Wazzup Pilipinas!
"So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands." - Psalm 78:72
Through this special blog feature, we give homage to the skillful Filipino craftsmen out there who continue to give our country pride for their outstanding work of art whether they are done for business or as part of the showcase of art pieces in the country. The creations of our countrymen deserve to be known worldwide and thus it is with great honor to be part of a historical tour cum company feature highlighting another pride in the Philippines.
We were back in Kawit, Cavite to visit the Aguinaldo Shrine again. But this time, it's not only because we want to immerse ourselves once again with a part of the Philippine history - the controversial former President of the Republic of the Philippines, General Emilio Aguinaldo, but also because we are to learn about what could be considered a part of history that is quite unknown to many.
Since it was not our first time to visit the home of former General Emilio Aguinaldo (though we do see it differently every time, including now, since the many flags (probably because the city recently celebrated Cavite Day a few days ago) at the plaza were not there and the tour guide was not the same during our previous visits) we still find ourselves amazed because some of the information we got from the tour guide were new, and it was our first time we were taken to the tower. We had to personally climb up to see what it looked like from up there, and found out it's ultimate purpose was not just for aesthetics.
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| Aguinaldo Shrine of Kawit, Cavite (Photography by Ross Del Rosario) |
Originally from Teofilo Ramos Santi, (we learned the meaning of T.R. from Mick Santi, the grandson, who was our host for the tour) and together with Ian Atienza, CEO of 024 Digital Media (a 'Digital Transformation' focused creative technology agency) who was the one who organized and invited us to join this bloggers tour.
The company, now to be called as Santi and Sons, is also based in Kawit, Cavite and is said to be the most experienced maker of emblem jewels since 1906 (but I've read somewhere that their involvement in metal crafts or engraving dates back even further). They are practically just a few steps away from the St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church which formerly had a secret pathway from the Aguinaldo Shrine. We also visited the church to complete our tour (that's why even some newly-weds and their entourage, were part of our video feature).
During an interview, one of the owners introduce the company as originally known as engravers, but we believe they have evolved into something more than that now especially with this new partnership that could help them expand more into other products.
Their products range from bull rings, to medals, and a lot more metal products like pins and dog tags that we could proudly wear to serve as a symbol of either an accomplishment or an affiliation, or just about anything that would proudly boast and shout-out to the whole world who and what we are - like the dog tag they gave us as souvenir from their factory tour.
Below are just some photos we took from the factory tour. We selected these photos below to show you the up close and personal parts of the tour. There's a lot more to show so please check them out at the albums of our official Facebook page.
Wazzup Pilipinas takes pride of being a community of bloggers, vloggers, photographers, social media influencers and the likes so you will find a lot about Santi and Sons scattered throughout our sites and social media networks. As many would say, there is strength in numbers, and we are proud to promote businesses worth the recognition such as Santi and Sons.
For this particular blog feature, we were fortunate to have Collin Yap and Manuel Flores as part of the tour. They registered on their own for the tour and we're fortunate to have been chosen too by the organizer. As expected, there was a lot of iconic Wazzup Pilipinas shout-outs from start to end.
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| Customers can submit their own designs and Santi and Sons can manufacture them |
The factory is more than just a modest place where you could see above and below that eventhough the creation of metal products are assisted by both small and big machines, the quality of the products also relies a lot on the skills of the workers who routinely works on their assigned specialization.
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| Heavy equipment handled by skilled workers |
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| Santi and Sons is not into small products alone. This gigantic badge is noteworthy. (Photography by Ross Del Rosario) |
According to the owners during the product presentation and factory tour, they're expanding their product line to now offer wedding rings aside from their current college bull rings. They have also partnered with 024 Digital Media to expand their market reach.
"....the industry leader in custom metal arts and crafts in The Philippines announced it would be expanding to several leading markets in the world. The company, which prides itself on crafting world-class metal products since 1906, will tie up with 024 Digital Media to launch an array of digital assets such as a device responsive website, eCommerce store, blog and SNS platforms among others."
Our video interview with Nino Santi, President of Santi and Sons, which can be found at our official YouTube channel together with other videos (4-part video series) from the entire tour, also revealed how the company was like a Phoenix that rose from the ashes after their original factory burned down around two years ago. But now, from a manpower of 100, they've grown bigger with 130 employees many of which are related - from father to son, or older brother to younger brother, etc. Because at Santi and Sons, they take pride of family values and close-ties relationships since the company itself is ran by generations of Santi. Who else would give the business their personal touch and utmost care but first and foremost are your friends and relatives - the same people who helped them rebuild their business.
And now that they've opened their doors to a partnership with 024 Digital Media, it would mean more business opportunities for Santi and Sons. This is something to look forward to as they embrace the new media for global reach.
Ian Atienza, CEO of 024 Digital had this to say, “We are pleased and honored with our partnership with Santi and Sons and look forward to introducing their solid craftsmanship to the US, Australian and European market. There is great synergy between our two companies that we feel will result in a profitable relationship for both of us. We will be launching all the digital tools we feel, will add beneficially to their brand equity, it has been there for 112 years, you know? This time, we want the whole world to know how excellent T.R. Santi Enterprises is. Truly world-class and proudly Filipino.”
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| Together with Santi and Sons family with Ian Atienza (and his wife) of 024 Digital Media and some of the bloggers (Photography Manuel Flores) |
To be engaged in a business where patience and creativity is a must, we have to give credit to both the management and their employees for a job well done. They won't last in this kind of business if they do not sustain the quality and skillful craftsmanship throughout the years.
Below are more videos from the tour:
Check out Santi and Sons at http://www.santiandsons.com for more information and updates.
To learn more about the joint venture, future plans, or to book an interview, contact 024 Digital at +639199743333 or email, info@024digital.com, or visit the website at http://www.024digital.com.
Credits:
Factory Tour Photography by Collin Yap Overall Tour Videography by Ross Del Rosario
Other Photos from Ross Del Rosario and Manuel Flores
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
