Pinoy products from all over just a click away at online store 1780

If you think you have to go all the way to South Cotabato to buy a t’nalak, the traditional cloth woven by the T'boli women of Lake Sebu, you’re wrong.

From your laptop or mobile phone you can shop for t’nalak and other Philippine heritage products on 1780, an online shop hosted by sarisaristore.com.

1780 is one of the featured storefronts on the company's website. The name refers to the country's 17 regions and 80 provinces, a hint that the store’s products will be sourced from these areas.

For now, the products it offers come mainly from five regions: the Bicol region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, and SOCCSKSARGEN.

1780 corporate secretary Edmund Abesamis said that the people behind it had long wanted to put up a website showcasing the best local products.

As the project required a budget, “the plan remained a plan,” Abesamis said in his speech at the store's recent launch.

However, after devastating natural disasters like typhoon Yolanda hit the country last year, Abesamis said “it became a moral duty to help”—and they decided to feature products from the regions that are most in need of a boost to livelihoods.

In his speech during the launch, travel blogger and heritage promoter Ivan Henares said he once bought a banig from a Badjao village, and was pleased to find the same banig on the 1780 website.

Brand architect Amor Maclang, who describes herself as a “T’boli by adoption,” said it was a shame that some Filipinos travel to other countries and marvel at their cultures when we Filipinos have our own culture to be proud of.

Citing the T’nalak of the T’boli tribe, she said it takes a community of women six weeks to finish one piece and during those weeks, these women are not allowed to have sex with their husbands.

She urged people to patronize the products of the T’bolis, “who are trying to maintain the vestiges of their culture.”

The online store is still a little bare, selling a limited range of products. It so far only has six categories: bags, food, home, jewelry, wine and liquor.

Under the Home category, there are five featured products: Lang Dulay T’nalak; Cawa Cawa woven cloth; Yakan woven cloth; Nito jar (six pieces per order), and Nito glass mat.

Under the Food category, products include Pili-go round cookies from Bicol, Bacalao salted fish from Zamboanga, and coconut jam with coco sugar from South Cotabato.

Many of the food products are sold in bulk, such as Ravagos longganisa (sold in packs of five), hot mango ketchup (24 bottles per purchase), and assorted roasted pili nuts (30 packs per purchase).

Some of the most expensive items on the 1780 online store are, unsurprisingly, the jewelry.

The Philippines is said to have one of the world’s finest jewelry artisans and the products featured on the 1780 website give an impressive sampling of Filipino creativity.

One of the most intricate pieces of jewelry on 1780 is a leaf and ant necklace. Another is a shower pearl necklace, with a flowy raindrop design.

In an interview with GMA News Online at the sideline of the media launch, the store's IT consultant Denver Vender said each piece is handcrafted and therefore unique.

Buyers can also place special orders for items that are probably not shown on their website. For instance, for Christmas giveaways, some companies might request pili cookies with their company name printed on the label.

Asked how online shoppers can be sure that they will receive good quality products, Vender said they have carefully screened their suppliers with the help of proper government agencies.

The delivery waiting period depends on the availability of the items, but most of the products can be delivered to your doorstep in three to five days, he added. However, some products might still have to be manufactured, so delivery will take longer. — BM, GMA News

1780 by SariSari is a sub-portal to e-commerce site SariSariStore.Com.