Issue 5:
May - Jun 2009

A SECOND AWARD IN LESS THAN A YEAR!

ECHOstore has won a second award in less than a year of operations! The store received The Ayala Malls Green Award from Serendra in the 2009 Annual Ayala Malls Merchant Rewards Program. The Green Award (a new category presented this year) is given to merchants’ initiatives in educating and promoting sustainability of the environment to their customers, as well as practicing sustainability in their store operations. Awarding ceremonies were held during the Merchant Forum last May 12 at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila.

(L to R): Charmaine Bauzon of Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), Jeannie Javelosa and Chit Juan of ECHOstore, ALI Sustainability Consultant Macky Maceda, and ALI Chief Operating Officer and Vice President Rowena Tomeldan.

NEWS BUZZ

Our New Line... and More Partners

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ECHOstore recently launched a new line of products called Second Life. Focused on supporting the environment, these products are made from old, discarded, or unused items. The items are recycled, redesigned, and recreated into new functional products, and literally given a “second life.” Second Life supports home livelihood to assist in poverty alleviation, women empowerment, and dignity of life.

The product line started with the donation of used tarpaulins from Rupert Salas (of Rupert’s Signs & Display Services), one of the country’s biggest billboard suppliers. He sent over tons and tons of misprinted tarpaulins and banners to ECHOstore, and wanted us to find good use for it. ECHOstore co-founder Jeannie Javelosa decided to go back to being an artist, and started to look for “design potential" in the scrap tarps before cutting them to specific sizes of bags and cases. We’ve even gone corporate with sleek all-white Second Life conference envelops, which were used by CSR Asia Manila Forum participants at the conference held at the Ascott Makati last May 28.

Go functional with our Second Life multi-purposes cases and colorful totes.

Alphabet Series

And still more on scrap: Next to our tarp bags are our ring pull bags…

ECHOstore’s beneficiary and production partner organization is the Philippine Christian Foundation, Inc. (PCF), headed by Jane Walker, a dynamic and untiring British woman working to elevate lives and give hope. PCF has focused on protecting children and families in communities around dumpsites for over seven years. Its programs include poverty alleviation through education, medical and family enhancement programs, feeding programs, fair trade and livelihood development programs, values formation, and spiritual care. Three PCI communities are in Smokey Mountain in Tondo (4,500 families), Navotas (2,500 families), and Baguio.

PCF-trained workers from the dumpsite community crochet these ring pulls into beautiful clutches, laptop bags, and various fashionable conversational pieces. As you open another can of soda or beer, think of what quenching your thirst can do to help someone lift him or herself out of poverty. The ring pull or “tab” of aluminum beverage cans are collected by thoughtful customers, and are sent by the jars and bags to PCF, particularly to a dumpsite in Baguio.

“We want some…” we told Jane, as she told us of the bags’ journey to fair trade stores in the UK and all over Europe. Over there, £20 to £30 for a special bag is not much. We tried to “localize” the prices but, since it is fair trade, you are rest assured that the woman who created the bag has been paid equitably and works in comfortable conditions. This explains the price differential.

Some good may come out of drinking that otherwise unhealthy soda…collect aluminum pull tabs from soda cans, and go fashionable! We need around 800 to 1,000 metal pull tabs for each handbag.

Gather papers and send them to us to create into fashion statements! Check out our newspaper jewelry.

ECHOstore has more—this time the bags of the Invisible Institute designed by visual artist Ann Wizer, another untiring lady who makes “stuff out of disposable stuff” so garbage can be, as the institute's name implies, “invisible.” Ann's products are made of knickknacks, old CDs, computer wires, circuitry from motherboards and computer cases, and her most popular line—the “guess which supermart” series—of plastic shopping bags carefully cut in strips and lovingly crocheted by women in their 60s and 70s. These women are doing us a favor as crocheting is an art they still know and are now passing it on to today’s younger women.

“Is that a hamper?” asks a customer. Yes it is. A hamper or a toy basket, these Second Life containers use computer wires which otherwise would end up as toxic waste in lakes or landfills.

Not surprisingly, these bags have sold well at ECHOstore’s pocket stores at the Shangri-La Makati’s Travel Box, probably because its concept is readily acceptable by foreign tourists looking for something special and are willing to pay the not-so-cheap price for such a labor of love and compassion.

Ann started her work in a community in Malibay, Pasay, and has since adopted another community at the periphery of Bonifacio Global City. She is untiringly helped by her household staff who double as trainers and delivery staff as well.

Our third community partner is Barangay Luz Homeowners Multipurpose Cooperative in Metro Cebu. This is headed by the indefatigable Captain Nida Cabrera, who has started women empowerment programs amongst its 16,000 residents. Nida established the cooperative whose members are about a thousand mothers who now have added income from sewing bags made from recycled materials. This barangay, with the help of Cebu Holdings Inc., is also in charge of picking up more than three tons of garbage from Ayala Center Cebu, sorting them, and making compost out of the wastes the mall tenants dispose of every single day. The compost is then sold to customers like Shangri-La Mactan, making yet another livelihood program for the male members of this progressive barangay.

Second Life Items Now Available

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Visit our Serendra store to check our newest items; or ask us about bulk orders. E-mail Stephanie at steph@echostore.ph or smp.echolifestyle.store@gmail.com or call at 0922-8234647.

The pictures below speak for themselves. These are the people you will help if you support our Second Life product line.

From this...

To this...

How can you help? Buy your corporate and personal gifts from us. We have a whole line of items coming up.
     •      Plan your Christmas gifts way ahead of time, so we can help
            develop ideas for you.
     •      Gather and send to ECHOstore old tarpaulins, used CDs, old
            glossy imported magazines, old motherboards, and whatever dry
            waste you have. Call us so we can tell you where to deliver them.

For details, e-mail Stephanie at steph@echostore.ph or smp.echolifestyle.store@gmail.com or call 0922-8234647.

Stepping Out of Serendra Through ECHOstore Gondolas

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ECHOstore is taking baby steps out of the Serendra flagship store through the ECHOstore Gondolas. The 1 x 1 meter gondolas were first launched last February at the 3rd Pinoy ME (microenterprise) Anniversary at the Intercontinental ; then in March, twice at Accenture at McKinley Hill for their International Women's Day and Leaders Congress events; and during Enterprise Center’s Green Week.

ECHOstore's presence at Shangri-La Makati's Travel Box

For permanent spots, ECHOstore’s presence is now at Makati Shangri-La's Travel Box and Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa Cebu's Private Collection. Next month, ECHOstore will occupy a whole store at Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa Cebu, where continuing corporate social responsibility partnership programs between ECHOstore and the hotel will be run. Next stops are Cebu City Marriot Hotel in Cebu and Ascott Makati’s fitness center at Glorietta in Makati.

ECHOstore at Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa Cebu

ECHOteach Updates

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ECHOstore owners gave a number of talks in the past couple of months. Chit Juan spoke at the offices of Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), during the Youth Environment Summit, and at a gathering of the Philippine Association of Secretaries. Jeannie Javelosa, meanwhile, gave talks at Kraft and during the Ateneo’s Young Leaders Conference on Social Enterprise.

ECHOstore was also invited to put up a gondola during the national conference on Business Development Services (BDS) at the PHINMA Training Center in Tagaytay. The conference had Building Capacities of Growth-Oriented Microentrepreneurs as its theme. Chit was invited to share ECHOstore’s story of niche retail marketing, while Jeannie facilitated workshop on product development and packaging design.The conference was organized by the PinoyME BDS working group under the sponsorship of the Fundacion Codespa, which has an interest in increasing the practice of BDS globally. CODESPA has a big BDS program in the Philippines in partnership with the People’s Credit and Finance Corp., Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc., and a number of other microfinance institutions.

Chit giving her talking at the PinoyME BDS Conference in Tagaytay

Jeannie facilitating her workshop
on product design and development at the same conference

The conference focused on the delivery of BDS to microentrepreneurs. The greatest challenge discussed was of marginalized microentrepreneurs getting access to mainstream market to economically help liberate the poor from poverty. It built upon the success of microfinance in giving them access to capital. Around 100 participants came from a broad range of institutions that are engaged in BDS and social entrepreneurship for the poor. It was also a very good event that allowed greater networking amongst all the participants.

THE POWER OF THREE

Me + Me

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I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

Jiddu Krishnamurti
Indian author, philosopher, and public speaker

You + Me
= We

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There is hope in men,
not in society, not in systems,
not in organized religious systems,
but in you and in me.

Jiddu Krishnamurti
Indian author, philosopher, and public speaker

We + Planet
= Sustainable Lifestyle

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If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity.

Nelson Richard DeMille
American author

PRODUCT FEATURE

Something for everyone!
Home decor * gifts * fashion accessories * health and wellness * body, beauty, and nutritional products * food and beverages * environment-friendly products * books * music ... and so much more, all showing Filipino design ingenuity and creativity.

Introducing ECHOcafe

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Eating leafy greens never tasted better. ECHOstore’s cafe now offers new healthy meals made out of organic ingredients that are sure to whet anyone’s appetite for green food.

Mushroom burger on malunggay bread

The specialty of the house is Malunggay Pesto Pasta, which uses whole wheat pasta tossed in malunggay pesto served with French bread. The pesto is mostly malunggay, but also contains basil which blends well with the malunggay flavor. This is a perfect treat for health-conscious folks, since malunggay contains more vitamin C than oranges, more beta-Carotene than carrots, and more potassium than bananas. ECHOstore’s malunggay selections also include Malunggay Pan de Sal with Spicy Sardines, Malunggay Chips with Dip, Malunggay Banana Walnut Loaf, and the Malunggay Sampler, which is a snack size portion of the Malunggay Pesto, Malunggay Pan de Sal, and a salad. Feel good feeding yourself, as your malunggay food purchase also benefits ECHOstore’s Malunggay Green Kids feeding program for a store-adopted community of malnourished children in Sitio Masigasig in Taguig.

Rosemary Garlic Chicken on Malunggay Bread

Because animal agriculture is one of the largest sources of methane emissions in the planet, a yummy ECHOcafe alternative to meatless dishes is the mushroom burger, which is packed with flavor and rich in nutrients. ECHOcafe has other pastas—Amatriciana, Mushroom Pasta, Putanesca, and Sun-dried Tomato—and offers a selection of local homegrown coffees.

HOW TO HELP

Hold your seminar at ECHOstore

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Our store space is open for use by groups and individuals who need space for lectures and workshops related to the sustainable lifestyle, or even just a social gathering.

Please e-mail Stephanie at steph@echostore.ph or call us at 901-3485 for details and to block off your preferred schedule.

Volunteer with us

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We need your help in building a sustainable community! Volunteer with us! Help us write articles, tell us your opinion, and even help out in our campaigns.

Or if you’re a professional graphic artist or designer, sign up for ECHOdesign Lab, our advocacy and CSR program focused on helping design and develop community products. Volunteer your time and talent to a marginalized or indigenous community’s product to help refine its design, product development, visual identity, and packaging.

To volunteer for ECHOstore or to be part of ECHOdesign Lab, e-mail us your resume at echostore@echostore.ph. Please include your name, address, telephone and mobile numbers, e-mail address, and how you want to help.

Buy ECHOstore gift certificates

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Give GIFTS OF HOPE all year round with ECHOstore gift certificates.

PERFECT for people who have everything, people who love receiving gifts with meaning, people who understand what sharing means, people who love to buy their own gifts, and for people to give to others!

Visit our store at Serendra to purchase or ask about our gift certificates. Available in P500 denominations

Thanks for your help and donations!

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Thanks to the members of Accenture Photo Club who have helped us with some of our product shots.

We'd also like to thanks Yoly Sevilla of Leather Collection for donating four large boxes of leather scraps. Thank you so much, Yoly, and keep them coming!

SIMPLE GREEN STEPS

Reduce kitchen energy

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Conserving energy is a big part of reducing your impact on the environment. Some ways to conserve energy in the kitchen include using as small an oven as possible. The larger the oven, the more energy it takes to heat it to proper temperature. Glass and ceramic retain better than metal. When using the stove, make sure the burner fits the pan; an uncovered burner wastes heat. And always use a lid when heating items on the stove for the same reason.

From 365 Ways to Live Green by Diane Gow McDilda

Subscriber Info

ECHOstore eView is the bimonthly e-mail newsletter of ECHOstore* Sustainable Lifestyle.
*ECHO: Environment & Community Hope Organization STORE

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ECHOstore shares space with Kape Isla, Home of Philippine Coffee
G/F Serendra Piazza
McKinley Parkway
Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Tel: 901-3485
www.echostore.ph (with archives of previous eView issues)

E-mail feedback on ECHOstore eView to Jeannie Javelosa at jej@echostore.ph.
E-mail inquiries about products to Kate Carlos at kate@echostore.ph.