussion, among others. There will be a trick or treat booth at the lobby.
The PPO, under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera, will teach kids how to “conduct” an orchestra. Children can meet different characters like Harmonica, Drumboy the Cowboy, Octavio, Banjo, Mandolin, Sheriff Hermie and the PPO Rangers.
In keeping with the show’s tradition, 10 children in the Best Cowboy Costumes will win prizes. Everyone is encouraged to dress up for this special Halloween concert.
Tickets to the PPO Tricks and Musical Treats concert are at P500. Get your ticket at the CCP TIG Box Office and at TicketWorld. For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph).
Pokemon sleep
The Pokémon Company’s Pokémon Sleep, the smartphone app available for iOS and Android, is holding its Halloween-themed event, “Halloween 2023 — Double Candy Research.”
Held annually, this week-long event will be held in Pokémon Sleep at the Greengrass Isle, beginning on October 30 at 4 a.m. and ending on November 6 at 3:59 a.m.
Regardless of sleep type, participants will have the chance to meet Pikachu wearing a Halloween hat, as well as many Ghost-type Pokémon such as Gastly. When a participants conducts sleep research, he/she can get at least twice the usual number of candies. They are encouraged to complete special missions to get Handy Candies and other items. Pikachu will also appear wearing a Halloween hat decorated with a ghost badge during the event.
The timing of the event’s beginning and end, as well as the daily rollover time, is based on the user’s individual time zone. The in-game event, Good Sleep Day, will be held from October 28 at 4 a.m. to October 31 at 3:59 a.m.
