Magno Gilbuela makes furniture pieces from used tires, cloth and wood in his home in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City.
(CDN PHOTO/ AGNES B. ALPUERTO)
Sometime in June this year, Magno Gilbuela went to a vulcanizing shop in Lapu-Lapu City to have his motorcycle repaired. Wanting to feel comfortable while waiting, Magno looked for something to sit on.
A wooden bench or a plastic chair perhaps. But instead, he found some used and dusty tires piled idly in the corner of the shop.
And just like that, Magno decided to open MagzWheel Furniture, his first venture into the business world.
The idea of creating his own furniture shop came as a surprise to Magno himself.
Although he admits that he has long been passionate about carpentry and design, he was only used to make cabinets and living room dividers upon the request of relatives and friends.
But the few minutes he spent on the vulcanizing shop where he saw piles of tires changed his daily routine, and his life in entirety.
The 40-year-old former marketing staff of a resort on Mactan Island says opening up the furniture business did not just give him ideas to repurpose old tires, but it also gave him a new direction after almost one year of being unemployed.
“Nakahunahuna ko nga pwede man diay himoong lingkuranan ang mga ligid. So mao to nag-research ko sa internet, sa YouTube kung unsaon pagbuhat og mga butang gamit ang ligid (I suddenly realized that it’s possible to make chairs out of used tires. So I did some research. I watched YouTube videos on how to make things from tires),” Magno said.
Labor of love
Magno personally makes his furniture pieces – couches, ottoman chairs, center tables and side tables. He also makes chair and table sets perfectly designed for gardens, poolsides, salons and boutiques.
All his products are crafted from used tires, recycled cloths and wood.
To make a single couch, Magno stacks up two big tires as the base and frame.
He then cuts out strips from smaller tires as sitting base where a soft cushion will be placed. The tire strips will also be designed to serve as arms and back of the couch.
For tables, Magno uses just two big tires and a round plywood as table top.
But because customers are always right, Magno always asks them to decide on the colors and designs of their orders.
“Mangutana g’yud ko kung naa ba sila ganahan nga color combinations, or kung magpabutang sila og foam or kung unsa nga design ilang gusto makita kay ilaha baya ning personal na gamit (I ask them if they have preferred color combinations, or if they want me to put foam or any design on the furniture because after all, this will be for their personal use),” Magno said.
His products are priced from P480 to over a thousand pesos, depending on the design and additional materials the buyer wants to incorporate into the furniture.
Magno also assures his customers of the durability of his products, considering that rubber tires do not degrade fast.
“Ug nakatabang pa g’yud ta sa environment. Kun pangitaan nato og paagi nga mapahimuslan pa ang mga ligid, dili na kinahanglan nga sunogon ni (And we’re also helping the environment. If we find ways to make use of old tires, we no longer have to burn them),” he adds.
Magno Gilbuela makes furniture pieces from used tires, cloth and wood in his home in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City.
(CDN PHOTO/ AGNES B. ALPUERTO)
Spread the word
Just barely two months after he opened MagzWheel Furniture, Magno reveals he now gets about 10 orders a week. He usually finishes two pieces every day, with the help of a neighbor he hired to be his partner.
“Sa kadaghan sa orders, bisan akong balay wala na gani sofa.
Wala pa nako nahimoan (Because of the bulk of the orders I get, I haven’t even made a sofa for my own house),” quips Magno.
As proof of the seemingly endless flow of creative ideas, Magno
is also now trying to experiment on other things to repurpose the old tires he has collected from vulcanizing shops in Barangay Bankal and in other areas around Lapu-Lapu City, the lone city on Mactan Island.
Magno has just started making belts a few days ago, using the thick strips of tires. He is also currently designing lampshades and other home accessories.
Magno hopes to make his furniture business prosper, but he is aware he can only do so if he takes the courage to explore other possible products to offer to his customers.
He also plans to expand his shop since he currently makes all his furniture pieces in front of his house in Barangay Bankal, and to invite resellers to help him spread the word of MagzWheel Furniture’s existence.
With a determined mind and an unwavering passion for craftsmanship, Magno can see a big and bright future for MagzWheel Furniture.