“Una is First”

When Clayton Tugonon  embarked on a very unique project of creating his Una Cebu Car from locally sourced rattan stalks and coconut twigs, he was branded by some of his friends as crazy and outrageous. But his aim of showing to Filipino designers the potential of using local materials was not to be hampered as his car rolled out of his factory in fine trim, earning him much recognition from well-known organizations including National Geographic and Inhabitat.  In my recent interview with the designer, Tugonon explains his concept of merging art with enviromental awareness.

Built on a 1965 VW Beetle Platform, the Una Cebu Car takes form out of a 1959 Porsche  356. The chassis was shortened by 12” to accommodate the molded shell of the 356 which they copied from a donor car. To make it a little wider, Tugonon added that extra fender flares from the Porsche 996 had to be integrated to the body.  The signature of Tugonon’s design is the spiraling body finish which is crafted from coconut twigs and stalks of rattan inlayed together and laminated with very special clear resin that was sanded and top coated with glossy poly-urethane.  The dashboard was covered by inlayed shell while the steering wheel was wrapped in shagreen leather sourced from cultured stingrays.  “The proper use of these materials gave the car a very unique, classy look and all these materials are found here, and they are abundant in Cebu.   I want to show to the world that alternative high-end materials can be found in the Philippines.  There are a lot of materials here that are very strong with high tensile strength, non-corrosive and non-flammable, materials that can very well be integrated in car design. Some are biodegradable indigenous materials that can be very durable if processed well. They are built to last with the correct lamination and top coat and will give you a very unique aesthetic finish with the same functionality,” Tugonon said.

The car took nine months to complete, all attributed to the tedious process of achieving a world class finish.   Tugonon admitted that the process was purely experimental at first and that he did not know if it would last long especially under the sun. “Surprisingly however, almost three years has past and the car still looks the same, like it just got finished yesterday.  This is mainly because I used high quality bonding materials, laminates and topcoats to hold these materials together.” He added.

Tugonon, a furniture designer and maker by profession, stressed that he loves to experiment with finishes coming from indigenous materials.  He said that while majority Filipino designers prefer the traditional way of making high-end furniture with imported hard wood and leathers, his aim is to make  natural materials that are abundantly found in Cebu.

Aside from his love for designing, Tugonon is very much into Charity.   In January 30, 2009, He spearheaded the first Sports Car Club of Cebu Run against Cancer, a fund raising activity for poor children with Cancer.  On that same year, he organized the Volkswagen Club Bug run against cancer. Together with his wife, Jojie, he launched the Christmas Village of Hope, miniature Christmas Village that aims to raise funds for the indigent children with cancer under the care of Kythe Foundation.  “These kids are poor and they have cancer, it’s like a double whammy. I believe it is my destiny to use my know-how to raise funds for their welfare.” Tugonon explained.

Clayton Tugonon’s designs will hopefully inspire many other designers to be more adventurous, more innovative and yet be equally  aware of the enviroment . He ended the interview by saying, “It’s just there in front of us but we don’t notice it because we don’t open our minds. Once you free your mind, it will open many avenues for designing and human need”