Supporting Bra Recycling

Good bras are so expensive aren't they? Which makes me loathe to throw them away. 

But sometimes, they've stretched out a bit, you've grown smaller/bigger, or you just don't like wearing that certain bra anymore. Don't you feel guilty for just throwing them out?

I know I did!

So I did a little research and I found this website, brarecycle.com, an organization that takes your used bras, recycles them, and donates them to women in communities around the world. I mailed them my bras and promptly forgot all about it.

Then some weeks later, I got this in the mail:

Isn't that such a cute thank you post card? It totally put a smile on my face.

Then I got all serious and reflective and I thought about all those women who have to go without good bras. And we all know how having good support makes us feel. So I promised myself I'd never throw out something that other people may need, even if it takes a little money and effort to get it to them.

Thanks for the reminder, Bra Recyclers!

Anya of Anthill Fabric Gallery

I don't know what it is, maybe it's growing older, maybe it's cause I live in a small city, or maybe it's because I went to a small school. But in the few years that I've lived back home, I've found meeting new people to only be an occasional occurrence.

Which is why, I'm always happy when I meet and make new friends like Anya Lim of Anthill Fabric Gallery.

Photos courtesy of Stylecebu.com

I started coming to Anthill to buy yummy fabric for my dresses of course, and a friendship struck up between me and Anya, the owner and proprietress of the wonderful store. It's not every day that you meet someone as bright, smart, and funny as Anya. She's got this awesome, happy personality, and being around her is like being in a room with a bright ray of sunshine bouncing around.

Not to mention that she's giving! She used to work (and still does consulting) for World Vision, an organization that works to find sponsors for children in poverty all around the world. Then she founded Anthill with her mom, Annie Lim.

I love that Anthill is not just a fabric store, it's a socially responsible enterprise wherein not only do they sell fabric, but they also support new and upcoming local designers and indigenous weaving communities by making their products available to the public. And Anya is the perfect person to run it. She's super nice to everyone!

So Anya, if you're reading this, please know that I'm so glad we met and became friends! I know we didn't get to spend a lot of time together, but I know that we'll see each other again :) May you continue the wonderful work you do with World Vision, Anthill, and I know that you'll do great things wherever you go.

I'll see when I see you! Come visit me!

You can view Anthill's website here.

Project Aral

I know I haven't written in ages. Mostly because I've been so busy, a lot of things happening, and life just hasn't been quite going my way but I'm trying to do the best I can.

Today, in the midst of errands, I came across National Bookstore's Project Aral, which is a project that I've always been a fan of, maybe because as a teacher, it's close to my heart.

Basically, when you reach the counter, you can buy a study pack composed of school supplies worth 20 or 25 Pesos. Write your name on the tag, attach it to the study pack, which will go to a child who lost his or her belongings because of Typhoon Ondoy.

When you think about it, 20 or 25 Pesos isn't that much. But your money will go a long way, to help a child. He or she will have new school supplies and maybe just that little bit can help them recover from the hurt and suffering they went through.

Ondoy and Pepeng were devastating to our country and we are still recovering. Just last week, my boss's boss told us that the price for a kilo of potatoes was 200 Pesos! We're still a long way from being back to 100%.

But I'm glad that there are still visible relief efforts. Even one as small as buying a study pack for a child to take to school.

Purses from Payatas

I want a Rags2Riches purse. I love the idea, I love the concept, not to mention the purses themselves.

So what is a Rags2Riches purse? Well, Rags2Riches is a company founded by a group of Ateneans (of course) in 2007. This company works with the women of Payatas, Manila's main waste management site. Thousands of families call Payatas home. (Images from this post courtesy of Google. Click on them for better viewing.)

Photos from Rags2Riches Website and Write Ups

These women of Payatas used to forage through the Payatas dump site for scraps of cloth which they would then weave into colorful rugs. Of course when it came time to sell these rugs, these women had to go through middle men and ended up only earning one peso for every rug they sold.


What Rags2Riches did was partner with these women and bring their work to the mainstream market. Instead of rugs, these women now weave beautiful purses and clutches which are available to the public. Moving even one step further, many of their purses are now designed by the likes of Philippine design icons Rajo Laurel and Amina Aranaz. These items are currently sold in many high end stores in Manila. And according to their website, each product comes with the Rags2Riches story of transformation and a handwritten signature of the mother who made the product.

All of this has enabled the women of Payatas to earn a livelihood, help support their families and send their children to school. As of this year, Rags2Riches has expanded exponentially and they are gearing towards exporting their products to cities like New York, San Francisco, and beyond.

Rags2Riches is a wonderful example of what can be achieved with a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work. With Rags2Riches serving as an inspiration, think of all the things we are capable of doing. The possibilities are endless.


So buy a purse and let's help support the community of Payatas today.

For more information, you can visit the offical website of Rags2Riches here.

On Being Blue

Last night, my siblings and I attended the Blue Night, an alumni gathering held for Atenistas based here in Cebu. It was there I was reminded of why we chose Ateneo.

And the question many Ateneans are asked: What does it mean to be an Atenista?

For one, it means that you were blessed enough to attend one of the finest schools in the Philippines. A school steeped in tradition, history, and national pride, and so much more.

From personal experience, Ateneo taught me so many things. For starters, Ateneo taught me the value of hard work, the importance of adapting, and basically, the huge impact that making a difference can produce. I had brilliant teachers, some scary, some friendly, some intimidating, but all part of the Ateneo experience of preparing you for the world ahead. I got lost on campus, attended the wrong class, and I regularly ate at Manang's. I loved seeing Bel Field at Christmas time with all the pretty lights but I never attended Simbang Gabi. I watched basketball games at the Araneta Coliseum and learned most of the cheers. And I made it through to graduation in 2006.

This year, the Ateneo de Manila University is celebrating their 15oth anniversary.


In honor of this celebration and working with the mission of "Building the Nation", the Ateneo is aiming to raise funds for 500 new scholarships. Currently, the Ateneo has 1,088 scholars out of a school population of 7,963 which brings the scholar percentage to about 13.7%. They seek to raise this percentage to 20% thus effectively projecting 1,600 scholars out of a student population of 8,000, or hopefully, one scholar out of five students in the coming future.


I am a teacher and I truly believe that education is the key to our country rising up. It pains me to see how lacking our educational system really is and how many out of school youth there are.

But if we can make a difference in the lives of those 1,600 scholars by helping them receive the education that we were blessed with, I can't even begin to imagine how those 1,600 scholars would make a difference in our country today. Many Ateneo scholars have already gone on to serve our country in many different ways. (You can actually read more about their stories and the scholarship fund by clicking on the banner above.)

I know helping our country can seem like such a daunting task. But as with every journey, every undertaking, every dream, it can be achieved. As always, one step at a time. So let's give. And give back.

Ateneo truly chose a wonderful way of celebrating their 150 years.