By Denler Dwight G. Tumalay
A moment of shared success during the official turnover of Project HUGASIN. Representatives from key stakeholders, including the Institute of Packaging Professionals CPU Student Chapter, CPU Association of Chemistry Students, officials from Barangay Tabuc Suba Jaro, members of the PackUp team, Packaging Engineering Department Faculty, Centralian students, and the empowered Favored Mothers of Sitio Abandon, Tabuc Suba, proudly display their product in its new packaging.
Iloilo City, Philippines – In the bustling heart of Iloilo City, within the quiet corners of Brgy. Tabuc Suba, lies the community of “Abandon” – a place where resilience is woven into the fabric of daily life. For a group of mothers, organized to produce household essentials, the dream of a stable livelihood often felt just out of reach, shadowed by the challenges of limited resources and market access. Their chosen product, dishwashing liquid, was born from a basic need and the accessibility of raw materials, yet its potential remained untapped, lacking the professional identity needed to thrive in a competitive market.
In a poignant interview with the Central Echo, the personal stories of mothers like Lizelle and Joanna illuminate the critical need for this project. Lizelle, a mother of four from “Abandon,” bravely juggles household chores and debts from her small sari-sari store. “May mga adlaw nga gusto mo ihibi nalang, pero magpadayon para sa mga kabataan [There are days when you just want to cry, but you have to continue for the children],” she shared. Joanna, another dedicated mother, reflected on her personal drive: “Gapadayon ko para sakon bata, kag kay bal-an ko nga ara ang Ginoo pirme [I continue for my child, and because I know God is always there].” These heartfelt aspirations, born from a Bible study group that sparked their entrepreneurial journey, laid bare the profound economic hardships that made their small livelihood project a lifeline.
It was into this deeply human context that Project HUGASIN emerged, a collaborative initiative born from the shared vision of PackUp, an innovative startup under the CPUGAD Technology Business Incubator, and Central Philippine University (CPU). The partnership began organically through CPU’s Community Engagement and Service Learning Center (CESLC), which had adopted the “Abandon” community, creating a natural bridge for PackUp’s specialized services.
The newly improved packaging for Favored Dishwashing, showcasing its four distinct variants: Anti-Bacterial, Lemon, Calamansi, and the Lavender variant currently under development.
PackUp’s Vision: Beyond a Bottle – The Transformative Power of Packaging
The core objective of Project HUGASIN was clear: to elevate the dishwashing liquid product beyond its homemade origins, transforming it into a competitive, market-ready brand. The immediate hurdle was evident: the community’s existing packaging consisted of generic, often reused bottles and uninspired online-ordered labels, severely lacking identity. This absence of formal branding stifled their product’s ability to sell, demonstrating that even the most essential product struggles without a compelling presence.
PackUp, driven by its mission to make packaging, technology, and product development accessible and sustainable, stepped in to tackle this critical challenge. Their team understood that packaging wasn’t just about containment; it was about storytelling, fostering pride, and signaling quality in a crowded market. “We aimed to give their product a voice,” a PackUp representative noted.
The label development process, spearheaded by PackUp’s Project Hugasin Project Leader, Denler Dwight G. Tumalay, was a journey of collaboration and creativity. PackUp’s team worked closely with the mothers, exploring three distinct design concepts. The final choice was meticulously crafted to not only meet the minimum labeling requirements prescribed by laws but also to visually represent the community’s inspiring narrative. The chosen label proudly declares: “Made by devoted mothers in Sitio Abandon, Tabuc Suba, Jaro, this product is a symbol of community, shared strength, and hope from the heart of Iloilo City.” This branding initiative went beyond mere aesthetics; it instilled a tangible sense of pride and identity, allowing the mothers to see their product in a new, empowering light. Packaging, in this instance, became the silent salesperson, communicating value and origin.
CPU’s Commitment: A Collaborative Ecosystem of Support
Project HUGASIN exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary collaboration within the Central Philippine University ecosystem. The CPU Packaging Department provided essential guidance, while the CPU Association of Chemistry and the Institute of Packaging Professionals CPU Student Chapter actively contributed their technical expertise. These student volunteers, representing the entire organization, lent their academic rigor to crucial areas such as formulation review and product safety checks, optimizing the product’s quality, ensuring its safety, extending its shelf-life, and maintaining consistency – elements crucial for market readiness.
PackUp’s CEO, Matt Rafael Genito, underscored the university’s integral role: “We encourage students to patronize products supported and adopted by our very own university.” This philosophy extends beyond mere transactions, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose that strengthens both academic and livelihood development initiatives.
The formal turnover event, celebrating the presentation of the final label designs and mock-up packaging, was successfully held on May 26, 2025. Attended by all partners and the beneficiary community, this marked a pivotal moment for Project HUGASIN. Initial discussions also unveiled opportunities for the community to supply CPU’s dining areas, a promising avenue for scaling their distribution. While concrete action plans for this supply chain are still being developed, these discussions highlight the university’s commitment to creating direct market linkages for its adopted communities.
Challenges and the Path Forward Hand-in-Hand
While the new labels enable the product to “now compete with the market,” the mothers still face significant challenges in integrating these innovations into their daily lives. The demands of household chores, tending to children, and managing production often intersect, creating logistical hurdles. They continue to juggle various responsibilities and currently lack sufficient space and specialized tools necessary for achieving greater market readiness. These ongoing challenges underscore the need for continued, multi-faceted support beyond initial labeling.
Project HUGASIN serves as a profound testament to the power of collaboration and socially driven innovation. It demonstrates how leveraging student talent and technical expertise, particularly through robust university support structures like CESLC and the CPUGAD TBI (the first and only private TBI in Western Visayas), can foster significant community development. This initiative is a model for future university-led extension efforts, where packaging is not just a protective layer, but a medium for telling a powerful story of empowerment, identity, and local pride.
Looking ahead, Project HUGASIN perfectly embodies PackUp’s broader “BEYOND CSR” initiative, which champions innovation that genuinely moves businesses forward. It’s about building sustainable, cutting-edge solutions that empower MSMEs and foster local growth. PackUp is committed to continuing its support for the “Abandon” community, addressing the remaining challenges, and further solidifying this partnership as a beacon of social impact and innovation. PackUp will continue to complement the mission and vision of CPU for the community.
Currently, the dishwashing liquid is being sold by the community within their local area and house church. The CESL Center has already reached out to the university administration to request permission for the community to sell inside CPU through the Enterprise. Notably, the group also participated in the recent 3rd Merkado Lokal @ Central, where they proudly showcased and sold their products.