http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:57:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2010/07/quantcasts-media-broker-revolution.html Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:33:28 +0000 The company is leveraging its behind-the-scenes dominance in web traffic analytics to fundamentally change how advertising is sold.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/05/alternative-air-conditioning-cools-down-manila.html Fri, 28 May 2010 17:57:55 +0000 Portable air coolers that lower room temperatures at low financial and environmental cost are rapidly spreading in the capital of the Philippines]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/designing-for-survival-in-the-philippines.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:05:23 +0000 Design Against the Elements is a global call-to-arms competition for architects to disaster-proof the world's most vulnerable communities against climate change.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/01/massivegood-frequent-flyer-health-aid.html Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:18:27 +0000 MassiveGood wants to improve world health through air travel.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/markprof-non-profit-marketing-intelligence.html Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:02:41 +0000 Non-profits like MarkProf Foundation are filling the marketing education gap in the Philippines and boosting employment while they're at it.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/oh-nena-venezuelas-handcrafted-headwear-movement.html Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:31:41 +0000 Venezuelan girls on the streets of culturally independent Maracaibo are getting used to crowning themselves with hand-made headwear by up-and-coming designers Oh! Nena.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/socially-networked-rescue-relief-in-manila.html Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:17:30 +0000 Using social networking tools, Filipino citizens were able to band together to help victims of a recent flood.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/rising-online-volunteer-network-from-down-under.html Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:12:06 +0000 Seek, an Australian online job search firm, is finding social opportunities in this economic crisis. The company, with the help of The Boston Consulting Group, is using its technology platform to match volunteer do-gooders with non-profit organizations all over the country. Australia already has a long-established history of corporations participating in community causes but the recent scarcity of jobs, the persistent drought and the tragic bushfires that erupted earlier this year is increasing national demand to reach out. Seek Volunteer – which claims to earn no revenues for its services – seems to have come at just the right timeRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/scandinasian-design-shopschool.html Mon, 11 May 2009 12:08:02 +0000 There’s a charming two-level space at the heart of Manila’s art enclave, Cubao X, that’s attracting a discerning crowd lately. On the ground floor is a home lifestyle store called Heima (Icelandic for “at home”). The owner, Bong Rojales, is also the director of the city’s Lomo camera cult, Lomomanila. This time around, he’s using his creative contacts in Copenhagen and Manila to retail some idiosyncratically colorful offerings. His partner, interior designer Rossy Yabut, spearheads product development as well as consulting and restoration services for the homes of the newly minted young middle class (most coming from creative industries andRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/renewable-energy-boosts-rural-economies.html Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:02:35 +0000 RuralLight is a Philippine-based non-profit organization that’s using renewable energy to create sustainable businesses, improve local education and reduce poverty while keeping the environmental impact carbon-neutral. There are still 2,400 villages in the country living off the grid and the government is finding it too expensive to hook them up to the power plants. This is because the multi-island structure of the Philippines would require extending electrical cables across water, which is simply too costly. Alternatives such as solar panels and geothermal energy will allow these communities the opportunity to finally integrate with the mainstream economy by providing them withRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/the-book-remix.html Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:47:37 +0000 It seems like the perfect formula for a date book: Jane Austen + undead ultraviolence. Last seen guiding people “How to Survive a Horror Movie”, Seth Grahame-Smith hijacks the classic author’s “Pride and Prejudice” with an unexpected and critically acclaimed zombie angle. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is set to be the first of a series of Quirk Classics that fool around with influential literature. To comply with copyright laws however, it’s likely that only stories published in the United States before 1923 will qualify. The publisher, Quirk Books, has mentioned some of their favorite fan-suggested titles on their websiteRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/celebrity-endorsement-for-taxes.html Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:44:39 +0000 In a counter-intuitive move to close the gap on the budget deficit, the Philippine government is spending money for an advertising campaign featuring boxer turned national hero, Manny Pacquiao. The ad features the boxer talking about tax payer solidarity amidst the economic crisis and singing “this fight is for you” (translated) in the background. The hope is that the anticipation for the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight will translate into more upfront citizen payments and consumer loyalty (like most developing countries, the Philippines has a large grey market for goods and services which tends to grow as times get moreRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/freestyle-dining-in-manila.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:18:31 +0000 “Freestyle dining” is an emerging food trend in Manila. The process: customers picks from a list of key ingredients. Then they order based on whatever emotion or adjective best describes their dining mood, trusting the chef with the task of translating it into a matching meal. It’s like assigning the chef the role of culinary therapist. Respected freestyle dining spots are maintaining a certain level of exclusivity by using only word-of-mouth marketing and by staying well-hidden. One of the more buzzworthy spots is Chef’s Table, a secluded rooftop space that serves as a TV set for a daytime food showRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/fashion-runways-go-digital.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:17:58 +0000 The economic downturn has forced cost-consciousness into the way high fashion is being presented. The Economist reports that during last week’s NY Fashion Week, several designers slashed the $100,000+ cost it takes to do a 20-minute catwalk show out of their budgets, opting instead for more straightforward things like having their models interact with crowds in small gatherings. This forced creativity has also led to new digital-based innovation as more members of the global haute couture community ditched fashion shows altogether in favor of launching music videos and internet-based campaigns. What’s interesting is that some of these changes might becomeRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/01/urban-farms-rise-worldwide.html Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:22:34 +0000   From Mumbai to Manila, cities in emerging economies are looking to urban farming to bolster job growth, improve food security and make more productive use of organic waste. The surprising role model for off-farm farming is Havana, Cuba where 90% of fresh produce supply is grown in the city. Nationwide, urban farming has created 350,000 jobs for Cubans and has boosted the average caloric intake from 2,323 per Cuban per day in 1993 to 3,547 today. Apparently, one main cause of this shift in food sourcing is the inefficiency of state-owned farms. China is also exhibiting how to industrializeRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/01/lessons-from-an-independent-online-bookstore.html Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:56:13 +0000 The economy has hit the traditional brick-and-mortar book business especially hard. Even landmark literary institutions like Cody’s have not been spared. In contrast, Avalon.ph – a Manila-based online specialist in second hand books – has been thriving. Its founder, Jasper Ong, manages to maintain an independent shopkeeper’s touch by giving customers the chance to close transactions personally in select coffee shops during weekends. We sat down with Jasper to see if we could learn something from his success (which seems to be out-of-print these days). 1. What guides you in your book selection process? Does the weakening economy influence thatRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/01/cebus-furniture-design-movement.html Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:34:17 +0000 Cebu is the creative craftsman city of the Philippines and is one of the most renowned furniture exporters of Southeast Asia. Local designers have successfully improvised around the region’s lack of rattan (the predominant wood used in traditional furniture) with freestyle experimentation of other indigenous natural materials. The playfully geometric work of up-and-comer Vito Selma (pictured) and the always influential eccentricities of Debbie Palao show how Cebu is living up to its “Milan of Asia” reputation. The best and brightest are on display every year at a furniture exhibition dubbed Cebu X (not to be confused with Cubao X, Manila’sRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/philippine-culture-in-hd.html Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:37:16 +0000 Burnwater, a Philippine-based design firm, has teamed up with a lifestyle magazine (Rogue), a literary publication (Story), a recording studio (Wombworks) and a bookstore chain (Fully Booked) to produce a streaming HD video site called Pelicola.tv (“pelikula” is Tagalog for “movie”). The site aims to be an insider’s guide to the country’s cultural hotspots, influential tastemakers and local music scene. The site’s adfilm revenue model notably follows the growing trend of quality content as advertising, and was admittedly inspired by BMW’s “The Hire” series and the Cartier Love campaign. Other companies can get involved by working with Story to create sponsored short films that will beRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/tokyo-baby-boomer-trendsetter.html Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:38:13 +0000 Tokyo has always been the cool trendsetter of our global high school. And even as the city ages with the rest of Japan (20% of the population aged 65 or older), Tokyo is proving once again to be a beacon for anyone looking to catch a glimpse of the best, newest, products on the market. The Baby Boom generation – with their collective wealth and supposed lifelong sense of entitlement (i.e. tendency to spend) – is an especially attractive demographic to brands and marketers. The latest issue of Monocle discusses how industries all over Tokyo – from travel agencies toRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/the-ilumina-philippine-tech-trades-outsourcing-for-open-source.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:51:17 +0000 The Philippines has traditionally been a very working class contributor to the global technology sector. Some would say the industry here is built on two pillars: 1) outsourced product assembly and 2) tech support with American accents. Over the weekend, Inovent – a local industrial design firm – did a demo for a completely Philippine-made high definition iTV called Ilumina that runs on an open source brain. The company hopes that the product will serve as a catalyst for a local design and software community movement. PSFK asked Inovent founder Brian Quebengco and chief marketer Mark Ruiz to tell usRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/psfk-talks-to-stylebibleph.html Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:26:00 +0000 StyleBible.ph is the online voice of Preview, a leading fashion publication in the Philippines. The site is also in the process of building a well-curated online collection of independent homegrown clothing and accessories. Recently, PSFK got a chance to chat with Managing Editor Isabelle Andaya on the Philippines’ place in global fashion as well as on some leading and emerging talents that are shaping the local movement. So what is Philippine fashion’s place in the world? I would say that the number of people interested in fashion in the Philippines has grown and we are slowly discovering our own styleRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/hulucom-inspires-internet-encryption-usage.html Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:50:53 +0000 Asian demand for internet encryption software originally came about because of local government censorship. Chinese wanted more blogging freedom, Thais wanted to watch YouTube, and other citizens with stringent firewalls just wanted to make VoIP calls in peace. Now, we’re finding another great use for the technology: catching up on the latest American movies and tv shows on Hulu.com. Apparently, at least for some, the price of having to sit through American commercials (not even intended for them) is worth paying for the instant entertainment gratification that unauthorized torrent downloading does not yet provide (at current bandwidth speeds). Hulu hasRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/bachelor-pad-by-the-hour.html Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:42:16 +0000 In Manila, motels cheekily dub themselves collectively as the “instant hospitality” or “drive-in hotel” industry. Standard practices include offering two hour room rates, vehemently guaranteeing absolute privacy and openly advertising newly launched theme rooms typically inspired by some of the most requested fantasy scenarios (e.g. The Oval Office, the X-Men’s Danger Room, and apparently that cave in Matrix Reloaded). Recently, two of the city’s largest motel franchises – Victoria Court and Sohotel – are moving towards rooms that de-emphasize the bed setting and instead focus more on drinks, multiple flat screens, video games and surround sound. They are in effectRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/manilas-designer-food-movement.html Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:12:45 +0000 Weddings are a big deal in Manila – the success of most high profile fashion designers here rely heavily on how skilled they are at making wedding gowns. Two of the country’s most reputable designers, Rajo Laurel and Frederick Peralta, have been leveraging their reputations for matrimonial chic on a line of designer wedding cakes for local bakeshop chain Red Ribbon. An article from The Philippine Daily Inquirer provided some color commentary: Fabric and music were among Laurel’s inspirations for his cakes. His “Bossa Nova,” layers of fondant that remind one of a woman dancing, takes its cue from flirtatiousRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/09/lying-in-clinics-maternity-wards-for-the-masses.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:29:51 +0000 Quality health care can be tough to afford for the majority of residents in Manila. Hospitals are in short supply and medical practitioners are flying off to higher paying foreign cities. The lack of hospitals keeps the rent high and the few doctors who do stay in the city are forced to raise prices to justify their opportunity loss. For child birth services at least, an alternative solution is emerging: bare bones facilities called lying-in clinics. These are built away from hospitals and are focused purely on assisting pregnancy. A typical lying-in will only have one delivery room with oneRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/manilas-celebrity-tour-guide.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:22:52 +0000 Known as the Pied Piper of Manila, Carlos Celdran has built an internationally recognized brand from his walking tours of the city’s classic downtown. Frequently seen taking celebrities on private multi-media cultural tours, Carlos has become quite famous in his own right. He’s even a product endorser these days. Instead of ignoring the surrounding poverty that other tour guides might find inconveniently jarring, he’s decided to incorporate social advocacy into his tour. He’s been distributing free contraceptives to anyone on the streets who’s wanted them since 2003. This is a politically gutsy move in a city where the Catholic ChurchRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/psfk-talks-to-sci-fi-sculptor-leeroy-new.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:50:22 +0000 22-year-old Leeroy New has stirred up a bit of buzz in Manila on account of his provocative public sculptures which play a stark contrast to our visually conservative city. We got a chance to chat with the budding sculptor shortly after he finished his latest assignment, “Winged Victory”, a Boccioni-esque piece (pictured above) for Nike on view in front of their Manila store. So how is life as a full-time artist in Manila? Being a full-time sculptor, or an artist in general for that matter, is next to impossible in the Philippines especially if you’re just starting out. As aRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/mogwai-a-student-cinema-bar.html Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:59:43 +0000 Mogwai is the cornerstone establishment of Manila’s indie art hot spot known as Cubao X. The main draw is the affordable food and beer served at the scruffily chic retro ground floor but it’s the mini cinema upstairs that’s making it a destination. Student films dominate the screens, and local independent films are often premiered at Mogwai before being distributed nationally. Directors often come to Mogwai to watch screenings of their own films and field questions from the audience after viewings. This past week featured an experimental documentary told in reverse about a day in the life of a provincialRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/manilas-little-electric-power-saver.html Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:31:40 +0000 Recently there’s been a bit of buzz about a new device being sold by Ace Hardware, Manila’s dominant hardware retail franchise: a plug-in device called Extreme Power Saver that claims to be able to reduce electric waste from certain home appliances by 20-35%. Here’s the description on the (shady looking) box: An electrical device that helps reduce electrical consumption of inductive or motorized home equipment of appliances such as air conditioning, water pumps, washing machines, etc. Extreme Power Saver is a device that recycles the partial electric waste generated by the said inductive equipment. This recycled electrical power is thenRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/07/psfk-talks-to-contemporary-dancer-donna-miranda.html Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:41:36 +0000 Manila-based Donna Miranda of Green Papaya Art Projects is a globe-trotting, award-winning (she received the Jury Prize last year from Yokohama Dance Collection R) contemporary dancer working to change the art scene beyond the Philippines. Her most recent showstopper involved hijacking a city train to host a public “Urban Love Disco.” We caught her during some downtime to hear her thoughts on the future and role of contemporary dance in the wider world of art today. What is Green Papaya Art Projects? Green Papaya Art Projects is an artist-run initiative that supports and organizes actions and propositions that explore parallelRead more...]]>