Sometime in December 2002, couple Glenn and Bles Pascual filed an application for a business name at the DTI office, an act which started the ball rolling for the establishment of a then non-descript company which was called woodinspirations.
They started out small– armed with a minimal capital, a few hand-held tools and one (1) worker. It was set in a makeshift tent at their backyard. They were however equipped with Glenn’s carpentry hobby (he is a Mapua graduate and a licensed civil engineer), Bles’s knack for crafts and designing (although she majored in Economics & Political Science at UP Manila), and a strong determination and conviction to make what they had work out. These proved to be a sufficient combination, which at first produced recycled wood-based gifts, home decors, and accessories with an American country-folk art theme. After attending a series of DTI-sponsored seminars, the new-born company virtually took off after participation in the Likha ng Central Luzon regional trade fair in October 2003, where the market response was favorable. Their next exposure was in the SME Expo in July 2004. The fair featured various products from all over the Philippines. This paved the way for them to use indigenous Filipino materials like abaca, fossilized leaves, coconut beads, and handmade paper as accessories/ trimmings for their products. From these combinations, they reaped a more favorable response in the market.
The next big step the company undertook was finding a readily available and abundant material in the locality which can either be used as accessory/trimming, or even as a wood substitute (in the event that recycled wood i.e., palochina crates, will no longer be available). Hence, this led to their discovery of the lowly bamboo. The company’s CITEM-sponsored National Trade Fair participation in March 2005 and 2006 initially featured bamboo as accessory and/or trimming to their products. The birth of OTOP (One Town, One Product) and their LGU’s full support paved another way for the company’s use of bamboo not only as accessory/trimming but as one of their main product lines. This way, they continued undertaking a more pro-environment endeavor — an achievement which is now attested by a 2010 National OTOP Congress and Awards Citation under President Arroyo’s administration for being an Environment Friendly OTOP MSME (Micro Small and Medium and Enterprise).
After a slow but progressive climb, their bamboo product lines are now making a name in the province and in Central Luzon. In the past Regional and National Fairs, a number of their products were nominees for Most Innovative products, aside from their bagging the Best Dressed Booth Award in the Gifts and Home Decors Category at last year’s Likhang Central Luzon. Their “kauaian” by woodinspirations items are finding a niche in the local and foreign markets. These product lines are carried by specialty stores in the Manila area like Tesoro’s. They now go as far as Anilao and Boracay to cater to local and foreign tourists. Their wooden trophies and plaques, along with wooden product lines of gifts and souvenirs, made their way to various parts of the country–from the north (Baguio) to the south (Bohol).
They are now able to help some of their marginally-privileged town mates in their own small way. Much of the bamboo supply comes from within their locality and processing of these materials opens job opportunities for idle farmers, housewives and the out-of-school youth. They are now able to employ as much as 25 people in their work shop during peak season from September to May. The company now involves the couple’s children- Gia, Maiko, and Gino – who with their Fine Arts and Computer background – are now a big help to them.
Truly, it has been a steep yet steady climb for Glenn and Bles. Thanks to the people and agencies who have always been behind them all the way: the LGU, the DTI, the Provincial Government, the DOST and the others. Hand in hand with all of them, the couple know Woodinspirations can achieve its company mission– to establish Santa Ignacia as an enterprising municipality through the manufacture of products made from our indigenous materials, as well as provide and generate employment for the constituents of the municipality by harnessing their skills, in short, a better life for Santa Ignacia and its people.”♦