MANILA, Philippines ? Do your part for Mother Nature by donning a new pro-earth fashion accessory?a bag that helps you both shop and share your bit for a good cause.

Created by designer Rajo Laurel, the Eastwood Mall Enviro-Chic bag is a fashionable reinvention of the reusable tote, manufactured by Payatas women under the Rags2Riches (RIIR) business enterprise. Putting together canvas fabric, macramé handles and a wooden insignia, Laurel has helped the mothers earn by recycling old rags and by turning them into chic shopping bags.

?[A bag] fits four pairs of shoes,? said Tessa Prieto-Valdes, host of the bag?s launch on June 3 at the Eastwood Mall in Libis.

The event introduced a limited collection of 500 Enviro-Chic bags, which will be sold at P600 each in a booth at the mall?s ground floor. Proceeds of the bags? sales will go to the Payatas women of RIIR and the Philippine National Red Cross, Laurel?s two ?favorite advocacies.?

?I?m happy that I?m a conduit of sorts to these two,? said Laurel. ?The best experience I had with this was when one of the women came up to me and said, ?Alam niyo po, masaya kami na masarap na kaming nakakakain [You know, we?re happy because we eat good food].??

A silent auction of three special Enviro-Chic bags was also held at the launch. Stitched with the numbers 1, 88 and the letter D respectively, bidding for the bags started at P1,500 each.

Some mothers also had their 15 minutes of fame as they posed with their creations in a fashion show of the bags. An exhibit of photos by volunteer photographers telling the story of the Payatas women was also unveiled.

?Eastwood City had a vision to create a life balance for its residents and workers. To achieve [this] we know that it is necessary to have an ecological consciousness component in the community,? said Kevin Tan, commercial division head of MegaWorld Corporation.

?From that perspective, we looked for a good cause to support. Rags 2 Riches is perfect because it does not just advocate recycling, [it] also empowers the women of Payatas.?

So grab a bag and join in the eco- and fashion-friendly trend. You get your money?s worth, enrich lives of skilled, hardworking women and add some oomph to your bag collection by owning a Rajo Laurel creation!