The padyak (a.k.a. pedicab) is an ever-dependable alternative vehicle that you’d usually see in the Metro’s cramped sidestreets. It’s great for going through narrow alleys (sometimes, even sidewalks), it can go through knee-deep flood, and it uses zero gas or diesel. And for this year’s Manila FAME—scheduled to take place from October 19 to 21 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City—the padyak is getting a major makeover through Bamboo Extreme 2.0.
Bamboo Extreme 2.0 is one of the main events at the biannual design and lifestyle fair that features Philippine-made products. Furniture, home decor, fashion accessories, and even vehicles like the padyak and the bicycle are given a different spin with bamboo. This program is a partnership between the Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine Nickel Industry Association, and the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines—with the latter hoping that this will make up for the environmental impact caused by the country’s mining industry.
“Bamboo may very well be one of the ways we can heed the government’s challenge to ‘transform’ the industry for the better. We’re optimistic about it since studies have shown that it can reduce carbon emissions, prevent erosion, and even restore denuded lands,” said Philippine Nickel Industry Association President Dante R. Bravo in a press statement. Considering the plant’s sustainable nature, the bamboo industry would also create more opportunities for local communities to thrive economically.
One of the artisanal brands that have taken on this challenge is OMO Furniture by Milo Noval, who designed a bamboo padyak. Instead of the usual plastic tarpaulin for the vehicles’ roof, it sports thinly cut flat bamboo strips that aren’t only nice to look at but also environment-friendly.
Bambike Revolution Cycles is also part of this effort to uplift communities through bamboo bicycles. Their builders come from Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based community development organization. They promote this socio-ecological enterprise by holding bike tours in Intramuros and by providing bikes for recreation at eco-conscious resorts like Lio Tourism Estate in El Nido, Palawan.
Aside from Bamboo Extreme 2.0, Manila FAME is also showcasing other Filipino-made lifestyle brands, such as Triboa Bay Living, Tim Tam Ong, and Venzon Lighting. There’s also the Design Commune station, where handmade products from all over the Philippines will be put on display to encourage manufactures and buyers to establish a steady designer-manufacturer relationship with our artisans.
Manila FAME is from October 19 to 21 at World Trade Center Metro Manila, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Pasay City. For more information, visit Manila FAME’s website.