MANILA, Philippines - The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia, the non-profit group responsible for the sexy vegetarian ads starring Alicia Mayer, Yasmien Kurdi, and Isabel Roces, as well as many protesters in various states of undress, has just moved from a small, dimly-lit office cluttered with boxes of copies of its “Vegetarian Starter Kit” and “Meet Your Meat” DVDs to a spacious, well-equipped, and professional space that would make any other non-governmental organization jealous.
“We gutted the entire place,” says PETA director Jason Baker. “The floors, ceiling, and walls are all brand-new. Being a charity means we have to have a professional office without paying much for it. It was difficult to pull off, especially during these difficult economic times.”
At 100 square meters, the new space is nearly twice the size of PETA’s old office, and it has a walk-in storage area where the group stores numerous animal costumes, stacks of literature, and other protest props. In the main space, poster-size pictures of rescued animals decorate the walls. The reason the charity was able to afford such a cutting-edge design? Generous companies like Regina Construction, Anchor Land, Infinite Systems Technology, Tenfold Cables, World Home Depot, Butch Bonifacio Hardware and Construction Supply, and Phinma donated supplies.
“When we got the estimates for our new office, we were terrified that we were going to be working on the floor. So we made a list of what we needed and just started asking,” explains Baker. “So many compassionate companies really came through for us. Our first few donations came from SM, HCG, and Boysen paints. We ended up having to go back to Boysen for more supplies. How embarrassing!”
Baker says the key to the success of the renovation was being flexible and being able to pick up the supplies from the donating companies. The PETA staff ended up having to carry sheets of plywood up seven flights of stairs.
The kitchen, which is separate from the main office space, now boasts appliances, thanks to Hanabishi, which donated a water dispenser, coffeemaker, kettle, oven, and rice-cooker, and Bhagis International Corporation, which gave the group an electric stove. Now PETA’s busy staff members don’t have to leave the office to grab lunch or coffee.
The kitchen and storage area are tiled in chic black, while the bathroom is done in soft cream, thanks to Wilcon Builders’ Depot, which donated the tiles (among other items), and Sika Philippines Inc., which donated the tile adhesive and grout. Shell Oil’s Flintkote waterproofs the floor and helps prevent wear and tear. The main area features easy-to-clean laminate flooring with a burgundy-tiled sitting area and lounge. Boysen donated the paint and primer for the brightly colored walls, which help give the office a larger and more open feel.
Desk lamps throughout the office illuminate workstations, while track lights keep the entranceway well lit. The bulbs for the office were provided by Chan C. Bros. Inc., while Venzon Manufacturing donated all the desk lamps. A state-of-the-art combination color printer and photocopier was donated by Hewlett-Packard, which enables PETA to print campaign materials and photocopy fliers efficiently.
Other donors are Pateco, Monolith, Globe Telecom, and Healthy Options.