Judith Estrada-Larino

To go against the culture of fast takes and fleeting trends, digital publishing platform Our Market
focuses on stories with real value and information with lasting credibility. It features content across
business, food, health, lifestyle, culture, and learning, offering relevant reads from timely event
highlights, smart product must-haves, successful entrepreneurial journeys, and even societal
knowledge. It’s made to serve readers of all ages who appreciate facts and credibility just as much as
entertainment and motivation.
Since its launch in September 2020, Our Market has operated as a storefront for MSMEs under the
e-commerce platform Iskaparate.com. Today, it officially transitions into an online magazine, serving
as the main site.
Our Market now redirects its priorities toward providing factual and inspirational information grounded
in local knowledge to continue uplifting the community in both cultural and entrepreneurial senses.
Apart from this, Our Market also serves as an online resource hub that directly connects users to
companies across different industries, some partners including Unox, Mayani, Magna Prime, and
more, which can be reached for special assistance, consultancy, and collaboration needs.
While implementing a new focus, this does not signal an exit from commerce. Iskaparate.com, which
was originally established to help entrepreneurial mothers sustain their businesses during the
COVID-19 pandemic, now serves as the umbrella e-commerce platform within Our Market.
With over 3,000 vetted vendors and partnerships led by the marketing of DTC Promos, Inc. and the
automation expertise of ConnectSys, its legacy of supporting community sellers continues to shape
the infrastructure of Our Market’s online commerce. However, exponential growth is sought through
partnerships with global and bigger brands for a wide audience reach.
Currently, the platform’s consistent efforts in audience and seller engagement, such as offering
product deals, brand promotions, and physical and virtual workshops, will remain in Our Market’s
network.
In line with this mission, Our Market officially kicks off OMG!, a campus tour of various schools
around Metro Manila, to engage with students and institutional staff via activities and giveaways.

This campaign is a product of collaboration with Tagumpay IT’S ALL GOOD, a digital media channel
operated by ARDA Media Solutions Corporation, for promoting Filipino values, faith, family,
education, wellness, and public service, Unox, Selecta, Barilla, Tulip, Search Commercial Inc.,
Mayani, Mo & Bear, and Nayong Kalikasan.
To officially kick off OMG!, Our Market holds an opening event to a select student audience at De La
Salle College of Saint Benilde on October 17, 2025, with a free chocolate-making demo featuring
CMV Txokolat’s talented chocolatier, Elaine Santiago, through the partnership of DTC Promos Inc.
and previous collaborators mentioned.
A surprising addition, however, was a co-developed superfood snack that was softly introduced at the
event. Pili Poppers is a product that excellently combines quality, taste, and nutrients in a munchable
made with seaweed, puff rice, and activated roasted pili nuts — highlighting the potential of local
produce. Developed and formulated in Singapore by Unicorn Connect Pte Ltd., Pili Poppers was
then manufactured and distributed in the Philippines by Azius Ventures Corporation. Though not yet
officially launched, Pili Poppers is being slowly introduced through sample distributions in select
groceries, cafés, and malls, as part of a broader goal to empower Filipino entrepreneurs and create
meaningful products built from the ground up.
The chocolate-making demowas meant to encourage students, those who are keen on building their
own businesses in the future or are potential successors of family-run businesses, to see the value of
raw materials available to them and learn to transform them into their own unique product.
This is in line with the upcoming 30th anniversary of Export and Global Business Management, a
program under Business Administration of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde. The program equips
learners with the knowledge and skills to create effective business plans and bring Filipino products to
the global stage by integrating business concepts in finance, management, marketing, human
resources, production, IT, and strategic planning.
Through this program, students gain insights into international trade trends, best practices, and ethical
frameworks. This is the program where participants learn to design business strategies and develop
sustainable enterprises that address customer needs in the export market.
The event was held with more than 400 students in attendance at the Augusto Rosario Gonzalez
Theater of DLS College of Saint Benilde, broadcast via theater projector while actual cooking was
executed with Unox Philippines, the leader in oven innovation and design.
There are 10 institutions lined up for the OMG! Campus Tour, which will be sustained until or beyond
the platform’s official grand launch set to take place in May 2026.

IKEA just opened its first Plan and Order Shop at TriNoma in Quezon City, making its signature style of affordable, sustainable, and Scandinavian-coded home furnishings accessible to more people—especially those living in the north of Metro Manila who are looking for expert planning advice and to shop select IKEA products available in the store.

The 500-square-meter IKEA Plan and Order Shop is like a gateway to the full IKEA experience that customers can find in the Pasay City branch. Its main feature is the planning service for kitchen cabinets and wardrobes for bedrooms and living rooms. It also has inspiring vignettes that show how furniture pieces, lighting, and décor can come together. Customers can also browse and order from the full IKEA range of more than 8,500 articles, and have items delivered in the store.

IKEA Philippines Country Retail Manager Ricardo Pinheiro says, “Almost four years ago, IKEA said its first ‘hello’ to the Philippines when we opened our first store in Pasay City. Today, I’m proud to share that we’re now in Quezon City with our first Plan and Order Shop at TriNoma, in collaboration with Ayala Malls.”

Pinheiro explains that while the compact shop offers select cooking and eating accessories, all products can be ordered online for free collection at the shop. It is also designed as a pick-up and planning hub. “They can sit down with our design specialists at the consultation and planning zone. They can also shop and take away on the same day items in the curated displays,” he says.

“Our philosophy is to make great design available to the many Filipinos who dream of spaces that bring them joy and closer to each other, especially around Christmastime,” Pinheiro adds.

The store opening was marked by a ceremonial tape-cutting led by QC Mayor Joy Belmonte, Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines Anna Ferry, Ayala Land SVP and Head of Leasing and Hospitality, Mariana Zobel Ayala, and IKEA Philippines Country Retail Manager Ricardo Pinheiro.

TriNoma serves the large residential markets of Quezon City, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela. It is also a gateway to the northern provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, and the rest of Central Luzon, with easy access via the North Luzon Expressway and Skyway 3.

The IKEA Plan and Order Shop is a cashless shop — it accepts only digital and cards payments. Located on Level 1, TriNoma Mall, North Avenue corner EDSA, Quezon City. Shoppers can also order online on IKEA Philippine’s website.

MANILA, Philippines – Get ready for chills, thrills and screams under the stars! The city’s spookiest movie night is rolling out at Capitol Commons as Openair Cinema One celebrates Halloween outdoors for the first time. Now in its third year, the much-loved screening event swaps its usual holiday theme for a night of costumes, treats, and back-to-back films under the October sky. For those eager to get into the Halloween spirit early, Capitol Commons and Cinema One have just the thing on Saturday, October 25, 2025, starting at 4:00 PM with an afternoon of games, music, and family-friendly fun, followed by an evening of movies under the stars.

The afternoon begins with trick-or-treating, a lively Halloween bazaar, and a costume fashion show where pets and their humans show off their looks. Watch them strut matching ghost blankets, witch hats and vampire capes, and you decide who wore it best. As the sun sets, the stage comes alive with performances from Jeremy G, the OPM act whose soulful voice and boy-next-door charm have made him a fan favorite since his The Voice Teens run, together with Sugarcane, a six-piece folk pop band from Manila with hits like ‘Leonora’ and ‘Paruparo,’ which have been streamed millions of times across various music platforms. who will add to the festive mood. Hosting the program is Aiyana Perlas, a familiar Kapamilya face known for her natural energy and easy rapport with live audiences.

When night falls, the lawn becomes an open-air cinema. Families can settle comfortably and sing their hearts out with the Madrigals as they watch Encanto, followed by frosty ghosts to bring the mischievous fun and scares in Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire — all on the big screen! Blankets, snacks, and costumes are welcome, and the entire space is designed for people to gather with loved ones, take photos, and soak in the Halloween vibe.

This special edition of Openair Cinema One adds a playful twist to Capitol Commons’ reputation as a lifestyle destination. With about 1,500 guests expected, it promises to be more than just a seasonal gathering. It is a chance to spend time outdoors, enjoy music and film in the cool October air, and create memories that last well beyond Halloween.

Cinema One and Capitol Commons present Openair Cinema One: An Eerie-sistible Halloween Movie Night on Saturday, October 25, 2025. Gates open at 4:00 PM. Costumes are encouraged — the atmosphere will be festive, and everyone is invited to mark the date for an early Halloween treat that brings friends, families, and pets together under the stars.