Celebrating its eleventh anniversary, TAYO Archipelagic Design Agency held a gathering that brought together tradition, ecology, artistry, and community.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In today&rsquo;s rapidly evolving world, the constant pursuit of what is new and what comes next has caused local knowledge and history to feel even more fragile and distant &mdash; making their preservation and reinterpretation all the more essential and urgent today. Amid this shift, many contemporary Filipino creatives are looking back on community-based practices, inherited traditions, and environmental narratives, seeking ways to bring back these stories through modern forms of expression.&nbsp;
This National Heritage Month, TAYO Archipelagic Design Agency reflects this spirit by reintroducing itself with a continued commitment to cultural storytelling that bridges its ongoing vision with its deeply rooted foundation. Celebrating eleven years of practice, the Filipino design studio brought together creators, collaborators, advocates, and industry leaders for Salu-Salo &mdash; a gathering held in collaboration with the National Museum for Natural History that explored the intersections of tradition, creativity, ecology, and communal exchange.&nbsp;

Established by sisters Natasha and Isabella Tanjutco, TAYO Archipelagic Design Agency started with Kids for Kids in 2015 &mdash; a youth-led initiative focused on social engagement and cultural continuity. Since then, it has grown into a multidisciplinary practice spanning branding, partnerships, event curation, and cultural consultancy. For the co-founders, the gathering marked more than a milestone; it signified the beginning of a new chapter for the studio as it expands its practice while remaining anchored in local knowledge systems and material culture.&nbsp;

Building on this direction, the event also put the spotlight on the formal launch of Archipelagic Design Living Lexicon and Archive: Creativity rooted in Biodiversity. Conceived as a developing research compendium, it is an initiative that aims to build a shared language for Filipino design, reconnecting contemporary creatives with indigenous terms, concepts, and references found across the archipelago. Structured around TAYO&rsquo;s framework, The 8 Pulses of Filipino Design, the archive encourages a more interconnected understanding of creativity, positioning it as a living ecosystem shaped by the country&rsquo;s own environments, communities, and ways of living.&nbsp;

Mirroring this philosophy, the celebration unfolded through a carefully layered experience inspired by materiality, movement, and sound. Guests moved through installations set against draped fabric forms reminiscent of water currents and the lightness of native textiles. The space was further enriched through artisanal collaborations, where hand-dyed Philippine indigo tablecloths by Muni-Muni, scrap glass lamps by Tiffany Stained Glass, and capiz installations crafted by artisans in Lumban introduced an interplay of texture and craft. Complementing this is a live sonic programme by Bjork Calao, Miko Reyes, and Jacob Mendoza, infusing the atmosphere with a gentle sense of groove and rhythm.&nbsp;

Following this is a communal dining experience co-designed with Fia&rsquo;s Food, where a river table served as a setting for a sensorial experience inspired by the islands TAYO has worked with, including Halian Island, Anajawan Island, Mam-on Island, Suyangan Island, and Simariki Island. The menu highlighted ingredients sourced from local fisherfolk, while custom ceramic vessels by Aly Manibalang translated the movement of rippling water that threaded through the event&rsquo;s visual language. In this context, the shared meal has become an embodiment of the agency&rsquo;s wider vision of co-designing sustainable islands through relationships built between people, places, and practice.&nbsp;

&ldquo;It is our duty as designers and creatives to root all our systems back into the nature and culture that keeps us thriving, a way of life that reminds us to look beyond western standards and into what is true to our land, sea, and people,&rdquo; shared Bella and Tasha, emphasizing the belief that Filipino design is most meaningful when it remains grounded to the communities and environments from which it emerges.

An Agent of Culture and Creativity: TAYO Introduces Its Archipelagic Design Living Lexicon

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES MAY 2026 - Kylie Verzosa ₱600

An Agent of Culture and Creativity: TAYO Introduces Its Archipelagic Design Living Lexicon

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