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The
Dayawan Handmade Paper is a livelihood project of the San
Roque Handmade Paper Products Multi-Purpose Cooperative, a non-stock,
non-profit organization in the municipality of Villanueva,
Misamis Oriental, Philippines. It is registered with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Cooperative Development
Authority.
Popularly
known by its short name San Roque Handmade Paper, the group
is composed of 32 families organized by the Couples for Christ
(CFC) under the auspices of the Gawad Kalinga (GK) program.
It is supported by the STEAG
State Power Inc. (SPI), the government of Villanueva and
Phividec
Industrial Authority (PIA).
Before they were organized, the families were living in Barangay
Balacanas. In 2003, prior to the construction of the210-MW coal-fired
power plant in Balacanas by SPI, they were relocated to San
Roque Village in Barangay Dayawan, where they were given decent
housing and comprehensive assistance in health, education, spirituality,
skills enhancement, and various livelihood projects.
 One
of the livelihood projects is handmade paper production, an
alternative to the Integrated Farming System that was introduced
earlier. It was taught in November 2004 to 10 women, who learned
how to create handmade paper from abaca fiber, and using the
sheets of paper to make artistic cards, jewelry boxes, penholders,
and other items.
The Dayawan Handmade Paper eventually expanded and improved
its designs with the assistance of the Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI), Product
Development and Design Center of the Philippines (PDDCP),
the Advocate
of Philippine Fair Trade, Inc. (APFTI), and freelance consultants.
 The
first products made by San Roque Handmade Paper was a collection
of corporate Christmas cards and gift tags, which were sold
to SPI in December 2004. But in 2005, they exported to Germany
about 10,000 Christmas cards. For the succeeding years, they
exported again to Germany some 12,000, 11,000, and 13,000 Christmas
cards for 2006, 2007, and 2008, respectively.
In 2009, the San Roque Handmade Paper has partnered with MetalMin
and Co. (UK) Ltd. as its Sales Agent for orders and sales in
the United Kingdom and with Marketvision Business Development
Services as its local Marketing Partner. Such partnerships were
made to cater to their growing market and ensure strategic growth
of the organization.
The hope
of the people of San Roque Handmade Paper is that their paper
products, meticulously designed by hand in a small corner of
their new village, will help make stronger friendship and bring
families closer in homes and offices around the world.
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Whenever
she puts together bits and pieces of tiny dried flowersand colorful
tiny cardboard cuttings of varying dimensions and shapes to come
up with individually handcrafted greeting cards, Emma ponders
whose life elsewhere will be made happier with the thoughtfulness
of someone sending that piece of craft. 