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IN THE
WORKSHOP...
FOR MORE ON TACLOBAN PREVAILS,
VISIT
collection that comes out of
it becomes my favorite. Since
it’s practically impossible to
find the same debris twice,
everything is unique. At the
moment, my favorite designs
would have to be the Grace,
Melvin and Ronilo coffee
tables. I feel that the living
room is where one usually
hosts family and friends and
where one spends the most
time when at home. Having
said that, I will always find a
way to create a conversational
item that the end user would
be proud to place at home.
We’re also excited to share
our new items soon.
Tell us more about your
next collection.
Our recent batch of debris,
which we scouted and
handpicked, just arrived from
Tacloban. Now we’re working
on the collection, which
involves debris with carvings
and consists mainly of broken
furniture that we’ve upcycled
and given new life as another
type of furniture. In the past,
we were creating furniture
out of driftwood like many
other furniture companies.
This collection will be unique;
no other company is doing
anything similar.
Beyond Tacloban Prevails
and its social purpose,
what else affects or
influences your work?
My work is influenced
by nature and by my
constant observation of the
behaviors and situations
around me. I take it all in
and appreciate its beauty.
You’ve lived and
worked in quite a few
different countries. How
have your travels and
experiences shaped the
way you see and create
furniture?
They’ve given me the
opportunity to understand
design and how it’s viewed
and appreciated in different
places.
I believe design is a way to
communicate with people. If
as a designer you’ve created
a beautiful item, then you’ve
done a good job. But if you’ve
designed a piece that inspires
an emotional reaction and
sparks conversations, and at
the same time is functional
and aesthetically appealing,
then you’ve succeeded as
a designer. These are the
sorts of designs that last
a lifetime. The designs of
Tacloban Prevails achieve this
since each piece has its own
unique story.
What’s next for you and
Tacloban Prevails?
We’ve been working closely
with the new Ironwood
Hotel in Tacloban. They’re
remodeling an old building
and asked me to design
some furniture using debris
from it. We want to preserve
the history of the old building
by upcycling raw and
structural material from the
building into furniture.
We’ve also partnered
with Tacloban Community
Crafts. We designed small
interior accessories and
proceeds from the sale of
these products will go to the
organization. We’re looking
into selling these items at the
Cebu International Airport
and Daniel Z. Romualdez
Airport in Tacloban.
Beyond that, we’re hoping
to take our upcoming
collection overseas. We’d
like to share the story of the
Taclobanons with people in
other countries.
TEXT AND INTERVIEW BY CHARMAINE BAYLON
Some pieces are named after the sources of
their primary raw material, such as the
1 Melvin coffee table, 2 Francisko wine rack,
3 Grace coffee table, 4 and 5, the ottoman
and LED lamp created from an old boat
1
4
5
2
3
