PHILIPPINES
Ieth Inolino-Idzerda
Niccolo Tuason
Sarah Fernandez
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Mithi & Co.— The New Balikbayan Box Text by Rebecca Urbančík Garcia
A
re you an avid online shopper? Thinking about what to gift family and friends abroad or in the Philippines? Many kababayans living abroad sometimes do not have the opportunity to go home to the Philippines to visit their loved ones. Enter Mithi & Co. Mithi means “earnest wish” in Filipino. By collaborating with local, artisanal, and conscious micro and small Filipino brands, Mithi & Co. aims to connect Filipinos all over the world through the delight of gifting, granting their earnest wish with thoughtful and curated gift boxes. By celebrating Filipino culture, craftsmanship, and entreRoots&Wings
preneurship, Mithi & Co. aims to inspire communities and deepen relationships. I had the chance to speak with one of Mithi & Co.’s founders, Ieth Inolino-Idzerda to talk about the company's mission, the vision that started it all, and learn more about the variety of products offered. Can you tell us more about Mithi & Co.? At the height of the pandemic in 2020/2021, a lot of Filipinos abroad were unable to come home, missing family occasions and other celebrations. For those who couldn’t go home, they would send gifts or balikbayan boxes (gifting is a big Filipino custom and tradition). But then, the pandemic
dramatically delayed this. So we thought, what if Filipinos abroad can give gifts to their loved ones without the delay, saving time, energy, and money? This is how Mithi & Co. reimagined the nostalgic ‘balikbayan' and dubbed it as the new 'balikbayan box'. This time, it is local, conscious, and curated — giving the attention and revenue back to the Philippines/ Filipino SMEs. Mithi & Co. is a Philippine, SEC registered business whose platform, www.shopmithi.com, is created for Filipinos all over the world for an easy, safe, and convenient gift shopping experience. The founders hail from diverse yet similar backgrounds, a common scenario of Filipinos all over
Business Entrepreneurs
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