The unshakeable creativity of young Bohol designers

MANILA, Philippines -Despite the massive earthquake that struck Bohol recently, there’s no stopping young Bohol designers from conquering the world through design.

The new furniture designs crafted by young designers from this island are emblematic that hope springs eternal in this island town. A case in point is the interplay of shapes and exquisite use of natural materials of the Zagi console table, looking every bit as professional as those designs seen in sleek furniture salons and showrooms in Milan.

The design belongs to 21-year-old Niel Golosino, an industrial design student from Bohol Island State University (BISU) and is one of the winners of the design award for students in Manila Fame, an international design show in the Philippines.

  “Zagi is short for zigzag to reflect the shapes of the hills which Bohol is known for,” explained Golosino.

Golosino was mentored by a young Japanese product designer Hiroyuki Kato who was sent to Bohol as part of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The program sends hundreds of young Japanese professionals to the Philippines to help in development work.

 â€œI used Mr. Kato’s advice when I designed the console table for the student category of Manila FAME. He said a design should be unique,” he added.

The young student also said the Japanese volunteer taught them the “design matrix,” a technique on classifying design as futuristic, classic, modern, or multi-function using a graph.

Kato helped the students focus their talent on innovating and designing to “enrich people’s lives.” “I am sharing my design skills with the instructors and students in BISU by initiating collaborative projects between the academe and the industry. I believe design has a role in addressing some of society’s problems.”

Today, Golosino is working as junior designer for Philippine furniture company Stonesets International, Inc. under Filipino designer Vito Selma. The other students, meantime, are designing products in collaboration with a group of Filipino manufacturers and exporters.

 â€œI learned that many industries in the Philippines need design support. By linking the students with the industry, these young people can have better prospects in the field of design in the future,” said Kato, a product design major from Okayama Prefectural University.

 â€œThese students are born in Bohol and most of them have not seen modern furniture growing up. Yet, by teaching them to develop a keen eye for design and learn practical skills, I hope I am able to harness their potential as designers,” added Kato.

To date, Kato is linking the BISU design students with a furniture company in Negros and Cebu, and is formulating a design guide for the project.

 â€œI have seen the potential of young Filipino designers in creating good designs. They just need practice and discipline to hone their skills,” Kato said, brimming with optimism that young Bohol designers like Golosino, can make a difference in the Philippine design industry.

JICA is an agency of the government of Japan responsible for implementing the technical cooperation, grant aid and yen loan programs of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to developing countries such as the Philippines. JICA is the world’s largest bilateral aid agency with about USD10.3 billion in financial resources and a network of more than 100 overseas offices around the world.

For more information on JICA and JICA Philippines’ activities, log on to http://www.jica.go.jp/english and http://www.jica.go.jp/philippine/english/index.html.