by Janelle Melgar
“If I can reach one person and change the world through that person, then I have done my purpose.”
Nestled along the avenues of social media, the Durungawan Sustainable Shop online conceived by the intention of purpose and the strong foundation of advocacy– to create eco-friendly sustainable creations forr living.
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| Photo: Durungawan Sustainable Shop Official Facebook Page |
Durungawan markets a variety of outsourced local products such as coconut bowls, bamboo straws, and other wooden accessories. These items are made out of natural materials such as bamboo, wood, abaca, and nito; some are also made from common everyday objects such as katsa cloths turned into bags with hand-painted designs. Many of these products are decorated and created by the shop’s owner.
A CHILDHOOD DREAM
Founded in July 2020, amidst the tumultuous time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Durungawan is owned and run by 27-year-old Cristy Karen Casquejo, a woman graced with the wisdom of God and a heart for the environment. Her connection with the arts began as a child, earning a living through her craft to provide for her education.
"This talent helped me survive studying and finish with very scarce resources," she recalls. "[I needed] to be creative, gifted, and resourceful, and [I came] to love making things out of my own hands like drawing, upcycling, and painting." Casquejo also expresses how her craft evolved through time: before, she has only used her artistic talent to make ends meet. "Now that life has revealed [more important] things, my craft became a form of expression, a way to be of service to the world and now, to glorify God to the best of my ability," she remarks.
Durungawan may have started only two years ago, but Casquejo states that her business already commenced way before. "I believe it has been created since childhood, deep in my heart, because my love [for nature and sustainability] started when I [collected] garbage to have my own money for education as early as nine. I had to reconsider buying things for projects because I can't afford it and so I had to make things on my own."
SHOP’S GRASSROOT ADVOCACY
She supplies how her encouragement of sustainability didn't begin from a trend or an awareness of global warming and climate change but instead has been with her for as long as she could remember. "This advocacy has been rooted in the life I had to live since then, and this opened me to the many realities of life," says Casquejo.
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| Photo: Durungawan Sustainable Shop Official Facebook Page |
More than just a business, Durungawan is the embodiment of Casquejo's conviction to live a life that is environmentally aware. This is reflected upon the name of the shop, which is a Tagalog word for "window". Casquejo explains, "For me, I want this shop or platform for advocacy to be the window of a better world through sustainability. Like we are looking on the other side of a better world because we are clearly in a world where we do not give much importance and are not aware of the richness of the Philippines in biodiversity, culture, and natural resources."
Durungawan was established at a challenging time, and when asked if she experienced any difficulty with starting a business at the height of the pandemic, Casquejo replies: "For me, because my goal wasn't the money, my measure of success was not how much I made." She believed that the number of people she influenced to live a sustainable lifestyle was worth more than any monetary value. “I know to myself that this won’t make me rich, [because] the main purpose is to introduce sustainability and spread awareness. The goal was to reach many, but if you changed one life or heart, then you succeeded in your purpose of making a change.”
However, the arts are not without the price of struggles and challenges. Artists go through countless difficulties as they bring their creations to life. Some battle insecurity, some face doubt. But Casquejo has a different thought.
“Wala naman po akong masabi na challenge talaga, kasi all I see is blessing talaga from being able to see beauty in everything, even in the things that are supposed to be disposed of.” She states.
(“I can’t say there are actual challenges, because all I can see are blessings from being able to see beauty in everything, even in the things that are supposed to be disposed of.”)
She also adds, “Maybe [the] minor struggles would be that not everyone will appreciate [your work]. Some people [would question] why you would still spend too much effort over something you can simply buy.”
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| Photo: Durungawan Sustainable Shop Official Facebook Page |
But she believes having other people object to what you do is normal. “For me, it’s [fairly common] that when you are doing what everyone or most people don’t do, there will always be opposition, or critics [who question] why you do what you do.” And for the people who don’t see or appreciate the value of art, she says, “I didn’t do this for them. I didn’t do it for those who do not want it.”
ART AS AN ADVOCACY OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Casquejo emphasizes how the art and advocacy of sustainability aren’t about herself, pleasing people, or gaining validation from others. “It is to spread the message of living a purposeful life based on the gifts that God has given you, and that message is only for those who can accept it and appreciate it,” she notes. “If I can reach one person and change the world through that person, then I have done my purpose.”
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| Photo: Durungawan Sustainable Shop Official Facebook Page |
Likewise, Casquejo is grateful for those who support her work. “I am grateful that they supported my advocacy and arts, not because they know me as a friend but because they know and believe [in] my intention. I am also grateful that they believe in the advocacy and art alone, not just because I’m doing it but because they believe it was necessary.”
She advises those who are starting sustainable lifestyles, businesses, and those who cope with depression through the arts to keep going. “Keep going, despite the struggles that [you] might face. Be [your] own advocacy. The goal is not to convince people of a certain belief but to make a change in the world, and the best way to do it is to become it; become the change [yourselves].”
Casquejo also sends a message of comfort to other artists who doubt their profit through their craft: “The world today has made art so vast. The arts alone have so many branches, so artists should find that niche in the art [that should work effectively] for them.”
She believes that one can only create meaningful art once they acknowledge the gift God has granted them. Meaningful art transcends financial purpose as it is instead rooted in the role of serving others and serving God. "If one makes anything with all their heart, mind, and soul with God's gift, then you are also glorifying God in that way,” Casquejo articulates.
To the people who belittle and underestimate the arts in terms of profit, Casquejo says they do not understand how life works. “Life has nothing to do with how much you make, but how you make the most of what God has given you… It all goes down to how you see life as a whole.”
Casquejo’s principles in life are filled with wisdom, which she is grateful to the Lord for. “God has given me wisdom through many things, some are learned the hard and long way. All things come from Him and should be for Him,” she states.
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| Photo: Durungawan Sustainable Shop Official Facebook Page |
As of now, Durungawan is currently put on hold. “I decided to stop Durungawan for a while, [because] God has called me to do something else for now,” explains Casquejo.
But even though the shop is temporarily discontinued, Casquejo’s advocacy lives on. Her shop remains to stand as a platform of awareness, even without any business transactions.
“I am still sharing what I have to share if given the chance, but as for business, I do not do transactions anay (‘for now’). I am called to do something else but I will resume as soon as God will tell me to. [In] His timing, I will trust.”
In addition to this, she promises to continue her art in simple ways.
Durungawan is a business established not with the purpose of monetary gain, but that of selfless intention and brilliant creation. Not only is it home to local products sold and bought, but a haven of creativity where art transcends medium. Casquejo's real art is not only what she creates— it's what she believes in and what she does to uphold it. Her unwavering faith in the Lord and the sincerity of her heart is what truly makes Durungawan more than only just a business. Durungawan Sustainable shop is a shop not built in the woes of money and power but is built from the heart of one who glorifies God in what she makes.