Glenda Tuanquin
It all begins with an idea.
Strands and Fringes is all about indulging in modern macramé creativity and in giving in to challenges where potential macramé projects are concerned.
Thanks to the support extended by family and friends during its early days, what started in September 2018 as simply an option for a hobby for a stay-at-home mom has grown to become an online venue to showcase carefully knotted bags in various designs and different colors and sizes. Every macramé item is customized according to the preferences of the many women (and men) who appreciate locally handcrafted products.
#yourmacramecrafter offers a wide range of stylish and unique bags as well as accessories, footwear, and home decors which are knotted with a joyful heart.
Risque Designs and Manufacturing
It all begins with an idea.
Risqué is a footwear social enterprise that focuses on the use of local materials, cultural influences and skills of local artisans.
Edgar Madrid
It all begins with an idea.
Meet Edgar: An abaca artisan from Bicol whose passion for making bags and other handicrafts out of this agri waste material started from just training three years ago, and is now making waves in the local market with his carefully crafted products as Irosin Handicrafts and Souvenirs!
It all started in 2018 when Edgar took a DTI training for weaving and creating bags out of abaca bacbac. Now he creates fashionable hand bags, home decor and wares, and accessories like face masks. With his enterprise, he has helped more than 30 women in his community of Irosin by providing additional livelihood opportunities for them through this craft.
Everything is Pine
It all begins with an idea.
Meet Zhea: Full-time mother of two and hobbyist with a passion for arts and crafts who founded Everything is Pine - a crafts store making accessories, bags, and home furnishings with the abundant pine needles in Benguet.
In 2016, Zhea started up Everything is Pine. The enterprise has made Zhea realize that so much design material is available from nature such as the pine needles and seeds which are often just discarded once they have fallen from trees. She gives back to the women of Itogon by providing them with additional household income, thus empowering them through their craft too.
Francis Jestre
It all begins with an idea.
Meet Francis: the artisan from Sorsogon who uses banana bark to give life and beauty to the simplest of items through Jestre Arts and Crafts!
When he started using banana bark, he was amazed by the quality of the material. He now uses it in creating boxes, organizers, pencil cases, lamp shades, clip boards and now, bags, wallets, and pouches are in development too.
Creating products using banana bark has given him and his crafters more opportunities for additional income, as well as avenues to improve their artistry through producing these items and joining trade shows.
Jocelyn Bibandor
It all begins with an idea.
Meet Nanay Jocelyn: a loving wife, mother, and a shoemaker with a passion for creating quality footwear for over 35 years and counting
For nearly three years now, she has been crafting footwear out of coco coir, a versatile fibre extracted from outer husks of coconuts which also acts as a natural foot deodorizer. Her craftsmanship and high quality products made her footwear stand out in the local market.
Nanay Jocelyn dreams of passing on her knowledge and love for shoemaking to her children and eventually, her grandchildren - letting the legacy of the craft live on for generations to come.
Renel Batralo
It all begins with an idea.
Meet Renel: A hobbyist since high school turned full-time craftsman of his arts and crafts social enterprise, Rolyolikha At Iba Pa Handicrafts, which creates handicrafts from newspapers and eventually, hyacinth or water lilies, bamboo, buri, pandan, and coconut shells.
Despite his hearing impairment, Renel’s creativity and passion for creating art out of materials often only discarded was eventually able to help his neighbors and community members learn the craft and earn additional income.
Renel, together with the communities and families he helps with Rolyolikha, continue to create eco-friendly and ethically-made handicrafts.
Alyssa Bartoline and Joby Gonzales
It all begins with an idea.
Meet Joby and Alyssa: College friends turned art business partners who bring walls to life with their murals and spaces with their artworks - and, most recently, sustainable, slow fashion products.
DeafEye, which stems from their physical impairments (Joby was born deaf and Alyssa’s blurry eyes, reaching a 600 eye grade) and their pursuit of “defying” the impossible, has also gone beyond just murals and canvas paintings. Recently, in a collaboration with Gree-ne-las and Junknot, they have been hand painting designs on products made of sustainable raw materials like abaca, coco coir, and upcycled cartons.
Despite the challenges brought by their disabilities, Joby and Alyssa defy the odds and continue to pour their heart, souls, and talent into each hand painted piece.
Wilfredo Endionela and Charlie Lopez
It all begins with an idea.
Meet Charlie: Agricultural Extension Staff from Tao-Kalikasan Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (TKFPI) - an environmental conservation organization with a heart for nature conservation and helping farmers’ and indigenous people’s families in Camarines Norte.
TKFPI’s journey with creating abaca products began five years ago as a result of a learning exchange in Albay, where they crafted abaca carpets for export to Europe. Now, TKFPI provides an alternative and additional source of livelihood to farmers’ wives and daughters who comprise 70% of the organization’s members and were trained as home-based weavers.
