A HOME Economics teacher in the early 2000s specifically instructs her students to buy and use katsa for the apron sewing they will learn next week. A grandmother in the 90s brings out the lampin (reusable diaper) for her grandchild which she also used for her own son more than 20 years ago. And a local baker uses katsa as cheesecloth when making puto and other kakanin.
Before repacking in smaller packaging, flours and cornstarch in the Philippines come in sack cloths we call katsa. Over the years, the resourcefulness of Filipinos can be seen in how they reuse and repurpose simple household items such as the fabric from which the flour or cornstarch came from. This was way before Filipinos relied too much on plastic cellophane. This is around the time women go to the market bringing their own bayong along. Plastics already do exist but for some reason, Filipinos then find more sustainable means.
Fast forward to 2021, a young couple based in Davao City found katsa as a nostalgic piece of cloth of Batang 90s but decided to make it more than just an item of nostalgia.
John Espinas and Marian Esquivel, as with almost any working Filipinos in the country, found the pandemic affecting their livelihood. John, in particular, used to work in the food and beverage industry pre-pandemic which was badly hit. Marian is a call center agent managing overseas accounts and so their industry was not that affected. However, they still find it challenging to continue without having an extra source of income. John initially tried selling ukay-ukay which did sell. They wanted to innovate and thought of katsa.
The318shop is an online shop launched in March 2021 – still a very young business but with a vision banking on nostalgia, functionality, and sustainability.
Aside from their small retail business, both of them didn’t have a background on sewing but they have a particular prototype in mind. They have a plan and a vision.
“We found Ate Gigi on Facebook and malapit lang naman siya, 10 minutes away lang sa amin. We showed her the prototype and siya na yung tumatahi. She’s very helpful because she gives us her suggestions, what she thinks, and where we can buy specific items we need,” shared Marian.
The couple shared that partnering with Ate Gigi is a win-win situation as the latter lost her job because of the pandemic and she’s working as a freelance seamstress now. They pay her per piece understanding the toil and effort she has to put on every outfit just to make the couple’s design a reality.
Now, they are working closely with Ate Gigi to make sure the prints and colors on the katsa are exactly where they’re supposed to be once sewn.
But before finally having the final product on hand, John shared how difficult it actually is to find katsa nowadays. He went to different bakeshops in Buhangin, Tibungco, and other parts of Davao City but to no avail. The couple shared how they realized that flours of smaller bakeshops do not come in katsa sacks anymore. They come in a different packaging with plastic. John had to scout for bigger baking suppliers in the city to find the katsa they’re looking for. They also found partner-stores in Bankerohan who were happy to have someone buy their katsa as only a few people look for them anymore.
Their first design is overalls. When John sold ukay-ukay jumpers and overalls, they understood how rare it is to find a design like that which is affordable. They target to have it used by workers but they’re not closing their doors for it to be a fashionable item and an everyday wear.
“Not everyone can pull this off, yes. For now, it would still take a lot of confidence for anyone to wear this around the city,” said John who added they are ready for similar criticisms but that they have confidence in their products.
To check their designs, visit the318shop on Facebook and Instagram.