Philippine Entreprener Does Well While Doing Good

Salay Handmade Paper Industry Inc.

Mrs. Loreta Capistrano-Rafisura, President of Salay Handmade Paper, has used the principals of fair trade to provide employment to hundreds of people in the town of Salay, Misamis Oriental.

This item tells the 20-year history of this cooperative enterprise. Started with 6,000 Philippine pesos, it now employs 250 and its founder has become a leading spokeswoman for fair-trade entrepreneurial ventures.

Salay Handmade Paper is a member of IFAT, and credits its success to its links to developed-country distributors of fair-trade products. Although their initial production was marketed locally, in 2006, almost 50 percent of SHAPII’s market is in Europe, 30 percent in North America, 8 percent in Japan and 6 percent in other countries.