Mary Jane Lamoste was raised in the mountainous areas of Dauin, Negros Oriental, in the Philippines, surrounded by nature. Growing up, she helped her parents sell vegetables from her mother’s organic garden, instilling the broader potential of nature to provide a sustainable livelihood. Her passion in nature began at a young age, marked by her summers spent exploring the oceanside with her childhood friends.
Her affinity for the ocean led her to pursue a degree in marine biology at Visayas State University. During her studies, she developed a strong passion for marine conservation and spent five years dedicated to the research of sustainability for marine megafauna, like sharks, sea turtles, and whales. It was through this work that she came to an important realization.
“I was the first Filipina scientist. There’s no young scientists in the Philippines doing [this work]. It was the only thing I did. It was amazing. It was wonderful,” Lamoste said. “But then, realizations hit that it [wasn’t] sustainable. I was so in love with my work as a scientist, I had forgotten about my family, about my rest. It came to a point that I told myself I’m not growing anymore.”
In 2019, Lamoste asked for a break from her job, choosing to prioritize her mental health and personal growth over her passion for marine biology. Unfortunately, the organization was not happy with her decision.
“They didn’t really accept it. They just disassociated with me. Maybe they were angry, but I don’t think I did something wrong…they were expecting me to just continue [working],” Lamoste said. “It was one of the toughest years of my career…letting go of the people that don’t deserve my kindness and efforts.”
After leaving the organization, she began applying to different jobs and was accepted to three. Yet, with each acceptance, she backed out of each role—something within her told her to redirect her path.
“There was just so much anger during that time. I didn’t have a source of income and family gatherings were happening, and I think that’s when I started creating out of my hands,” Lamoste remembered.
Through her struggles, the foundations of her social enterprise were born. While making gifts for her family members, Lamoste rediscovered an old childhood handcrafting hobby, and sewed a hand-stitched humpback whale from old jeans and pillows. This hobby soon became the spark for a social enterprise named Tagpi-Tagpi, a Filipino word meaning to patching things together.
“One of my mentors reached out like ‘MJ, I see this as an opportunity to teach women in the coastal communities.’ I just started doing it,” Lamoste said. “It became the transition for me from scientist to social entrepreneur. I was able to create and grow as a social enterprise that I didn’t really envision.”
A year after the most difficult time of her career, Lamoste found fulfillment in expanding Tagpi-Tagpi, which provides female crafters in coastal communities with the skills and partnerships necessary to build a sustainable income through the crafting of different marine life plush toys. Women are also able to prioritize time with their families over their work, as personally recounted through one of Lamoste’s anecdotes.
“For her, it wasn’t about the income. It was about spending time with her kids and doing something in the comfort of her home,” Lamoste remembered. “It’s not always about [the women I work] having an extra income from us. It’s more about a group of women finding a space that they can be together and create together.”
By seeing the tangible effects of her work, she remains motivated to continue her work in Tagpi-Tagpi. For the past four years, Lamoste navigated the complex tasks of securing partnerships, managing operations, and avoiding malicious partners who exploit crafters’ vulnerability, using their initiative for greenwashing purposes.
“It is disheartening to see the hard work and dedication of these women being taken advantage of, and it requires constant vigilance to protect their interests and ensure the integrity of our mission,” Lamoste said.
For the future, she plans to work closely with nonprofit organizations, helping them provide livelihood trainings for coastal communities. They are currently working on a partnership to push for marine protected areas in neighboring communities.
“We are pushing for immersive awareness, focusing on women and youth…and Tagpi creating a specific product that showcases resilience [in] this community…along with community training about marine protected areas,” Lamoste said.
Mary Jane Lamoste’s unique journey from marine biologist to social entrepreneur reflects upon her childhood, rooted in nature and connection to our environment. Tagpi-Tagpi offers empowerment to our planet and its people, focusing on uplifting the many underserved women in coastal communities.
