Profile of CONTIGO´s partner Shine Accessorize

Supply chain

Trading Partner: Shine Accessorize, microenterprise
Function: Producer
Structure: Own production plant, affiliated producers
Tradeway: Direct import CONTIGO

Products

Jewellery made of capiz shell and other natural materials

Location

Cebu City, Philippines – distance to Europe: 10.700km

Founded in 2012

History

• 1986: First visit of the German co-founder of Shine Accessorize to the Philippines, he is fascinated by the manual skills of the people and establishes a small export company for different producer groups, development of own designs
• Later: due to increasing requests, building of their own small workshop
• Predominantly export to Europe: the jewellery out of natural materials is produced under BSCI standards and according to customers´ current requirements
• 2012: Company´s name changes to Shine Accessorize, founder Shalenie Alvaro
• Main focus: working with local people on the manufacture of natural materials
• 2016: CONTIGO meets Shine Accessorize, a first visit in Cebu follows
• 2020/2021: The Covid-19 pandemic affects public life on Cebu Island (curfews, travel restrictions), Shine can only do limited production, due to the closure of souvenir shops and resorts, domestic sales collapse, their own small shop has to be closed down

Cooperation with CONTIGO since 2016

Structure of the organisation

Number of employees:

• Full-time employees: 6 women
• Part-time employees: 20-80 women and 2-5 men, depending on order situation
• Working under corona conditions
  • Skeleton workforce in shifts, two staff members are present every day in alternation
  • 6 permanent employees as coordinators assemble material packages, do quality control, packing
  • Homebased workers cannot be employed continuously due to the pandemic

Organisation of workforce:

Main workshop:

• Administration
• Production: preparation of materials and finishing of the jewellery out of different elements
• Quality control (raw materials and finished products)
• Warehousing (raw materials and finished products)
• Packing and shipping

Associated producer groups (status 2021)

• Leticia Navoa:
  • Location: Consolacion (Metropolitan Cebu, ca. 148,000 inhabitants)
  • She is a coordinator for families producing Capiz jewellery, and she has an own workshop with two employees (dyeing)
• Manolito Cabreros:
  • Location: Talisay City (Metropolitan Cebu, ca. 260,000 inhabitants)
  • He is a coordinator for five families producing Capiz jewellery, and he has an own workshop

Sales

• Home market (50%)
• Exports (50%) to Germany and Switzerland

Goals

• To create jobs and income opportunities locally (high emigration rates of young people)
• To process local materials and therefore preserve the tradional handcraft

Special features

• Shine complies with the high standards for labour conditions according to BSCI
• Shine only processes natural and local materials (except components e.g. closures)
• Shine forwards advance payments to its producer groups even when there is a lack of orders to ensure the survival of the workshops in the long term. All materials are delivered by Shine.

Why does CONTIGO work with Shine Accessorize: Shine Accessorize is a well organised company with good networking activities around Cebu, high quality standards, efficient and innovative in design.

 

Fairtrade classification

FTP = Fairtrade in Progress, young business partnership

 

Fairtrade aspects

Shine Accessories complies with the following Fairtrade principles:

No child labour

No discrimination

No discrimination due to gender, disability, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political orientation, or infection with HIV.

Fair wages

• Minimum wage in the region: PHP 394/day (PHP= Philippine Peso)
• Average wage at Shine Accessorize:
  • Status 2021: Due to the pandemic, the daily wage is PHP 394; when production can run regularly again, the daily wage will be raised to PHP 500
• Fixed salary for all employees
• Salary is paid out by cheque, twice a month
• Double wages in case of working on holidays
• Bonuses for good working performance

Humane working conditions

Working hours:

• 8 hours/day
• 90 minutes break, split into three breaks
• 5 days/week

Social benefits:

All full-time employees receive:

• Paid holidays (15 days)
• Continued payment of wage in case of sickness or accident
• Contributions to health insurance (PhilHealth) and social security system (SSS)
• Contributions to national pension fund „Pag-IBIG“ = Home Development Mutual Fund (loans for housing, other multipurpose loans)
• In case of overtime Shine Accessorize provides food, beverages and transport service homeward

Occupational safety:

• All safety standards are met

Transparency

• Work contracts are available (“Employee Handbook” was developed for Shine in collaboration with SGS and a tax consultant. Exceptional in the jewellery sector in the Philippines)
• Payroll is available
• Pay slips are available
• SAR (Self Assessment Report) was duly submitted to CONTIGO

 

Monitoring

• Personal visits in Cebu (2016)
• Feedback interview during several visits in Germany (2017, 2018, 2021)

 

Country information

See Encyclopaedia Britannica: Philippines