AIS organizes three-day Re-Fair

Last 28-30 April 2025, the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS) hosted its second annual “Re-Fair: Repair. Refill. Repurpose. Rethink”, a three-day event that invites the Ateneo community to rethink throw-away culture, to repair and repurpose things, and to refill life with sustainable habits. This initiative aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially with SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. 

In partnership with other organizations that share the same goal, AIS was able to bring together brands that promote sustainable merchandise and services. The participating merchants were Back to Basics Ecostore, South Sea Gems, Restore Solutions, ALY Upcycled, Bamboo Impact Lab, Aves Aromatherapy, Patch Technologies, and Bigay Buhay Multi-Purpose Cooperative. This event was also in partnership with the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo - Manila (COA-M), Ateneo Management Engineering Association (MEA), Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO), Make It Safer Movement, and Twelve Topaz.

This event hosted several workshops that promoted responsible consumption and waste reduction. On April 28, the first workshop, “Sustainable Fashion and Tote Bag Making”, was facilitated by Rita Sanchez, Creative Director of RiTZ and Hello October. Drawing from over seven years of experience in local ready-to-wear brands and her current role as Academic Chairperson for Fashion Design at SoFA Design Institute, Sanchez guided participants through the environmental cost of fashion and introduced practical ways to be a more conscious consumer.

The session began with a discussion on key issues such as overproduction of fast-fashion brands, greenwashing, and the fashion industry’s environmental footprint, especially on water pollution and extracting non-renewable materials for fabric and supplies. Ms Sanchez encouraged the participants on ways to be more responsible with their clothes and lessen their impact on climate change, such as purchasing only what is needed, being more conscious about ethically- and sustainably-sourced products, repairing and mending, recycling and upcycling, and thrifting or buying second-hand high-quality clothing pieces. Participants then learned the process of turning old clothes and scrap fabric to sew their own functional tote bags using various stitching techniques. The hands-on activity emphasized on circular fashion practices, which aligns with SDGs such as Responsible Consumption and Climate Action.
 

The second day, April 29, featured a Basic Bike Repair Workshop led by Jeza Rodriguez from Make It Safer Movement—a bike commuter, certified bike mechanic, community organizer, and brand ambassador of Bike School Asia. She was joined by Marlowe Apeles, head mechanic of BudolBuddyPH and Edge, another Bike School Asia-certified mechanic.

Participants learned the basics of bike anatomy, how to use repair tools, and how to fix a flat tire—culminating in a practical activity where they patched tubes under expert supervision. Ms. Rodriguez emphasized cycling not only as a sustainable mode of transport, but also as a pathway toward more healthy, inclusive, and accessible urban mobility.

The fair culminated on April 30 with The Art of Banig Weaving Workshop led by Ms. Izza Arnaez, founder of Twelve Topaz. Twelve Topaz is a social enterprise that works with women weavers in Antique to help preserve the generations-old, declining tradition of Banig Weaving while also promoting fabric upcycling through the donation of pre-loved jeans and pants during the event. 

During this workshop, participants learned how banig weaving was  traditionally used to mend, repair, and create products such as bags and sleeping mats, showcasing its role in sustainable living. Banig weaving is the sole livelihood of the people of Libertad, Antique, and Ms. Arnaez emphasized that Twelve Topaz’s role is to further promote their products to other parts of the Philippines. This also helps encourage the youth of Antique to partake in the tradition of banig weaving. Additionally, they were able to weave and bring home their own banig keychains under the guidance of Ms. Arnaez.

Re-Fair is only one of the various sustainability-centered initiatives hosted by AIS, which provides a space for students, faculty, and staff to come together in service of sustainable living. As AIS continues to spearhead such initiatives on campus, the community can look forward to more programs that promote integral ecology and how we can all care for our common home. This initiative is part of the Laudato Si’ Goals initiatives of Ateneo de Manila.