FASHIONABLE and functional are the best of both worlds and Raffabac Designs guarantees both with the materials it uses to produce its bags. Evident in the brand name, it uses two of the most common indigenous materials found in Cebu which are the raffia fiber where “Raff” came from and abaca fiber where “abac” originated from.
What makes these bags even more special is that each is woven by local weavers in the community of Argao where it also drew its inspiration from. Raffabac Designs only started as a student enterprise at the University of San Carlos under the course of Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship with preserving Filipino culture in mind.
Aside from wanting to preserve the weaving industry in the Philippines, Raffabac wants to showcase the rich weaving culture specifically in Cebu and highlight its beauty through the production of its bags. In turn, this helps boost Philippine tourism and promote what is local.
Using the hablon fiber, woven by one of the local communities Raffabac has worked with in Argao as the main material of the bag, the brand also makes use of the best fabric and other materials it can find in Cebu which makes its product more durable, reliable and versatile.
When it comes to the designs, the four-team company seeks inspiration from the people around them and things they normally see every day. The team of four: Kyle Therese Juanico (head for marketing), Sean Kevin Manglapus (general manager, head for finance), Kim Andrei VIlla (head for operations) and Miguel Niko Salimbangon (head for human resource)—who all have different outlooks in life—makes sure to meet halfway in order to come up with the final designs.
The brand’s design philosophy is focused on Cebuano craftsmanship.
“Being able to promote local Cebuano weaving is very important for us. We want the world to have a part of Cebuano craftsmanship through the products we create,” shared the Raffabac team.
Raffabac Designs is a budding bag line that will soon bloom into a well-known and respected company given enough time, care and effort. It will also continue to promote and showcase Cebuano culture. For now, Raffabac wishes to spread its brand to a wider audience and wants to slowly influence people in supporting locally made products. As an advocate of the weaving community, the company will weave forward together with local communities and hopefully build a larger community of weavers above all.