Date published: December 11, 2024
by Paul Cenizal
Five homegrown brands within the home, fashion, and lifestyle (HFL) sector hailing from Pangasinan are part of the Taglay Pinoy initiative.
Taglay Pinoy is a comprehensive assistance and resources program tailored for the empowerment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to amply equip them for transition into, transformation within, and takeover of the digital space.
The brands will also gain further exposure on a global platform via an exhibition at Manila FAME, organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).
Predominantly agricultural and lined with coastal areas, Pangasinan’s product offerings are as diverse as its topography. And though better known for delicacies and unique festivals, the province has a distinctive and well-defined design tradition in the HFL sector.
In Dagupan, tales of two craft legacies run deep in the family. 3M Furniture’s founder Melchor Sinocruz carries a legacy he inherited from his father, who happens to be the original furniture maker in the district. Brent Shoes by Venancio, whose founder Venancio Medina also traces his roots in Dagupan, as he leads the oldest surviving shoemaking shop there and continues to make personally designed bestsellers such as low-cuts, formal shoes, and boots, all sharing a name with Medina’s grandson.
Aguinaldo Interiors and Sibayan Handicrafts, respectively founded by Boy Aguinaldo and Rodrigo Sibayan, are proof positive that Pangasinan can draw and craft from the country’s rich material culture. Aguinaldo Interiors, initially known for products like peacock chairs made chiefly from buri and paper, now adds steel arts–its current bestseller, in fact–to its home decor portfolio. Meanwhile, Sibayan Handicrafts, since 1985, has been providing export-quality baskets handcrafted for various functions in the home and handcrafted from such materials as rattan, buri, and abaca.
Materials also form part of the ethos of Northern Cigars, which has been offering premium products–wrapped with Philippine Tobacco cigar wrapper and packed in high-quality narra boxes. Founder Alexander Quinut refuses for the art of cigar-making to be lost in modern life and manufacturing practices, apparent in the cigars’ signature natural, chocolate, and vanilla flavors being enjoyed since 1986.
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