Go Loco for Local at Presente By Arte Fino

It’s the season of giving and abundance, and Presente, Arte Fino’s pop up in Rockwell, has a roster of artisan businesses that offer hard-to-find pieces for the home.  Priding themselves on being locally handmade, these presents truly keep on giving, as oftentimes, they are manufactured in partnership with local communities which they benefit.

Every year, Arte Fino brings the best of local designers and manufacturers together, and this year, Presente by Arte Fino will be in Rockwell through December 30.  Shop the innovative collections for distinctive gifts.  Here are our picks:

Casa Mercedes

Reviving the art of fan-making and throwing back to the genteel days of its use, Casa Mercedes makes a line of abanicos that are modern and fun.  They also collaborate with young artists for a line of fans based on stunning illustrations, elevating the practical fan into a work of art. There’s one for every Tita in your list.

Casa San Pablo Clay Storytellers

Their maker, An Mercado Alcantara calls her creations “clay darlings.” They are made in collaboration with women in An’s San Pablo, Laguna community. These clay figurines come in charming depictions of the nativity scene, miniature saints or “Prayer Friends,” as they are called by An, or artist pieces in collaboration with painters, Francis Nacion, Roel Obemio and Jayson Cortez.  This year, Casa San Pablo Clay Storytellers pushed the envelope with their playful parols.  Taken after a tradition started by An’s aunt, the Hana Parols are made with vibrant textiles.  They contain a nativity scene or a belen within them, representing two iconic Filipino Christmas decors in one.

Domesticity

Domesticity prides itself in “bring[ing] rustic provincial flair to your homes.” Their product line includes items for storage, bed and bath, kitchen and dining, items for babies and accessories for the home.  Made by communities in Negros Occidental, the products are handmade with the commitment towards Gawad Kalinga’s Road Map to End Poverty [in the Philippines] by 2024.  Vowing to hone productive members of the community, a portion of their sales goes to the San Agustin Village in Negros Occidental. 

Liwayway

Liwayway is all about pushing historic Filipino symbols to the modern fore.  Familiar elements found in Filipino vernacular scenes such as the jeepney, the bulul and the sampaguita are translated into home accessories such as salt and pepper shakers, plates and accent cushions.

PGD Botanique

For the plant lover, there is PGD Botanique.  Specializing in indoor plants, their services include plant installations and styling of indoor gardens.

Sustainably Made by MARSSE

From Pangasinan, MARSSE is a family-owned tree farm committed to sustainability, ensuring that wood resources are not depleted for the future.  They have been awarded the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Likas Yaman Award for Environmental Protection in 2011 and for Ecological and Environmental Enhancement in 2003.  Sustainably Made is a line of home products made of wood from MARSSE’s sustainably farmed trees.  Their coasters and cheeseboards are bazaar hits.

The Olive Tree

Linens from Kyla Olives’ The Olive Tree are digitally-crafted by their in-house artists, ensuring that you can’t find linens with their prints anywhere else.  Coasters embroidered with monograms, place mats and throw pillows are some of their best selling items.