Give your loved one a gift that doesn’t just offer comfort for the feet, but also warms the heart.
TOMS, a brand known for its generous “buy one, give one” business model, partnered with AmeriCares for the Haiyan Initiative. They commissioned artists from Super Typhoon “Yolanda”-affected areas to create limited edition pairs that you can now purchase. Proceeds will be used in the ongoing rebuilding and rehabilitation in devastated regions.
This pair was painted by Boy O, a 22-year-old artist from Calicoan Island in Guian, Samar. The pairs are available for P3,470 each at TOMS Megamall and The Give Project in SM Aura and Mall of Asia.
For your lipstick-crazy friend, grab any of MAC’s Viva Glam shades from MAC Glorietta, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Mall of Asia, TriNoma, Rockwell, Ayala Center Cebu, Eastwood, Alabang, Aura, Megamall, North Edsa and SM Makati. Every peso of each sale goes to the MAC Aids Fund and will be used to help people who are living with and affected by HIV/Aids.
Support social entrepreneurship by ordering presents from Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundation, Inc. (www.giftsandgraces.com) New products are posted regularly. These handpainted bayong (P505 each) are a collaboration between a basket-weaving community in Sorsogon and an urban poor family in Pandacan that hand-painted them. Call Gifts and Graces at tel. 7592525.
If your friend loves bracelets, check out Tejo threads (www.facebook.com/TejoThreads). They aren’t just pretty, but also made by underprivileged women who are part of the brand’s community-based livelihood program. They are compensated for each piece they weave, so the more bracelets you buy, the more income they can earn for their families.
You can find Tejo in Metro Manila (Aura Athletica in Bonifacio High Street and Power Plant Mall; Bungalow 300 in Alabang; Common Thread in Greenbelt; The Give Project in Glorietta and TriNoma; Onelife Studio in Little Baguio and Makati; Plana Forma in BGC and Quezon City; Urban Ashram in BGC, Makati and Pasig), Cavite (The Give Project in The District), Bataan (Anvaya Cove Beach & Nature Club), Cebu (The Chillage in Mandaue; Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort; Toys at Work in Banilad; Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa), Palawan (El Nido Resorts), Bicol (Misibis Bay) and Ilocos (Red Dot Specialty Shop in Vigan; Red Dot Boutique in Laoag; MODi: Modern Ilocano Lifestyle and Souvenir Shop in Robinsons Ilocos; Sole Patrol Lifestyle Shop in Robinsons Place Calasiao Pangasinan). You can also order through AVA.ph.
Olivia & Diego (www.facebook.com/oliviaanddiego) is also a great option for your accessories-obsessed friends. They give women in communities in Davao livelihood by teaching them to upcycle old knitted shirts and office supplies into eco-ethical jewelry. Olivia & Diego products are available at Embellish in Greenhills, Be Good Store at ABS-CBN, Sea Green Lifestyle Shop in Davao City and Karl’s Koffee Korner in Davao City. You may also order through [email protected].
