Design For Bantayan

Design for Bantayan will be presented:
Thursday 27 February 2014
Time 18:30
Cafe Bily Konicek
National Museum of Ethnography
Warsaw, ul. Kredytowa 1

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Here's a brief description and backgroud of the project (original Polish version, click here):

The tourist season in the Philippines was about to start, and along with it, our ten-day vacation. Three weeks before departure we saw devastation and tragedy in the media. The largest typhoon the world had ever seen had just hit the Philippines. In spite of this we decided we would go help out rather than go on a classic vacation. This is how the project began - a comprehensive plan to help the inhabitants of the island of Bantayan, giving them the opportunity to work and earn once again.

The island found itself in the red zone, where the typhoon hit the hardest. Projections clearly indicated that this area would literally be in the eye of the storm. The prediction proved to be one hundred percent correct. Yolanda, (after traveling 1,200 kilometers from where she formed), hit the small Philippine island of Bantayan on the morning of November 8, 2013. Witnesses recounted to us that 2 hours after the first wave of impact they saw an extraordinary phenomenon high above their heads - an enormous pronounced circle with blue sky peering through - the eye of the storm. After this event there was another, even stronger attack. The Wind speed was estimated at 280km / h.



The information appeared in the media immediately. After the impact of the typhoon we started searching for contacts on the island, to at least get minimum first-hand information. We circulated e-mails with information regarding our specializations (product design, film and photography) and our eagerness and readiness to help. Surprisingly, our first response came after a few days. Albert Camay, an employee in the town hall in Santa Fe, wrote: „It will be good, take the next flight in, we will talk on the spot.” Another e-mail came from Anika Island Resort, the only one of the coastal holiday centers that survived the typhoon without major damage. The Message contained information that our help and abilities would be useful on site. The third message was from Bantayan Island Association, which provided us with the most useful information about current island conditions.

On the Fifth of December we landed in the Philippines on the island of Bantayan, 450 kilometers to the south of Manila. We were 120km north of the capital of the region - Cebu, which is 600km north of the Equator. The first image depicted fallen trees, broken electricity plyons and ruined houses. 90% of school buildings were damaged and 95% of the population ended up homeless. Electricity will return in a month at the earliest.

The first day was spent in the Santa Fe City Hall, detailing the nature of our help and visit and recognizing the actual situation on the island, especially by reviewing the needs of residents. Shaping the plan, we were keen on taking advantage of our particular set of skills. Because emergency assistance in the form of drinking water, food, medicines, and tents were provided by various humanitarian organizations, we decided to work a rather different angle. We thought about long term plans for the residents, especially with regards to work and earnings. External assistance at some point will end, and the local community must be ready for this moment and attain self sufficiency. Together with the owner of the ranch we stayed in Nelson Yuvallosem and with the support of the local town hall, we developed a concept “Design For Bantayan”. It involves creating a series of designer souvenirs for tourists that will be carried and sold by the inhabitants of the island. Bantayan, due to its unique natural advantages – a vast coral reef and beautiful white beaches, is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination. But currently it has no offer in the form of souvenirs.


Because of the prevailing conditions, we were guided by two principles while creating new patterns:

1) For the production of objects we used the simplest of tools, so that unskilled artisans could immediately start working on them.

2) We used materials that were free of charge, remaining after the passage of the typhoon, such as fallen coconut palms and bamboos.

Applying these principles, we discovered the extraordinary beauty of coconut palm wood. It is characterized by two very distinct grain patterns. A cross section has a pattern that we called the “dot pattern” , lengthwise we called it a “flame pattern”. Using this coconut wood we prepared a collection of necklaces. Working on the collections we exclusively used manual saws and a set of abrasive grinding securities.


Out of broken bamboo, appropriately cut and polished, we designed standing desk lamps. They are our new proposal for tourist souvenirs that go beyond the standard set consisting of post cards, figurines or trinket. Lamps are lightweight and durable, with a pleasant effect giving off a warm and welcoming color. The cost of on-site production is less than 7zł, and each of the elements necessary to produce is available on the island. We also made silverware containers and bracelets out of bamboo. We gave each of the items a name associated with the island. The results among others were Bantayan, Hilantagaan and Santa Fe necklaces and Marikaban lamp.

The Logo of Design For Bantayan was made up of colorful squares. This shape was most frequently used to create jewelry from coconut palm wood. We analyzed the distribution of colors in the pictures of Bantayan, from which we extracted an „average color”.

This „average” corresponds to the Philippine colors of the sky, the setting sun, palm wood and bamboo.

The final stage of the project for which we are responsible, is to create a handbook containing information about each of the embodiment objects, drawings and photos of prototypes. The project will be coordinated by the mayor of the district of Santa Fe - Jose B Esgana as well as Nelson Yuvallos, who on the basis of a handbook given to them will organize training for island residents interested in such activities. This will be followed by new shops being opened in the port of Santa Fe, and on the neighboring island of Hilantagaan.


At the very beginning of the developing of the Project for Bantayan ideas we knew that we were responding to the specific needs of local communities as well as filling a niche expressed by the mayor of Santa Fe. This definitely made our task easier. We created a collection of items ready to produce at the lowest possible cost to maximize profit for the individual manufacturers. We believe that despite not having large financial resources, and even being a two person team, you can still manage to effectively influence your immediate surroundings. Our first impression upon arrival at the islands shook us up, however the process of rebuilding is coming along extremely smooth. Filipinos say: "The Filipino spirit is stronger than the typhoon". We were not overwhelmed by the enormity of the tragedy when we left, instead we left full of hope that the local community is doing everything in its power to call its island a paradise.




Authors of the Design For Bantayan project :

Helena Czernek (1985, Warsaw) – designer and graphic designer. Also takes photographs and creates drawings. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. Her most important project is a pedestrian crossing in the form of a piano keyboard completed in 2010 (The year of Chopin), designing the official logo of the 70th Anniversary of the Outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a daffodils paper project distributed during the celebration of that anniversary, and Menokia – a Jewish oil lamp combining candlestick Shabbat, Chanukah, and a seven-arm Menorah, which is presented in the State Ethnographic Museum and the Jewish Museum in Vienna. Highlighted by industry magazine 2 +3 D in the competition for the best graduation project in 2010 among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe for a furniture set called „Meeting”. The winner of the first prize in a competition for a gadget promoting Warsaw as the city of Frederick Chopin during Chopin year 2010 for the project crossing for pedestrians in the form of a grand piano keyboard, Student PackStar 2010, Beta Design workshop organized by DomoTV, competition for ambient advertising promoting bins for recycling
at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem.
Authors Website: http://helenaprojektuje.pl/
Contact: helena.czernek@gmail.com
Cell phone 502 041 464

Alexander Prugar (1984, Gliwice) - photographer and producer of documentary films. He graduated in journalism at the State Institute of Journalism as well as in Sociology at the University of Warsaw. He studied photography at the University in Opava. Currently a fourth-year student at the National Film School of Cinematography Arts. He is a multiple winner and finalist in many competitions: Grand Press Photo, WB WBK Press Photo, SIlesian Press Photo, Photography Competition Press, NEWSREPORTAŻ. In 2009, critics, art historians and editors associated with the month of Photography in Krakow included him in the top hundred of the most significant Polish artists of the decade working in the field of photography. From 2006 to 2011, he has worked as a full-time photojournalist with the daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. He has completed graduate workshops: Eddie VGIK Adams Workshop and Summer Film School. Member of ZPAF. His recent extensive project is entitled "The Social Investors" produced for the Foundation of Social and Economic Initiatives. The project addresses the issue of social economy and the cooperative movement. He filmed and co-produced "Sasha, Sasha" (production: VGIK), which received a special award from the London Film Academy Festival T-Mobile New Horizons. For the pictures to "Sasha, Sasha" he recived an award at the VGIK STudent Film Festival in Russia. Currently working on post-production on a documentary about the greatest figure of John Paul II in the world of which he is also a director.
Authors website: www.aleksanderprugar.com
Contact: contact@aleksanderprugar.com
Cell Phone 502 043 935