USWAG ARTESANO: Crafting Our Sacred Ordinary

Uswag Artesano is a brand built on heritage, history, and culture. It is fueled by a creative and entrepreneurial spirit distinct from the artisans of Leyte.

Photos courtesy of Uswag Artesano and Before the Deadlines
March 23, 2023

Behind the Name

USWAG ARTESANO is a brand built on heritage, history, and culture. It is fueled by a creative and entrepreneurial spirit distinct to the artisans of Leyte. Founder Anna Veloso-Tuazon explains, “USWAG is the Karay-a term for improvement and advancement. In intangible heritage parlance, it means enrichment.”

Using indigenous natural materials like bamboo, rattan, abaca, romblon, sig-id, and batang-batang, handcrafted lifestyle products are born to tell inspiring stories about the Sacred Ordinary. Fishing baskets, mats, market totes, and other everyday items are reimagined and re-interpreted by the brand as emblems that represent the district's heritage, history, and culture of craft.

From Ordinary to Sacred

A description inspired by Quintin Jose V. Pastrama’s poem Mother’s Day, the phrase Sacred Ordinary celebrates the state of grace and gratitude in the peace and quiet of daily ritual, an appreciation for the equanimity one finds in the quotidian. For artisans of USWAG, this ideal is embodied in the lives they lead as farmers, fisherfolk, and craftsmen.

Their hands are poetry in motion when they re-imagine and transform the mundane into ritual. Shapes and forms draw from Leyte’s heritage, history, and culture. They are refined and elevated to echo the brand’s reverence for the Eastern Visayas region’s way of life.

“Through our bobo-inspired lamps, chicken brood of candle holders, amakan curtains, leafy abaca forest and baskets that double as interactive art installations, we hope to give you a glimpse of the Third District– our Sacred Ordinary, visual and tactile narratives retold by our craftsmen and artisans,” shares Anna.

Heritage of Craft And Rebuilding

USWAG is a living testimony to the artisans’ indomitable spirit. To rebuild, carry on, and forge ahead. To find meaning, enrich the soul, and triumph over adversity. Born in the third district of Leyte, indigenous materials used by the brand are locally sourced from and produced in the towns of Villaba, Tabango, San Isidro, Calubian, and Leyte.

The district is always in the process of rebuilding and picking up the pieces following setbacks, super typhoons and other natural disasters. It is not uncommon for residents of the district to find themselves temporarily displaced by torrential rainfall or a storm. Livelihood, most of which are anchored on farming and fishing, is also often compromised by natural disasters.

Instead of relying on the concept of resilience, artisans of USWAG channel their energy towards enriching their lives through craft. Through cultural mapping and amplification of cultural literacy, they have also established a framework that guides the creation of unique designs, production processes, and narratives.

Our Ethos

A Circular, Creative Economy. Established primarily as a livelihood initiative, USWAG was also envisioned as a means for establishing and tapping into the region’s creative economy. Through dialogue, collaboration, and cooperation, the initiative has ignited the entrepreneurial spirit of Leyte’s artisans as they narrate stories about their heritage, history, craft, and resolve to survive and thrive.

Anna expounds, “Our artisans are the repositories of traditional ways of weaving, crafting, repurposing, and reinventing. Through USWAG, we endeavor to create alternative sources of income for our artisans by inspiring them to create products that are good for our people and the environment.” Craftsmen and basket weavers that make up the brand’s collective are farmers and fisherfolk by trade. By revisiting roots, reconnecting with craft, and honoring heritage, the brand empowers artisans to weave a new chapter where creativity and design are regarded as a means for enriching everyday life.

Livelihood generated through USWAG also extends to local suppliers of indigenous materials like bamboo, rattan, abaca, romblon, sig-id, and batang-batang. The supply chain–from sourcing to production and selling–are all intended to inspire the reuse, renewal, and reimagining of lifestyle products. “We are part of the country’s creative economy,” states Anna. “By visually translating heritage concepts into contemporary forms... we create a ripple effect allowing our community to mirror to the world who we are, what we care about, and what makes us tick. It is our hope that this eventually yields social returns on investment and the quality of life we aspire to give our children and everyone we care about.”

Fair Trade And The Celebration of Our Artisan’s Voice. There is a name, a face, and story behind every product of USWAG. Each one is celebrated and regarded as a page in Leyte’s story of enrichment. Local makers and suppliers are crucial links in the inclusive business value chain. They are key stakeholders whose lives amplify the brand’s vision for charting a course of impactful community engagements and igniting Leyte’s creative and inclusive entrepreneurial spirit.

Designs are drawn from the artisans’ Sacred Ordinary. These are the everyday rituals of using hand-woven baskets and weaves on the fields, out at sea or by the coast. Use of natural, indigenous materials also offer honest reflections of Leyte’s natural landscapes, rich textures, and way of life.

Inspiration For Sustainable Spaces. “Our designs mark the pivotal decision to be more intentional and conscientious. We channel creativity to innovate a space where humanity’s and the environment’s needs intersect,” remarks Anna. A sustainable framework, fueled by a circular economy is the North Star that guides the brand as it journeys beyond its borders.

USWAG’s sustainability ethos seeks to pave paths where the needs of people and the planet meet at a crossroads. Artisanal products that utilize natural, indigenous materials are thoughtfully designed with greener and kinder living spaces in mind. They are refined, elevated, and reimagined to bring a piece of Leyte’s Sacred Ordinary to every home.