Locally-made, fair trade products in Cebu City!

Heads up, Cebuanos! Taga Cebu City ba ka? Adto na mo sa People’s Fair Trade Shop sa Osmeña Avenue!

This is a piece of good news that I found through a colleague’s Facebook—Cebu City has a store devoted to selling exclusively fair trade products.

What are fair trade products? To be honest, there is no single universally-accepted definition of fair trade but according to the Southern Partners and Fair Trade Corporation (SPFTC), which runs the store, a fair trade product is one that meets the following criteria:

• it is made by workers who receive fair wages, in safe, human working conditions
• it is made from raw materials bought at fair prices, using a process which cares for the environment,
• by a company, cooperative, or people’s organization that operates on the pricinciples transparency and accountability, capacity building, and gender equity, and the creation of opportunities for marginalized members of society.

I’m very jealous of Cebuanos now—because the principles of this fair trade store are basically the principles that drove me to start this blog in the first place.

Have you been to the store yet? What’s it like? What kind of products do they sell? I’d love to hear from Cebuanos what they think of the store.

You can read the news item here.

Product Review: Victoria Natural Herbal Laundry Powder

Victoria Laundry Powder has been around for several years—maybe more than a decade, even—and in the last couple of years, has been readily available in the major supermarket chains. It’s actually something I intentionally seek out in a supermarket, even though I won’t be buying it, just to see if the supermarket has it in stock.

This fascination I have with Victoria Laundry Powder dates back to several years ago. For a time when I was younger, my mother and I developed a reaction to regular, commercial detergents. A family friend recommended Victoria to us, and we started using it on our clothes—and our rashes quickly left. It’s really great for people who have sensitive skin because, since it doesn’t use any harsh detergents, and is made from completely natural ingredients, it doesn’t leave a residue on your clothes that can cause rashes and irriations. This also means that it’s gentle on the hands, and it won’t cause wounds for those who do a lot of hand washing.

Victoria also claims to be completely biodegradable. I unfortunately don’t have the resources to test if this claim is true, but taking them at their word, this is a good thing—this means that it won’t release chemical contaminants into the soil and into our groundwater.

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Buy Pinoy is Back in Black!

I acknowledge that I’ve neglected the Buy Pinoy blog over the last four or five weeks. I have no excuses! I could tell you about all the things that have kept me busy over the last month, but I still wouldn’t have a real excuse for not posting new content sooner. I just let other things come first before blogging, treated this blog like a chore, and generally forgot what originally spurred me to begin this blog in the first place—which is really my desire to share how great Pinoy products are, especially to my fellow Pinoys.

I was confronted by this when I received a text message from Boyet, one of the individuals behind OneTama.com, and it hit me then just how much I had forgotten my original intentions for starting this blog. Has this ever happened to you: you experience something so striking that you just have to share it with everyone? Well, that’s exactly how I felt when I started this blog—I had a very ordinary, but striking insight that I wanted to put into reality and share with others.

That insight? It’s really simple: that we don’t have to look far or break our banks to find high-quality, locally-made products; and by doing so, we contribute to our country as a whole.

After all, if we believe in something strongly enough, shouldn’t it be seen in our everyday actions?

Just this Friday, I was giving a talk to a student publication that I used to write for when I was an undergraduate, and I remember telling them how much the social climate had changed since I was an undergraduate. During those years, having t-shirts that had cleverly-designed, nationalistic slogans were unheard (and un-thought) of; the kind of national pride present in pop culture at the moment was then nonexistent.

Should we just let the sense of national pride stay at the level of TV ads and t-shirts and clever slogans and snazzy ad campaigns? If we’re really proud of who we are and what we do shouldn’t that translate into our everyday actions, not just the heroic or exceptional ones? Even actions as mundane as buying things?

So, do watch out for more entries and updates from me in the next months! I promise a new post every week, but I’ll also try for two entries a week, if I can. Watch out too for guest posts from other bloggers!

Figaro: Putting Philippine Coffee Back on the Map

Figaro Coffee Company is a Filipino-owned coffee chain that has been in business for sixteen years. However, I only rediscovered Figaro this year—and my rediscovery coincides with my love story with coffee. So I ask your indulgence to let me recount my story.

***

I love coffee. It’s in the blood. My dad is an avid coffee drinker (at his peak, he would drink 5 cups a day), and I learned to appreciate the joys of coffee from him. Even though I wasn’t llowed o drink coffee as a child (and quite rightly so—I don’t think stimulants like caffeine are good for growing children), I enjoyed the way it smelled, and the kind of ritual that went inot making a cup—regardless of whether it was instant coffee, or the barako coffee grounds that my mom put into our small drip coffee maker at home.

So it wasn’t a surprise that I embraced coffee wholeheartedly from college on. Coincidentally my college years were also those of the coffee shop boom at the start of this decade. Suddenly, coffee was no longer just a choice between instant and brewed. With espresso machines, coffee presses, and cappuccino came a rediscovery of the centuries-old global coffee culture.

I learned to taste the differences between different varieties of coffee beans, drank my coffee without sugar, and tried out different name-brand coffee shops to find which one served the best cappuccino. In coffee shops, I also found a new, multi-purpose place to study. As someone who lived away from home for the whole of college, coffee shops were where I could study until late in relative peace, without the distractions of my roommates’ chatter.

The main beneficiary of this was the branch of an American chain that was conveniently located across the street from my school. It was also less than a block away from my off-campus dormitory, a walkable, convenient distance.

Immediately after college, though, I went away to work in the mountains of Mindanao, farm from any coffee chain. Sure, I still loved my coffee, but the whole coffee shop culture and the 100-peso cups of coffee were far from my consciousness.

When I came back to Manila after a year and started working here, I became a lot more conscious of my money and where it went. Especially at my starting salary, I felt like I needed to bleed every little peso of all it was worth. (In short, naging kuripot ako.) Going to a coffee shop became a luxury. While I was away, it seemed like my mom and dad had gone on several trips, just the two of them—something that they hadn’t done ever since I was born. One of the trips that my mom told me about was some “coffee tour” that they took in the Batangas-Cavite-Tagaytay area. I didn’t really remember much of the details, though.

As my earnings increased, and I started my little business last year, I had more disposable income, and started going back to coffee shops again. I would still go to the big American chain, but I also started trying out less ubiquitous brands. Strangely, though, it was only after a Figaro stall opened near my work that I decided to try Figaro again (I last went to a Figaro store in my senior year of college), but it was initially for convenience’s sake. It was less than 50 meters away from my office building. :p

Earlier this year, I received Figaro gift checks. As I planned to spend a lot of time writing and reading for my thesis this summer, I decided to save it until my summer vacation and only use it then.

So this summer, I’ve spent several hours working at different Figaro branches, mainly at the Figaro in Gateway Mall, Cubao. Aside from rediscovering their coffees (my personal favorite is the cafe au lait), I also learned to appreciate the ambience of their stores. The marble-topped tables, graceful wood chairs, and wood panelling give their stores an old-world calm and simplicity, in contrast to the more frenetic, American-style interiors of many chain coffee shops.

And it was only recently that I remembered that the “coffee tour” that my parents went on a couple of years ago was a Figaro Coffee Company-organized tour. As I tried to recall the details of tour, it slowly dawned on me that Figaro wasn’t just a Filipino-owned coffee shop, but rather that Figaro was also and more importantly all about Filipino-grown and roasted coffee.

How so? Well, they use all Philippine-grown coffee beans for their stores, generating income for Filipino coffee farmers. But it’s not just about buying beans from farmers—Figaro is engaged with coffee farmers on so many levels: promoting organic farming methods, organizing co-ops for farmers, providing support…

…and most importantly in my eyes, Figaro has helped farmers to grow more Liberica beans. This is a very important achievement, because the Liberica bean is also what we more commonly call barako coffee—and the Philippines grows a special varietal found nowhere else in the world. Before Figaro and other groups stepped in, the barako variety was at risk of being lost forever, because coffee farmers in the Southern Tagalog (the traditional home of barako) were affected by coffee rust (a disease that affects coffee plants) in 1880, and by the the latter part of the 20th Century, they were being pressured to switch to growing Robusta and Arabica beans, beause the big companies and conglomerates bought those beans.

There are so many reasons to choose Figaro coffee–they’re putting Pinoy coffee back on the map.

Product Review: Face Canvas Moisture Glider and Make-up Base (Leyende Bath and Body)

I have to be up-front about this: I have been using Face Canvas for the last 6 months, and I love it–and my skin loves it, too.

Face Canvas is one of the products of Leyende Bath & Body–owned and founded by Neva Talladen, whom I know from college. What’s so great about Leyende is not only is it Philippine-made, it’s also proud to make products that use all organic ingredients.

(You may be wondering, what’s all the fuss about “organic”? And what’s the difference between “organic” and “natural”–aren’t they the same thing? The simplest  way to make the distinction is: “natural” simply means that something is derived from nature; while the term organic refers to plants and their by-products that are grown without contact with industrial pesticides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics, and other harsh chemical treatments.)

In Face Canvas, this lack of harsh chemicals results in a creamy moisturizer that provides the right amount of moisture and protection, without feeling heavy or thick. The texture is light, almost mousse-like. The scent is very mild–it smells faintly of pineapple, mango, with a hint of milk or coconut milk.

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Why Buy Pinoy, Part 3: Development Beyond GDP and GNP

Development can be seen, it is argued here, as a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy.

(Italics mine, from Development as Freedom, by Amartya Sen)

One of the most common reasons that I hear for buying Pinoy products is that it supports local businesses and the local economy. Which is true, but it’s sometimes not a reason compelling enough for me. After all, “supporting local business” and “supporting local economy” sounds great, but what does that really mean? On top of that, I certainly don’t want to support local businesses that take advantage and abuse its laborers; nor do I want my (okay, I’ll say it) patriotic stand to result in just some sort of jump in the GNP or GDP numbers.

After all, GNP and GDP are not the best measure of development. Sure, it measures how much an economy has grown on a macro scale, but does it really show us if there is a positive change in the lives of people? And, to be honest, looking at the numbers on a marcro level doesn’t really show me, doesn’t show us, what kind of impact we make as individuals making choices every time we purchase something at the supermarket, or the mall, or the department store.

For me, what is more compelling is an argument that I’m just starting to understand, from the economist Amartya Sen. (Forgive me for going a bit “academic” here–I’m no economic expert though, so please bear with me!) He wants us to consider that real development is not about GNP or GDP, but about human freedom and quality of life.

It’s important for me to emphasize the word “real” in the quote above. Why?

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Product Review: Biolink VCO Hot Oil Conditioner

It’s not intentional, but the fact that my second product review is another hair-care product is quite telling. Pinoys–especially Pinoy women–really take pride in their hair. Just within a one kilometer radius of my home in Mandaluyong, you can find about five or six hair salons!

I don’t know if I fit the stereotype of the hair-obsessed Pinay–I don’t like having long, straight hair (I prefer my hair short, but my mother insists I look better with long hair), I don’t like combing often, I’m not obsessed with making my hair look shampoo-commerical perfect, and I rarely go to the salon/parlor. Thrice a year is about it for me.

I am still fond of hair products, though–and thus without intending it, the review below is for a conditioner–to match with the shampoo review. Hehehe.

The fact that I even tried Biolink VCO Hot Oil Conditioner is proof of the effectivity of product sampling. I received a free sachet while walking through a mall one day, used it while at the beach, and liked what I saw. So, the next time I went to the supermarket, I looked for a bottle of it, and started using it regularly.

What I really like about this product is not only that it’s locally-made, but also…

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Why Buy Pinoy? Part 2: Buying Local, Carbon Emissions, and Climate Change

A rescue worker in Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte. Catastrophic landslides hit the barangay in 2006. Photo from www.flickr.com/photos/remzamora/418662063/. (I believe Rem Zamora is a photojournalist for a major Philippine daily.)

I was planning to put off this entry to a later date, simply because I wanted to do more research first. However, two things spurred me to writing this entry today:

1. Today is EARTH DAY! Happy Earth Day, everyone!
2. The weather. 

It’s supposed to be the middle of the summer in our part of the world, Because we’re a tropical country, Philippine summers are very warm, with very little rainfall, but high humidity.

Today, however, is the second day that it has been raining–and not just summer shower rain, but torrential rain. The quality of the rains of the past two days make me think of July, the middle of the typhoon season. The sky in Metro Manila is completely gray. As I write this, I am in the MRT and the sky’s dimness makes it seem as if it were dusk, though it is just 2pm.

According to PAGASA meteorologists,* this is a highly unusual weather pattern, even worrisome. The present rains, they say, are due to an intertropical convergence zone in the atmosphere–but intertropical convergence zones form only after the warm season.

Yes, folks, the climate has already begun to change.

What does climate change, irregular weather patterns, and the Guinsaugon landslide have to to with buying Philippine-made products, you might ask?  You might be surprised–buying locally-made products have a lot to do with it.

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Why buy Pinoy? How buying locally-made products helps the country, Part 1

 ”Why buy Pinoy?” is both a simple and complex question, with both simple and complex answers.

It’s a simple question because it’s straightforward, direct to the point, and asks a meaningful question. However, depending on the context in which the question is asked, it becomes quite complex.

In some situations, asking the question “Why buy Pinoy?” implies a certain preconceived notion or prejudice about locally-made products. For example, growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s, I was surrounded by so many people who preferred to buy imported (usually Made in USA) products, and would always assert that “Imported products are of better quality than local products. So, why buy local?”The early 1990 PX/Duty Free craze is testament to that mindset. My family would actually troop en masse to Subic and Clark to buy PX goods. American-made Ovaltine, Tang, Planters Cheez Balls, and 100% US cotton bedsheets were part of my childhood.

In the same way, answers to the question, “Why buy Pinoy?” can be both simple and complex. They can be simple because we can point to certain generalizations and patterns–the economic benefits of buying locally-made products, its effects on our economy, on the labor force, on preserving and creating jobs, generating more tax revenues, and creating a vibrant local economy. On the other hand, we can’t deny the effects that globalization has taken, which makes the whole situation of the local economy far more complex. Sure, by buying local products, we support local manufacturing businesses–but don’t importers and distributors of foreign-made goods generate jobs and income as well? Don’t they pay taxes, too?

On top of everything else, I’m not at all close to being qualified to talk about things like the economy, globalization, and things like that. I have to admit that it’s nowhere near my area of expertise. 

At the same time, though, as someone who advocates buying Philippine-made products, the question does need to be asked, and answered. Why do I feel so strongly about buying locally-made products, in the first place? Where does this strong opinion and sentiment come from, on my part?

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Buy Pinoy: My Story

Six months ago, while getting into the shower, I realized that almost all of the bath products I used were made in other countries—from my shampoo, conditioner and soap, even to my toothbrush and dental floss. I was surprised because, as a child, I had been raised to Buy Pinoy—buy locally-produced products to support local industry—yet here I was, with 90% of my bath products made elsewhere. Coincidentally, I had recently taken an online test that mapped out my carbon footprint as an individual—measuring the amount of carbon emissions that my kind of lifestyle generates. In the process, I learned that a tons of carbon emissions are generated each year by the importing process—and that amount keeps growing as the demand for imported good rise. After that realization, I started paying close attention to the labels of the products that I bought at the supermarket, taking note of where each product was made, making an effort to by locally-made products.

Paying attention to the labels of products then led me to pay more attention to the ingredients lists of these products. After encountering a whole host of names that I didn’t understand and wasn’t familiar with (Dimethicone, anyone?), I decided to educate myself about these ingredients—and what I learned surprised me. There are so many chemicals that go into commercially-produced shampoos, conditioners, even food products that are safe in small amounts, but not so safe in large amounts. Even though these chemicals are technically safe for human use, many of these chemicals end up going down our drains and into our sewers—and given the kind of sewage system we have in Metro Manila and in the rest of the country, these chemicals eventually end up in our groundwater, causing all kinds of chemical contamination.

Knowing all of these things was a deal-breaker for me—I felt very frustrated about my unconscious contribution to polluting the Philippines and the world (not to mention making multinational companies richer in the process), a negative contribution that I’ve made over the past 24 years of my life. It also made me start asking questions about whether there are any alternatives to the kinds of consumer products that I usually buy—alternatives that cause less pollution, are made locally from ingredients that are kinder to the environment, and generate sustainable development through providing training and jobs to my fellow Pinoys. I was skeptical at first—apart from organically-grown vegetables, I wasn’t sure if there were any other products that fit these criteria.
So, where did I start? Well, the internet, of course! And I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of products available—online and offline—that met all of these criteria. Little by little, I started buying products and trying them out, just to see if they could be viable alternatives. I also started seeking out alternative shops, cafes, and restaurants. The more I looked, the more alternatives I found!

Then it came to me—what if there are other people like me who are looking for products and services that are responsible alternatives to those provided by big companies (some of whom have unjust environmental or labor practices?). What if there were people who wanted to find out more about Philippine-made products, but didn’t know where to start? So I began thinking, what can I do?

The tipping point for me really was two things:

1. I received a Facebook invitation to join a Cause from a friend, and it led me to the website onetama.com. I don’t know anyone behind the website, but its message truly inspired me—that we Filipinos can make our country a better place, one tama (right action) at a time. And one of the actions listed there was: buy Pinoy (and encourage other to do so as well).
2. While taking a bath yesterday, I suddenly realized that, without any real effort/difficulty, all the bath products I use now are Pinoy-made—some even sustainably-made and socially-responsible. If it was easy for me to make the transition to Pinoy products, then maybe it could be easy for many others. People just need to know what options they have, and maybe I can help others know of these options.

And so, this blog was born!

What can you expect from me? You can look forward to updates 1-2x a week, featuring product reviews, news, information about products and “alternative” lifestyle options—and of course, stories of my efforts to buy Pinoy products.

Happy reading, and I hope to hear from you, too!

(Happy Easter, as well! )