An artful start to Women’s Month at Estancia Mall in Pasig City. (L-R) Arch. Renee Bacani, Vice President of Ortigas Malls, Rita Bustamante, Floral Artists of Davao Association President, Robert Jaworski Jr. Pasig City Vice Mayor, Vice President Sara Duterte, Josie Carriedo Tionko, Floral Artists of Davao Association founder and chairwoman, Junie Jalandoni, Ortigas Land CEO and President, and Maritess Ortigas.

Ortigas Malls kicked off its Women’s Month celebration with “Gahum sa Buwak: Flower Power,” an art event featuring works by women artists and fashion designers from Davao, at the G/F East Wing of Estancia Mall in Pasig City. The month-long event will run until March 31, 2023.

“For Women’s Month, we wanted to put the spotlight on Filipina artists from Davao through ‘Gahum sa Buwak,’ which directly translates to ‘flower power.’ The event seeks to provide Dabawenya artists an avenue where they can be seen and heard, and be given opportunities to showcase their creativity. Ortigas Malls supports this call, and we are excited to host our local artists in Estancia,” said Arch. Renee Bacani, Vice President of Ortigas Land.

Organized by Dabawenyo Artists Federation Inc. art group Floral Artists of Davao, Gahum sa Buwak features the works of various female artists, including paintings by Rita Bustamante, Mean Tan Guinoo, Annie Tan Sy, Maru Aiharu, Aimee Suarez, Josie Tionko, Ritzel Polinar, Nina Custodio, Marica Llamas Cang, Shaira Secuya, Jing Rabat, and Amanda Fe Echevarria; a photography exhibit by Ellah Plariza; and digital art by Anthonette Plariza.

The opening ceremony and ribbon cutting at Estancia Mall was attended by Vice President Sara Duterte, Pasig City Vice Mayor Robert Jaworski Jr., Department of Tourism Mindanao director Tanya Rabat, fashion designer Margarita Montemayor Nograles, National Artist for dance Agnes Locsin, and honorary consul of Hungary for Mindanao Mary Ann Montemayor.

Art talks
Throughout the month of March, Estancia Mall will host a series of “Gahum sa Buwak” art talks by Amanda Fe Echevarria (“An Introduction to Art Therapy” on March 4, 2pm), Rita Bustamante (“Lecture on the process of a creative experience” on March 12, 3pm), and Councilor Pilar Braga (“Art and Culture in Davao” on March 26, 3pm).

Fashion show
There will also be a fashion show called “Threads of Culture” featuring ensembles by Margarita Montemayor Nograles of local brand Kaayo and jewelry designer Kathryn Fanlo on March 19th.

Workshops
To cap off the Women’s Month celebration, visitors can join a painting workshop on March 31, 2pm called “Musing the Soul, Painting and Poetry in Words and Colour,” where they will create art in different mediums, such as painting using acrylic, oil, and watercolor.

Estancia Mall, a shopping mall with a modern luxurious feel and design, is known for hosting events highlighting Filipino talent and creativity. For five years, it has been the venue for the annual Ortigas Art Festival, an event showcasing local art of various disciplines. A live music venue is also located in Estancia Mall, where shoppers can watch Filipino musicians perform.

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With “Gahum sa Buwak,” Ortigas Malls continues to support Filipino arts by providing a platform and venue for artists across the Philippines.

“Bringing art closer to every Filipino is important to us. We hope many of our loyal shoppers get a chance to experience the exhibit and activities in ‘Gahum sa Buwak,’” said Arch. Bacani.

“Gahum sa Buwak: Flower Power” will run from March 1 to March 31, 2023 at the GF East Wing of Estancia Mall, Pasig City.

For more information and updates on Estancia Mall, like their Facebook page and follow @estanciaph on Instagram. Download the Ortigas Malls app and be part of the community.