BPI Foundation announced that the third Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar will happen this year on December 13 (Wednesday) at the Palm Drive Activity Center, Glorietta 2, Makati City.
Sinag ng Pasko will feature products made by Filipino social enterprises, or businesses that uplift Filipino communities and promote positive social change in a sustainable manner. Many of these had previously undergone BPI Sinag Accelerate, BPI Foundation’s program created to discover, equip, and empower social entrepreneurs to scale-up and expand, so they can further deepen their impact in community development. The program includes a business competition, incubation, and mentorship, aiming to build a thriving social enterprise ecosystem for the Philippines.
Shop at this year’s Sinag ng Pasko and discover the following merchants:
FOOD
Balangay’s Best – a brand of high-quality, naturally processed, wild-caught sustainable seafood products made by artisan Filipino fishers using sustainable technologies and equitable business practices in the Philippines. It was established on October 2014 during the rehabilitation efforts in Bantayan Island, Cebu to journey with selected fishers as they fully recover from the typhoon’s aftermath.
Bayani Brew – beverages brewed only from all-natural, native ingredients from local organic farming communities, promoting farmland development, and helping Filipino farmers thrive.
Hiraya – a Filipino bean-to-bar chocolate company that is an advocate of sustainable and socially-conscious practices. It makes single-origin chocolate bars and chocolate products from cacao beans sourced around the Philippines.
Jertie’s Kitchen – This kitchen offers cooking workshops and vegan and gluten-free food products for healthy lifestyle.
Kayumanggi Organic – products range from organic coconut nectar, virgin coconut oil, wild ginger tea, raw coconut sugar, to rustic cacao.
La Miel Filipina – offers 100% organic raw wild honey
Make Peace Bakery – a bread house built to mitigate poverty through baking.
Puto ni Papa – Puto ni Papa is freshly made and filled with love.It comes in four different flavors: cheese, salted duck eggs, peanut butter and ube. Packaging is made from banana leaves instead of plastic, to preserve taste and prevent non-biodegradable waste.
Ritual – a small coffee joint store selling local, eco-friendly, preferably organic products.
Steep Coffee Bags – STEEP uses biodegradable coffee bags, which are thin to provide good flow of water inside when brewing. Locally roasted beans are used to provide rich, freshly brewed coffee in each cup, delivering a taste, aroma, and convenience made from the Philippines.
Tsaa Laya – teas made by a community from Kiangan where it sources and develops local mint and organic Tinaw-on rice, harvested from Ifugao Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Villa Socorro Farm – makes delicious banana snack products. It engages farmer-partners in Pagsanjan, Laguna as well as neighboring towns by providing them a sure market for their crops.
Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory – each batch of chocolate is produced in small quantities (actually, it would be “micro” in industry standards) and overseen personally by people instead of machines. It takes great care, time and effort to ensure that each step starting from the selection of the cacao bean to the final step of molding and packing, only offers the best
FASHION AND ACCESSORIES
Akaba – timeless, high quality and high value travel bags highlighting the beauty and practical use of handwoven textiles, and the Filipino values of dedicated craftsmanship and hard work.
Custom made Crafts Center – a sustainable social enterprise that connects modern-day lifetyles with indigenous life ways. CMCC partners and sources out products from indigenous and rural communities and markets them to contemporary consumers through mainstream and alternative channels. In developing quality products, CMCC works with community artisans to develop their craft and build their capacities, making sure that in the process their age-old customs and traditions are kept alive.
Habi Footwear – works in partnership with four communities across Quezon City, members of whom weave mats made out of scrap cloth from shirt factories, which are then procured directly by the company and sent to manufacturers for final assembly into shoes.
Mori Creations – designs and creates innovative purses, bags and handmade decors and accessories. The company collaborates with artists from different walks and backgrounds to make distinct, stylish, and functional products. Each item is lovingly handcrafted from mothers in Apolonio Samson, Quezon City.
Risque Designs – a Filipino lifestyle brand that brings forth modernity and luxury with its meticulously hand-crafted artisan products. From the far-flung communities of Negros Occidental and Paete, Laguna, to the busy show town of Marikina City, Risqué fuses various Filipino materials, craftsmanship and inspirations to create both ready-to-wear and ready-for-runway for footwear pieces.
Tejo – produces colourful hand woven bracelets created entirely by mothers from underprivileged communities in Paranaque City.
Angie’s Yakan Cloth – fabric products made by Yakan weavers in Zamboanga
ASSORTED GIFT ITEMS
Accents and Petals – novelty shop selling flowers made from recycled wood and paper
Cactus and Canvas PH – a green shop selling plant souvenirs as event giveaways
Gifts and Graces – a foundation created to bridge the gap between artisans and consumers. With a mission to promote quality products made by underprivileged communities in the nation, Gifts and Graces helps them be relevant to the Filipino market.
Jacinto and Lirio – provides beautifully handcrafted plant leathergoods which are impressively multi- functional yet stylish conversational-pieces with a lifestyle appeal for professionals, and companies who wants to create a strong patriotic, environmental and socio-ethical statement.
Karaw Craftventures – upcycled plush toys, finger puppet book sets, shirts, bags, keychains, organizers, trophies, customization of personal gifts and corporate giveaways, arts & crafts workshops. It helps in the rehabilitation of women inmates in Naga City District Jail by providing sustainablie livelihood activities and introducing in-prison skills development for poverty and crime reduction.
Katutubong Kamay – a social enterprise with IP (indigenous people) communities as partner-beneficiaries in crafting fashionable and marketable handmade accessories. It employs creative and skilled indigenous communities through the handicraft-making livelihood under their respective brand names.
Mayown Handcrafts – a social enterprise that empowers a local community in the Philippines by creating a livelihood program through designing and producing hand crocheted items.
Messy Bessy – cleaning products made only with ingredients that actually clean – no fillers, no bubble-makers, no colors, no funky artificial scents. If it doesn’t do the job, then it doesn’t belong in your home!
Obrano Heritage Goods – handcrafted leather and weaves for gorgeous ladies and handsome gents.
For a full list of merchants and products available, or visit the official websites (sinag.bpifoundation.org) and (www.bpifoundation.org/).