PANGASINAN -- A 46-year old choreographer who lost his job as festivals and other events in big companies were cancelled due to a pandemic shifted to making decorative hanging coconut shell pots.

Reynate Ymasa’s option to venture on handicraft-making is seemingly paying handsome dividends.

His artistic design has attracted lots of resort owners who, he said, are willing to buy his work.

According to Ymasa, he had received plenty of orders since the start of the pandemic.

Even private homes’ owners were impressed with his work.

“May mga individual din na natuwa sa kakaibang design dahil lahat naman halos naging plantita at plantitos. Ginawa na nilang disenyo sa bahay (There are individuals too who were impressed by the design. They made them as decors in their houses),” Ymasa told Manila Bulletin.

Reynate, a native of Barangay Tocok, in San Fabian town in this province said he started to make the coconut pots when he was assisted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the help of 4th District Congressman Christopher ‘Toff’ De Venecia.

He said, before the pandemic, he was earning at least P20,000 to P30,000 per choreography in street dancing, not just in region 1 known festivals but also in Cordillera which is known for its Panagbenga Festival.

Reynate said he was able to start with his new job as pot maker when all the materials and the equipment needed were provided to him.

“Hindi na rin kinaya ang marami dahil sa dami ng order, may 300, 400, habang sa ibang lugar sa Mindanao ay may order na mahigit sa isang libong piraso, (I failed to accommodate many orders; there were 300, 400, while in other places in Mindanao, orders reached to as many as one thousand pieces),” said Ymasa.

“Maraming kakumpetensiya pero ginawa kong kakaiba ang aking disenyo at pumatok sa mga may-ari ng resorts (There are many competitors but I did different unique designs which impressed the resorts’ owners),” added Ymasa.

He said he just enhanced the design and the materials were made special.

“Nililiha yan na mabuti, at malinis ang pagkakagawa at kaming mag asawa at nag tutulungan, nabebenta namin ng hanggang 120 ang isang (finished product), (They (coconut shells) are being sanded clearly, and my wife and I are doing the chores, and we are able to sell them for as much as P120 per finished product),” said Ymasa.

Aside from making a decorative hanging coconut shell, he also started to do vlogging.