Buena Mano Crafts, Inc.: The Good Fortune made from Good Hands

Fate brought them together and made crafts out of good hands.

It was just another ordinary day for Marlane Villa-Real, owner of Buena Mano Crafts Inc. A walk around the village was a daily exercise for her.

Walking around, a group of women approached her. These women came from the depressed area near Victoria Valley in Antipolo. They were offering household services to villagers for extra income. Recognizing their needs, Marlane did not deny them of the opportunity. The women worked as labandera (washerwomen) and household help.

As she gets to see them almost everyday, she encouraged the women to have a bible study group. An active bible study group member herself, she helps the group lead the bible study sessions and help them discover a holistic fulfillment.

It was also at that time that Marlane would teach craft making after the bible study sessions. She taught the women hand quilting while a friend, Gina Fernandez (now, business partner) taught smocking. The products were sold at Christmas bazaars that started a livelihood for the group.

A string of luck

A year before she formally established Buena Mano, Marlane and the rest of the group were doing well in their small business. Their first products, hand-quilted pillows and smocked Christmas decors were a hit in Christmas bazaars and local stores like Tesoro’s.

Seeing its potential for a bigger market, Marlane thought of exporting. It was 1987 when she attended a seminar on “How to Get Started with Exports” organized by the Department of Trade and Industry. From there that she came across the biggest buying agent, Associated Merchandising Corporation (AMC).

Determined and with no hesitations, she made an appointment with AMC that would eventually launch Buena Mano Crafts, Incorporated to the export business on April 1988.

It didn’t take long until other buyers noticed the unique Christmas ornaments of Buena Mano. The smocked Christmas balls were initially a hit when they first sold it internationally. It did not take long when they ventured to new product lines.

Buena Mano launched their very first product line, “Baby’s First”. Inspired by the colors associated with babies, the “Baby’s First” ornaments brought about hues that are uncommon in the traditional Christmas setting. This was also the same product line that AMC brought to the US and introduced to other buyers. The line brought in more than US$ 50,000.

Following up the success of their first product line, Buena Mano took on to the challenge of coming up with stylish products. The company also introduced a new way of marketing their Christmas ornaments by coming out with a collection. It was through these collections that Buena Mano found its niche in the upscale market.

With their new found success in the export business, Marlane and her team continued to develop new product lines for their Christmas ornaments and used new materials that most of their clients find very creative.

Jazzing up the holidays, Buena Mano style!

It was the design that made the difference! Getting inspirations from the latest fashion trends, Christmas ornaments were glamorously transformed to brighten up plain-looking Christmas trees.

Creating a new line meant using materials rarely applied in the market. Shells, glass, cords, beads, velvet and satin fabrics, lace, jewel stones, and other indigenous materials were among the items that make up expensive looking ornaments.

Applying what’s trendy in the fashion scene, Buena Mano successfully modernized the traditional country look of holiday ornaments. Using warm colors and rich fabrics, the holidays are more cheerful and all so bright!


Practice and LOADS-full of training

Even before the company could come up with one-of-a-kind product, it is all blood, sweat, and tears in the factory as Marlane instructs and at the same time, trains her workers. She admits that having to teach crafts to more than 50 people needs a lot of patience and understanding.

Having women from the depressed areas as employees, Marlane, beforehand, had foreseen that it would be quite a challenge. Trainings in the factory started from the most basic instructions.

”It’s not easy to train women from depressed areas because you cannot take for granted that they would know everything. You have to teach them everything. From washing their hands and even threading a needle, you have to teach them every detail,” she relates.

For some, the smallest things seem to be less important. But when it comes to running a business, everything matters. That’s why Marlane would take the initiative to educate the women and instill on them a sense of responsibility that they, before, took less importance.

She also shares that trainings and skills need to be accompanied with values teaching. Values like honesty, integrity and credibility are important to have a strong workforce and a stable company.

All the hard work paid off. Aside from having a successful business, she also gained reliable employees. Determined to do what is right, they work together to improve their products and along the way, learn from the mistakes they did in the past.

“Number one for us is determination. Determination, perseverance, and teamwork. Here in Buena Mano we do everything with teamwork,” she points out.

It takes a lot to be on top

Eighteen years in the business and still ahead of their game, Buena Mano continuously strives to be the first and the best in their product designs. Not eliminating the stiff competition, it is a constant learning experience for Marlane and the rest of the group.

It also helps that the company remains to be professional and loyal to their buyers. “We just stay ahead of competition. We come up with new collections, new designs every year. And we maintain the quality of our professional dealings with our buyers. We, kahit hindi loyal ang buyers namin pero kami loyal pa rin sa kanila (although some buyers aren’t loyal we still remain loyal to them),” Marlane shares.

Aside from a successful business, the company is also blessed with recognitions in trade fairs. Just last April 2006 the company won a Katha Award for best product design in holiday décor at the Manila F.A.M.E International organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

It helps that they join in trade fairs because it showcases the best and the competitive edge of the export industry. It also allows manufacturers like Buena Mano to be more creative and innovative in executing their marketing and promotions of their products.

Marlane also relates that it was joining the Manila F.A.M.E. International that helped her sell their products abroad and pushed herself to expand their product lines. “Since we joined CITEM in 1990, that’s where our product lines expanded to other things.” From the company’s famed Christmas balls, they ventured out to gift boxes, tabletops, and even handbags. It may be quite a challenge, but she is determined to make the company grow.

Big plans, Better future

A lot of determination and motivation to her employees brought Buena Mano as far as they could have imagined.

Although there are odds along the way, she remained positive and never gave up in facing all the challenges in the export business. “I could have given up the business. But if you just stick to it or not give up, it will still go up again kasi I always look at the glory days of export in the 90s,” Marlane advises. Determined, she stood firm on the thing she knew best. True enough, the company that once started out as livelihood for the poor community remained stable and continues to be successful.

She has bigger plans for Buena Mano. For starters, she wishes to move to a bigger factory. As the workforce continues to grow, it is about time that they look for a suitable factory where in everyone gets to enjoy a comfortable workspace while sharing equal loads of work.

Marlane also plans to expand her production to handbags and other novelty items. Though they have done quite a number of handbags and novelty items, she wanted the company to be flexible in developing new products.

The success of the company does not end with the desire to give livelihood to the underprivileged. It is how the company has helped its workers and their family. In the first place, it was through them that Buena Mano became what it is now. Marlane is grateful that she had trustworthy workers that stood by her at all times. Her workers are thankful as well. She finds even more happiness and recognition whenever her workers would come to her and thank her for helping them build a better life. It is because of them that she is motivated to do well in her craft and build bigger, better plans in the years to come.

Hardworking and reliable workers, good management, and a great sense of faith are probably the best ingredients for a successful business. Buena Mano combined all these to battle what, then, seemed impossible. For the owner, it is not the money that should motivate you to go on with the business. But, it is the passion on what you are doing that leads you to achieve your goals.


Buena Mano Crafts, Inc. is located at Lot 47 Quail Run Drive, Victoria Valley, Antipolo City, 1870 Rizal, Philippines. You may also contact them at these numbers: (632) 658 4863 / (632) 658 2711, fax at 658 2710. Or email them at marlane@buenamano.com.