Can I Tell You...about Tasha Tanjutco

Tasha Tanjutco with her namesake Tasha tote.

I met Tasha a few years ago with her mom Bambi while they were visting her sister Bella who was studying in New York. Over a long and leisurely lunch I had the pleasure of hearing she and her sister speak about their numerous advocacies and projects in the Philippines. I was so inspired hearing them talk so passionately about their dreams, their philanthropy, and their ideas about how to make a better future for the next generation of Filipinos.

Natasha Mañosa Tanjutco ( or Tasha) is the co-founder of Tayo House of Culture and Creativity, Kids for Kids Philippines, and Habilin. She is a Filipina designer and curator for all things, culture and nature and hopes to prove through her work that global issues can be solved through design solutions that come from the Philippine archipelago.

At the age of 15 she co-founded Kids for Kids in 2015 with her sister Bella, a 100% youth-led movement to make every island a creative space for young people today & future generations, active around our archipelago. At the age of 17 she co-founded TAYO House of Culture & Creativity. She is also the Executive Director of the TUKOD Foundation which forwards the legacy & philosophy of her grandfather and National Artist, Architect Bobby Mañosa, the Father of Filipino Neo-Vernacular Architecture.

She has had previous speaking engagements for institutions and offices such as ASEAN Biodiversity, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Science and Technology about the value of Culture in all aspects of nation building. Most recently, she had the honor of closing the graduation session of the first MIT IDEAS Asia Pacific cohort at the MIT Campus in Boston.

I designed the Tasha small tote with her in mind. Small enough to carry from day to night, but with enough impact to stand apart from the crowd. The tote features a hand-beaded body with white leather trim and a removable shoulder strap.

Read our Q&A:

1.  What is your idea of happiness?

Happiness to me is Ginhawa. A Filipino term for ease and holistic wellbeing. The inhale and exhale, and an inner peace and tranquility I find most present in the stories of our islands. Happiness for me comes with peace, and peace is only possible with collective liberation. Being Filipino, our concept of community is what brings joy to so many of us. And in all that we do, the deeper strength we find is always for the happiness of others. That is Kapwa.

Tasha toting the Tasha tote on the beach.

2.  What is your greatest extravagance?

Investing in our nature and culture, learning to regenerate our crafts and see them as an art, designing exciting climate solutions with our people, all for opportunities of a hopeful childhood for all Filipino children.

3.  What is your current state of mind?

I find myself wanting to learn more about our archipelagic culture, and the role of girls and women in shaping its foundations. I believe that there’s so much more missing yet in what we learn about being Filipino in schools, and what we learn to appreciate about our craftsmanship. If we built the galleons for our own colonisers because of the wisdom from our ancestors who were voyagers, how can we unlock and continue to regenerate this innate intelligence and creativity? My sister and I discovered one of the best ways is through radical imagination, vernacular culture, and learning from our First Nations and indigenous people. Our work has found us now growing our creative company called TAYO, a heriatge design studio and consultancy for culture and nature based solutions everyone needs for our future.

4.  Whose style do you most admire?

Our indigenous people for learning how to express and craft apparel from nature, and the 19th century Filipina who, whether at home or at work, revolutionized and localized colonial influences and textiles. It’s about time we learn to unpack colonial definitions of fashion and style, and look into it as a form of cultural expression. It’s weaving the environment around us into something we can take with us everywhere we go.

5.  What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Creating and crafting a legacy at an early age for next generations to love being Filipino.

6.  What is your most treasured possession?

The spirit I inherited from a millennia worth of people that lived within this archipelago. This spirit is what makes everything I do and everything I’ve learned to believe possible. It was shaped by my parents who have allowed us to see the world in all its glory and how blessed we are to live with it.

7.  Who is your favorite writer?

My grandmother who we call Mitch. She told me the greatest histories are made from the small stories.

8.  Which living person do you most admire?

All our indigenous people who choose to continue telling the stories of their ancestors to help us realise that the world doesn’t need saving, it needs remembering.

My family and friends who have allowed me to learn what it means to be in a community that cradles creativity and hope for future generations.

9.  Where is your dream destination?

Every island in our archipelago. So often people want to flee and escape places they call home. The stress and pain that comes from a robbed country makes many decide it’s not worth living for, and affects lives of so many people that deserve so much more. But because I’ve really been so lucky to see the potential and the opportunity that is housed within every island of the Philippines, it’s a dream to see each one flourish in their own way one day.

The devil is in the details with the Tasha tote.

10. What is your motto?

We must design with Filipino culture to the high heavens. I am Filipina so I must design Filipino.