Written by Miguel Alejandro R. Ferrer

“And the overall champion for this year’s ISM STEAM Convention is…”

I felt my heart pumping, my mind racing, and my ears ringing. Hours before the awarding ceremony, I was leisurely walking through the school corridors and found a suitable spot to kill some time—the second-floor faculty lounge. While sitting down, I looked back at myself a year ago. I was in class lining up to submit my group’s research topic for my final year in junior high school. I thought nothing much of it, not knowing the impact it would have on my journey.

Aiming to raise awareness of the cause, we joined multiple national research competitions, winning all of them. Thus, sprouting an advocacy that weaves communities together.

Remembering the hands that till the land for the food on the table, Sambalilo became a lifestyle start-up synonymous with sustainability. Starting the production has been a journey. In this short development time, I’ve met talented individuals, each with their processes that make each Sambalilo fiber truly one of a kind. Creating the motto “Weaving Communities Together” encompasses my vision for the brand’s future—a tight weave of people playing their roles harmoniously like an orchestra performing on stage. Playing my role in leading this performance, I am a conductor who bows with and beside his instrumentalists. Cheers echo as the lights illuminate across the stage. This victory is to everyone who has strengthened the weave that binds different people as they follow our mission. This is our story in Sambalilo.

However, like every story, a new chapter is constantly being written. The disastrous effects of climate change experienced by farmers are not only seen in the Philippines. These struggles are also seen in other foreign countries where farmers face challenges in agriculture.

Creating an impact needs more than just ideas, it requires action. As I collaborate with each farmer and delegate I face, I am reminded of the calling that binds me to move. So as I look back to 2 years ago when the judges announced the winner, I heard the crowd roaring and the judges calling us up on stage. I was blinded by the bright lights that loomed over the stage as I looked at the crowd with a trophy in hand. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have dreamt of winning this research competition, much less getting to present one to world-renowned teachers and judges. However, I guess it is in life’s mysterious ways that my fate was interwoven with Sambalilo to create a journey worth sharing.