Top 3 Rosehill Student-Founded Businesses to Support

By: Ynna Lucido

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, most of us have been urged to stay at home, which has left many Rosehill students with a lot of extra free time on their hands. While some have chosen to spend these last few months unwinding, experimenting with new hobbies, and spending time with their families, other fellow Rosehill students have taken steps during this quarantine to found their own businesses! If you choose to purchase from any of these small online shops, not only will you be receiving quality products, but you will also be helping them raise funds to help other Filipinos in need! Keep reading this article to learn more about them!

#1 Escentia PH (₱300-625)

“The power of the youth is something immeasurable.” – Sophie Espino, Founder and Director of Escentia PH

With the help of a supportive father, several student volunteers, and the vision of Sophie Espino, Essentia PH was born! At heart, Escentia PH is a social enterprise and a youth organization that was pioneered to provide financial support to their beneficiary, the mothers of Barangay Mahabang Parang. They sell homemade organic soaps that are manufactured by Sophie with the help of Ms. Lilibeth, one of the mothers of Barangay Mahabang Parang, to cater to the need of the people to sanitize due to the ongoing pandemic. Fifty percent of their earnings have already been donated and used to purchase canned goods and other basic necessities for sixteen families!

Lemon tea tree and vanilla lavender, their best sellers, are made of safe and nourishing ingredients such as coconut milk soap, calamansi, baking soda, essential oils, antibacterial chemicals, and coco diethanolamine (CDEA).

*File Photo Retrieved from the Escentia PH Facebook Page*

Order form: tinyurl.com/Batch2Escentia

Contacts Number: 0995 190 7466

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/escentia.ph

Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/escentia.ph/

#2 East Snack (₱180-260)

Have you been craving sweet, delicious, mouthwatering desserts? East Snack has got you covered with its affordable and tasty selection of baked goods! Corine Castil began the business with her siblings a few months after the start of the lockdown. They bonded over baking as it helped them cope with the frustrations of the pandemic. Eventually, after tweaking their mother’s recipe, they decided to share their joy with other people by selling their homemade desserts. After successfully selling 1,416 cookies, they were able to help seventy-four Filipinos with paying off their hospital bills! Despite Corine’s busy schedule as an online student, she still actively accepts orders because she finds it fulfilling to be able to serve people in need by satisfying the cravings of her customers.

Some of the sweet treats East Snack sells include banoffee pies, revel bars, and their killer bestseller, the classic chocolate chip cookies!

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/eastsnack

Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/eastsnack/

#3 Sika Clothing (₱10-245)

Inspired by trendy Instagram shops and inspiring TikTok videos of people setting up their own businesses, the Estravila sisters were struck with the “random idea” to start one too! The brand name Sika Clothing is a witty, playful combination of their names, Mika and Sam. Because of their close-knitted relationship, running a business together did not feel any different from helping each other with school or household chores.

With their inexpensive stylish and girly clothing pieces such as tie-dye cropped tops, floral dresses, washable face masks, and colorful scrunchies, they hope to help girls feel more fashionably confident! Their best sellers, puffed sleeved dresses and tie-dye shirts, were even sold-out, which left their customers requesting a restock! In the future, they wish to allocate a portion of their earnings to purchase food items and basic necessities for some of their chosen beneficiaries that they have helped in the past, which include Kanlungan ni Maria, a home for the aged, and Destiny’s Promise Home for Children Foundation!