http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:40:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2011/11/solar-bottle-bulbs-provide-lighting-without-electricity-video.html Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:30:04 +0000 Bottles filled with water help brighten an underprivileged neighborhood in the Philippines. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/09/traditional-rickshaws-in-asia-become-more-environmentally-friendly.html Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:44:02 +0000 Traditional rickshaws in the Philippines are being replaced by electrical tricycles to cut carbon emission and become more cost-effective for the drivers. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/08/dragon-inspired-lamps-are-out-to-invade-your-desk.html Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:38:18 +0000 An inventive lamp concept by a Filipino designer takes a curious spin on the beastly character of childhood tales.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/06/philippines-first-environmentally-beneficial-billboard-launched.html Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:30:39 +0000 WWF teams up with Coca-Cola to create the Philippines' first plant billboard as part of Coca-Cola Philippines’ Live Positively sustainability program. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/06/hellz-x-vans-fall-2011-collaboration-to-be-launched-in-the-philippines.html Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:21:38 +0000 Hellz and Vans kick off their second collaborative effort in the Philippines this fall. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/06/facebook-to-reach-700m-users-headlines.html Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:45:36 +0000 The top growing country in the last month was Brazil with more than 1.9 million of new users on Facebook. The other top growing countries on the social network in the last month were Indonesia, Philippines, Mexico and Argentina.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/04/sweatshops-are-still-supplying-major-brands.html Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:52:28 +0000 Marks and Spencer's, Next, Ralph Lauren, DKNY, GAP, Converse, Banana Republic, Land's End, Levi's. And so the list of brands go on and on.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/04/mcdonalds-ad-too-risque-for-the-phillipines-video.html Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:58:23 +0000 A new McDonald's ad created an uproar in the Philippines for allegedly depicting prepubescent sexuality.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/12/my-shelter-foundation-creates-a-school-made-out-of-bottles.html Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:04:30 +0000 An innovative school-building project in the Philippines provides an inspiring example of sustainable architecture.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/09/monocolumn-imelda-marcos-mark-2.html Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:37:41 +0000 Imelda Marcos, the former Philippine first lady and the stuff of shoemakers’ dreams, has a new vocation. ]]> 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/2010/04/david-byrnes-rock-opera-about-imelda.html Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:58:57 +0000 Enamored by the eclectic, if not delusional, wife of former President Marcos of the Philippines,- David Byrne teamed up with Fat Boy Slim to pen Here Lies Love, a rock opera about none other than the mother of shoes - Imelda. ]]> 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/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/2009/10/van-gogh-is-bipolar-restaurant-serves-brain-healthy-food.html Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:01:55 +0000 "Van Gogh is Bipolar" takes healthy eating to a new level by only serving natural foods which help produce "happy hormones." ]]> 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/2009/05/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/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/2009/01/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...]]>