Author: MALINGKAT ENTERPRISE

ABSTRACT

#FromLoomToHome - the goal of Malingkat Enterprise was to bring the stories behind each piece made from intricately designed textiles from Mindanao and the communities that created them into the homes of many. “Malingkat” is a Tausug word which means beautiful. Founded by Fawziyah Maridul who was born and raised in Iligan City with a Tausug father, Malingkat Enterprise works with women weavers in Mindanao to create home and lifestyle products like table runners, foldable eco bags, place mats, cushion covers, and shoulder bags made from handwoven textiles with carefully chosen colors. Using a WiFi connection, online shops were established in Facebook and Instagram under the name Malingkat Weaves, these items were sold directly to customers with all the transactions being done online. Payments were coursed through GCash, Paymaya and online bank transfers and orders were either picked up or shipped via courier services such as LBC, Lalamove or Mr. Speedy. With its production and sales affected by the quarantines imposed due to Covid-19, Malingkat Weaves released a line of handwoven face masks and promoted them through the #MaskMaingat campaign. These face masks became the “entry product” for most customers who eventually ended up buying more of their hand woven pieces for the home. From initially targeting millennials, Maridul realized that their true market for home products were women aged 35 to 45 years. With bustling social media accounts and a website underway, Malingkat Enterprise continues to share the beauty of its stories to more homes, both in the Philippines and abroad.

A Personal Connection

“Malingkat”, a Tausug word which means “beautiful” is both the first reaction that one gets upon seeing unique patterns in handwoven fabric and the feeling obtained upon owning a product made from that fabric. One can’t help but appreciate the beauty in the uniqueness of designs and culture represented by the products Malingkat Enterprise. Each face mask, bag, table runner, shawl and home accessory truly brings life to faces and spaces, in the same way that each product sold brings joy to the lives of the women weavers whose hands have created them. 

Malingkat Enterprise founder Fawziyah Maridul is no stranger to handwoven fabrics. Born and raised in Iligan City with a Tausug father, Maridul grew up surrounded by intricately woven fabrics made by the locals in their community. Her appreciation for local products developed through the years, so much so that when she found herself building her own home, she wanted it to be filled with beautiful and functional décor similar to the home she was raised in. One of the items that she really wanted in her home was a beautifully designed handwoven table runner. Her search for the special piece that would bring life to her table was not easy. As a regular attendee of local artisan fairs, she thought that she would find a piece that would speak to her in one of them. However, her search turned out to be more difficult than she expected.

There weren’t many choices for handwoven table runners being sold in bazaars which featured local crafts. In one of the trade fairs she attended, she met a Yakan weaver. Maridul’s interest was piqued when she was told about the Yakan weaving center in Zamboanga. She had never been there, but she told the weaver she met that she will make it a point to go there once she visits her relatives in Zamboanga. True to her word, she visited the Yakan Weaving Center with her cousins when she went home for their Maridul family reunion in April 2017. She and her cousins bought a few personal pieces during that trip. It was during this time when what started as a search for handwoven table runners slowly evolved into a small business idea. Seeing how her circle of friends and relatives appreciated the fabrics made her realize that there was something worth developing from these pieces.

She wanted to promote the handwoven fabrics which reflected the culture she grew up surrounded with and began to hope that more people would develop an appreciation for the values that these fabrics stood for. She went back months later to purchase readily available weaves in bulk. This time, she wanted to create more items so that more people can own and appreciate pieces made from these weaves. She then worked with Ate Norita Pangkalan, their first and now lead Yakan partner weaver, and customized the colors of the weaves according to her preference. They made sure to retain the traditional designs of the fabric, but also intentionally designed it to look more contemporary and subdued. Her vision for the pieces for Malingkat consisted of handwoven pieces which had lighter two to three color combinations, as opposed to those which use more reds, blues and greens. More than coming up with stylish pieces, Maridul wanted to make sure that their products were both functional and accessible to people of all ages.

Launching Malingkat Weaves

In November 2017, Malingkat Enterprise launched its brand through a Facebook Page under the name Malingkat Weaves and an Instagram account with the handle @malingkatweaves. The creation of these accounts allowed them to market their products to a wide audience and at the same time minimize their overhead costs from maintaining a physical store. Equipped with WiFi connection, Malingkat Weaves was able to present their first line of products to the online world. Interested customers would simply have to send a message via their Facebook or Instagram page to inquire about their products, fill out an order form, wait for a confirmation of their orders and pay for the products, along with the corresponding shipping fee and they will be able get their hands on Malingkat’s pieces in a few days.

Payments were transferred through apps like GCash, Paymaya, and Online Bank Transfers. Once payments had been confirmed, pick-ups or shipping was arranged through couriers like LBC, Lalamove and Mr. Speedy. With all the transactions being done online and through social media, ordering becomes very convenient for Malingkat’s customers. More than lowering overhead costs, having everything done online truly appeals to a generation where people prefer to receive responses fast and often look for convenience. It was the beginning of a truly “Malingkat” storytelling process. Every post featured a photo which captured the beauty of the handwoven textiles and was captioned with details about the Yakans, the traditional settlers of Basilan Island in Mindanao, details on the weaving process and how much work goes into each piece for it to be brought #fromloomtohome.

Through Facebook and Instagram, Malingkat Weaves was able to reach the millennial market with their simple, stylish, functional and affordable products. In a time where convenience is sought after, the colorful foldable eco bags truly stood out. After all, who does not want to have a handy bag which can lessen the burden of carrying many things at a time. At an affordable introductory price of Php 200.00, customers were able to own a piece of the rich Muslim Mindanao culture and bring along a product of the hard work of our local weavers.

At first, Maridul felt that she was merely testing the waters, so their first line of products included smaller everyday pieces like foldable eco bags, drawstring bags, pouches and of course the item that started it all—table runners. It was only in the 2018 when she realized that there was a bigger potential and market for their products, so she continued to work with the Yakan weavers and developed more home and lifestyle products which were in line with the brand’s advocacy of selling pieces that are beautiful, stylish and functional. This led them to release new products such as hand woven shoulder bags, book bags and place mats. Maridul noticed that their market was expanding. More than the eco bags, their home pieces were gaining traction, so more pieces were added to their collection. After joining several pop-up events and bazaars both in the Philippines and abroad, Maridul noticed that sharing the stories behind their products in their social media was appealing to their consumers, so they made sure to continue this practice instead of shifting to posts which focus on just selling their pieces. 

Weaves with Stories

When asked about what product she wanted people to recognize when they hear about Malingkat, Maridul was not able to give an answer. Instead, she emphasized that it is the culture and stories that she wants people to own a part of, not a particular item. Her dream is for people to view Malingkat as their go-to brand for Mindanao weaves. Each fabric tells a beautiful story and being able to bring those stories into the lives and homes of people also became Maridul’s way of sharing a piece of the Mindanao culture she grew up with through their products. This is very evident in their social media pages. Scrolling through the Facebook page and Instagram feed of Malingkat Weaves is like going through a collection of remarkable stories that bring so much life into the already beautiful pieces that they feature. Each item is featured through a sharing of details about the people who created it and how meaningfully it was crafted. Because they are very intent about the messaging of their brand, Maridul makes it a point to personally curate pieces that she would use for her own home. She also visits the communities several times a year, communicates with them through SMS/text and social media messaging and makes sure that she works with them every step of the way. Through her PLDT WiFi connection, prepaid and postpaid mobile accounts supplied by different companies, she is able to communicate with their weaver partners. For Maridul, it’s not all about selling many items, or joining trends, but being able to sell pieces that are both unique and functional. Therefore, they only release products periodically and do so in small quantities. A customer will not find a catalog posted on their page, because the products are very limited. They are also very careful in creating pieces and make sure to communicate with the local weavers regarding the appropriate uses of textile fabrics. The thought, detail, and respect for culture that goes into each creation are definitely values that Malingkat prides itself in. Malingkat has grown a wide customer base, both in the Philippines and abroad. 

Giving back to the Communities

With its continued growth, Maridul also makes it a point to give back to their partner communities. By working with other organizations like the Rotary Club of Makati East led by the late Atty. Gian Puyo, they were able to provide their Yakan partners with a sewing machine, threads, and some cash. In 2019, Nuevo Ystilo, a clothing brand, also partnered with Malingkat and provided tarpaulins which were used as weaving shelters by their partners in Basilan. Weaving shelters serve as protection or roof covers which help weavers stay safe while weaving in open areas. As more people get to know about the brand, more people also get to help improve the working conditions of Malingkat’s partner weavers. 

Impact of Covid-19 on Malingkat Enterprise

During the first few months of 2020, news of a worldwide pandemic referred to as Covid-19 spread. By March of 2020, the Philippine government decided to implement an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon to stop the spread of the virus. People were not allowed to leave their homes. Almost all establishments were not allowed to operate, and only the essential industries like drug stores, hospitals, medical centers, supermarkets and banks were allowed to open. Movement was heavily restricted and non-essential travel was not allowed.

Like many other industries, Malingkat’s operations and sales were also affected by the pandemic. The restrictions of the implementation of an ECQ made it difficult for deliveries to be made. The lack of tourists greatly affected the Yakan weavers’ income. For Maridul, immediately shifting to the production of Personal Protective Equipment did not seem like a viable idea at first, because these were not in line with their product line and she felt that they were already late in the game. Several small businesses had already launched their face masks months before and mass production of handwoven products was not easy. However, Malingkat needed to stay in business, support its partner communities and there was still a growing demand for face masks, so despite the initial hesitation, she decided to enter into production.

Malingkat purchased handwoven fabrics from its Yakan and Abra partners. Senior weavers were tasked to make sure that the quality of weaves was maintained, while sewer partners were assigned to focus on face mask production. They developed prototypes for a protective face mask made up of three layers which featured handwoven Yakan fabric which featured traditional patterns but with contemporary, neutral colors, a double cotton lining, a filter pocket and a non-woven filter. Maridul made sure that the product was breathable, washable, and reusable, so each face mask came with a pouch and care instructions. Part of the proceeds from face mask sales were allocated for the provision of snack packs for 30 of Malingkat’s Yakan partners in Basilan and Zamboanga.

To further help the weavers, they were also allowed to sell Malingkat Weaves face masks in their personal social media accounts. Once the masks were launched in their Facebook and Instagram pages, orders came pouring in. Maridul was overwhelmed by their clients’ responses to their face masks. From May to July of 2020, the increase in Malingkat’s sales numbers which were largely from face mask sales were at their highest. The product that they were initially hesitant to make brought them sales revenues that surpassed their earnings from May to July of 2019. With an influx of face mask sales, more people were able to discover their brand and Malingkat was able to continue supporting its partner communities. 

A Growing Market Base

Maridul realized that she had been underestimating their market all along. While she thought that Malingkat Weaves should focus on creating smaller, lower priced products, her consumers taught her that they were willing to spend on quality hand woven pieces. She noticed that people who initially purchased masks ended up buying more of their other products. While the masks introduced consumers to the brand, the stories featured about home and lifestyle products led them to buy other pieces too. Maridul thought that their product line was expensive and not “essential” during a pandemic, but to her surprise people were buying home and lifestyle accessories during lockdown. It was then that she realized how much purchasing power people really had, that they would order pieces which will make them feel more comfortable in their own homes during these trying times, despite the pieces being sold at a higher price point. What she first thought of as “not essential” somewhat became a “new essential” because of the pandemic. At this point, Malingkat’s target market expanded from the millennial market, to what is referred to by many as “Titas of Manila”, women not-limited-to, but mostly aged 35 to 45 years who have a penchant for home and lifestyle items. Maridul noticed that this was the profile of her repeat customers, ladies who would willingly spend on handwoven pieces that will make their home more beautiful. Since more people spent most of their time at home, Malingkat’s handwoven pieces became essential for those who have chosen to redesign their homes in order to make their surroundings feel more relaxed, comfortable and beautiful during these trying times.    

#MaskMaingat

For their lifestyle pieces, Maridul also decided to shift their messaging to using their products in a safe, meaningful and sustainable way. Since the face masks and eco bags were intended for outdoor use, it was important for Malingkat to still remind their customers to be conscious when going out and prioritize their safety. With this in mind, they began to use the hashtag #MaskMaingat to promote safety through the use of their face masks and pushed for their eco bags to be used as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. These initiatives served both as a reminder to the public and a marketing campaign for the brand. 

On Business Continuity

Marketing 

When asked about which marketing strategy best generates sales, Maridul said that the most effective way is really through referrals and product reviews. The organic marketing brought about by word of mouth is really the best way to reach more consumers. Though product reviews cannot always be viewed from their clients’ private social media accounts, Maridul said that she knows somebody posted about a particular product if there is suddenly an influx of inquiries about that particular piece. Moving forward, she also plans to continue posting stories which feature the communities and highlight Malingkat Weaves so that more people will engage with their posts and hopefully purchase their pieces. Therefore, their Facebook and Instagram pages will still be vital in sustaining the current following of the brand and building from it.  

Partner Weavers

With its continued success, Malingkat hopes to reach more clients from the Philippines and abroad so that it will be able to continue supporting their partner communities. It is her hope that their partner weavers, too will continue to generate sales from their personal social media accounts. However, these dreams will still take time to bear fruit, as there are still several challenges being faced both by Malingkat Enterprise and its weaving partners. Maridul hopes that someday, their partner weavers will be able to own mobile phones with a high-quality camera and receive proper training so that they will be able to capture better quality photos for their products, both for Malingkat and their personal businesses, as they are not exclusively working for the enterprise. Maridul hopes to provide their partners with internet and data allowance so that they will also be able to reach more consumers through the use of technology. 

Technology

The story of Malingkat Weaves continues as it evolves into a brand that aims to be recognized in the global market. Maridul personally responds to inquiries in their social media channels and shared that she often becomes a consultant for which pieces will best fit their client’s homes. While she enjoys responding to inquiries and being part of this process, she also understands that it takes too much time and can be handled more  efficiently. Because of this, Maridul is currently in the process of developing the official website of Malingkat Weaves with the help of her friends. Once the website goes live, the inquiry process will be more streamlined and additional payment schemes like PayPal and credit card transactions will be made available. This initiative will allow Malingkat’s products to be more accessible to international customers. 

Product Design

While the website is being developed, the team behind Malingkat is also tirelessly working on a line of products that will feature Tausug weaves. This line is definitely very close to Maridul’s heart, as she is Tausug and she believes that Tausug fabrics are the most intricately designed handwoven fabrics because they are woven without a design set in mind, just based on the weaver’s creativity. With the weavers’ skill and creativity leading the process, the possibilities are endless. We can definitely expect that Malingkat’s next line of products will be a feast for the eyes. 

Committed Leadership

Maridul’s story progresses as Malingkat Weaves continues to operate. It is truly her personal connection to both the brand and the communities behind it that sets Malingkat apart from other businesses which sell locally made handwoven products. The personal touch that she gives in each process and remarkable commitment that she has with the communities truly brings much more meaning to the whole enterprise. As Malingkat Enterprise grows, Maridul and her partner communities grow too. Maridul takes this responsibility to heart because her visits to the communities have shown her how much Malingkat Enterprise helps improve their lives. She learns from her experiences, interactions with clients, communities, and adapts to the signs of the times. This is very evident as Maridul pours the same amount of energy that she gives to the company into her own professional development. She continues to join seminars, research and collaborate with various organizations so that she will be able to come up with more meaningful, functional and sustainable products that will appeal to their consumers. Truly, Malingkat Weaves has only just begun. There are so many more stories to tell and so many more people to share these stories with.  “Fawziyah” is an Arabic word for success and with Malingkat being a Tausug for beautiful, so there is no doubt that with Maridul leading Malingkat Enterprise, beautiful things are bound to happen. 

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