Amid the surge of fast-fashion brands in recent years, thirty-seven-year-old Franz Erica Repuyan from Sorsogon, walked on the road less taken—a green manufacturing company named “Ruyag,” which translates to “joy” in Sorsogon.
Repuyan is a working mom of three. Despite having a bachelor’s degree in criminology, Repuyan took a completely different path by pursuing her love for the arts. Now, she is the driving force behind Ruyag, which was founded during the pandemic. Amid those times, she was battling with depression and her tour operating business being hamstrung by stern Covid-19 restrictions.
With tour operators losing their jobs, they started learning to weave baskets in the hope of making it through the day. Started from five weavers, the community has continued to grow.
Currently, 200 to 300 weavers work together to keep the business running. Even the raw materials are sourced directly from Bicolano farmers in Tabaco City, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.
While Ruyag is a green manufacturing company, Repuyan said she wanted her brand to be recognized as a community. “Community kami of not just weavers and artisans, but women who come together in different places,” she said.
Partnerships
Repuyan also executed a separate brand called ‘Celebration’ to specifically cater to brides and weddings, having partnerships with private stakeholders in Siargao, Boracay, Manila, and other areas.
Slowly her products gain traction. Repuyan said her first client was Ella Pangilinan, who bought bags from Ruyag for her wedding. Meanwhile, Ruyag is also set to be part of Kiray Celis’s wedding in December.
“So, these are the breakthroughs that really affirming to us that we’re on the right track. That people are getting to know the product and getting to understand the product as well,” she said.
Through her efforts in strategic marketing campaigns online, Repuyan was able to successfully form partnerships with international companies from Austria, Australia, the United States, France and Thailand, who are now rebranding her products.
Despite not having physical stores, Repuyan braves the e-commerce platform to sell her items.
Most of Ruyag’s bags are odes to childhood dreams. Most of them are named after nostalgic things such as dilimon, aratilis, berba, and bilo-bilo—all are some children’s favorite foods in the province and reminiscent of the past.
The price for bags in Ruyag ranges from Php 150 to Php 2,000.
Commitment
Inch by inch, Ruyag produces small batches of items made in the humble homes of mothers trying to make a living. “It’s slow, and it’s intentional,” Repuya said. “Kapag magkaroon kasi po ng malaking manufacturing, it takes up a lot of carbon footprints.”
Repuyan said that their items are 90 percent handmade and mainly plant-based instead of resorting to animal cruelty.
Ruyag uses solar panels as its source of electricity in their operations to mitigate its impact on the environment. Repuya said they are in the process of building a solar-powered dye area.
“We’re dreaming of putting it 100 percent, sana, hopefully by next year, na magkaroon ng total solar powered na dye area,” she said.
Challenges
When asked about the challenges of putting up a green manufacturing company, Repuyan said that it’s “tedious and expensive.”
“Talagang hindi madali to pursue a green manufacturing project. Especially when other people are pushing for fast and talagang fast-paced manufacturing and fast-paced fashion. Pwede kang mawala, but as long as you’re standing on your brand, may sarili kang brand at paniniwala na pinaninindigan, I believe you can have a breakthrough for that,” she said.
Talking about money and profits, passion projects are definitely not profitable—leaning on the survival side. “Business is not just about profit,” she said.
Despite frustrations in this kind of business, Repuya tries to communicate with her people to remind them of their dreams and purpose. “But I’m not discouraging everyone to do it. Siguro, it’s hard right now because we are starting something different, something new,” Repuyan said. “What I really stand for is not just the impact for the environment, but the impact for the people.”
For Repuyan, the positive affirmations of their customers toward their products are already a return on investment. Those who trust their community of women who do not only dream of a better environment but also a better life for their families.