Whether it’s aloha in Hawai’i or mahal in the Philippines, the love small business owners put into their products is evident through the culture, family, and pride incorporated into each product.
“I’m more likely to always resort to other small businesses that are based here (in Hawai’i) because I know a lot of them personally and I know that they’re mothers who went back to school, or older folks trying to build another strain of income,” said Kristin Silva, owner of Keahi Kō. “I know how much hard work and time and energy goes into maintaining the business because I have that firsthand experience as well.”
In its early stages, Keahi Kō was based around infant clothing, scrunchies, and bibs, but has expanded to accessories, bags, coolers, and water bottles as well. Silva explained how her business started as a side hustle to earn money during nursing school but has turned into a full-time job that she is proud to call her own.
Silva stated that she illustrates her pride for her family and her home through her designs to honor where she comes from.
“Each of my flower designs represent a certain person that is important in my life,” Silva said. “It’s a small way to show pride for my ‘ohana and my home, which I think both pride and aloha are a big part of Hawaiian culture.”
Similarly, across the Pacific in a small Sunday market in the Philippines is Monica Macatulad. Macatulad, along with her sister, are the frontwomen for Jumimo by Vickit, which is a local jewelry business that pops up at various markets around Manila and Quezon City.
Macatulad said her mom was the founder of the business and started making pieces when she was a new mother in order to bring in money to support her daughters. Once the two girls were old enough, they began to help with the products and have now taken over the management side of the business.
Sourcing locally, the Macatulads use resources like kamagong wood, buri beads from palm tree seeds, and pearls to craft their handmade jewelry.
“We try to gather a lot of inspiration based on the materials,” Macatulad said. “We take inspiration from worldwide trends but we use Filipino sourced materials to pay respect to our people. Philippine fashion is still unique because we keep traditions from our parents and their parents throughout our ancestors through the generations.”
Whether it’s representing them in designs or having them help create products, honoring family and including them seems to be a shared practice among small business owners.
Unlike Silva’s business, many in the less wealthy parts of the Philippines do not have the privilege of having their local business as a side hustle, rather their business is their entire life. Take Nanay’s Pancit Malabon as an example. This small restaurant in Malabon, just north of Manila, looks like any other mom-and-pop shop, but the establishment serves as both a business and a home for the family that has been running it for decades.
Regardless of economic standing, a shared practice across both Hawaiian and Filipino local businesses is encouraging others to shop small and to shop local.
“It’s important to shop small to give opportunities for your fellow Filipinos,” Macatulad said. “You either shop for things here, where people are safely sourcing authentic resources without the waste, or from places like H&M or Zara where they are exploiting resources and depleting our economy.”
Silva acknowledged the convenience of chain companies, but stands firm in her belief that buying local when possible is the best route.
“Bigger chain companies can offer lower prices which appeals to a certain crowd, but with small businesses, this is the way to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads,” Silva said. “Thinking like that should hopefully persuade some people to turn to local companies instead.”
