Proprietor . Artisan . Palaweno

“I can honestly say that it’s been a toilsome yet invigorating beginning for me when I was starting the business. Thinking back, I was just a little boy enjoying the shrewd of art designing aside from selling any potential handmade craft from our backyard, like fruits and flowers, even candies in school. I was fond of collecting dried leaves and flowers back then when I realized I could use them in designing cards. Unlike any other child, thou I also enjoyed school, I’m one of the few that is soaked up early concerning business.” Said Jojo Orcullo, artisan, a native palaweno and the proprietor of Asiano Arts & Crafts — 

In 1998, He started establishing his own little Asiano Shop with minimum capital of P10,000.00 located in the Public Market. Evident that people are coming across the Market every day, not so long that the crafts of Asiano become known.

In 1999, the Puerto Princesa City Government conducted the Agro Trade Fair, an organization of Artisans selling unique and original creations located at Mendoza Park that before long started to appeal. Because it was a free tax deal, it made it easier for Jojo to lay aside money for future use and he was fortunate in making the Asiano be part of it. In this same year, Agro or Tabuan (cuyunon word means “Gathering”) had been the primary tourists spot for souvenirs, memorabilia and as well as an ideal gift item. It is also during this time that every Artisan’s eye was honed to make more bizarre creation while the favorable contention ignites.

Having a little booth with Jojo’s intricate taste both of exterior and interior, Asiano happen to attract more tourists. People started to notice the uniqueness of Jojo’s artworks hence acquiring sales more than expected. At Jojo’s young age of 18, Mr. Lamberto Rama, Mayor’s appointed Market Master from that time offered him the position of becoming the Agro’s President. Jojo refused the honorable offer at first foreseeing the big responsibility but having heard the faith from everyone helped him push through the go signal.

He stands to be the Agro’s President for almost 2 years but his imagination didn’t stop wandering until in 2001. “I’ve made up my mind. I stopped the “wandering” and started the “traveling” said Jojo.” He thought of visiting the neighboring countries in Asia because he knew that countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Laos and Malaysia has the great deal of Artworks where he successfully established the trading. As he travels, his eyes were trained. “It goes naturally to me, more like a gift to knowing the products too well. Unexpectedly, I could tell where a certain product came from” he proudly says.

In 2002, Aside from a little Asiano booth shop in Mendoza Park, The Asturias Hotel, one of the prestigious hotels in palawan, tied up with Asiano. The hotel provided them enough space within the Hotel’s lobby where they can sell Asiano’s Artworks while at the same time adds more attraction to the place.

In 2004, as the new set of officers had been elected, the Agro Trade Fair had to return to the government and was finished. During this time, Jojo opened the Asiano Shop standing in Rizal Avenue among the higgledly-piggledly line-up of establishments and start supplying artworks in Manila and Baguio.

In 2008, he got appointed to be the General Manager of Banwa Art House, his sister’s pension house featured in the Lonely Planet’s pick for backpackers accommodation. He also didn’t slip the chance of displaying his artworks there while he was running the place until his sister arrived back in the Philippines.

Having the business for quite a long time, Jojo manage to maintain making it as hands on as he possibly could. Jojo, still up to this time climb mountains, visit tribes and also buy crafts so he can choose hand in hand the unusual designs. Preserving the original idea and adding more designs in making his artwork functional and different from what’s already eye soaring usual until the present.

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Asiano Arts & Crats

Rizal Avenue, Dagumboy, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

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