Handcrafted by Harl’s: Championing Inclusivity & Filipino Craftsmanship

In a quiet village in San Pedro, Laguna lies a simple bungalow who is making a name for social entrepreneurship in the Philippines. They are promoting a message of inclusivity and craftsmanship, all through the fine art of leather crafting.

Welcome to Handcrafted by Harl’s.

Like most businesses, owner Harley Dave Beltran created Handcrafted by Harl’s to provide income for his family. He envisioned it to be a profit-generating, mainstream brand –  but it evolved into something more.

Handcrafted by Harl’s made their mark in their industry by creating hand-crafted leather goods. Their current products include wallets, cord organizers, and bags.

Harl’s humble beginnings

Harley worked as a project coordinator for an industrial company before he decided to pursue the leather crafting business. He learned the basics from a friend when he was assigned in Boracay. He resigned from his job in 2014, and decided to pursue leatherworking full-time – it was then that Handcrafted By Harl’s was born.

After moving to Laguna again because of work, he met Ronald Polo, who became one of the pillars of Handcrafted by Harl’s.

Harley met Ronald in the streets of Laguna. Ronald was wheelchair-bound and begging in the streets for food and basic needs. Harley struck up a friendship and that turned into a business partnership that continues to this day.

Ronald was offered sustainable and long-term employment in Handcrafted by Harl’s, and this changed his life forever.

A reputation for inclusivity

Harley taught Ronald the fine art of leatherworking – and Ronald proved to be quite the craftsman. The business was starting to take off, and people are starting to notice.

The community was curious as to who the wheelchair-bound person was that kept going to Harley’s house. They asked him about it, and he was quick to answer that he was an aspiring leather craftsman. This started their reputation of being a business that employs Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and people started to approach Harley for work.

It was difficult at the start, especially since there were some deaf and hard of hearing persons who were applying for jobs.

Harley welcomed them, thinking to himself that it might be difficult especially since it would be hard to communicate with them. He started with just teaching them the craft – in return, they taught him sign language.

Harley and Ronald trained them, and their team started to grow. The group has become a great mix which may seem small in number but great in ability and dedication to their craft.

Not just a bag, but an opportunity

In Handcrafted by Harl’s, there are no employees – Harley thinks of them all as partners in the enterprise. The team is now a family of 9 craftsmen, and they all share the bond of inclusivity and acceptance for each other.

In the following years, the enterprise joined various trade shows and bazaars in the country, parading their handcrafted goods made of locally-sourced cow leather. Their products were well-received by the public.

2017 brought them a huge opportunity to be able to be one of the exhibitors in an annual trade show, with the help of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). This enabled them to interact with a variety of social enterprises from all over the world. This interaction gave them inspiration as to what their business’ direction would be. 

They showcased the story of how their product is made, and what it meant for them. At the heart of it, Handcrafted by Harl’s is about quality leather goods made by dedicated partners. But for them, it was not just a bag, but an opportunity for them to create a living despite the social stigma of being a PWD.

Handcrafted by Harl’s wanted to be an example to others, to show the world that PWDs are in no way less capable of crafting quality and world-class items.

An advocacy for a more inclusive workplace

Recently, Harley was one of the country’s representatives in the Changemaker XChange in Singapore. He met with other social enterprises and shared their vision, pushing for a more inclusive workplace for PWDs.

This advocacy led by Handcrafted by Harl’s has influenced various locally-owned enterprises as well, like ChocoVron, who produces chocolate-covered polvoron.

The story of Handcrafted by Harl’s has been featured by mainstream media in recent years. They hope that these different platforms help get their message across larger audiences. This media mileage helped them advertise not only their quality leather goods, but more importantly, their advocacy.

Aside from the usual trade shows and arts & craft fairs, Handcrafted by Harl’s also manages a concept store in the first basement in Makati Central Square. Harl’s is also a regular in the Legazpi Sunday Market. This serves as a home for their products, and has enabled them to hold a few leather-crafting workshops as well.

A message of empowerment for the people

When asked what the country needs for a more #BetterPhilippines, Harley says that it comes down to one thing – empowerment.

In line with Handcrafted by Harl’s mission for inclusivity, Harley believes in the value of empowering each other. We need to take action to ensure that everyone, regardless of status and capability, has the opportunity to succeed in life.

The future is indeed bright. Handcrafted by Harl’s serves as a testament to the fact that disabilities are in no way hindrances. Like genuine leather, we can be sturdy and overcome all sorts of challenges. All we need to do is to help each other take a shot at a better life.

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