Weaving life

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing."

~Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), American novelist

On display at the 3rd floor of Greenbelt 5 mall are the gorgeous nito vine baskets of the indigenous Iraya Mangyan of the island province of Mindoro. The Ayala Foundation has committed to providing education and skills training to a community of Iraya Mangyan in the town of Puerto Galera, a popular beach and diving destination. Part of their commitment is to revive the traditional art of weaving beautiful and functional baskets made of nito (Lygodium circinatum), a forest vine. Sales of the baskets go directly to the families who weave them.

You can learn more about—and support—the Ayala Foundation's Iraya Mangyan Project here.

Theology & Philosophy

"If there's no chocolate in Heaven, I'm not going."

~Jane Seabrook, Furry Logic Laugh at Life

Theo & Philo chocolates are made of cacao beans and other ingredients sourced straight from local farmers. I confess that it is the first (and, so far, the only) Philippine-made chocolate bar that I like. Aside from milk chocolate and 70% dark chocolate, they have other flavors that are distinctly Filipino: siling labuyo (tiny, very hot chili), kapeng barako (a local coffee bean with a robust flavor), green mango and salt, pili nut and pinipig (toasted glutinous rice), and a few new ones which I haven't tried yet. Their gift boxes, which can hold 3 or 5 bars, are based on the colors of the Philippine flag.

Leg godt

"As long as Lego bricks have been in existence,
the soles of fathers' feet have been in danger."

~Jonathan Bender, author of LEGO: A Love Story

Darth Vader welcomes customers to the Lego® store in Bonifacio High Street. Unfortunately, it was difficult taking his photo because everything was reflecting off his dark suit. I didn't realize he got photobombed by the lady beside me until I downloaded the photo.

And just a random thought: It must be awesome to be able to write down one's job as "Lego Master Model Builder."

Mosaic tiles

"Pay attention to the intricate patterns of your existence
that you take for granted."

~Doug Dillon, American author

Machuca Tile Inc. has been making Mediterranean-patterned cement tiles, called baldozas mosaicos, since the American colonial period in the early 1900s. The company founded by Don Jose Machuca y Romeo was a pioneer in the industry, and patterned tiles—no matter the manufacturer—are generically called "machuca tiles" by Manileños. This is the wall outside their showroom in the district of San Miguel in the City of Manila.

All-malt

San Miguel Beer is probably the best known beer produced in the Philippines. It is also the most popular locally, cornering a whopping 95% share of the market. San Miguel comes in eight varieties. Cerveza Negra is still my favorite, but the Premium All-Malt is a close second.

Can anyone explain to me why so many beers are named after Saints?

Triple distilled

The label of Tanduay Ice simply describes it as an alcomix and a triple distilled spirit. It comes in five flavors (three of which do not give you any idea what flavors they are based on their names): Red Mirage, Blue Illusion, Yellow Paradise, Pink Pomelo and Citrus. It has the same alcohol content as beer but is infinitely sweeter.

Wings

It's not everyday we see a ginormous can of Red Bull in our office parking lot. Unless you're looking for a cardiac arrest, drinking that much of the energy drink in one sitting is definitely not recommended.

Balloon lady

The lady selling balloons just outside the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish church was nice enough to pose for me when she saw me trying to take her photo. Business must be good during Sundays, when entire families attend Masses at the church, but I hope she also does well during weekdays.

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I apologize for my sudden disappearance again. We had internet connection problems the entire week! Everything's okay now, thank goodness.

Renewable energy

Bamboo bicycles have been around since the 19th century, but it was only in the mid 2000s that they began gaining serious attention. They make a lot of sense to me. Unlike metals which need to be mined and processed in highly damaging and polluting methods to be usable, bamboo are some of the fastest growing plants in the world, and are, therefore, ecologically and even economically sustainable. I didn't see which particular company made this bike—the Philippines now has several—but it was on display at the Human Nature store (see yesterday's post).

Of smiles and hearts

At the Blue Market social enterprise fair where I took yesterday's photo, I was immensely gratified to learn about Quezon City's Sikap Buhay Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives Office. More than just a microfinance program, the office helps its poor clients with business development and planning, and it also helps the micro enterprises find new customers and markets. In fact, their stall in the fair featured the handicrafts of several cooperatives and enterprises, which included bags, mats and picture frames woven from fabric scraps, used paper and foil packs. Less garbage for the city, livelihood for the city's poor, and useful products for their customers. Everyone wins.

Snack bags

Would you believe that these woven bags are made of those plastic and aluminum foil packs that potato chips and their ilk come in? Several years ago, someone realized their potential for a livelihood project for the residents of Metro Manila's slums, especially those near garbage dump sites where used packs can be salvaged from. Habi (weave) Bags are made by the residents of Baseco, a huge island ghetto where the Pasig River flows into Manila Bay. The enterprise has the support of Oishi, a local (despite its Japanese name) manufacturer of snacks and drinks, which provides the weavers with damaged and scrap materials for their colorful and amazingly sturdy bags.

Red bananas

Banana "ketchup" is a uniquely Filipino product. No, it doesn't have tomatoes; it really is made from bananas, with vinegar, sugar and spices. Think of it as a sweet and spicy banana sauce, similar in taste to Thai sweet chili sauce. Banana ketchup was invented during World War II when there was a shortage of tomatoes (and many other things besides), and its formulation is credited to Maria Ylagan Orosa (1892–1945), a food technologist, nationalist and war heroine. If you've ever mashed bananas, you know that it is light brown in color; banana ketchup is red because of food coloring—to make it more acceptable as a ketchup replacement to Filipinos and Americans in the country during the WWII era. But almost three-quarters of a century after the war, I wish Jufran and other makers of banana ketchup would drop the red food coloring and stop calling it ketchup. It's a flavorful and appetizing condiment which can—and should—be elevated to something more than "fake ketchup."

Bottled light

If old shoes used as planters (see yesterday's post) aren't quirky enough for you, how about a chandelier made of old beer bottles? Too bad it was daytime when we went to Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery—I would have loved to have seen what it looks like lit up. And I think that Red Horse Beer should buy this piece by Nathan Apilado.

Something else

Number 10 Alabama Street in New Manila, Quezon City (see the previous two posts) is the home of Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery. They sell a few original vintage pieces, like the vanity and ornate mirror, but their strength lies in giving new life to what other people call junk. The chest of drawers—which I absolutely adore—is made of salvaged wooden planks; notice the drawer pulls that come from a variety of pieces so each is unique. The lamp on the floor in the foreground is made of the narrow side of old CPU towers, and the silver flapper lampshade of the piece on the chest is made of soda can tabs. The gallery sometimes has guest artists to exhibit in the house (which really is a house, by the way); the crochet sculpture is by Aze Ong and is part of her "Liwanag" (light) touring exhibit.

New life

A lowly bayong—a coarse but sturdy tote bag made of woven palm leaves, commonly used while buying vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry and meats in fresh markets—is given a lovely coat that is just as environmentally friendly, made of a patchwork of wonderfully textured fabric scraps, by What If Handmade, a social enterprise that repurposes old and used fabrics.

Organic

I do not know anything about pottery or ceramics, but I do know that I like the creations of Quezon potter Ugu Bigyan (see yesterday's post). I love how he uses organic patterns and shapes, and especially how he mixes textures—all of which result in pieces that are a delight to see and to touch. Take these bowls as an example. They are pinched, pushed and pulled after first being shaped perfectly on the wheel. The exterior is left unglazed, and the creamy white clay has speckles of brown in different shades. The colors inside the bowl run into each other like clouds, the glaze is matte in some areas and glossy in others, and the bottom has a whimsical spiral [inspired by pako (fiddlehead fern), maybe?]. You know you have an authentic Ugu Bigyan piece when you see his distinctive signature at the bottom or the back.

Value

Colorful coin purses made of handwoven fabric from the Bicol Region. Selling in the streets of Manila for six pieces for one hundred pesos—about 38 U.S. cents per piece, or less than five dollars for the dozen in this picture.

Ironic

Swatch installed a gigantic watch in Rizal Park commemorating the accession of Benigno Aquino III to the presidency of the Philippines in June of this year. Since his nickname is Noynoy, his presidential nickname has become P-Noy, which is a play on Pinoy, the colloquial term which we use for ourselves as Filipinos. The text written on top of the watch is "Oras P-Noy, Oras ng Pagbabago"—Time for P-Noy, Time for Change.

Rising from the ashes

For my last post about the Ateneo School of Management Business Accelerator (SOMBA) Program, I am featuring a product that is very different from everything else that I've posted this past week. Envirobloxx are concrete masonry units (better known as cinder blocks in the U.S. and hollow blocks here in the Philippines) made of cement, lahar (volcanic ash flow—we still have lots from the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption) and rice hull ash. The result is a cheaper, lighter block that does not compromise on strength. I also like Envirobloxx's interlocking design, which should make wall construction easier. This is a product which I hope construction companies, architects, civil engineers and hardware stores will pick up fast. My husband and I have no need for hollow blocks right now, but you can be sure that I'm keeping their brochure and business card for the day when we do need them.



Envirobuilders Construction Supplies Inc. developed and markets Envirobloxx. They can be emailed at envirobuildersinc@gmail.com.

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The AY 2010–2011 SOMBA Program has more groups than the seven that I was able to feature. The complete list of companies established this academic year can be found at jgsomba.tk. And to all the students in the program: you have such fantastic ideas and products, and I love that you all care about the environment and the less privileged of our countrymen so much. I wish your companies much success and I hope that all your products fly off the shelves!

Starchy food

Before I continue with my series on the Ateneo School of Management Business Accelerator (SOMBA) Program fair, I think I need to clarify one point. These students are Management majors; they are not food technologists or materials scientists. Therefore, the products that they develop are not necessarily new; in fact, they have to use existing technologies if they wish to finish their project within the stipulated year. Their mandate is to develop commercially-viable products for a specified target market. The environmental and social enterprise focus are additional, in the hope that these young men and women will mature into socially-responsible adults and entrepreneurs. That said, let's go on to the next company (just two more since I wasn't able to take photos of all the products at the fair). We all know how disposable, plastic tableware is bad for the environment; but no one can deny that they are very convenient—for parties, take-out (take-away, to-go or however you call it in your country) food, picnics, and such. A solution: disposable, starch-based eating utensils. They're not just biodegradable; they can actually be added to compost heaps. The stuff in the bowl are the starch pellets which the spoons and forks are made of. This particular product is made by a Gawad Kalinga community; this and its environmental focus defines Bioware as a social enterprise. I forgot to ask the kids though: won't the spoon melt if it's used for stirring hot drinks or eating hot soup?



Me bad. I wasn't able to get their business card so I don't have Bioware's contact information, but the SOMBA Program office should have it. Their number is (63-2) 426-6001 extension 5532.

3:20PM UPDATE: Thanks to Joey Oliver, I can now direct you to Bioware's Facebook page. Bioware is the brand and the company is called Greenature Cycle Incorporated.