Tes Sobeng, Wood Toy Maker

No doubt about it, toys make one happy child. These days, you have a plethora to choose from – from battery-operated cars, to educational laptops, to brightly colored dolls and whatnot. For parents who grew up in the 70s, the 80s, however, and of course, our lolos and lolas, these are definitely not what they played with as kids. Instead, they had wooden toys.

Wooden toys are gaining back their popularity in the market because of the break they offer from the norm of electronic toys and gizmos. Their simple form and no-nonsense look may seem like a plainer and even more boring version of toys, but 40-year-old wood toy maker Tes Sobeng begs to disagree.


Going natural
A former bookkeeper for a food and beverage company, Tes knew what it was like to be a busy career woman. She describes just how demanding her work was, which would at times require her to stay at the office overnight.

Now a mom to a 10-year-old boy, Tes admits she did not become an advocate of natural and organic items until she started breastfeeding her child; however, once she started,there was no turning back. She exclusively breastfed him for four years and 10 months straight and even raised him to be a vegetarian during the first two years of his life.

The next phase to this “awakening” involved learning more about natural healing, which is another step towards the path to green living.

As her son Carl approached school-age readiness, Tes was particularly intrigued with the Manila Waldorf School, Inc. (MWSI), a non-stock, non-profit organization which espouses values such as reverence for life and the natural world. MWSI also teaches its students necessary skills and concepts through the use of crafts, storytelling, music and drama, and the use of natural toys in their classes.

 

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Natural Toys
As part of their philosophy on patronizing natural ways and products, and as MWSI also enjoined parents to practice the school’s beliefs at home, Tes grew interested in getting natural toys as well for her child and attended workshops and orientations on the pattern of her life. Having grown up in Paete, Laguna, considered the woodcarvers’ capital of the Philippines, she realized that she could use this to her advantage and have her child’s own toys made at home. She even went as far as studying Waldorf Education at St. Scholastica to deepen her knowledge for the craft.

Due to the meticulous process and high level of craftsmanship that wooden toys require, it became difficult for Tes to keep having a few wooden toys made. “Parang ‘di ganun ka-practical,” she says, especially for a mainstream mom. Her mentor then offered to give her sample toys and suggested she sell the excess toys.

So then it began. What started as a five-piece order for “pinggan-pingganan” (plates set) turned into more orders by the dozen. And when she started selling them to her family and friends, they sold like hotcakes. She was then inspired to have more wooden toys created.


A Business is Born
Despite her drive to sell wooden toys, Tes reveals she’s really not the business type. .”’Di ako nag-produce nito para kumita. I want the Filipino kids to experience again the natural toys and creativity,” she says. And even if she’s not exactly a serious player in the toy manufacturing business, she says she treats her business as a baby.

“Lahat dadaan sa kamay ko,” she explains. ““Mararamdaman mo ang difference ng lutong-bahay sa fastfood. So ‘yung akin, lutong-bahay.”

She expresses chagrin on how most modern toys are so limiting, that You push a button or a remote, and that’s it - the potential ends there. “Kung sobrang colorful, entertaining ang [lagging] nakikita [ng bata], ‘pag nakakita sila ng kahoy, [sasabihin nila] ‘Ano ‘to’? They don’t appreciate simple things anymore.” Tes goes on to discuss the benefits of wooden toys. “Kailangan ng imagination! Ang mga bata, [natututo] i-entertain sarili nila.” Tes says.

While wooden toys may not last as long and may not be as durable as plastic ones, they’re biodegradable, Tes says. “Masisira talaga ‘pag nilaro.”

 

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Natural Fun and an Active Imagination
But Tes is hopeful that wooden toys will help change a child’s perspective on the environment and the way they live their life. “Kung ang mahahawakan nila ay natural, they will experience natural, they will appreciate it.”

Another thing that Tes is proud of and that she watches over is the amount and level of craftsmanship that carving wooden toys requires. “[Importante ang] dignity ng manggagawa. I look after the welfare of the laborers.” This is why without batting an eyelash, Tes will admit that her wooden toys are for a more high-end market, those knowledgeable about and appreciative of organic living.

 

Giving Back to the Environment
In order to maintain and promote the sustainability of her business, 10 percent of her gross sales goes to buying tree seedlings for their farm in Calamba, Laguna, where they grow trees to ensure there’s enough raw materials to go around. “We contribute to the environment, to the laborers and the kids,” Tes says.

They used to utilize acacia trees for the toys, but as these take years to grow, Tes has opted for fruit-bearing trees such as mango to supply the wood for her toys since mango orchards abound, Tes says. The seedlings that they plant, however, are narra, yakal and molave.

 “We only use medium to soft wood,” she says, and specifically had the toys made with rounded edges to keep injuries at bay.

Tes credits teachers or friends for some of the designs for her toys, and sometimes inspiration strikes her. At times, she would see plastic toys she would like to modify into wood. “Paano ‘to gagawin sa kahoy?” she asks herself. “Paano ko isi-simplify? Paano ko tatanggalin ‘yung mga kulay?”

The next step is to then assess the potential benefits and possible price of the toys. “Anong matututunan ng bata dito? Mae-entertain ba siya? Anong faculties niya ang made-develop? Kakayanin ba ito ng parents?”

 

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Direction, Passion and Heart
What’s her advice to fellow moms who wish to take upon a similar business? “You want to copy these toys? Go ahead.” Tes is not abashed to say that she’s not after the profit but on what kids and parents can get out of her wooden toys. “Let’s think of the environment. Let’s be aware saan nanggagaling raw materials natin.”

In the end, she just wants children to become even more creative and to think out of the box. “Ang importante, may direksyon, may passion, may puso,” she emphasizes with a smile.


To learn more about Tes Sobeng’s business Toys and Stuff, visit http://www.toysandstuff.com.ph/toysandstuff/Home.html.