Back in 2012, coming from a family vacation, SweetEscape Founder and CEO David Soong was surprised to find very few pictures that captured their perfect holiday moments. Being a photographer himself, David came up with the idea of handpicking photographers with the right skills and right styles from around the world. And in 2016, SweetEscape was born to cater to travelers who want to come home with amazing pictures.
Launched in 2017, SweetEscape now has a network of over 2000 photographers to serve thousands of travelers in over 500 cities around the world that want to capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments and turn them into beautiful memories.
In the Philippines, with six out of 10 Filipinos traveling twice a year for leisure, SweetEscape has conveniently provided a way to book photographers anywhere in the world.
Launched in Manila in July 2018, SweetEscape has grown continuously, with hundreds of bookings monthly from customers around the world.
“The Philippines quickly became the second largest market in Southeast Asia for SweetEscape. This is why it was only natural that it became our first country of choice for global expansion,” said David. “We want our customers to see SweetEscape as a photography platform for every need, whether for travel, birthday parties, bridal showers, or any special occasion,” added SweetEscape COO and Co-Founder, Emile Etienne.
Since the Philippine launch, SweetEscape has partnered with various brands for potential clients to achieve their own precious moments.
In the past year, they have partnered with top institutions on finance and travel such as BDO, Singapore Airlines, and Klook. SweetEscape has also created partnerships with local celebrities such as Heart Evangelista, Anne Curtis, Nikki Gil, Maxene Magalona, Solenn Heusaff, Andi Manzano, and Isabelle Daza among others to capture their own special moments.
For its first year, SweetEscape brought together its Founder and CEO David Soong and celebrities Nikki Gil and Maxene Magalona for an afternoon with the press and some of Manila’s most influential people. SweetEscape also partnered with awesome brands joining the celebration like Delsey, The Travel Club, Photobook, Beach Hut, and Benefit Cosmetics.
“SweetEscape makes every moment memorable. It’s like having a local friend to capture the most intimate, raw, unedited memories. It’s simple and easy, yet something that can be treasured for years to come.” concluded David.
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Cavite’s tarpaulin recycling project
Reelected Senator Cynthia Villar has tapped the help of a group of women in Dasmariñas, Cavite to make bags out of the tarpaulins used during her campaign for the recent elections.
Villar, chair of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said this recycling project benefits a small tailoring business, which employs mothers as sewers.
“We are very glad that we have now a way for the proper disposal of these used tarpaulins. Through this initiative, we were not only able to recycle used tarpaulins into something useful we were also able to help women earn additional income for their families, ” Villar said.
Christine Joy Ferrer, 27 years old, just started MXD Tailoring two months ago in the garage of the apartment she is renting. For five years, she worked for her older sister’s tailoring shop until it closed down. She then borrowed the sewing machines and started her own business.
“Tuwang tuwa po ako kasi nagsisimula pa lang ako tapos nagtiwala na po sa akin si Senator Villar na gumawa ng bags niya. Malaking tulong po ito sa akin at sa mga sewers ko,“ Ferrer said.
The 2 x 3 feet tarpaulins collected by Villar’s staff were delivered to Ferrer’s shop to be made into bags for P16 a piece. On the first week, they were able to finish 550 bags. They will be making more as tarpaulins collected from the provinces start to arrive.
Ferrer said her four sewers are mothers who live nearby. One of her sewers has to look after a baby. Ferrer loaned one of her machines so she could work from home.
Ferrer said she appreciates Villar for providing a source of additional income for mothers like her. She said she was able to look after her kids aged 10 and 7, while operating her small business.
The finished product has a dimension of 12 x 18 x 4 inches, it is white with the printed side of the tarpaulin made as the inside of the bag. Tarpaulin bags are the more durable and environment-friendly substitute for plastic bags. Villar said she will distribute the bags for free to further promote her advocacy for plastic recycling.
The Nacionalista Party senator also initiated a plastic recycling project which turns plastic wastes into school chairs. Through a plastic factory, she built in Las Piñas, 20 kilos of soft plastics such as food wrappers were recycled into a plastic chair with changeable parts and has a life span of 20 years. These chairs were donated to different public schools all over the country.
