“How do I make an Instagram account?” My 78-year-old father asked, holding up his smartphone. This was quite a feat – my dad was super clumsy with technology, but he was adamant about creating his own profile. I shook my head and chuckled as I watched my fiancé teach him how to set up his account and follow other users. Satisfied, he went to the Woven page and hit follow. According to him, it’s so he wouldn’t have to keep bugging me for updated pictures of our products and communities. My dad, Joseph Francia, has always been Woven’s biggest influencer. During meetings with colleagues and get-togethers with friends, he took every opportunity to preach about our brand. He would bring out...
A peek at one of our initiatives in Basey: Kabataan Krafts, a youth-based organization made up of the children of artisans, aged 12 to 17 years old. This session on creativity was done last October 2019 with designers Alessa Lanot and Mikko Sumulong as the teachers. Under their tutelage, the kids learned how to find inspiration in nature and harness their creativity to produce vibrant works of art. The children are shy, but when the trainer hands them the paper and art materials, they settle into the task of creative work easily. They disperse and roam the grounds of the Sohoton Visitor’s center, stopping at a bush dotted with flowers, at the foot of a palm tree or beside tropical leaves...
Thinking of the perfect gift for Mother's Day? We know how difficult it can be - more so now, when it's impossible to go out and scout for a physical present. For mothers who now spend 24/7 with their families, there's time for everyone and everything in the household - except for themselves. When we asked moms what they really wanted, we got some interesting answers: Free groceries All-day air-conditioning Extended ECQ (to keep everyone safe and healthy) See my grandchildren Lechon (Yum!) Time to watch K-drama Space for working out So we thought, this Mother's Day, it's time to give our moms their much-deserved me-time! We've designed a fun collection of Mom Me-Time Cards that you can print at home and gift...
The technical term for the bahay kubo style is integrated and diversified farming, and this is something that SEARCH has been pushing for in other areas. It is a way for farmers to survive and even thrive regardless of their income level or the state of the national economy. And with the economic downturn caused by the much needed quarantine, our rural communities need to practice farming for self-sustenance more than ever.
In working with crafts communities, we have been given the chance to learn lots of interesting things from our local artisans. During the last series of Woven on the Move workshops, we noticed that when the weavers were waiting in the lull hours, they were working on bracelets made from buri. Just something to pass the time and experiment on new patterns. They gladly encouraged our team to join them and of course, we were game to learn it. So, we'd like to share with you this basic weaving tutorial. As we wait in the comfort of our homes, may we continue to be creative and let our minds wander to learning new things! Since you probably don't have buri strips lying...
