{"id":521,"date":"2012-05-04T09:55:54","date_gmt":"2012-05-04T09:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=521"},"modified":"2013-05-04T10:00:18","modified_gmt":"2013-05-04T10:00:18","slug":"echostore-making-sustainable-lifestyle-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/echostore-making-sustainable-lifestyle-happen\/","title":{"rendered":"EchoStore: Making sustainable lifestyle happen"},"content":{"rendered":"

By P.A. Castro<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone wants to change the world, (wants to) save the planet, say the women powering the first concept store of its kind in the Philippines, where \u201cyou can get everything you need to start you on your way to living a sustainable lifestyle.\u201d\u00a0 But that is always followed by queries on how one can start doing the saving.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The solution is in \u201cbeing able to live to make others live,\u201d which has much to do with sustainability.<\/p>\n

It is this \u2013 the call to help make sustainable living possible \u2013 that led \u201cthe power of three\u201d \u2013 Reena S. Francisco, Jeannie E. Javelosa, and Pacita U. Juan to establish EchoStore, which intends to nurture and sustain three causes: \u201cThe self, through a holistic lifestyle that integrates body-mind-spirit wellness; the community, through conscious consumerism, promoting fair trade and poverty alleviation programs; and the planet, through eco-friendly purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n

POWER OF THRE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Close friends, the three women behind EchoStore actually just went out for dinner when they had what they now refer to as an \u201cA-ha! moment\u201d of wanting to do something substantial.\u00a0 Thus the concept of EchoStore was born.<\/p>\n

Francisco is the stakeholder relations officer of Figaro Foundation, which promotes organic coffee production.\u00a0 Javelosa, presently the curator and a board of trustee of the Yuchengco Museum, director of EON: Stakeholder Relations Firm, and columnist for the Philippine Star<\/em>, is a strategic communications expert.\u00a0 And Juan, the co-chair of the Philippine Coffee Board and president of the League of Corporate Foundations, is the president of Figaro Coffee Company.<\/p>\n

BEYOND BUSINESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

EchoStore boasts having \u201csomething for everyone,\u201d from home d\u00e9cors; fashion accessories; health and wellness, and body, beauty and nutritional products; food and beverage; books; music; and more.<\/p>\n

But EchoStore\u2019s products are \u201cenvironment friendly,\u201d and actually helps \u201csustain marginalized, indigenous and creative communities,\u201d thereby supporting \u201cpoverty alleviation programs\u201d through the creation of fair labor practices; aside from being animal-friendly, and expresses Filipino design excellence.<\/p>\n

This makes EchoStore \u201cmany things rolled in one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a marketing integrator, EchoStore represents products from small marginalized, cultural communities, creative industry practitioners, women groups, and foundations.\u00a0 We work through, and network with, partner organizations and communities to represent products to help break the cycle of poverty through livelihood programs and fair trade practices.\u00a0 Each product we carry represents our ideals of health and personal development, nurturing the environment, social justice and poverty alleviation. Each quality product highlights and supports the development of Filipino design excellence,\u201d EchoStore says in prepared statement.<\/p>\n

Among its partners include the Rags 2 Riches Foundation, the Association of Negros Producers, the Filipinas Fair Trade Ventures, Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundation, Philippine Business for Social Progress, the Correctional Institute for Women, Gawad Kalinga, and Alter Trade.<\/p>\n

PHILOSOPHICAL SOLUTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

EchoStore is actually also a philosophy.\u00a0 \u201cAs a thought leader and connector, EchoStore holds the shared vision of many like-minded people who advocate and work for a better world: one which is more equitable, cleaner, and collaborative, with healthier and environmentally-sound lifestyles. It is a holistic philosophy that has, at its core, the harmonious alignment of one\u2019s relationship to self, the greater community, and the environment,\u201d the company further states.<\/p>\n

The push is, therefore, to serve \u201cas a challenge to consumers (that) EchoStore is a lifestyle choice. You can purchase products that reflect the Filipinos\u2019 world-class design excellence, ingenuity and creativity. \u00a0By purchasing EchoStore products, you become part of the emerging trend of the conscious and caring consumer group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Already, there are additional events slated by EchoStore, including lectures, mini-food festivals, and workshops, among others.\u00a0 All making EchoStore \u201cmore than a store\u2026 it\u2019s a hub, a center, a place to meet and discuss, define and articulate, lecture and share anything about (sustainable living).\u201d<\/p>\n

Visit EchoStore at the Ground Floor, Serendra Piazza, McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; call (+632) 9013495; or email echolifestyle.store@gmail.com.Otherwise<\/a>, visit http:\/\/www.echostore.ph<\/a><\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The call to help make sustainable living possible \u2013 that led \u201cthe power of three\u201d \u2013 Reena S. Francisco, Jeannie E. Javelosa, and Pacita U. Juan to establish EchoStore, which intends to nurture and sustain good living.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13],"tags":[286,288,289,287,217,276],"class_list":["post-521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spa-trade","category-business-builders","tag-echostore","tag-jeannie-e-javelosa","tag-pacita-u-juan","tag-reena-s-francisco","tag-sustainability","tag-sustainable-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=521"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":523,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521\/revisions\/523"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}