Local artists were among those most impacted by the pandemic. Because of the global crisis, most of them found themselves unemployed since local establishments closed their doors in compliance with the government-imposed lockdown.
Yet, this did not hinder Domo Anthony Sabino, 27, a Caviteno local artist, to continue expressing himself through his creations. He then founded Palamuti, a DIY accessory shop.
Photo Courtesy of Domo Anthony Sabino
The birth of Palamuti
In an interview with The Cavite Rising, Sabino shared how he started his DIY accessory shop which he called Palamuti.
“Masiyado kasing nakaka-depress ang pandemic kaya sinubukan kong gumawa ng resin arts. Mga accessories tulad ng kwintas, suklay, hikaw, at iba pang Palamuti sa katawan,” he said.
Sabino posted some of his DIY crafts online and he was surprised that a lot of people appreciated them. Some reached out to him to ask if they are for sale or if they couple place their orders. This pushed him to put up Palamuti.
“Kapag sinabi mo kasing palamuti, nagbibigay ng karagdagang kagandahan. Kaya ko siya pinangalanang Palamuti. Maganda ka na, mas pinagaganda ka pa.”
Photo Courtesy of Domo Anthony Sabino
Sabino became more resourceful and creative in promoting his product. Aside from taking orders online and delivering it nationwide, he also uses his bike roaming around Cavite to sell his handmade custom resin arts selection.
Photo Courtesy of Domo Anthony Sabino
More than just a DIY shop
As an artist, Sabino has a mantra for life:“Art is for the community.”
As many people are affected by the global health crisis especially those who are homeless in the streets, he decided to allocate almost 70 percent of his earnings to aid those people.
His small DIY shop extended help by providing free food, water, and face mask to drivers, vendors, homeless, and the poor.
Photo Courtesy of Domo Anthony Sabino
“Isa kasi sa mga pangako ko sa sarili ko na kung magkaroon ako ng kaunting pagkakakitaan, hangga’t maari ibabalik ko ito sa community. Kahit sa maliliit na bagay lang, tulad ng pagbibigay ng pagkain, mask, at tulong sa ibang tao,” he said.
Overtaken by the overwhelming sense of purpose, Sabino also shared that he has been doing volunteerism and community action for years now. Together with his group, Titik Poetry, a Cavite-based art collective, they use art to help various communities inside and outside the province.
“Isa sa mga itinanim ng grupo ko na kung ano mang bagay ang ibinibigay sa’yo ng mundo, ibalik mo sa community,” Sabino said.
Photo Courtesy of Domo Anthony Sabino
Sabino also believes that a person can learn a lot of life lessons from talking to people. Most of the time, he spends his time listening to countless stories of people in the streets.
“Marami kang matututuhan sa kanila kapag kinausap mo sila eh. Kahit maliit yung ibinibigay mong tulong sa kanila, yung ibinabalik nila sa’yo, sobrang laki. Lalo na yung mga aral na mapupulot mo kapag kausap mo sila.”
“Sabi niya sa akin nong kinausap ko siya, dapat ang tao ay mayaman ka sa pag-ibig. Tapos naisip ko, oo nga ‘no. Kahit wala kang pera, kapag mayaman ka sa pag-ibig, marami kang magagawa,” he added.
As Sabino talked about his experiences with the less fortunate, he maintained that a person can do simple acts of kindness even in little ways. It is only just another testament that money is not really a necessity to help other people.
“Ako wala rin akong pera, hindi kami mayaman. Mayaman lang ako sa pag-ibig. Pero hindi hadlang ‘yon para tumulong ka. Maraming paraan kung gusto mo talaga.”
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Believing that the pandemic could not quarantine arts and volunteerism, Sabino is hoping he could inspire others with his story. Sabino believes that as you do random acts of kindness for your community, you will start to feel a sense of true happiness and satisfaction in your heart that even money can’t buy.
