Daniel's Handicrafts

As a married couple with four children, Daniel’s art skills and Lea’s innate talents in entrepreneurship have complemented so well that they gave birth to a successful handicraft business in 2000, known today as Daniel’s Handicrafts.

Originally, Lea started a wire and metal frames business but was encouraged by a businessman to enter the handicraft business using seagrass and abaca from Bicol as raw materials. Convinced, they started with the production of hampers, baskets, and vases.

Thanks to Daniel’s background in Fine Arts, his exquisite designs and unique materials were eventually noticed by a streamline of loyal buyers. They had to employ many weavers and frame makers from local residents in Muntinlupa and provided training to around 100 inmates in New Bilibid Prison for basket and vase making.

The Mancera spouses continue to give jobs to the inmates whose craftsmanship is top-notch and were paid per piece. Aside from being productive, they are given the chance to provide for their families even while in prison. Since then, they have made it their social mission to make inmates of the New Bilibid Prison productive members of society by training them and providing them with gainful employment.

Lea Mancera was honored as a Regional Awardee for Luzon at the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards in 2019. The award, in collaboration with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, aims to identify unique micro-entrepreneurs in the Philippines.