MaArte polishes tiangge grit, but still flirts with Filipino ingenuity

Tsaa Laya brings to the market teas that use local plants and herbs

Local teas that proudly promote both Filipino ingenuity and freedom from poverty are headlining this year’s MaArte fair—which, on its ninth edition, is also expected to be smaller and more “inventive” than the previous years’ bazaars.

“All the other fairs have always been tiangge-style, where you have lots of vendors, stalls, one after another. But this year, we’ve had a change; we decided to rebrand ourselves, but still called MaArte. It’s been nine years, and we wanted to make it more inventive-looking, with fewer craftsmen who may not have ever been in a bazaar,” said Phyllis Zaballero, vice president of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines Inc.’s (MFPI) board of trustees, at the event’s launch. MaArte at The Pen, which will be held Aug. 11-13 at The Gallery of The Peninsula Manila, is one of MFPI’s annual fundraisers; the other is Art in the Park.

Over 30 exhibitors are expected at this year’s MaArte—a far cry from the usual 70 plus in the past. “Thirty percent of what we’re showing are new, and you won’t see them in stores nor in the large bazaars or tiangge,” Zaballero said.

One exhibitor is Tsaa Laya, a social enterprise working with marginalized communities which manufacture teas using local plants and herbs that they also farm in their respective areas.

Tsaa Laya was founded by Jamir Ocampo five years ago after working with the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

“I usually ended up working with urban poor communities which were up for demolition and were trying to relocate,” he said. “There were challenges; you can’t really do anything [for them] after relocation—just report, and you’re done. In 2012, I just decided to be more hands-on with the problem. I wanted to be on the frontlines, so I decided to put up my own social enterprise.”

MFPI Board of Trustees, organizers of MaArte at The Pen. (From left) Deanna Ongpin-Recto, Patricia Araneta, Phyllis Zaballero, Albert Avellana and Reggie Dimacuha. (Right) Proudly Made in PH goods are up for grabs.

With the aid of seed funding and investments from supportive organizations, Ocampo was able to establish Tsaa Laya. He explained his choice of brand name: “We wanted to be clear that it’s Filipino, hence, ‘tsaa’ (tea); and then ‘laya,’ for freedom, because we use loose-leaf teas, and also because it’s a social enterprise, so it’s also subtly talking about freedom from poverty.”

The first community Ocampo tapped was located in Calauan, Laguna, where a number of families displaced by Typhoon Ondoy needed additional income.

It was the women, in particular, who needed the livelihood, as their husbands usually stayed in Metro Manila to earn a living.

“The tendency always is, whenever we relocate people because of natural calamities and disasters, women become more prone to job loss, as husbands stay in the city to work,” Ocampo said. “We started in Calauan, where we launched our first collection. We wanted to focus on herbs and crops that could be easily farmed. We didn’t really have any idea at the time; then we realized we have climate-resilient crops that can be made into high value tea, like lemongrass, pandan. We usually take these for granted because these can grow anywhere.”

From Laguna, Ocampo set his sights on abandoned communities near rice terraces in the province of Ifugao.

“They were being abandoned because they lacked high-income productivity. We can’t blame our IP (indigenous peoples) brothers and sisters—they need money. What we realized when we went there was mint was a pest for farmers in rice terraces, and they just kept pulling it out! So, wonderful—we made use of the ‘pests’ and made a seedling bank,” Ocampo said.

At MaArte at The Pen, Tsaa Laya will be showcasing three new blends: Sagada Tips, made, as the name implies, from the tips of an herb found in Sagada; Tropical Summer, which Ocampo described as “a melange of fruits: mango, pineapple, calamansi”; and Coco Melange, a combination of heirloom rice, coconut and pandan.

These teas, which are not yet out in the market, together with brews by another local teamaker da.u.de (pronounced “da-you-deh”), will also be exclusively featured at The Pen during the whole month of August as part of the hotel’s Afternoon Tea service at The Lobby from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

—ARNOLD ALMACEN

Other MaArte at The Pen exhibitors include: Haute Home Manila, Joey de Castro Pottery, Siegrid Bangyay’s Stoneware Pottery, Balay ni Atong, Milvidas, Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundation, Beyond Borders Philippines, KASSA Art of Table, Iraya Mangyan Art and Cabaña Workshop under the home furnishings and accessories category; TDLG, Stockton Row, Nicole Whisenhunt, TimTam Ong, Unang Panahon Arts & Antiques, N Lagdameo, and Micki Olaguer for jewelry; Mich Araullo, Two Chic by JC Alvarez, La Herminia Piña, Filip + Inna, Violetvine by Amarie, Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation/Tepiña, and Antukin for apparel; and Aranaz, Oscar Mejia Artisan Fragrances, Tali Handmade, Yvette’s Bags, Creative Definitions, Chili by Nooks, and MCV Designs under fashion accessories and scents.

“Since we’ll be in The Gallery, we don’t want to have that [tiangge] look. So what you’ll see is, like, you’ve walked into a tropical living room, with the Old World sensibility of The Pen. It’s a very gracious way of life we’re projecting [with this year’s MaArte],” said Zaballero.

Being given the chance to showcase their wares at such an event is also in line with Tsaa Laya’s mission: to elevate Filipino goods.

“If there’s something we want to leave with the communities, it’s that we can be proud of our own [by] building on what we have, and having faith in our creativity and ability to elevate our products,” Ocampo said.