Luntian Bags : Be Inspired to go GREEN!

May 26, 2014

Luntian Bags : Be Inspired to go GREEN!

LUNTIAN BAGS is livelihood project based in San Teodoro, Mabini, Batangas. LUNTIAN (lun-tee-an) means green in Tagalog. Let me share with you the very inspiring story of Ichay (the founder) and how it started...

Ichay's Story

Ichay M. Bulaong is a corporate warrior and a mother of 2 girls Marina and Mariel. They have a house fondly called Pugad in San Teodoro, Mabini, Batangas which they would frequent on weekends. "...Pugad has become an integral part of our lives- our sanctuary, our little peace of heaven. Through the years, we have come to know the local residents- wonderful simple people who have welcomed us into their community- and we have always tried to “give back” to them in any way we can."

Similarly, a very strong article in Time Magazine came out on April 2007 about Global Warming and what we can do (Say No To Plastic Bags - A Global Warming Survival Guide - click this link for full article: http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/article/0,28804,1602354_1603074_1603179,00.html) which really gave her that extra push she needed to start this whole project. The gist is that “Every year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed, and less than 3% of those bags are recycled. They are typically made of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases.”

More than the numbers, her greatest takeaway from the article was that we (normal people and not scientists or radical activists) can do something about it- “Reducing your contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag (or one made of biodegradable plant-based materials) instead of wasting plastic ones. For your next trip to the grocery store, BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag).” Hmmmm, I can do that. And maybe I can get other people to do it, too. And thus the birth of LUNTIAN BAGS.

They now carry a lot of products :

Their signature canvass Grocery Bags (Php 150.00). Machine Washable. Biodegradable.

Size : 16.5" x 16" wide and 5" bottom gusset

Make grocery shopping more fun and eco-friendly with these stylish bags!

The Marine Collection Bags

Php 180.00

Half Moon Bags (Php 650.00)

My kids will be using these very soon :) Lunch Bags (Php 250.00)

Perfect BTS (Back to School) find!

Their popular OM Yoga Mat Bags (Php 500.00)

I got my first OM Bag in a Christmas bazaar 2 years ago and have been using it until now. Each OM sign is hand embroidered. Truly a work of love! Namaste.

Om is a very beautiful, single syllable word. In Kena Upanishad (1-2-15) it is said that " All the Vedas talk about that goal to know which, people take to a life of study and discipline, that I will tell you briefly. That is OM. "

And in Ichay's own words " Corny as it may sound, this project has been adding so much passion into my life. I am not out to save the world but if I can make a bit of a difference, then I consider myself fulfilled. I am just one person." Isn't this just so AMAZING (that deserves to be ALL CAPS!).

Today, the cutting, sewing, and printing, and embroidery of these bags provide livelihood for 20 people– most of them seamstresses and stay-at-home wives of fishermen and carpenters.

The project is now taken care of by Ichay’s daughter, Marina. She hopes to produce more livelihood for the community by expanding, designing and producing other bags while keeping faithful to the original concept.

Luntian Bags

Email : luntianlivelihood@gmail.com

Contact : +63 928 505 1683

Their products are also available at these stores: