BayaniJuan’s Paper Shell Collection

It is hard to believe that the beads used to create these items were handcrafted from pages of glossy magazines.  The beads are beautiful and elegant, very similar to the Philippine seashells where they were patterned from.  No, BayaniJuan is not a manufacturing company exporting Philippine handicrafts abroad.  They are more than that.

Located in Calauan, Laguna, BayaniJuan is a community composed of families that were relocated from informal settlements along Estero de Paco, those from Marikina and Pasig who lost their homes to typhoon Ondoy and those previously relocated by the National Housing Authority.  

A program of the ABS-CBN Foundation, BayaniJuan partners with the national government, local government units (LGU), non-government organization and private companies to give these relocatees not only shelters, but access to basic utilities, and recreational, health, sports and educational facilities. Equally important is the provision of various livelihood opportunities by providing trainings and grants that qualified households use as start-up capital.

For many, the BayaniJuan’s Paper Shell Collection is just an ordinary handicraft, but to the folks who carefully made them, they are a testimony that they did not lose hope.  For orders and other inquiries about the program, please call BayaniJuan, ABS-CBN Foundation at 4152200.  Other BayaniJuan products are sold every Sunday at the Rockwell, Powerplant Mall.