For many of us today, gift shopping goes hand in hand with an awareness that our decisions as consumers impact more than just us and the people we may be shopping for.

Many of us thus purchase with certain advocacies in mind, be it eco-friendliness, women empowerment, or in support of local heritage, culture, and tradition, hoping that our money goes to people who would most benefit from them.
One such movement many gladly support is the revival of Filipiniana through luxe and modern interpretations of tradition that manage to stay truthful and respectful to the source culture. Here’s a Christmas gift guide curated to highlight the current best of Filipino craftsmanship, spanning from bespoke home decor to fashion accessories.

Sesotunawa
This community-run social enterprise embodies the spirit of unity, deriving its name from the T'boli words for “to make one” (sesotu) and “spirit” (nawa).
As a community ethos aside from a brand name, Sesotunawa empowers T'boli artisans in Lake Sebu by conserving and promoting to the world their Tau Temwel (brass casting) and Temool Lemimet (beading) traditions. Led by Tau Temwel Joel Blunto and his wife Henia, the community has grown to include nine brass-casters and two beaders.

Sesotunawa co-founder and lead volunteer Karl Lozano shares that their platform “goes beyond reaching more people, also becoming a way for indigenous artists to share their stories to the world,” noting how showcasing their craft via modern marketing methods unveils otherwise obscure living heritage, contributing to its continued thriving.

BaO Artisan Candles
Hailing from Bagong Ilog, Pasig, Jonina Rae's handmade BaO scented candles brand is purposely spelled that way to highlight the Filipino coconut husk (ba-oh), rather than the Chinese dumpling (bau). Her project extends from her desire to enable people to create their own safe space given her own experiences with candlelight and scent.

As a self-taught candlemaker, there is much education and care given into every step of making her locally-sourced works of art: from quality-checking the coconut holders, hand-pouring beeswax, to arranging the flowers and fruits on the candles’ surface.

In the process, her supply chain has also helped coconut farmers upcycle what is often a waste product unceremoniously discarded all while supporting local apiaries situated in Pasig and Antipolo, a truly sustainable business ecosystem.
“Many of us purchase with certain advocacies in mind, be it environmental-friendliness, women empowerment, or in support of local heritage.”

Ilka’s fragrances
Ilka Mara Poe, a perfumer and candlemaker, developed a passion for fragrances from a young age, inspired by her father's perfume collection.
"Fragrance is my way of capturing emotions, memories, people, and the essence of special moments," Poe shares, hearkening to Marcel Proust’s enlightenment experience with pastries connecting to his childhood.
In 2020, she took a leap of faith, leaving her job to open her eponymous product line of bespoke fragrances—with a focus on sustainability, specializing in refillable luxury candles. Customers can select the flavor combinations they want for each candle and each refill. Ilka also carries diffusers.
She hopes that the Philippine market further embraces nuances of fragrance making especially from independent makers operating alongside more familiar perfumers.

Nouee by the Aracid sisters
What started as a craft hobby to tide over the lockdowns of the 2020 pandemic has since evolved into full-on venture by sisters Sarah and Pauline Aracid.
French for “knotted,” Nouee started with macramé-inspired and clay earrings and has plans to include other fashion accessories including phone decor and men’s bling. Inspired by minimalist and experimental design, the sisters treat the project as an artist’s canvas as much as a side hustle, reflecting their artistic side as they continue their day jobs.

Nouee as such is a way for them to communicate their creative journeys, from finding the best materials to work with to updating themselves on new creative knowledge. Each handmade piece reflects that dedication to their craft.

Krete Manila
Concrete is not normally seen as an artistic or creative medium, but Viktoria Laguyo and Daniel Ubas hope to change that with Krete Manila.
The co-founders share a background in industrial design, and what began as a passion project in 2016 has now become a full-fledged commitment. Ubas notes how “concrete ages a certain way, it adds character, we see beauty in that.”
Based in Marikina, itself a hub of creativity and artistry, their workshop serves as the birthplace of their refined home decor pieces. Laguyo takes the lead in designing and conceptualizing each piece, while Ubas oversees its execution. With their combined expertise, they transform concrete into beautiful and functional pieces of art that add a touch of elegance to any space.

Many of these products are carried in Likhaan, itself a story-driven social marketplace connecting Filipino makers, raw materials suppliers, and artists to each other as well to the rest of the world.
For more themed gift guides, shop http://likhaan.com or @LikhaanPH on Instagram