Earn money from discarded tarpaulin materials

MANILA, Philippines - The women of the PLDT-Smart Amazing Gawad Kalinga Village in Sooc, Arevalo in Iloilo can now help provide income for their families through the recycling of tarpaulin materials used previously as Smart’s billboards and banners – turning them into artistic and useful objects like home furnishings, ornaments and bags.

They are beneficiaries of Project Zero, a livelihood program that aims for zero unemployment and zero garbage by making products with zero electricity and carbon footprint. It is being implemented by international lifestyle designer PJ Arañador and wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) together with GKonomics, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Business Fair Trade Consulting, and Sooc Social Ventures.

Their crafts are displayed at the Wawa Heritage Restaurant in Jaro, Iloilo City.   ”We are opening this place in honor and in memory of my mother,” said Arañador. The name of the restaurant itself is a homage to his mother who was called Wawa by her grandchildren, for they could not pronounce the word ‘lola.’

“Maligaya kami at proud kami. Sila ang nagbigay sa amin ng pag-asa. (We are happy and proud, they were the ones who gave us hope.)” said Ana Ylio, the president of GK Sooc’s Kapitbahayan, their community’s association. They were present during the restaurant’s opening ceremonies, and Ana said seeing their crafts highlighted in the program gives them a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

The chairs in the restaurant were covered up with used tarpaulin that they made by hand artistically and painstakingly, one wouldn’t realize that it’s made of something already considered trash. The candle holders and other decorations were likewise made of woven tarpaulin materials. On that same night, the newly-opened restaurant even hosted a fashion show that paraded their most popular creation today – fashion bags made of tarpaulin.

“This is what’s keeping us busy today,” said Ana in Filipino. “If you visit our village, there used to be so many of us who are jobless. Thanks to Smart, PJ and other groups who are helping us, we now have a livelihood that’s helping us mothers provide food to our families everyday. Sana tuloy-tuloy na. (Hope it continues.)”

“Aside from being a place where they can sell their products both for home and fashion, Wawa can also give employment to some of the women who can work in the kitchen,” said PJ. “Some other plans for this place include workshops for their children, and a feeding program where customers can offer the other half of their paid meal to the children of GK Sooc and other communities.

PJ said this is just the beginning for the mothers of GK who are now busy in production, due to orders from Manila and other places. He believes that with the creativity and hard work of the residents of GK Sooc, they can do more and achieve more.