There’s a green revolution coming, and it’s led by three women.

EchoStore, the first sustainable lifestyle store in  the Philippines, is the brainchild of marketing expert Chit Juan, writer-artist and wellness advocate Jeannie Javelosa, and coffee entrepreneur Reena Francisco.

These three women have put together their impressive backgrounds in marketing, entrepreneurship, and organic farming to launch a store that offers Pinoys a range of nontoxic, biodegradable, and natural products, while supporting the livelihood of local communities and standing up for fair trade.

Pinoy consumers who want to live green will find a range of environment-friendly and fair-trade options available at EchoStore. The store carries coconut-based soaps, laundry detergent, chemical-free household care products from the Daila Herbal Community Enterprises; personal care products and bee essence-based medicine from Ilog Maria, which exclusively distributes in Metro Manile through Echo Store; and herb- and coconut oil-based body care products from Zen.

EchoStore distributes personal care products from Holystic Haven House of Healing, which offers soap, body scrub, moisturizer, cleanser, and toner that are not tested on animals and are free from paraben, phthalate, mineral oils, lanolin, petrolatum, emulsifiers and foamers SLS and SLES, and animal derivatives. The store also carries nontoxic cleaning solutions from Messy Bessy.

Pinoy mommies shopping at Echo Store will also find a line of natural baby care products from Indigo Baby, including first-aid gel, room and linen spray, insect repellent, bath salt, body wash, and sunblock.

Customers buying from EchoStore will be glad to know that their purchases will help marginalized communities and struggling Pinoy entrepreneurs.

Payatas women from the Rags 2 Riches Foundation are able to support their families through the pencil cases, laptop bags, and yoga bags that they make from rags. The group has grown from 24 to 100 and is inspired by fashion designer Rajo Laurel, who designs items under the RIIR label.

The Second Life brand consists of recycled products made by urban poor women, widows, and single mothers. The sale of handicrafts from the Correctional Institute for Women helps more than 1,500 female convicts earn money to pay for prison amenities like hot water, coffee, snacks, and medical treatments. It also helps them learn some skills that they can use when they get out of prison.

Disadvantaged young adults from the Virlani Foundation are employed at Messy Bessy, where they are taught manufacturing, accounting, and sales. Food products such as organic rice, coffee beans, and piaya help support the livelihood of  local communities.

Birthing pains
It’s a tough act, and these three women have big shoes to fill, but they’re hoping that the idea spreads like wildfire among Pinoys.

“Ït’s the kind of idea that you want people to copy,” says Jeannie, a curator for Yuchengco Museum and an advocate of the integral body-mind-spirit lifestyle.

Reena, stakeholder relations officer for the Figaro Foundation and an advocate of organic coffee farming, hopes to see this trend go the way barako coffee has. With increasing demand for coffee, farmers have to plant more, which has enabled the industry to grow.

“We want Pinoys to understand that there is a connection to what we do,” says Chit.

Perhaps time has come for the vision of a cleaner, equitable, and collaborative world to be turned to action. And these three women believe this is it.

For inquiries call (632) 901 3485 or e-mail echolifestyle.store@gmail.com