Travel: a quest for personal transformation; a reminder that life is a grand celebration waiting for acknowledgement. When wanderlust creeps into one’s system like some incurable disease, to compromise is not a sin.
“We travel not to escape life, but so life doesn’t escape us.” There goes the saying. Seeing the world always translates to memories. There’s so much out there. There are always stories to tell. And upon coming back, the traveler hopes to document the journey somewhere, somehow.
All roads lead home. This season, Bo’s Coffee is inviting you to come home from your travels with stories. Unveiled last Nov. 22 during a media gathering at Bo’s Coffee, Baseline, was “Origins: A Travel Journal,” a playbook that captures homegrown creativity and beauty. It was the merchandise’s official launch for Visayas and Mindanao, following that in Luzon on Nov. 21.
The travel journal highlights the advocacy of Bo’s Coffee on lobbying local pride not only here in the Philippines but most importantly, in the global field. A collaboration of Bo’s Coffee with homegrown startups and talents, the product is intended as a travel companion replete with inserts of full color illustrations, trip tips, fun facts, quotes, branch challenges and content and discount vouchers from startups—Trail Adventours, Culture Shock PH, Route +63, FlipTrip, Kawil Tours, Gouache, Bambike, Anthill Fabric Gallery, Risque Designs, Nipa Foods, Habi Footwear, Gugu, 22 Tango Records, Gawad Kalinga – Enchanted Farm, Friggies, Olivia and Diego.
As a platform for appreciating Philippine culture, the notebook also features the flavor profiles of Bo’s Coffee’s five different coffee origins—Sagada, Benguet, Mt. Matutum, Mt. Kitanglad and Mt. Apo. Firsthand experiences are shared by travel writers Estan Conrad Cabigas, Jona Branzuela Bering and Johanna Michelle Lim.
The piece is wrapped in a reusable jacket utilizing hand-woven fabric from Cebu-based social enterprise Anthill Fabric Gallery. Bo’s Coffee also worked with Cebu-based illustrator Kenny Badana for the sketches inside.
“We are not just a brand. There must be a way to give back, to impact the community while operating as a business. The travel journal is one of our initiatives to create social relevance. Also, Filipinos have to come home, to experience home, every day,” said Bo’s Coffee Philippines operations manager Ivy Theresa Benatiro.
Anya Lim of Anthill Fabric Gallery agreed, describing the travel journal as a culmination of Bo’s Coffee’s efforts to channel the essence of home.
“By involving local social enterprises like Anthill as well as local talents, Bo’s Coffee provides an enabling environment for cultural continuity and consciousness, creating a community of change makers,” she opined.
As there are no absolutes in responsible tourism, at least Bo’s Coffee has come up with something on their part. For Johanna Michelle Lim, also the project’s art and music director, the travel journal is an appropriate medium to channel responsible tourism as a powerful economic driver. “Origins: A Travel Journal” is on display at all 65 Bo’s Coffee branches nationwide. Carry one. Start an expedition. Spill memories on the pages.