The 24-year-old, a marketing graduate, said that he abandoned his day job to pursue a career in upcycling -- the process of turning unwanted and discarded items into furniture that bring an element of fun to homes and offices.
"Pag may nakita kasi akong item, kahit anong item 'yan, naiisipan ko talaga ng anong puwedeng gawin dyan. Kaysa itapon natin siya, bakit hindi pa natin gawing kakaiba?" he said in an interview on ANC's "Green Living."
Paco shared that he gets his materials from flea shops, junk shops, and even garage sales. He then turns them into either art pieces or something with practical use, before selling them online on his Instagram account along with business partner, actor Ping Medina.
One of many reasons, according to Pili, that the upcycling trend has gained such popularity is that for the consumer, each is a rare item. It allows one to own unique pieces no one else has.
In addition, upcyling also allows one to reduce their footprint as they are made from numerous eco-friendly materials.
However, Pili admitted that he delved into upcycling not with the initial intention of saving the environment. No. He said that he carved out a boombox from an old luggage as a gift for a girl he liked back in college.
But from then on, his passion for upcycling never looked back. He is currently a full-time upcyclist, and is working on making a chic table out of an old sewing machine using Bosch Power Tools.
"Naging passion ko lang talaga siya. Masaya lang talaga ako pag may nakikita akong natutuwa sa gawa ko," he said.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
