In celebration of PWDe’s (Precious Works of Differently-abled Enterprise) first year anniversary, the social enterprise held a 3-day bazaar hosted by Market! Market! on August 11 to 13, 2022.

At this year’s event, a diverse group of PWDs shared their talents, skills, and products personally crafted by them. The 3-day event includes workshops such as sign language, legal rights of PWD, and book reading, among others.

PWDe was launched in July 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, by four like-minded individuals with the aim of providing a platform for PWDs to showcase their goods and services.

According to Elisse Go, co-founder of PWDe, “PWDs are really one of the marginalized sectors in society. It’s not so easy for them to advocate for themselves now. So, it’s a very rare opportunity that they’re given.” Go hopes that Filipinos will support, come and visit the event because this gives them the opportunity to earn.

This is the first of its kind to offer people with disabilities a new way to have their own shop and reach the general public. Despite their disparities in life, I AM POSSIBLE participants share some of their inspiring stories, crafts, and services during the event.

Violet Starlight

After learning that energy healing could be able to aid her with her mental troubles, Caitlin Artates, a 24-year-old who suffered from mental illness, became interested in spiritual readings.

Artates’ interest in joining the event is to help people with self-awareness. “I wanted to focus on helping people through taro, and so ever since then, I’ve been using taro as a tool to help people. I’m also an artist, so I also draw and incorporate it into my brand,” she shared.

Artates said the event helped her to reach her client in an interactive way, unlike reading people online. “I feel like because it caters to PWDs, it feels more welcoming as well,” she expressed.

With other PWDs who struggle with their differences, Artates message to them is to “embrace their own authentic self without fear of judgment because like I know how scary it is to be judged by most people but once you embrace your authenticity, you’re going to be so much happier and you deserve to express that,” she said.

Tahanang Walang Hagdanan

Elsa Ocampo, a marketing representative for Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, a group of PWDs that creates educational toys for children, giveaways, and kitchenware, spoke about her experience attending the event. She claimed that things like this assist them in living their daily lives, especially if they sell a lot of their products.

Ocampo also shared that almost everyone in her group was disabled with wheelchairs, and so to those privileged, “Kung ano ang kaya ninyong gawin na ipakita ninyo, sumali kayo sa mga event na katulad nito na para makita nila yung lahat ng ginagawa natin,” she said.

Humankind

“Humankind” is a proponent of kindness for PWDs with invisible disabilities like autism, Down syndrome, and other similar conditions. Indeed, Vito’s narrative is the story of Humankind. Vito is an autistic 13-year-old artist. The products of Humankind take center stage in Vito’s autistic spectrum.

“The first in-person event advocating for PWD businesses is a nice event that puts everybody all together, showcasing their products and their services, and to really show people that you know PWD’s are just like everybody else, they are capable of so much,” Vito’s mom said.

Vito’s mom finds the event empowering and hopes to have more events supporting PWDs’ businesses because this has become an outlet to show people that what a normal person does can also be done by PWDs.

“Just don’t be afraid to try. Just keep on doing what you can, focus on what your strengths are, keep on doing what you do best, and keep on honing that talent because, you know, there’s an audience out there that will appreciate what you have to offer,” she noted.

PWDe was launched in July 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, by four like-minded individuals with the aim of providing a platform for PWDs to showcase their goods and services.

In July 2021, the social enterprise had a successful online launch with LAZADA, followed by an online 360 business planning training for its members in November 2021. To cap the year, PWDe had its first online bazaar with break-out rooms, a first of its kind to provide our PWDs with a new way of reaching out to the buying public during the pandemic.

Another co-founder of PWDe, Queen Princess Schuck, is calling other PWDs who have not yet heard about the event, telling them that they have this organization “to help you out, and if you don’t know how to advertise your product, we can support you,” Schuck said.

The event was partnered by Alagang AyalaLan and JCI Philippines and Paranaque Asinderas, Naturally and P3PWD Partylist headed by Hon. Cong. Rowena Guanzon.

Find out about their business and what they have to offer at Facebook.com/MarketMarket, @ilovemarketmarket on Instagram and TikTok, and @MarketMarketBGC on Twitter, or visit www.ayalamalls.com.