Last June (2025), the BioChamps 3.0 youth camp was held in Southern Palawan, a meaningful initiative that brought together Indigenous youth from the Tagbanua and Palaw’an communities to celebrate their heritage, deepen their connection with their ancestral lands, and strengthen their role as stewards of the forest.

As part of the project, I co-created the visual identity and camp materials in collaboration with the Green Livelihoods Alliance (GLA) network in Palawan, which includes the SILG* Program of Forest Foundation Philippines, NTFP-EP Philippines, IDEAS, and ELAC, under an initiative we called Project AMPLYFIED: Awareness Merchandise Production Aimed for Limitless Youths: Forest Conservation Information and Education Camp Kits.

The designs, from the BioChamps Palawan logo to the camp kit illustrations, were all inspired by endemic flora and fauna, local dances and rituals, food, crafts, and valuable insights shared during a co-design Zoom session and consultations with the youth.

A screenshot from our co-design workshop and consultation Zoom session with the Palawan indigenous youth. 

We produced Camp Kits containing t-shirts, tote bags, tumblers, stickers, and other functional items that could serve as daily reminders of their advocacy. Seeing the participants wear the finished items against the backdrop of Palawan’s forest landscapes was a full-circle moment. A visual celebration of the land and the young people working to protect it.

We hope these materials will continue to remind the youth of their important roles in preserving Palawan’s forests and heritage. Truly grateful to have been part of a project that amplifies Indigenous youth voices while championing both biodiversity and culture.

Team photo from our first in-person inception meeting in early 2025. 🙂

*Thanks so much to Forest Foundation Philippines’ SILG (Sustainable Program team for this meaningful project. <3

• John Mark Ayap
• Nelissa Maria Rocas
• Rosemarie Joy Quetula

* Download a copy of the #ProjectAMPLYFIEDPh Publication for more info on our project.

* Download the free desktop wallpaper.

* Social media project documentation:
1. Introduction to the AMPLYFIEDPh Project
2. Our Youth Are Culture Bearers
3. Protecting Biodiversity = Protecting Our Identity,Traditions, and Culture
4. From Design to Delivery
5. Behind the Scenes Reel
6. Camp Complete! BioChamps Palawan, From Vision to Reality

*On-site activity photos are courtesy of Forest Foundation Philippines

* I post most frequently on Instagram, so for a sneak peek at the latest projects (that might take a while to land here), feel free to follow along there! 😉

Known for their handmade Barong Tagalog, EN Barong Filipino (ENBF) had been planning to launch a Modern Filipiniana collection featuring Philippine native trees as these are championed by their Chairwoman and Founder, Tita Fely, a passionate advocate for heritage conservation.

ENBF’s longtime collaborators Trina and Ruben Flores of Rubbertree Design Studio reached out to me, and it was an instant yes. I was of course thrilled to contribute illustrations for this meaningful project, and as a fan of Trina & Ruben’s Bags by Rubbertree line, I was excited to work with them and see my illustrations translated onto traditional Filipino clothing.

The collection features six unique terno silhouettes, each adorned with a different native tree flower: Katmon, Banaba, Ilang-ilang, Malabulak, Salinggogon, and Tayabak (Jade Vine). Trina and Ruben handled surface design, while Mr. Santingan of ENBF skillfully transformed my vector illustrations into beautiful embroidery, resulting in these stunning creations.

The ternos are available through the Philippine Forest Blooms portal on ENBF’s website and at Kultura outlets in SM Department Stores nationwide.

* I post most frequently on Instagram, so for a sneak peek at the latest projects (that might take a while to land here), feel free to follow along there! 😉

#ForestLandscapesPh is a collaborative initiative with Forest Foundation Philippines that began in 2021. Building on our earlier campaigns that centered on native trees and wildlife, we wanted to grow the love even further, this time by spotlighting the country’s most important forest landscapes.

These beautiful places are vital ecosystems that so many communities depend on for food, livelihoods, cultural pride, and protection from the effects of climate change. From the storm-shielding Sierra Madre mountains (Luzon’s backbone!), to Bukidnon’s lush farming fields, Leyte’s carbon-rich peatlands, and Palawan’s sanctuary for unique species, each region has its own special story that shows how forests are tightly woven into our lives.

To showcase these connections, we designed a set of notebooks, one for each landscape, with covers featuring a special site, an endemic bird, and a native plant. We also made bird pins so that people can wear and take a piece of the landscapes in their day-to-day.

In 2023, contnuing our collaboration, we created illustrated forest maps of the four key landscapes: Sierra Madre, Mindanao, Palawan, and Samar & Leyte. The maps highlight protected areas, indigenous communities, local industries and produce, ecotourism spots, and native biodiversity to show all the different ways these regions help keep our forests healthy and self-sustaining.

The advocacy items aim to help support genuine conservation work and keep the stories of our forests alive for generations to come. A percentage of profits generated from the sale of all items were donated to the Foundation’s partner NGOs in the landscapes. (You can see how much we were able to raise and contribute here.)

Huge thanks to the amazing FFP Project Management Team for guiding and supporting me every step of the way. <3

• Diane Estephanie Bagui
• Schenley Anne Belmonte,
• Eric Buduan
• Atty. Jose Andres Canivel
• Ana Veronica Gabriel
• Xyla Mercedita Gualberto
• Marjorie Pamplona

* TMxCBA Collab photos are courtesy of Team Manila Graphic Design Studio

* I post most frequently on Instagram, so for a sneak peek at the latest projects (that might take a while to land here), feel free to follow along there! 

The illustration process was carefully guided by EDC BINHI’s foresters which made it possible for me to render the species as accurately as possible. I chose to use a line drawing technique (as opposed to my usual painterly style) in order to highlght and define each species’ unique features. These drawings were then used on t-shirts, bags, and other merchandise (soon to be available in my webshop), and some other items for the organization’s exclusive use.

To learn more about the heart and journey behind this project, head over to my Advocacy Through Art page. There, I will continuoisly share how these collaborations are part of a bigger mission to celebrate biodiversity, empower communities, and use creativity for conservation.

* I post most frequently on Instagram, so for a sneak peek at the latest projects (that might take a while to land here), feel free to follow along there! 😉

Plus63 Design Group tapped me to create a t-shirt design for Uniqlo Philippines’ UTMeArtPh x Fiesta Collection, along with fellow graphic designer-illustrators Frances Alvarez and Karl Adrian Aguro / Uncurated Studio. The Philippine festival assigned to me was Baguio’s flower festival, “Panagbenga.” I chose to incorporate native flowers that grow in Luzon, such as Ilang-ilang, Banaba, and Narra, and kept exotic species like sunflowers (which are comonly used in the festival) as adornments on the dancing couple.

As someone who wears Uniqlo clothing on the regular, working on this design was a complete thrill. Many thanks to Dan Matutina and Dang Sering of Plus63 for the trust.

* I post most frequently on Instagram, so for a sneak peek at the latest projects (that might take a while to land here), feel free to follow along there! 😉

Local kids’ clothing brand Googoo&Gaga started an Artist Collaboration Series in December 2010. I was invited to collaborate in 2016 and the theme was “forest animals”. Keeping the brand’s offbeat image in mind, I thought of drawing zebras and giraffes because of their distinct patterns and decided to dress them up in colorful human clothing, posing against a background pattern of tropical foliage.

* I post most frequently on Instagram, so for a sneak peek at the latest projects (that might take a while to land here), feel free to follow along there! 😉