Looking for something meaningful to do in Makati this October? Yuchengco Museum is turning its gallery space into an immersive home experience for World Mental Health Day 2026, inviting visitors to pause, reflect, share stories, and think about what makes a space feel safe.

In celebration of World Mental Health Day 2026, #MentalHealthPH, in partnership with Y-Space at Yuchengco Museum, will host a series of campaigns entitled “You Are Home: Creating Safe Spaces for Every Story” on October 9 to 10, 2026.

Aligned with the global theme for World Mental Health Day, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change,” the campaign encourages participants to express themselves, connect with others, and start conversations about mental health in familiar spaces.

Curated like a real home, “You Are Home” transforms four essential spaces into an immersive experience: a Bedroom for restful reflection, a Dining Area celebrating supportive conversation as daily nourishment, a Living Room cultivating genuine connection and healing, and a Bathroom designed for releasing burdens and embracing renewal.

Through interactive elements in each room, visitors are invited to pause, share personal stories, and reflect on what truly makes a space feel safe.

The exhibit will officially open on 9 October 2026 at 6:30 PM at Yuchengco Museum. The experience is brought to life in partnership with IKEA, with IKEA furniture and key design elements outfitting the spaces and grounding the concept in familiar home settings.

More Than an Exhibit

The experience continues on 10 October 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with “Living Literatures,” an intimate storytelling experience inspired by the Human Library concept.

Visitors can take part in focused, one-on-one or small group conversations with individuals who serve as “human books,” sharing their lived experiences to promote understanding, connection, and meaningful dialogue.

Living Literatures will feature Filipino mental health advocates and artists, including Riyan Portuguez (Your Millennial Psychologist), Kuya Kim Atienza, and other advocates who champion mental health awareness and conversations in their respective fields.

Registration is still open through bit.ly/wmhdyouarehome2026.

The campaign will culminate on October 11 with “Living Voices,” a one-day community choir experience led by Sanghimig Performing Arts. The experience brings people together to sing, share, and celebrate community through harmony, amplifying the message that every voice—including those of persons with lived experiences (PWLE)—is welcome.

Take Home a Note of Hope

Visitors to the exhibit can also take part in “Notes of Hope,” an online dashboard accessible throughout the exhibition.

QR codes placed around the exhibit will connect visitors to onemoredayph.org, where they can submit anonymous letters of hope and encouragement. The messages are randomly surfaced to other visitors, creating an ongoing exchange of support and compassion that extends beyond the physical exhibit.

Since its founding in 2016, #MentalHealthPH has remained committed to advancing mental health awareness, education, and advocacy across diverse sectors and communities. Its work has included collaborations with the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) and the Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS), among other initiatives.

Recently, the organization was recognized by USTV+ with the Media Excellence Award in Psychological Awareness and Advocacy for its efforts in leveraging digital media for awareness building.

For those exploring what's happening around Metro Manila this October, “You Are Home” offers a different kind of museum experience—one that encourages visitors not just to look, but to listen, reflect, and connect.

Because sometimes, creating a safe space begins with simply giving people a place to tell their story.

#MakatiMaxxing: All the Places I Visited and Things I Did on a Makati Weekend

Makati City has a lot to offer anyone who comes to explore. Whether you're a resident or someone visiting from another city in the Metro, there's always something for you to discover. I especially love Makati on a weekend, especially in the morning. 

  

A photo of Aguirre Street, Makati 

On weekend mornings, most streets in Makati City, particularly around the commercial business district area, are quiet with hardly anyone or any cars around. 

On one particular Saturday, I walked around exploring Legaspi Village and Salcedo Village in Makati. 

Here are three new places I went to that are worth highlighting. 

A Hidden Restaurant Gem: Po & Pilar 

The original plan was to have brunch at Scratch on Aguirre Street. But the newly opened place had a long waiting line. Walking aimlessly in search of where to eat is how we ended up trying out Po & Pilar on Salcedo Street, Makati. 

Po & Pilar is from the team behind The Curator Coffee & Cocktails and offers a Filipino-Chinese menu that will remind diners of home-cooked meals. This is a pretty upscale restaurant, so be prepared to spend about Php500 to Php1000 per person. There is no dress code, so we were able to dine here even though we were only wearing shorts and casual tops. 

Inside Po & Pilar 

The interiors of Po & Pilar evoke warmth reminiscent of a Filipino family home. The walls have photos of the grandparents who inspired the dishes displayed all around. Once you enter the restaurant, you'll spot the bar first. As it is helmed by the Curator team, expect to find a great selection of creative cocktails and wines. 

We got here before lunch, so we initially had the place to ourselves. Although people started trickling in by noon. I imagine this place can get pretty full fast, so it's best to book a table ahead. 

The Food We Ordered  

The food are categorized under smaller, bigger, filler, and desserts. It makes it easy to decide based on how big or small your group is. 

This is chicken broccoli soup, which was served to us while we waited for the food we ordered. I loved this. It had a ma-umami taste with a hint of saltiness. 

We ordered Tuna Panipuri Casserole from the smaller plates. 

According to the menu description, Tuna Panipuri Casserole is made with tuna conserva, garam masala mushroom stew, and pickled vegetables. 

The panipuri is crispy. Once I ate it, the richness and savouriness of the tuna mixed with the saltiness of pickled vegetables immediately greeted my taste buds. It's an interesting mix of flavors. 

For our bigger plate, we ordered the Brick Chicken "Hawaiian Pizza Sauce" plus a side of brown rice. 

 

 

I like that the serving of the fried rice is quite generous for a side order. As for the brick chicken, the menu describes this as half a chicken deboned and cooked until the skin is crisp. It's served with a sauce of pineapple, cheese, and tomatoes. 

While it does say there's cheese, I honestly didn't taste that. It's the sweetness of the pineapple and the savory goodness of tomatoes that won me over. I finished this off.

It's quite a splurge to eat at Po & Pilar. There were only two of us, but our bill totaled around Php2000.00. Still, I think it's worth it. We had a good lunch. 

Business Hours: 

5:30 p.m to 10:30 p,m (Tuesday to Thursday); 5:30 p.m to 11:30 p.m. (Friday & Saturday); 5:30 p.m to 10:30 p.m (Sunday); Lunch: 11:30 a.m to 2:00 p.m (Saturday & Sunday) 

Vintage Luxury Shopping 

I saw an Instagram Reel from Tim Yap about a newly opened vintage luxury shop in Makati. They have designer brands like Dior, Chanel, etc., that retail for much less than what you'd find in the malls. so I was enticed to check it out. 

Previously Yours, according to one of the staff, has been operating for about 10 years already, but their shop is located in Dasmariñas Village, Makati, and open only to an exclusive clientele. The shop is owned by entrepreneur Ricco Ocampo. 

Here are some of the items that caught my eye: 

Chanel necklace retailing around Php16k 

Chanel blazer 

This Gucci bag retails for Php50,000 

And this is what I ended up buying at the shop: 

This pair of Off White sneakers really caught my eye. I thought the size would not fit me because it was smaller than my usual size, but it did! I got this for only Php6,500 when a pair of Off White sneakers retails around Php18,000 and above, depending on the style. This is already a steal.   

The shop features not only fashion items but also furniture, accessories, and other unique finds from Japan, the US, and personal collections. They accept cash, bank transfer, or GCash as a mode of payment. 

Find them: 

Previously Yours

Legazpi Street corner Castro in Legazpi Village, Makati City 

Gelato Dessert from Down Under 

Kariton is originally from Melbourne and rooted in Filipino nostalgia. It's from Chef Minh Duong, who found comfort in the kitchen and ice cream during the lockdowns. He teamed up with his long-time friend and Filipino chef, John Rivera. Kariton partnered with Erwan Heussaff to open its first store in the Philippines. 

In Salcedo Village, Kariton is more than just a gelato shop. In collaboration with another Melbourne-born concept, Sabi Sounds, the shop is a Filipino-inspired gelato and vinyl listening cafe. There were plenty of people in the shop by the time we got there early afternoon. We managed to find seats by the bar. 

We ordered 1 scoop Thrilla n Vanilla and 2 scoops Turon gelato. Both were good! I'll definitely be back. Gelato in a cup is around Php 200. 

Find them:

Kariton: Open daily from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Tiffany Place, 156 L.P. Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati

Coffee AtCurbside 

Coffee is almost always part of the agenda whenever I'm out. And for this particular #MakatiMaxxing day, we chose to try a newly opened coffee shop in Salcedo Street called AtCurbside. It's a small and cozy coffee shop serving freshly brewed, high-quality coffee from carefully selected beans. It's originally from Davao. 

 

Iced Horchata and hot Spanish Latte 

I usually order a Spanish Latte in coffee shops, so I tried AtCurbside's. I thought it was a good Spanish Latte. It's rich and creamy and not overly sweet. I also like the look of the cafe. It has an inviting, cozy appeal. 

Find them: 

AtCurbside

Fedman Suites

Salcedo Street, Legazpi Village, Makati 

Four stops. Over 20,000 steps achieved. One weekend in Makati. It was definitely a costly but fun day!