Go to the Cup of Joe fan event

THE Cup of Joe fan zone will be set up at the activity area of the upper ground floor of Gateway Mall 1 in Quezon City from Oct. 10 to 12. It is led by the fans, called the Joewahs, who have decorated the area in line with the band’s upcoming concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The event will be a space to connect with fellow fans through merch, games, and music.

Watch a Mike de Leon film at Cinemalaya

CINEMALAYA is closing its 21^st edition with a tribute to the late auteur Mike de Leon. His film Kakabakaba Ka Ba? will screen at the Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinema on Oct. 11, 8 p.m. Directed and written by Mr. De Leon himself, alongside Clodualdo Del Mundo, Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio, Kakabakaba Ka Ba? is a 1980 satirical musical-comedy about four Filipinos who fall victim to a contraband-planting scheme as they fly back to the country, and are then caught in the middle of a crime syndicate plotting on using materials from the Catholic church to control the nation. Tickets for the closing film, as well as other Cinemalaya films, are priced at P350 for regular and P250 for discounted tickets, available at the ticketing booth or online through redcarpetattheshang.com.

Listen to the wrong.orchestra at UP

THE WRONG.ORCHESTRA will deconstruct the orchestra and the symphony on Oct. 11, 7 p.m., at the Vargas Museum at UP Diliman. In a statement, they say: “For our first performance, The Evening Garden, we paint a landscape of sound as we complete four unfinished symphonies in real time through a DIY, barebones setup and hyper-improvisation by select composers and players.” Tickets come in the form of museum memberships, with all proceeds going directly to the UP Vargas Museum and its programs. The P600 is an annual membership fee, inclusive of free access to wrong.orchestra, three complimentary museum visits, and a 10% discount for one paid event from the UP Vargas Museum of one’s choice. Admission is free for existing members, and a special student rate is available. The evening is organized by wrong.institute and et alt, and supported by the Goethe-Institut Philippinen.

Enjoy Song of the Fireflies at Ayala Museum

AS PART of the “Pamanang Pilipino” program, Ayala Museum is holding a film screening of Song of the Fireflies, with select shows set to have talkback sessions afterwards. The film tells the origin story of the world-renowned Loboc Children’s Choir, founded by teacher Alma Taldo in the 1980s. It stars Morissette, Rachel Alejandro, Noel Comia, Jr., and Krystal Brimner. The film also features original music by Krina Cayabyab, Louie Ocampo, Raimund Marasigan, Jazz Nicolas, and National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab. The screenings take place on Oct. 11, 12, 17, and 18, at 2 and 5 p.m. Tickets range in price from P150 to P300 depending on student, senior, or PWD discounts.

Watch a Spanish movie

THE Spanish film festival Pelikula/Pelicula, which showcases movies made not only in Spain but also in Latin America, runs from Oct. 10 to 16. This year the film fest will include short feature films created by young Filipino filmmakers, one in Chabacano. This year, 20 films from Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines will be shown at the Ayala Triangle Gardens and Power Plant Mall in Makati.

Attend a book launch

EXPLODING GALAXIES is republishing two vital books on Filipino food culture — Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food and Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, On Site, In the Pot, by Doreen G. Fernandez and Edilberto N. Alegre — and is launching both simultaneously on Oct. 11. Exploding Galaxies focuses on republishing the lost classics of Philippine writing. The publication of Sarap and Palayok marks its first push outside the orbit of fiction and the beginning of what may be many rediscovered titles on food. Until these new editions in 2025 by Exploding Galaxies, these two books have not been published again since Sarap first came out in 1988, and Palayok in 2000. Sarap features essays written and compiled by Ms. Fernandez and Mr. Alegre about the life and ways of Filipino food. In this new edition it is accompanied by the work of four illustrators: Gianne Encarnacion, Kitty Jardenil, Elle Shivers, and Eva Yu. The book was designed by Kristian Henson. Meanwhile, Palayok: Philippine Food through Time, on Site, in the Pot by Ms. Fernandez presents the origins and evolution of Philippine cuisine. In this new edition, Ms. Fernandez’s writing is accompanied by photographs by Jilson Tiu of the eateries and arteries of Manila, of first catches and ferments, of kitchens, tables, and fiestas all over the country. The book was designed by Miguel Mari. Starting Oct. 15, the books will be available to purchase via the website, www.explodinggalaxies.com, and in select branches of National Book Store, Fully Booked, Kultura, Mt. Cloud Bookshop (Baguio), and Everything’s Fine (Makati).

Go for a run with Chowking

CHOWKING is celebrating its 40^th anniversary with the Chow Fun Run, set to take place on Oct. 11 at the SM Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. Celebrities Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino, Darren Espanto, and BGYO are expected to race alongside participants. Kai Montinola will also be performing live at the event. The fee is P950. There will be three categories: 3k, 5k, and 10k runs.

Visit UST Museum for free

IN CELEBRATION of Museum and Galleries Month 2025, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Museum is offering free admission for the whole month of October. Thomasians and non-Thomasians are free to drop by on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The UST Museum, formally established in 1869, is considered the oldest museum in the Philippines. It was originally located in Intramuros but was transferred to the UST Main Building when it was built in 1928. It houses diverse collections including coins, medals, Philippine ethnographic artifacts, natural history specimens (especially shells and fauna), religious images, memorabilia, and visual arts spanning from the 16^th century to contemporary times.

Catch The Bodyguard The Musical

THE BODYGUARD THE MUSICAL — 9 Works Theatrical’s latest production — opens this weekend on Sept. 26, and runs until Oct. 19. It is an adaptation of the 2012 stage musical with a book by Alexander Dinelaris, which in turn was based on the 1992 film The Bodyguard with songs by Whitney Houston. Directed by Robbie Guevara, and with musical direction by Daniel Bartolome, it will be the first theater production staged at the brand-new Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati City. Telling the story of a musical superstar and her bodyguard as their relationship develops while she is under threat, the musical features West End stars Christine Allado and Matt Blaker as the leads, alongside Sheena Palad, Elian Santos and Giani Sarita, Tim Yap, John Joven-Uy, Vien King, Jasper Jimenez, CJ Navato, Paji Arceo, and Radha. Tickets are available at TicketWorld.

See whyPingkianwas named Best Musical

ADJUDGED the Best Musical at the 2024 Aliw Awards, Tanghalang Pilipino’s Pingkian: Isang Musikal is being restaged, with performances ongoing until Oct. 12. The full-length musical follows the journey of Emilio Jacinto (played by Vic Robinson), a young revolutionary who navigates the complexities of leadership in the final years of the Philippine Revolution and the beginning of the Philippine-American War. It stars Vic Robinson as Emilio Jacinto/Pingkian. Also in the cast are Gab Pangilinan, Tex Ordoñez-De Leon, Kakki Teodoro, Paw Castillo, Almond Bolante, Joshua Cadeliña, Marco Viaña. Directed by Jenny Jamora and written by Juan Ekis with music by Ejay Yatco, it will run at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, CCP Complex, Pasay City. Tickets are available at TicketWorld and Ticket2Me.

Catch PETA’sWalang Aray

TWO YEARS after its debut, the original Filipino musical Walang Aray is back at the PETA Theater Center, running until Oct. 12. It is centered on the love story between Julia and Tenyong, set during the Philippine revolution of 1896. Many of the award-winning lead cast from 2023 are returning: Shaira Opsimar and Marynor Madamesila who alternate in the role of Julia, and Gio Gahol and Jon Abella as Tenyong. They are joined by a new cast member, Lance Reblando who also plays the role of Julia. Tickets are available through Ticket2Me.

Bring the kids toRep’s Wonderland

REPERTORY THEATER for Young Audiences presents the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland every weekend until Dec. 14. Based on the book by Lewis Carroll, with music and lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, it is directed by Joy Virata and Cara Barredo. As Alice follows the rabbit into Wonderland, the production highlights audience participation with kids in attendance. It runs at the REP Eastwood Theater in Quezon City. For ticket inquiries and showbuying opportunities, message REP’s pages @repertoryphilippines, call 0962-691-8540 or 0966-905-4013, or e-mail info@repphil.org or sales@repphil.org.