Client wanted a couture bag in Ecru shades for her Filipiniana outfit Tom.

This bag is a gift for a special Mom who just had her heart bypass op.Hope this will bring her happiness on her birthday.

One challenge after another
That wasn’t her only eye-opening experience. “One of my closest friends also copied my business. First, she approached some of my clients and pretended to be my supplier and then created her own brand. She knew all my contacts and reached out to my suppliers directly. When they refused to do business with her, she went to their competitors and supplied them with her products.” Ms Carodo recalls. “That hit us hard. I have learned so much from these experiences and now take every precaution to avoid similar situations arising in the future.
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Logistics have also proved challenging, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating supply issues in a country that is largely an archipelago. Notwithstanding these challenges, Ms. Carodo has continued to navigate harsh market conditions with the help of her contacts and has succeeded in creating a pool of over 20 artists. She also works with Women Behind Bars, who make “Inday” dolls in prison. Recent media reports indicate that Modern Ilongga is bouncing back from the hurdles posed by the pandemic.
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Sustainability is a core responsibility
Modern Ilongga prioritizes sustainability and promotes a business culture that is built around locally sourced materials that showcase Filipino creativity and artistry. For example, all bags are handmade and hand-stitched using full-grain leather. The company is known for its couture and hand-painted bags, all handwoven using dried seagrass, fiber, abaca and other materials.
Enriching locally sourced products with glam and bling
Native Ilonggo artists are helping to reinforce Modern Ilongga’s presence as a social enterprise and a social and cultural platform that showcases Filipino creativity and artistry through the community-based products it sells.
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Modern Ilongga’s product lines include a range of colorful accessories, such as earrings, which are made from Indigenous materials and add a certain “pizzazz” to her offering. The company adds artistic touches to an expanding range of handicrafts, made from local materials like pandan weaves and hablon (handwoven cotton plaid cloth), as Ms. Carado and her company work with new communities.

In this way, Modern Ilongga is glamming up the traditional Filipino handicraft industry and spotlighting on the region’s high-quality, creative, culturally enriched and locally grown products.
Next steps: going beyond a registered trademark

Ms. Carodo recognized the importance of protecting and building her brand at an early stage of her business journey. “After I registered my business name, I immediately sought to protect my brand by registering a trademark, with the assistance of Miss Marianne Tajanlangit–Bebit, our Intellectual Property Office specialist,” says Ms. Carodo.

With a registered trademark in hand (number PH 4/2019/505287), Modern Ilongga has attracted the interest of a number of investors. “People have expressed their wish to invest because they know our brand is protected with a registered trademark,” says Ms. Carodo, highlighting the importance of ensuring that “the investors’ vision aligns with ours.”

Having secured trademark rights, Ms. Carodo is also considering licensing opportunities and other collaborative opportunities to expand her business.

The bags sold under the Modern Ilongga brand often feature images of celebrities or painted portraits of Filipino women. “Most of our hand-painted portrait bags are requested by the celebrity themselves or their fans,” says Ms. Carodo.

“We reach out to them first, or to their nearest relative, and to the person who published the photo to ask permission to use it. We give them the portrait bag as a token. For example, we gave our World Boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao a laptop bag with his portrait on it. One of his staff used it in Las Vegas and, in this way, we were able to promote and support him during his fight.”