Hands On Manila hosts Good Deeds Day in public school with 'Wear it Wisely: A Sustainable Design Olympics'

On Saturday, April 5, nonprofit organization Hands On Manila (HOM) hosted the 8th annual Good Deeds Day in the country, with the theme “Wear it Wisely,” a concept centered around games and activities educating public school students on the importance of sustainable fashion. 

The event opened with a speech and interactive presentation from Adrienne Charuel, the designer behind the French-Filipino brand Maison Métisse.

Charuel captivated the audience while detailing her inspirational journey as an artist, highlighting the strong relationship between clothing and the environment, as well as the long history of Filipino sustainable craft.

As the activities began, 100 students from 10 public secondary schools across Taguig, Quezon City, Manila, and Mandaluyong enjoyed three learning challenges focused on the environmental impact of different types of clothing—specifically their water usage, non-biodegradability and use of forever chemicals.

Winners of these games received sustainable prizes donated by sponsors H&M and the Bayo Foundation. The unique curriculum and learning resources designed by the HOM team will also be used by the participating schools in their classrooms in the weeks to follow.

Founder of HOM, Gianna Montinola, along with "Wear it Wisely" co-chairs Vanessa Colombo and Rose Anne Belmonte, drew inspiration for the event’s fashion focus from the observation that clothing is something Filipinos interact with every day.

Not only is it a necessity or form of self-expression, but also something we, as a society, look to in setting norms. With this in mind, the team recognized that teaching future generations the responsibility of caring for the environment can be powerfully done through the lens of fashion.

“By learning about sustainability in fashion,” Belmonte says, “we empower young minds to make informed choices, think creatively, and become responsible consumers and future innovators.”

Thank you to our sponsors: BAYO Foundation, McDonald’s, Nature Guard, Pancake House, Potato COrner, Taguig Integrated School and Tilde.