“It’s the thought that counts,” as the old saying goes whenever we give and receive gifts from our family and friends during the holiday season. This, however, doesn’t mean we should just slack off when choosing the gifts we will buy for our loved ones. Because out there, beyond the reaches of the usual giant malls, are awesome items being sold online by various groups of people and local communities all over the country. These are local products that may not be popular yet as gift ideas—but appear to be the perfect ones to hand out this Christmas season.
Local Products Perfect as Christmas Gifts This Holiday Season
1. Ecoheroes Collapsible Mug
If you’re planning to gift a coffee lover this Christmas season, there won’t be anything better to give them than a reusable collapsible mug from Ecoheroes. Choosing this as a gift not only helps a small enterprise widen their business, but you also assist with their advocacy in lessening the use of pointless plastics.
Since "Ecoheroes is a movement that promotes mindful consumption and a zero-waste lifestyle," they also sell reusable food container sets—great for ordering food outside your home—and metal straws. These are the perfect presents for any environmentally conscious citizen.
2. Artisan Langkit Weaving from Maranao Collectibles
Born from a social enterprise aimed at rebuilding the lives of people displaced by the Marawi Siege, the Maranao Collectibles has also managed to resurrect a dying cultural art form. Today, with internally-displaced women and men who were trained to create heirloom langkit weaving, numerous kinds of langkit products are now being marketed to the world. Aside from gifting a special someone a beautiful hand-woven Maranao fabric this holiday season, you also help in their advocacy of spreading and preserving the cultural art of langkit weaving.
3. Bahandi Sandals
Scraping floating lilies in the Agusan River to create stylish and affordable footwear completed the journey of a social enterprise group composed of artisan mothers in Butuan City.
"Bahandi slippers are made from the water lilies that are found along the Agusan River. The water lilies that usually clog the waterways are collected, dried, dyed, cut up, and braided in order to be made into slippers. Each pair of Bahandi slippers is carefully handcrafted by the members. It makes the perfect pasalubong when coming from our city because these water lilies are abundant in the region," explained Shayla Sanchez of The Trading Post PH, where you can easily order Bahandi sandals.
4. BAYOD – Handcrafted Sustainable Eyewear
Providing an eco-friendly eyewear option in the market that is also affordable is the vision of the people behind Bayod. Handcrafted from "responsibly-sourced bamboo within the ASEAN Free Trade Area," Bayod eyewear dishes out a highly durable eye accessory along with an edgy appearance. Since every pair of Bayod eyewear isn’t exactly the same, you’ll be sure to give your loved one a unique present this holiday season. In style—check. Affordable—check. Eco-friendly—check. The perfect gift—check.
5. Super Lumba’s “Palapa”
Here is a wonderful gift idea for foodie friends and family members who want to spice up their eating experiences. Super Lumba’s "Palapa" is a traditional Maranao dish made of native shallots, chili, and ginger. Preparing it involves mixing it all together and beating it to a pulpy texture before cooking it on a low-heated pan. It is a popular side dish to rice and almost every viand. Once you taste it, you might not want to eat anything else without a small serving of it on the table.
6. Hammock Republic
Wondering what to give to a backpacker friend? Then this might solve your problem. Hammock Republic was founded by backpacker and popular travel blogger James Betia, and it sells what else: hammocks. When Betia went on a hundred-day journey around the Philippines and another hundred more around Southeast Asia, he mostly slept in a hammock, which later turned out to be his small company’s maiden product: the "Duoyan," a hammock that transforms into a travel neck pillow. Proven to be durable and created from recycled materials by artisan community mothers, you can’t find anything better than this to give your traveler friend.
7. Siklo Bags
Continuing with the recycling theme of our list, Siklo Pilipinas’ collection of stylish bags and accessories made from upcycled inner-tube rubber is becoming popular among the environmentally conscious crowd nowadays. Aside from helping the reutilizing movement of tire scraps, you also get a sturdy product because these materials are known for their extreme durability. Plus, it’s completely waterproof. I bet anyone who receives this gift from you this holiday season will be deeply pleased.
8. Laksoy Nipa Palm Liquor
This is a homegrown drink in Butuan City called laksoy, and its traditional process of making is slowly dying out. Thanks to the initiative of local entrepreneurs, the art of distilling laksoy has been resurrected and has found a steady market among those who have tasted it. Sold for two hundred twenty pesos per bottle (using recycled glass), the Laksoy Nipa Palm Liquor is a finely distilled 100-proof spirit. Tasty and smooth on the throat, it delivers just enough kick—perfect to pop open and pour into a shot glass to celebrate life with family and friends. You can order it online at the Facebook Page of The Trading Post PH.
9. Woven PH
Woven PH has also come up with millennial-friendly banig-woven items. "Bags and wallets were already being sold as souvenirs for tourists. So, we came up with gadget sleeves first because millennials today are never without their phones, tablets, or laptops," explained the founders.
