Fun Run for Fair Trade - TAKKKBO on June 1st, 2013

On June 1st, Gifts and Graces together with the Community Crafts Association of the Philippines (CCAP) and the World Fair Trade Organization Asia (WFTO-Asia) held its first fun run, to spread the word about fair trade and at the same time, celebrate CCAP's anniversary. Here is the story.

The run was entitled TAKKKBO. The three Ks stand Kalikasan, Kalusugan, Kayamanan to embody the values of fair trade which are to care for the environment, take care of producers (including their health), and provide economic opportunities for poverty reduction to the disadvantaged.

The run took place at the Quezon Memorial Circle at the heart of Quezon City and a popular venue for fun runs, bazaars, and casual strollers on weekends, walking from a place to another, and occasionally stopping by one of those zumba activities, to dance on a mix of old disco songs, R&B and heated up Latino tunes.

On Saturday, June 1^st, it's D day. I was there at 4:30am together with a few other participants who started coming in one by one. I found myself thinking Lucky sun, it’s still sleeping. My two and a half hours of sleep and three cups of coffee won’t make it for the whole morning. Time to be tough Jeremy. “You’re doing it for a good cause, you’re doing it for your organization, and you’re doing it for Fair Trade. Think wider.”

Registration booth

Registration was onsite so more and more people started coming in. There was a slight glitch - the sound system was stuck in traffic so the program couldn't start yet. Legs started fidgeting, showing their willingness to move and run. Excitment and tension was mounting when, suddenly, a sound. For the first time, the noise and smell of an old van was like a blessing, a gift. The sound system had finally arrived. Hurry up, time to set it up.

The program started with a warm-up. The participants gathered before the stage where a coach started moving, jumping, etc., something between fitness and the ubiquitous zumba. The crowd followed, smiling and sweating. 

"Put your hands up in the air..."

"5am on a Saturday morning, so hard"

A few minutes later, the game is on, it's time to start running. The 5k participants will go first, followed a few minutes later by the 3K ones. Everybody is excited, the Gifts and Graces team is on the track. Marge, our in-house designer will run 5K and the rest of the team, 3K.

Marge is on the track. 5 more K to go!

Jo and Jhun Jhun, the new G&G running team

3… 2… 1… START! Time to go. Let’s proudly represent G&G and our advocacy. Also joining the fun run at the invitation of G&G were runners from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Globe Telecom. The run went around the circle where there were water stations every few meters. There was no feeling of competition in the air, just fellow runners of all ages, enjoying the fun run all together. Runners (and walkers) were sweating a bit, smiling a lot. After about 15 minutes, the first 3K runners arrived at the finish line, a big smile on their flushed faces. Everybody is now getting closer to the end.

The program continued with awards and prizes for the fastest runners with items from our partner organizations and from our sponsor Resorts World and WFTO Asia. The three first guys and girls from each category got their package. 

And the winner is...

Because running is not enough, let's dance guys!

After the “ceremony”, games were then organized to continue entertaining our guests to push their first fair trade experience further. So, participants gamely played "the longest fair trade"? Folks take a very deep breathe, you now have to start screaming your lungs out. Only one winner would be chosen. There is tension in the air. Who has better vocal cords than the Castafiore? Yelling very loudly, they are doing their best and ears of the assistance can feel it. One by one, they are out of breath and giving up. Finally, a winner! With the games over, it was time for the closing remarks, acknowledgements and congratulations. The crowd starts scattering, all moving towards the bazaar to get a well deserved breakfast before going back home and rest after such a fun and exciting activity.

We would like to thank all of you who made this event a success, and we hope to see you soon, in our stores, at our stands during bazaars or maybe at our next fun run. And most important: do not forget to spread the word about Fair trade.

More pictures are available here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.627725597255961.1073741831.434696616558861&type=1

and here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.627733413921846.1073741832.434696616558861&type=3

- Jeremy

An updated November calendar

PoPping UP . . .

not quite unexpectedly in office buildings, bazaars, and exhibits. Check out our updated calendar below. Please share this with family, friends, colleagues and others who you know want to support grassroots livelihood communities.


Thanks!

League of Corporate Foundations - Corporate Social Responsibility Expo

This year's League of Corporate Foundation's CSR Expo with the theme “Taking CSR to new heights” was held on the 20 & 21 of July at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Attended by more than 70 corporations and corporate foundations it allowed like – minded people to examine CSR closely and find out about the new trends and practices concerning CSR.

Gifts & Graces shared Philippine Daily Inquirer's booth and gave away brochures and letters soliciting used tarps. It was an excellent opportunity to exhibit alongside foundations who are working towards the betterment of communities and contributing positively to nation-building.

On the last day of the expo, Metrobank Foundation, Inc held a turn over ceremony of certificates to their beneficiaries of which Gifts and Graces took part. Metrobank Foundation generously donated their used tarpaulin so that it could be turned by our partner marginalized communities into upcycled products that would supplement their livelihood programs.

Special thanks to Philippine Daily Inquirer for allowing us the exposure this expo provided and to Metrobank Foundation, Inc for their continued support of Gifts and Graces' and our partner communities.

Corporate Giveaway 2011

Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundation will be participating at the Corporate Giveaways 2011!

Come to A.Venue Antel Lifestyle City, Makati Ave., Makati City from July 6-8 from 10AM - 6PM. Drop by booth 145 to see Gifts and Graces' product offerings for this year.


Answer our short survey about your preferences on corporate giveaways. Talk to us about how you want your products customized and packaged and place your order! 

Support Gifts and Graces and become a company that gives marginalized communities a hand up not a hand out!

Market! Market! Tarp Bag Promo

Market! Market! Tarp Bag Promo

In 2008, Market! Market! In Bonifacio Global City, launched their highly successful tarp bag project where Market! Market shoppers get the chance to win one-of-a-kind upcycled tarpaulin totes. This promotion earned Market! Market! Prestigious accolades and recognition for their concern for the environment and support of livelihood programs through its partnership with Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundation.

The Public Relations Society of the Philippines awarded Market! Market! In 2009 and 2010 with an Anvil Award of Merit for Public Relations under the Community Engagement category. For the same promotion they garnered honor as ICSC Finalist 2009, Tambuli Awards Bronze Winner 2009 and recognition at the Philippine Quill Awards.

Gifts and Graces continues its successful partnership with Market! Market! by tapping five of our partner marginalized communities to produce the upcycled totes made from Market! Market!'s donated tarpaulin.

Be one with Market! Market! And Gifts and Graces in our commitment to environmental concern and economic sustainability for underprivileged communities. For the whole month of July, you can avail yourself of these tarp tote bags by visiting Market! Market!and presenting P2,000 single or accumulated receipts or you can buy one for P75.00 when you present P500 single or accumulated receipts.

WFTO – Philippines Accreditation

Gifts and Graces received wonderful news on June 17! We have received the long-awaited stamp of approval from WFTO – Philippines! Which is to say, that WFTO – Philippines has deemed that Gifts and Graces abides by the 10 principles of Fair Trade which are:

1. Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers.
2. Transparency and Accountability
3. Fair Trading Practicing
4. Payment of Fair Price
5. Ensuring No Child Labor and Forced Labor
6. Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association
7. Ensuring Good Working Conditions
8. Providing Capacity Building
9. Promoting Fair Trade
10. Respect for the Environment

Gifts and Graces would like to thank Mr. Ronald Lagazo of World Fair Trade Organization of the Philippines who visited two of our partner communities. He visited Pangarap Foundation where he met with their Program Director, Ms. Lea Lanzuela and Kapitbahayan Candles where he talked to Ate Zeny de Guzman. His visits were made to ensure that Fair Trade practices are being observed and his audit affirmed Gifts and Graces' integrity and commitment to Fair Trade practices.

The WFTO – Philippines accreditation guarantees that the Gifts and Graces products you love and support help achieve social, economic and environmental goals. When buying fair trade products, look for the WFTO Philippines fair trade seal. By buying Gifts and Graces products you become a Fair Trade advocate and champion! 

PinoyMe's People - Powered Markets

Last Feburary 22, 2011 PinoyME celebrated it's 5th year anniversary at the NBC Tent at the Fort. On Feburary 22 to 23, PinoyMe also held the People-Powered Markets held at the NBC Tent which featured different social enterprises and companies who have successfully helped small producers integrate into their value chains.

Gifts and Graces was one of four social enterprises invited to showcase its robust value chain in greater detail. Gifts & Graces' exhibit featured how we are able to help our partners through design, capability building, and market access.

Newspaper bag makers and Mang Boy, an artist and painter from Barangay 849 in Pandacan from one of G&G's partners FCED Foundation, were the highlight of the exhibit.

On February 22, President Noynoy Aquino who was guest of honor at PinoyME's anniversary celebration, did a walk through of the different exhibits. While at the Gifts & Graces booth he admired our partners skill and craft and chatted for a while with Minda Rueda, one of our partner producers.

On February 23 Gifts & Graces Executive Director Greg Perez was part of a panel discussion on Social Enterprise: Doing Business with the Poor, joining Bam Aquino, Jim Ayala, Reese Fernandez, with Dan Songco PinoyME Executive Director facilitating. The panelists made brief presentations on their enterprises and answered questions on major challenges, profitability, and the legal structure for social enterprises among many others.

This exhibit was PinoyMe's way of promoting a new kind of people power. Congratulations to Dan Songco and the rest of the PinoyME team for an innovative and ground breaking concept!

Visit the People Powered Markets website and vist our Get Involved page on the G&G website to see how you can be part of this new revolution.

  

Also seen at the People-Powered Markets:

From left to right: Vic Roaring, APFTI Executive Director, Greg Perez Gifts and Graces Executive Director, Lani Concepcion Program Officer of PinoyME Foundation

 

 

Mae Paner, also knows as Juana Change, visits the G&G booth.

Defining Social Entrepreneurship

Last Friday, I received an invitation from the British Council to represent Gifts and Graces at a Round table Discussion on Social Entrepreneurship with Cliff Southcombe, a social entrepreneur and head of Social Enterprise Europe Ltd. Other organizations present were PBSP, Kids Foundation, Soup of the Day, Jollibee, Starbucks, SAGE Philippines, Messy Bessy Cleaners, Green Renewable Power Producers, Rags to Riches, and SEDPI. The RTD was facilitated by Arnel Casanova. One of the objectives of the RTD was for the British Council to have an idea of social entrepreneurship in the Philippines in order to determine how they can come in and help build social entrepreneurship in the Philippines and in the region. Cliff Southcombe shared that the UK experience has been more on cooperatives as social enterprises. In the Philippines, aside from cooperatives, other innovative social enterprises have sprung up as evidenced by the composition of the RTD participants. For a country with a lot of NGOs established to fill the gaps of government service, social entrepreneurship is a natural step. Much of the discussion however centered around the definition of social entrepreneurship. Being a "new" field the definition has not been well established. One view of social entrepreneurship is focused on the social entrepreneur who finds a problem and sets out to solve it with an innovative solution. My own definition of social entrepreneurship is more limited and was greatly influenced by J. Gregory Dees' Enterprising Non-Profits. For me a social enterprise is an enterprise with a social mission - the mission is the raison d' etre. Most social enterprises are non-profit organizations with specific advocacies such as education, health, access to water, access to electricity, and in Gifts and Graces' case providing livelihood support. One of the main differences between social enterprises and regular enterprises is that social enterprises invest in different interventions that regular enterprises don't regularly invest in. For example community organizing, capability building seminars, values formation talks. For social enterprises this is an integral part of their mission. One of the main challenges of this model is finding the funding for these interventions which go beyond operations. This is the challenge of financial sustainability, another hot topic at the RTD. Cliff defined sustainability as sustainability of the the of the social enterprises' impact. For me sustainability of impact and financial sustainability are not mutually exclusive though financial sustainability may be a medium term goal. To this I add looking at organizational sustainability which means that the enterprise has in place policies, structures, and systems that will ensure its survival and sustainability beyond the social entrepreneur that founded it.  In my view, in order to help grow and foster social entrepreneurship in the Philippines there must be an enabling environment which requires the involvement of government, civil society, and corporations. An enabling environment means just the right amount of regulation from the government, support in terms of tax breaks or exemptions, availability of funding for capability building interventions, fostering dialogue and cooperation, measuring impact, recording results for duplication and scalability. To this end, the British Council's and Starbucks support are very much welcome.  Thanks again to Felix Golez and Nanette Mercado for setting up the Round table Discussion.  Thanks for Cliff Southcombe for sharing his insights and experiences. I hope our paths will cross again as we all work together to promote social entrepreneurship in the Philippines. Cheers!