GK residents earn from sellling tarp bags

FROM discarded tarpaulin billboards to world class designer bags, from being dump site scavengers to livelihood earners, and from that small village in Iloilo City to the internationally famed beaches of Boracay Island. This, in a nutshell, is what has been happening to the residents in a small village in Sooc, Arevalo District of that city. And it doesn’t seem to end there as more opportunities continue to come.

“Dati po kaming tagapulot ng basura sa tambakan ng Manduriao. Nung ginamit ng gobyerno ang lupa, nawalan na po kami ng tirahan (We used to be scavengers at the Manduriao dumpsite but we were left homeless when the government used the land we built our house on),” said the 59-year-old Herminia Pineda, fondly called Ate Hermie.

But now, like 66 other families, Ate Hermie is a proud owner of a house, living with dignity and making hip products for both local and international tourists.

Ate Hermie is one of the beneficiaries of the PLDT-Smart corporate partnership with the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Foundation in Sooc.

In 2009, the livelihood advocacy of Talk ‘N Text “Tipid Sulit Pinas” was launched to generate funds that will provide sustainable livelihood for the GK communities nationwide.

After more trainings were conducted by its partner Philippine Business for Social Progress, the largest corporate-led social development foundation in the Philippines and with the entry of renowned international lifestyle fashion designer and social entrepreneur PJ Arañador, an Iloilo native, and GKonomics, a Gawad Kalinga partner in social enterprise development, Project Zero was born with the aim “of creating livelihood projects through innovative design and product development with a market in mind.”

We are glad that Arañador helped us train the community in crafting more marketable, quality products,” said Darwin Flores, Smart’s Senior Manager for Community Partnerships.

Smart shipped its used and discarded billboard and banner tarpaulins from all over the country to Iloilo City, where the GK residents were taught to make bags and crafts to augment their income. Using zero electricity, they recycle and create green products by hand, producing pieces with zero carbon-emission.

At Boracay’s D’Mall, where PJ Arañador has his own lifestyle shop catering to tourists, small groups of people have gathered. Infront was a short stage. Within minutes, young and beautiful models were walking on the short ramp holding on to the different types of bags made by the Sooc PLDT-Smart Amazing GK village.

“We are so happy after seeing the products that we made ourselves being sold to tourists,” Ate Hermie exclaimed. From knapsacks to pouches, evening handbags to clutches, these are just a few of an extensive lineup of products under PJ’s fashion brand, Nautilus. Soon, these items will also be available in Gawad Kalinga’s GKonomics showroom across the country.