A Trip to Fort Santiago: Visit the Go Lokal x Manila Canvas Store

INTRAMUROS, MANILA - Woven opened its display at the Go Lokal in-store selling area inside the Manila Canvas souvenir cafe in Fort Santiago. Strategically located within the walled city of Intramuros, Woven is among 12 Go Lokal Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) featured from the Go Lokal program of the Department of Trade and Industry. 

Officially launched on March 27, the Go Lokal x Manila Canvas souvenir café is found at Chamber 8 in Fort Santiago and will be open daily from 10am to 8pm.  It is an ideal location as the walled city of Intramuros draws local and foreign visitors to attractions like Casa Manila, Baluarte de San Diego, Museo de Intramuros and Fort Santiago. Intramuros was even recently recognized as Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction in 2022 at the World and Travel Awards in Asia and Oceania. It previously received this honor in 2020 and 2016. 

Manila Canvas is owned and operated by CANDC Plants and Woodcrafts, a leading supplier of plant and woodcraft souvenirs in the Philippines. They started out as a souvenir store before adding a café in December 2022. According to Manila Canvas owners Ros and Vincent Queja, they had initially visited Fort Santiago to look for souvenir shops where they could consign items from their brand, Cactus and Canvas. Instead, they found an opportunity to set up their second home, Manila Canvas. They explained, “In partnership with DTI, we have opened up our home to a dozen other local brands (and counting), through the Go Lokal program, giving these micro, small and medium enterprises the opportunity to showcase their Philippine-made items.” 

Aside from Woven, the souvenir café currently carries products from the following MSMEs: Delta’s Food Products, Mama Cili Enterprises, Sangkutsa Food Products, Dielle’s Apiary and Meadery, Inc, Cocolibre Corp., Marigold Commodities Corporation, Ginga Food Manufacturing, The Cattwrites Bag and Accessories, HIPH888 Merchandising, and JLVR Prints. 

Woven co-owner Trish Lim shares, “We are proud to do our part in preserving our heritage while also keeping our handicrafts relevant in our modern lifestyle. We are happy to be part of the first wave of homegrown brands tourists can find in Manila Canvas.”  

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Woven is a compassionate crafts company that works hand in hand with Filipino artisan communities to design handicrafts for the modern lifestyle. Shop online at www.woven.ph or visit our physical displays at Sinag Sari-Sari on the 2nd floor TriNoma, Quezon City; Common Room PH in Powerplant Mall, Makati; Go Lokal! In the Robinsons Place Ermita Department Store, Manila; and Roots Collective on the 3rd floor of Uptown Mall Bonifacio, Taguig City.