UP ISSI x DANA Asia: Empowering 16 Eco-Stores Through Branding!
Last November 13, 2025, sixteen eco-store and sari-sari store owners from Bulacan, Rizal, and NCR gathered at UP ISSI for the Tingi Tatak Tatag Workshop—“Your Store, Your Brand, Your Foundation.” This collaborative training by UP ISSI and DANA Asia aimed to strengthen local eco-stores through branding and community-focused messaging.
Mr. Leo Alforte, Director for Social Business at DANA Asia, shared that the workshop came at the perfect time, especially now that they have established 50 eco-stores and continue to promote co-creation within communities.
The workshop was lectured and facilitated by Ms. Michelle Marchadasch-Roxas of the Department of Visual Communication under the UP Diliman College of Fine Arts. She began with the question: “How do customers identify you as a store?” Store owners shared that customers return for affordable quality products, strong community connections, and genuine environmental advocacy. During the discussion, it was explained that branding is more than logos, it is about the store’s personality, encompassing products, visual identity, and the values that shape public perception. She emphasized that branding forms communities, especially crucial for eco-stores rooted in barangay culture.
In the afternoon, participants collaborated to create taglines for “Barangay Tingi,” the identified brand name for their eco-stores. Their developing ideas for taglines are: “Nakatipid na, Iwas Basura Pa” (Save Money, Avoid Waste Too) and “Sa Tindahang Tingi, Mapapangiti” (At the Tingi store, you’ll smile!). Professor Michelle guided them to focus on customers rather than stores, asking how they can make the customer focus with a call to action. Though initially hesitant, participants grew confident, engaging in lively discussions about messaging and brand positioning. The Tingi Tatak Tatag Workshop equipped the eco-stores with branding knowledge to compete in the local market while maintaining their environmental advocacy.