MANILA, Philippines - Amaia Land Corp. recently held its first-ever Upcycling Challenge last Oct. 17, 24 and 25 at Solenad 1, Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The three-day event witnessed a slew of design students, professionals, and upcycling enthusiasts participating in the exciting competition. All the participants were given 24 hours to create marketable and practical home products from scratch using plastic soft drink bottles. Each team was provided with P3,000 for raw materials and was transported to the site.
The 13 finalists in the Upcycling Challenge all produced highly creative designs and innovative upcycled household materials out of the plastic soft drink bottles such as lamps, chandelier, sofa bed, and tables, among others, which are all on display at Soledad 1, while their images are showcased on Amaia Land Corp.’s official Facebook page.
Emerging at the top of the podium, Team DJE composed of Danny John Kalinga, Jojean Aguilar, and Johnedel Edward Ogalesco made a floor lamp called “Bubble Coral” out of different sizes of plastic bottles. Coming in second with an upcycled chandelier are Danilo Perez, Charlie Cannal, and Louie Luena of “Team Bulahao” whose work is among the crowd’s favorite.
Kia del Rosario and Jose Masucol of Kneutral Manila bagged the third prize with an upcycled table and storage named “EpitoME.”
“We chose these three because of marketability and alignment with the brand Amaia,” said Amaia marketing head Anna Garcia-Ramos. “These upcycled materials are very simple, modern, contemporary, and, more importantly, in line with the brand’s character.”
The grand winner bagged P100,000 in cash and a glass trophy, while the first and second runners-up both received glass trophies and P50,000 and P25,000, respectively. Meanwhile, the upcycled material with the most number of likes on Facebook will receive a special prize.
“Caring for the environment has always been part of our advocacy. We want a project that would push this cause, so the Upcycling Challenge is really perfect for us,” said Ricky Celis, Amaia Land Corp. president. “Here in Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali, we encourage everyone to live a life that is one with nature—to not just enjoy its beauty but also care for it.”