SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) launched its Tela Tales initiative in Davao City, expanding the sustainability program to Mindanao after earlier runs in Luzon and the Visayas.
The launch coincided with the city’s Kadayawan Festival and was held in partnership with Park Inn by Radisson Davao.
SMHCC vice president for Quality and Sustainability Leah Magallanes led the event, joined by Davao City Councilors Tek Ocampo and Myrna Ortiz, Department of Trade and Industry regional director Romeo Castañaga, and Department of Tourism Region XI assistant regional director Judy Colaljo.
Tela Tales repurposes discarded hotel linens into fashion and functional items, part of SMHCC’s effort to promote a circular economy and reduce waste in the hospitality sector.
For the Davao leg, SMHCC tapped Davao-born designer Dars Juson, co-founder of Manila-based label Repamana, to mentor members of Think Outside the Trash, a women-led community group supported by Ocampo. Together, they produced Tela Tales’ debut collection in Davao, featuring vanity kits, tote bags, and bucket hats using the Japanese shibori dyeing technique.
“The project connects hospitality with local communities, turning waste into marketable products that carry purpose,” Magallanes said.
The items will be available at Park Inn by Radisson Davao’s lobby.
Magallanes also presented SMHCC’s broader sustainability efforts aimed at achieving Net Zero by 2040. A panel discussion followed with Juson, Ocampo, and hotel general manager Sven Toune.
