The Focolare Tagaytay Carpentry Shop began in 1987, by an Austrian master
carpenter with 3 enthusiastic out-of-school youth. This communion of work skills
gave birth to a furniture manufacturing center with more than 50 employees.

Ever since the beginning, the primary aim of the company is to make good quality
furnitures at reasonable prices. From the many satisfied Filipino customers, the
list grew to include people from other countries who come to the Philippines for
varied reasons. All these happened  without the minimum effort of advertising.

In spite of recurrent economic crises, the shop was also able to accept more
apprentices because of the different approach adopted in production. In times
when almost everyone resolved to choose the way of mass production, the
Focolare Carpentry Shop went against the current by opting for a highly
personalized, made-to-order furniture production.

The teamwork and the art of learning from each working experience becomes
a lifestyle. Therefore, every piece of furniture produced becomes a personalized
property for every phase of planning and production is imbibed with the
dynamics of interpersonal relationships between the administrators and the
working staff, eventually benefiting the end-users. 

Every piece of furniture, every finished product is in itself more than a piece
of wood, or not just a work of art; it is a treasure born out of the harmonious
interaction among those who make the center a “home” not only for
themselves but also for every person they serve.     

THE BEGINNINGS

In 1982, the  foundress of the Focolare Movement, Chiara Lubich, came to visit
the Philippines. During one of her meetings with the members of the movement,
particularly in the Development Academy of the Philippines in Tagaytay City,
she told them that she has a dream. It’s a dream she’s doing with open eyes.
Her dream was to build a little “city” where the only law is the commandment 
of Jesus: “Love one another as I have loved you..” It  is a city where people
from all walks of life live together to give witness to Jesus’ prayer before he died:
“that all may be one.” So, all the inhabitants of this city try to live the spirituality
of unity even if they come from different countries, mentalities, ages, cultures,
religions, etc. through the spiritual and human formation that is being conducted
in this “city of Mary” or called Mariapolis.

Immediately, right after that meeting, one of those in the audience came to the
backstage and offered to give Chiara an idle piece of land that he owned in
Tagaytay. In the succeeding years, construction of the different formation houses
emerged through the help of its local and international members, especially some
international organizations who help in these undertakings.

Some Asian and European members of the Focolare came for the spiritual
formation period that range from 6 months to 1 year. In order to sustain
themselves, they started to plant coffee, pineapples and fruit trees. Other
activities arose like handicrafts making.

In 1986, one of the inhabitants was a master carpenter from Austria who started
to make furnitures for some houses. He needed help to assist him but could not
find a good carpenter since Tagayty City is an agricultural area. He started
teaching 4 out-of-school youths in order to help them learn this trade. Soon after,
word spread about the existence of the carpentry shop and people, especially
religious congregations that abound in the area, came to order furnitures.

The need to construct a bigger carpentry training center was planned and in 1990,
the shop was finished. A furniture making course was offered to help the many
out-of-school youth. There were inititally 12 new students. After 3 years of formal
training, these young people have learned the trade and received a government
recognition as a non-formal training school. The Austrian master carpenter moved
to Germany.

The population of Tagaytay City increased dramatically since 1990 and the shop
had to train more young people to accommodate the demands. Human resources
training and technical support were also conducted since the start in order to keep
itself to the ever changing demands in this sector of the trade. Every now and then,
consultants were hired and seminars were conducted in many aspects of furniture
making business.

At present, the carpentry shop has 60 regular employees and workers.