THE local office of Mountain View, California-based SimpleSoft Inc. targets bringing indigenous Filipino products to the local and overseas markets via a sub-portal on its electronic commerce site.
SimpleSoft would do this via “1780 SariSari,” which the firm launched last week.
1780 SariSari brings communal interaction of merchants and customers in cyberspace, SimpleSoft Philippines Inc. CEO Erneil DyLim said
According to DyLim, the No. 17 refers to the regions of the Philippines while the “80” pertains to the total number of the country’s provinces. More than these numerical symbolisms, these numbers reflect the regions where we source our products, DyLim said.
He explained the products they would sell are sourced from five regions in the Philippines that have the high instances of poverty and political unrest or were severely affected by the onslaught of typhoons Glenda and Yolanda.
“Beyond promoting the products of traditional Filipino culture, 1780 SariSari attempts to empower each of its innovative and enterprising merchants by giving our customers the opportunity to fully grasp the history and tradition at the heart of each painstakingly handcrafted product,” DyLim said.
Further, 1780 SariSari also brings nontraditional pili snacks from Bicol and Samar; fruit sauces, fruit jams, and fruit wines from around the Visayas and Mindanao; and, handcrafted cloths and bags made of native materials.
The site also promotes the products of several artisans to give a touch of variety to its offerings.
Patti Grandidge, owner of handcrafted cupcakes store Sweet Patti Cakes, local designer and fashion influencer Amina Aranaz works in collaboration with one of the merchants of 1780 SariSari to craft a bag using native Philippine materials. These will be sold exclusively and only on the site, DyLim said.
To boost tourism in the country, it has tapped traveler and tourism influencer Ivan Henares to discuss his advocacy toward heritage products and sites around the country.
“We want to tell Filipinos there are lot of beautiful tourist spots around the country. We also want them to develop an appreciation for the country’s culture and history,” Henares said.
Moreover, 1780 SariSari also provides the opportunities micro entrepreneurs to enable them to move up the value chain.
Categorized under “computer services,” Internet records show SimpleSoft was established in 1993 and incorporated in California.
Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $1 million to $2.5 million and employs a staff of approximately five to nine, Internet data shows.