Gifts that will hold memories
A good gift, especially during Christmas, is one that the receiver will remember for a very long time.
The inspiration for Pamana Jewelry is its founder’s mother and grandmother. Hannah Garcia would borrow jewelry from her mom and grandma and discover afterwards that every piece told a story. Thus, when she established her company, her vision was to offer pieces that its buyers could attach stories and good memories to.
“A lot of our clients would give it to their wives in celebration of a milestone … Jewelry remains the same through the years, it holds the memories. Then you can pass the jewelry and the story on,” Garcia said.
Pamana is just one of the exhibitors in the ongoing Kultura Christmas Crawl at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium. The exhibit celebrates Filipino crafts, cuisine, and culture, with around 41 local brands participating. The area has been converted into a mini Christmas village where local items that could serve perfectly as gifts are available for purchase.
One such find is Auro Chocolate’s Advent calendar that comes in colorful and glittering packaging.
There are also products that evoke nostalgia. Some stalls offer tablea, a staple for Noche Buena, and turmeric tea, which is what people usually drink after simbang gabi.
On opening day on Nov. 18, Don Papa offered cocktails that could be mixed with local ingredients such as calamansi. But for those who just want to get a happy buzz, there’s Nom, a frozen poptails brand that comes in little packets. Its base is lambanog, with flavors such as Strawberry Lemonade, Cucumber Mint Cooler, and Coconut Lychee Crush.
Part of the crawl’s opening activity was getting to know some brands. Boho Manila, for example, is giving part of its earnings to the Kaisahang Buhay Foundation to benefit abused children and battered women. As the name suggests, the brand offers colorful handcrafted jewelry that gives off a fun, colorful vibe. Their earrings have intricate beadwork, but curiously, all of them are relatively light despite their size.
“We weigh them. They cannot exceed 12 grams,” said Mai Nadres, owner of Boho Manila. To compensate for this, they sew their designs into the base and forego the glue.
Her designs honor the happiness of Filipinos, she added. They are colorful because they remind Filipinos of how they find a reason to smile despite hard times.
The Kultura Christmas Crawl runs until Nov. 24.
