The information age has spurred an era of democratized creativity, and the Filipino spirit was not shy to rise to the challenges it presented. We have seen products of our own, emerging in a market that we thought was too hostile as they had to fight through bigger funded foreign brands, compete with their marketing machines, and amplify the campaign to support local products. Hand crafted canvas bags, craft beer, woven textile for home use, wooden carved shoes, and timepieces — these are just some of the things we can already see in malls and stores, but what sets these products apart from their iterations is that they all have a community to support, and a community that was willing to fuel their crusades. All they needed was a spark, and Patch Dulay has the perfect platform to put them into the game.
The Spark Project is a crowdfunding platform launched in 2013. Since then, it has raised about ₱15 million collectively, dispersed through various initiatives that impacted local communities and Filipinos as a whole. But just like the enterprises that it supported, The Spark Project started as a vision to help change makers make their dreams into a reality.
Images — Zaldine Alvaro
Working in a corporate job with an IT background, The Spark Project founder and CEO Patch Dulay admitted that it was a privilege for him to study abroad. It was through this program that he encountered the daily battles of overseas Filipino workers up close. And while he could have chosen to stay in Europe and work with the cards that he had back then, he chose to go back to the Philippines because he believed that it is here that he can make the most impact.
“I do not want to take this privilege for granted.. I felt like a strong sense of responsibility to give back to my country. Something I have control of if I want to respond to this reality.” he said. More than that, seeing kababayans who had to brave being far from their families just to put food on their tables back home, Patch felt a strong sense of motivation to contribute in changing the situation. Patch believed that if we could support Filipinos and their entrepreneurial dreams, opportunities wouldn’t have to be searched on shores so far from home.
Patch went back to the Philippines in 2011 and got involved with the emerging community of social entrepreneurship. Through his IT background and exposure to the community’s insights, his idea of catalyzing change revolved around two things — IT and social impact. At the advent of social media, Patch shared that one of his hobbies is surfing the web. It was not the Internet that we know now but its potential to build communities are starting to take shape, and Patch was well aware of that.
“In one of those downtimes that I was searching the web, I stumbled upon Kickstarter. And usually when I like a website, I monitor its progress.” Established in 2009, Kickstarter is a crowdfunding company designed to support projects focused on creativity. To echo the sentiments he had towards untapped Filipino talent, Patch felt that we needed something like Kickstarter but on a more local playing field.
“All throughout the Philippines, we’re filled with creative people. We all have our weavers and artisans, so in the grassroots also, the creativity is there. If we go into modernization, we have to acknowledge that we also have a creative economy. And if we take that for granted, the weavers, and the shoemakers, and everyone that comprises our creative economy — they will get left behind.”
So in late 2011, he began creating the foundations of the Spark Project. He was doing it all by himself, even challenging himself in web design which he has little experience with. Eventually, he will meet his co-founders and together, they will build on a platform that will support the Filipino’s creative endeavor, ensuring that no creative gets left behind.
Starting with the seed money they won from a competition, The Spark Project would carry their campaign for socially conscious products, bringing in a new breed of entrepreneurs — one that would bridge social impact with quality products. Gouache sells handcrafted bags created by bag-makers displaced by Typhoon Ondoy. Nipa Brew, with their craft beer, championed the idea of science for creative and commercial pursuits. WVN taps into the skills of weavers from Bangar, La Union. Risque Designs connects wood carvers from Paete and weavers from all over the country, to produce shoes that are proudly made in Marikina. And Ibarra, creating classy timepieces, seeks to revive the craft of watchmaking in the country.
But through all these success stories, Patch hones into the most important aspect of it all, the one thing that breathes life into these pursuits — the power of the community.
The Spark Project envisioned a modern take on “bayanihan” or the Filipino’s sense of communal support. And through community support alone, Patch believes that independent and socially conscious entrepreneurs can thrive. But he warned that it is not just about throwing your ideas into the lot. It comes from actually creating a brand whose impact can be seen and felt by the same community that you are asking help from. It is making the community believe in what you are fighting for, the kind of world you are trying to build, and eventually, letting them participate in this vision.
“If you have a brand, your following or your community will advocate for your brand no matter what. And if you lose the community for your brand, then in a way your brand will cease to exist.” Patch shared, honing into the symbiosis of the entrepreneur and the community.
Today, as the country eases into the new reality, The Spark Project stays true to its vision by pivoting into a platform that amplifies projects that focus on communities in need. Patch shared that with the current situation, business start-ups and entrepreneurial pursuits are grinding to a slow-down, but at the same time, donation-based projects are filling in the gaps. These initiatives, like Ben&Ben’s Puhon collaboration with The Spark Project, gave communities new chances to participate especially now when communal action is needed more than ever. Most of the current crowdfunding projects focus on helping the country’s response against the pandemic, and The Spark Project hopes that this could instill a sense of hope and cooperation.
“This whole pandemic has really shaken enterprises. We need to regroup, we need to re-spark, and we need to dig deep into our ‘why’s’ and core vision, and find the motivation to continue on despite the trying times.” Patch believes that this new normal is a moment of learning and reflection, and a chance for us to give back. And for him, The Spark Project can give back by both financially supporting causes and by sharing what they have learned through the years.
“I don’t consider myself a writer or an author, so it’s really something out of my comfort zone. But I feel like I have a bigger message to share and I feel like the book could help other people during this time. That’s why we’re crowdfunding it to life.”
The book project, titled Respark, delves into how we can spark our enterprises during this new normal. Written by Patch Dulay, through the insistence and support from his friends, Respark is a culmination of their experiences working with various change makers and entrepreneurs. It will set as an encouraging nudge, a guide, and a reminder that dreamers are not alone during these trying times. The book features several insights from founders, coaches, marketing strategists, among others. The book also brings The Spark Project into a full circle, as the book was crowdfunded through the platform and was able to raise Php 150,000.
And along with the book, The Spark Project is also currently working on an online learning platform where they consolidated teaching materials for budding entrepreneurs. There will also be a line up of webinars and masterclasses in the coming months to help us re-center ourselves and stay inspired despite the current challenges that are facing us.
The Spark Project, through its vision and purpose, has reminded us that a dream just needs a spark to make it into a reality — and that spark comes from the community that believes in it. “I hope that this time around, we spark a better normal.”
You can check out The Spark Project website to know more about the other projects they are currently crowdfunding.
