Art for All: Unlocking Creativity with Coffee - The "Brewing Joy" Exhibit by Coffee Artists PH

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

Presented by Robinsons Land ARTablado and Summit Hotel Greenhills

November 2025…..Robinsons Land ARTablado and Summit Hotel Greenhills present “Brewing Joy – A Holiday Coffee Art Exhibit,” featuring the unique and captivating works of Coffee Artists PH (CAPH). This festive exhibition at the hotel’s Red Gallery highlights the artistic versatility of coffee and reinforces the idea that innovative art can emerge from accessible, everyday materials.

Barun Jolly, Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Manager of Robinsons Hotels & Resorts (RHR), shared his enthusiasm: "Robinsons Hotels & Resorts is dedicated to championing the immense creativity of Filipino artists. We believe that by showcasing these unique works, especially through dynamic partnerships like this one with Coffee Artists PH, we not only support local talent but also enrich the aesthetic experience of our guests. This 'Brewing Joy' exhibit is a wonderful example of how art enhances the joy and warmth of our hospitality."

The exhibit is a compelling display where 37 participating artists explore the rich potential of ordinary coffee as an extraordinary painting medium. Showcasing over 60 art pieces created in 2025 and most being shown to the public for the first time—the collection depicts diverse subjects including landscapes, portraits, still life, and Christmas scenes that specifically reflect what brings the artist joy during the holiday season.

Coffee Artists PH (CAPH) was founded in March 2024 by its current president, Anwylen Fua-Gaño, and a small core group of pioneering artists. The group’s impactful advocacy is to “unlock artistic potential with coffee: an affordable, accessible medium.” Their message quickly resonated, leading the community to grow into a thriving collective of over 200 member artists.

"Coffee stands strong as an alternative medium alongside traditional paints," says Fua-Gaño. "Its rich, earthy tones can be as expressive and versatile as watercolors or oils, and coffee artworks last just as long, proving its merit as a serious artistic discipline."

The "Brewing Joy" exhibit also serves as the launch platform for the Traveling Coffee Artists Project, a new collaboration with the Traveling Pastel Project. This initiative aims to educate remote communities about coffee as an art medium. By utilizing local or generic coffee, the project promotes the community’s product while emphasizing coffee’s convenience and affordability as a creative tool.

Adding a layer of meaning to the exhibition, several art pieces are up for auction. All proceeds from this special auction will be donated to Summit Hotel Greenhills’ partner beneficiaries, Anawim Lay Missions—an organization dedicated to providing a loving home for the elderly--and Bahay Aruga—a halfway house for children with cancer.

All other artworks in the collection are available for sale, with interested parties encouraged to contact the artists directly. The artists featured in “Brewing Joy – A Holiday Coffee Art Exhibit” are Andrei Solmirano, Anne Labesores, Annie Foronda, Anwylen Fua-Gaño, Argentina Morata, Cici Drake, Chester Ocampo, Cristina Alfonso, Crisanto Antonio, Czarina Sheela Alcasid, Dale Francisco, Ella Gardens, Gerlie Urbano, Glena Plan, Imelda Tagudar, John dela Cruz, Jennifer Lee Bonto, Jhen Agbay, Jhen Dungo, Jones Flores, Joy Labaguis, Lito Biñas, Marie Claire, Melodee Millare, Melanie Reyes Tuquet, Nancy Palma – Cruz, Nelsie Geografo, Peachy Alcaraz, Rei Rob, Romina Dayanghirang, Rommel M Fabian, Salve Frilles, Sheila Quisumbing Bondoc, Susan A. Mendoza, Teddy " Ulap " Santos, Vanessa Bautista, Ysmael Fontanilla, and Yeye Calderon.

Robinsons Land ARTablado is a dedicated platform (a blend of "art" and "entablado" or "stage") for celebrating Filipino ingenuity and creativity. It serves as a vital stage for emerging artists, enabling them to freely express themselves through art and gain recognition for their talent and dedication. 

“Brewing Joy – A Holiday Coffee Art Exhibit” will run until February 1, 2026 at Summit Hotel Greenhills, located at 13 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan. 

          

The Ultimatum: Youth Deliver a Radical Blueprint to Save a Multilateral System in Crisis

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The world stands at a precipice. We are navigating a time of profound global uncertainty, geopolitical realignment, and a deepening crisis of international cooperation. The multilateral system—the very machinery designed to keep our world functioning—is facing unprecedented challenges, plagued by widening trust deficits and growing inequalities.

In the midst of this chaos, a unified voice has emerged, not with a plea, but with a plan. The Global Youth Declaration on the Environment 2025 is not merely a statement of intent; it is a collective call for urgent, ambitious, and inclusive action presented to the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and Member States.

Representing over 2,000 organizations and 12,000 members worldwide, the Children and Youth Major Group (CYMG) has drawn a line in the sand. Their message is clear: The window for action is closing, and if UNEA is to remain relevant to the world it serves, it must recognize young people not just as future stakeholders, but as present-day partners.

I. The Diagnosis: A System on the Brink

The Declaration arrives at a moment when the world is "off track on nearly all global goals". The triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—is accelerating, fueled by a global economic architecture that traps the Global South in debt cycles and denies them the fiscal space to act.

The youth point to specific failures that have deepened this crisis of trust:

Negotiation Collapses: The recent collapse of the IMO shipping levy and the faltering INC-5.2 plastics treaty negotiations have starkly exposed the weaknesses in global environmental governance.

fragmentation: The current system is disjointed. Over the past six sessions, UNEA has adopted 105 resolutions that are often too specific or disconnected, stretching limited resources thin.

The Implementation Gap: Trillions pledged for climate and biodiversity finance remain undelivered, leaving vulnerable nations defenseless against environmental shocks.

"This broader crisis of international cooperation is starkly reflected in the environmental domain." 

II. The Mobilization: A Global Roar

This Declaration was not written in a vacuum. It is the culmination of an unprecedented mobilization of youth across every corner of the globe since UNEA-6.

In Africa: Youth convened in Nairobi to address climate resilience and environmental justice alongside AMCEN-20.

In the Asia-Pacific: Meeting in Fiji, young leaders pushed for a high-ambition plastics treaty and highlighted Pacific climate leadership.

In the Caribbean: The first in-person youth conference in Jamaica tackled the intersection of ocean conservation and human rights.

In West Asia: The Arab Youth Environment Forum focused on the critical nexus of conflict, peacebuilding, and environmental justice.

From the "Mottainai Youth Declaration" in Osaka to the halls of the UN Summit of the Future , the youth have proven they are already leading the response to the planetary crisis through innovation and advocacy.

III. The Blueprint: Five Interconnected Transformations

To restore faith in global cooperation and tackle the crisis, the youth demand five interconnected transformations.

1. Reform Environmental Governance

The current fragmentation must end. The youth call for the establishment of a high-level task force to identify synergies between Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). They demand that science be embedded at the core of decision-making, institutionalizing scientific input directly into UNEA negotiations to ensure resolutions are grounded in reality, not just politics.

2. Rewrite the Economic Rulebook

The Declaration identifies the "linear, extractive economic model" as a root driver of the crisis.

End the Fossil Age: A demand for a rapid, just phase-out of fossil fuel expansion.

Cap Resource Use: Advanced economies must set legally binding targets for absolute resource reduction.

Fix the Money: The International Financial Architecture (IFA) is unjust and structurally biased. The youth call for debt sustainability reviews, scaling up concessional finance, and implementing innovative levies on carbon, fossil fuels, aviation, and shipping.

3. Confront the Pollution Nightmare

Pollution now causes one in six deaths globally. The youth demand a legally binding plastics treaty that caps virgin plastic production and eliminates toxic additives. They insist on a "polluter pays" framework where those responsible for contamination bear the full costs of remediation and community care.

Toxic Bans: A call to expand the list of "forever chemicals" (PFAS) for a global phase-out.

4. Protect Nature & Build Resilience

We must move from promises to local action. The Declaration calls for a "Protect-Manage-Restore" hierarchy that prioritizes conserving intact ecosystems above all else. Crucially, it demands that Indigenous Peoples and local communities be legally empowered as co-managers of ecosystems, ensuring their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is central to the solution.

5. Embed Intergenerational Equity

Youth participation can no longer be tokenistic. The Declaration demands the institutionalization of youth in decision-making through dedicated mechanisms and sustained resourcing. This includes upholding the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a legally enforceable human right.

IV. The Future is Now

The Global Youth Declaration serves as a reminder that while the multilateral system faces a crisis of legitimacy, change is still possible. But that change requires UNEA-7 to rise to the scale of the challenge.

The youth have laid out the roadmap. They have done the work, mobilizing across borders and thematic divides. Now, the burden shifts to the Member States.

The question remains: Will UNEA remain a venue for slow deliberation, or will it become the platform for the bold, systemic transformation the world desperately needs?

"If UNEA is to remain relevant to the world it seeks to serve, it must recognise young people not just as future stakeholders but as present-day partners in decision-making and implementation." 

The youth are watching.

The Heartbeat of Negros: Unveiling the Secrets of Dumaguete

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

There are places you visit, and then there are places that inhabit you. Dumaguete is the latter. As the holiday season approaches, bringing with it a desire for reconnection and comforting warmth, this city does not merely welcome travelers—it captures their souls.

Located in the province of Negros Oriental, Dumaguete is often called the "City of Gentle People," but beneath that gentle exterior lies a landscape of fierce beauty, ancient whispers, and thundering waters. It is a destination that offers a vivid, unforgettable narrative for the family willing to listen.

I. Into the Blue: The Cathedral Beneath the Waves

To understand Dumaguete, one must first leave the land behind. Just off the coast lies Apo Island, a sanctuary that defies description. It is not simply a diving spot; it is a pilgrimage site for those who seek the divine in nature.

Here, the ocean floor is a vibrant metropolis. Thanks to diligent conservation efforts, the marine biodiversity is breathtaking. Imagine drifting weightlessly over a kaleidoscope of corals, surrounded by schooling trevally, shimmering angelfish, and the gentle, ancient giants of the deep—sea turtles.

The drama continues above the surface. After communing with the reef fish, a trek to the island’s summit reveals a solitary lighthouse. Standing atop this vantage point, you are treated to a sweeping, panoramic view of the cerulean skies melting into the endless blue—a visual symphony of isolation and peace.

II. Echoes of the Ancients: The 10-Foot Swords of Silliman

For the history aficionado, the ground beneath Dumaguete holds stories that date back to the dawn of civilization. The Silliman Anthropological Museum, housed within the prestigious Silliman University, is a portal to the past.

This is not a dusty collection of trinkets; it is a vault of indigenous heritage. Here, you can sift through the timeline of Negros and Mindanao. The exhibits are striking: rare maps that charted old worlds, resources on the mystical practices of Visayan folk medicine, and archaeological artifacts dating back as far as 500–200 B.C.

Most arresting of all are the 10-foot long kris swords—weapons of such scale and craftsmanship that they evoke images of a time when warriors and legends walked the earth.

III. The Roar in the Rainforest: Conquering Casaroro

Tucked away in the lush embrace of Valencia—dubbed the greenest municipality in Negros Oriental—lies a secret that demands effort to uncover. It is off the beaten path, hidden deep within a dense rainforest.

You will hear it before you see it.

The Casaroro Falls announces itself with the thunderous crash of water striking ancient stones. The journey to get there is a hike, a physical test that rewards you with the scent of fresh air and the sight of tropical flora so vibrant it seems to wick away your fatigue instantly. It is a raw, powerful display of nature that reminds us of the world's untamed beauty.

The Soul of the City: Three Legends of Dumaguete

Beyond the sights, Dumaguete is built on stories. To truly know this place, you must know its lore:

The Cinematic Legacy: This is the hometown of National Artist Eddie Romero. It is no wonder his works, such as Blood Island, feel so visceral; they were inspired by the nearby island of Siquijor, echoing the creative energy of his roots.

The Literary Rite of Passage: The city is the hallowed ground of the Silliman National Writers Workshop. For decades, it has served as the crucible for Filipino storytellers and wordsmiths, a place where the country's literary voice is honed.

The Legend of Catalina: Ask the locals, and they might whisper the tale of Catalina. In local folklore, she is the heroine who saved the city from the sigbin—a terrifying creature of Philippine mythology. Her legend stands as a testament to the city's resilience and mystery.