Our Vision

Through sustainable craftsmanship, we aim to empower women in the Philippines to build confidence, take pride in their work, and improve their lives through their own efforts. Each product is made with heartfelt care, delivering warmth and smiles to our customers.

Our Mission

By pursuing kindness toward both people and the planet, Sulci uses bag-making as a way to support women in improving their lives and promoting access to education for their children. We are committed to sharing the potential of women with the world.

We strive to create a society where everyone can dream, hope, and take on new challenges—so that the women involved with Sulci can move forward with confidence and smiles, paving the way for the next generation.

Good for Society, Good for Sulci

At Sulci, we believe in nurturing future bag designers from among our crocheters. To support this vision, we hold competitions where they can create original bag designs of their own. To boost motivation, we award cash prizes and recognition to top entries.

Additionally, 3% of the wages paid to the crocheters is set aside in the Sulci Fund. This fund is used to help cover medical expenses and the cost of medicine for those without health insurance, as well as to provide scholarships for their children.

Crocheters at Sulci are paid every two weeks. This regular income helps them support their daily lives—for example, purchasing livestock—and enables them to invest in their children's education.

We also place a strong focus on community-based initiatives. In areas where there are no bookstores or libraries, we want children to grow up with access to books. Inspired by the concept “From a single crochet hook to a single book,” we launched a project where 50% of the proceeds from raffia brooches made by our crocheters go toward building a local library.

Furthermore, since last spring, we have been offering crochet training to around 15 women incarcerated in a local prison near our atelier. This is part of a rehabilitation program aimed at providing them with opportunities to work with Sulci after their release.

Starting in June, we also plan to incorporate crochet into the home economics curriculum at a local high school. Ten of our Sulci crocheters will take on the role of instructors and lead these classes.

Alongside our efforts to improve design and quality, we are continuously working to enhance our sustainable business model that supports producers long-term—and we remain fully committed to this mission.

From Our Founder

After leaving my previous job, I traveled to the Philippines for a change of pace. While exploring a local souvenir shop, I came across handmade table mats and baskets. At that moment, a thought crossed my mind: "How much are the artisans being paid for these?" Judging from the prices, it couldn’t be much.

That’s when an idea took root: "What if I designed products myself, had them made directly by local artisans, and established my own sales channels? Then I could create a business that fairly compensates the makers." I also dreamed of creating hand-crocheted bags using natural raffia.

This was the beginning of what would later become the Sulci bag brand.

Without much of a long-term plan, I started crochet training with just a dozen or so women in Cebu and Bohol. Most of them were complete beginners, so I taught everything from how to hold a crochet hook to how to read a pattern—starting from zero. But in the beginning, the bags they made rarely matched what I had envisioned, and there were many times when I doubted whether I had the energy, strength, or financial resources to keep going.

Yet, I held on to a few unwavering beliefs:

• “Now that I’ve taken on responsibility for these women, I can’t turn back.”
  
• “If we make truly good products, customers will recognize their value.”
  
• “If I keep going, the path will open up.”
  

With those convictions, I continued teaching and guiding the women in their craft. And in return, their trust, hard work, and smiles—following me without hesitation—gave me the strength to press on. Step by step, the Sulci bag began to take shape.

As our relationship of trust deepened, the women came to understand that “mastering the craft leads to higher wages.” Their progress accelerated, and soon they reached a level where their products could be sold in Japanese department stores.

With consistent quality and a stable production system in place, Sulci was officially established in November 2011.
I serve as both the brand’s founder and designer, continuing to travel back and forth between Japan and the Philippines to this day.