Going green for jewelry
Bijoux Cebu, dubbed Asia’s destination for green jewelry, was recently launched at Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu City. It also officially launched the Go Green Philippines project. Over 100 foreign buyers from fashion capitals such as Milan, Paris, Tokyo and New York attended the fair.
Cebu FAME organized the fair, which aimed to promote Philippines as a major player in the rising popularity for green fashion.
The Go Green Philippines project was pioneered by Cebu FAME president Janet Chua in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region VII. For a minimum purchase made by buyers from FAME Foundation members, the member donated 100 hectares of pangatuon trees, used in manufacturing the green jewelry, to the project in the name of the buyer. The buyers, in return, put the Go Green Philippines labels on the products sold around the world. So far foreign buyers have donated and invested several one-hectare tree plantations worth US $1,250 per hectare for 2,500 trees and get naming rights as well as the right to have first use of the plantation trees.
At present, 25,000 pangantuon wood seedlings have been committed to be planted in a 10-hectare timberland in Catmon, Cebu. The plantation is managed by the Hiniusang Mag-uuma sa Catmondaan (HIMASACA) people’s organization. The project employs over 145,000 natural jewelry converters, rural wood growers and craftsmen.
Jewelry collections called Eco Chic, which expressed the design philosophies of Go Green Philippines, were staged in runway presentations including the spring-summer 2009 jewelry resort collections by Bijoux Cebu creative director PJ Aranador, a renowned Filipino international lifestyle designer. Cebu FAME vice-president Butch Carungay lead the Eco Chic gala fashion show at the Cebu Governor’s Palace with Cebu designers Vania Romoff with Arte Handicrafts, Cary Santiago with Avatar, Edwin Ao with Bon Ace, Dino Lloren with Genea, Jun Escario with Ian International, Arcy Gayatin with Impressione, Philip Rodriquez with Pan Arts and Oj Hofer with Victoria Marin.
