Located in the quiet side of Quezon City’s food district is a small shack called the Maginhawa Street Eco Store. It’s a one-stop shop run by people whose mission is to revolutionize “tingi” culture. They sell eco-friendly goods.
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Part-owner Dakila Cutab and his wife opened the Maginhawa Street Eco Store at the height of the pandemic. They poured the last of their savings into it.
“The commercial space that my wife used to rent became vacant, so we occupied it ourselves. We’ve learned to develop and manage the shop over time,” Cutab says. “We live a low-impact and sustainable lifestyle to inspire others to do the same.”
“We can’t tell our suppliers not to use single-use plastic. Also, we don’t produce our own electricity via renewable energy. But we’ve succeeded in minimizing the store’s ecological footprint,” Cutab shares.
Some of their consignments add flavor to every meal. These include favorites like chicken oil, chili garlic, dried bagoong, and gourmet tuyo. They also have sardined tulingan, as well as different kinds of vinegar. Padayon Bikes (a local brand) are also available at the Maginhawa Street Eco Store.
Cutab’s team prides itself on the fact that its wares are ethically and locally sourced. The coffee they sell comes from the farmers of Kalinga Province. They’re also known for organic jasmine rice. It comes in black, brown, red, multigrain, and white variants. Adlai from Bukidnon is also available at the Maginhawa Street Eco Store.
Aside from a sustainable lifestyle, the Maginhawa Street Eco Store promotes literacy too.
Cutab is a poet and a member of the balagtasan group Makatà s. He shares the store with the literary community. His work is available in the store. Customers can also buy others’ books, like the work of National Artist for Literature Rio Alma.
The Maginhawa Street Eco store is also a member of the non-profit Little Free Library. It’s an organization that encourages people to share books. Customers can also donate and pick up used books at the Mayeng’s Little Free Library section of the store.
Check it out at 16A Maginhawa Street, U.P. Village, Quezon City.
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