Doll maker Carika Doll in Baras, Rizal, which has been making handcrafted and personalized doll figurines and souvenir items using foam materials for several years now, has created a version of incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. (BBM) in time for his inauguration as the country's 17th president on June 30.
Twin siblings, Lorichelle Celestra Alapad and Lorily Celestra Darag of Baras have finished two versions of Marcos Jr. as their latest addition to their doll collections and that they want to give these to the incoming president.
The twins said one version of the BBM doll is the one with a red shirt, the trademark color of the son of the late President Marcos Sr. in the campaign rallies while the other one is of him in Barong Tagalog with his both hands raised and flashing the victory sign.
“Naisip namin na gumawa ng version ni BBM na Carika Doll dahil alam namin na maraming tao ang magkakagusto sa mga doll creations namin dahil sa pagiging popular ni BBM hindi lang dito sa buong Rizal maging sa buong bansa (We thought of doing a BBM version of Carika Dolls because we know that people will appreciate our doll creations given BBM’s popularity not only here in Rizal but also in the whole country),” Alapad told the Manila Bulletin.
The Carika Doll uses foam materials and sponge as the primary component of the dolls, which have created a version of Pope Francis; Fil-American armless pilot Jessica Cox; other local television personalities such as Jessica Soho; President Rodrigo Duterte; Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, and local government officials like Antipolo Mayor Casimiro "Junjun" Ynares, III and his family, Governor Rebecca Ynares and private individuals and couples who celebrated their especial occasions such as wedding, debut, or birthday.
The twin sister’s Pope Francis doll version reportedly made it to the Vatican as it was given personally to the Pope by then Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in 2015.
During President Duterte’s inaugural in 2016, Carika Doll made a keychain and pen holder version of the president which were sold by members of a group of Persons With Disability in Antipolo and other parts of Rizal Province for their livelihood project.
This time, as a way of giving back to the blessings that the twin sisters have been receiving as their Carika Doll continues to be appreciated by those looking for unique and personalized souvenir items for special occasions, the siblings are again releasing for sale key chains and refrigerator magnets version of President Marcos Jr. in time for BBM’s National Museum inauguration on June 30.
The BBM ref magnets and key chains bear the head of the BBM doll and the BBM initial. A photo of the 17th president is shown on a small piece of tag with his name and the date and place of the inaugural, on the obverse and reverse side.
The twin sisters said proceeds from the sale of the BBM keychains, ref magnets, and BBM dolls will go directly to the Antipolo Persons With Disability (PWD) Cooperative based in Antipolo City.
Some keychains and ref magnets are initially sold at the PWD Massage Area at the second floor of the building located at Carigma corner Lopez Jaena Street near the new Antipolo City Hall building in Antipolo City and at the PWD Massage Area located at the second floor of the New Antipolo Public Market on Sumulong Highway.
The Carika Doll version of President Marcos Jr. can be pre-ordered by sending the twin sisters a message through https://www.facebook.com/lorichelle.celestra or through their mobile phone numbers: 09055801657 or 09365324736.
The Baras doll makers said they want to personally give their BBM doll to President Marcos Jr. should they be given an opportunity to meet and talk to him.
“Sana po maibigay namin nang personal kay President-elect Bongbong Marcos ang BBM Doll pero hindi po namin alam kung paano kami lalapit sa kanya (We wish that we could give the BBM Doll personally to President-elect Bongbong but we have no idea how we can reach him), the doll makers said.
In Rizal Province alone, Marcos Jr. garnered a total of 765,644 votes, equivalent to sixty percent of the votes cast by 1,298,078 voters in the province.