In partnership with the UKAI Initiative, Cecilia Lim traveled to Bataan and Aurora in the northern Philippines to meet with ukay-ukay store owners and listen to their stories of secondhand clothing economies. Inspired by these exchanges, she printed images and quotes onto fabric banners, which were exhibited on June 29, 2024, in Little Manila, Queens—bridging conversations across oceans through shared threads of memory, resilience, and material reuse.
February 2024, Conducted by Cecilia Lim, video (1:36)
May nimili ang mga basahan which is cotton, mga rags. Ang namimili dito ay na sa mga barko kasi ang cotton ay nakakasipsip nang langis so pinapangpunas sa langis so walang tapon.
We have customers who work on large ships. They buy cotton rags because cotton is good for absorbing oil. So there isn't any waste [of clothing that doesn't sell].
What do you do with clothes that you're not going to wear anymore?
Nakakatulong ang ukay sa ating country, para sa mga tao, kasi dito sa ating Pilipinas, mas mahal yung "Made dito sa Pilipinas" kay sa ibang bansa. Sa ating bayan, maganda nakakabigay ang ukay sa mga tao kasi yung iba walang ibili nang damit na mura.
Thrifting helps our country, our people. Because here in the Philippines, what's made here is more expensive than what's made in other countries. Here, it's beautiful to give thrifting to people because some couldn't find any affordable clothing. —Marilyn, ukay-ukay salesperson, Dingalan, Aurora
What's more important to you, where your
clothing is made or how much it costs?
Puro US ay nakatinda ko. Yung mga hindi n'yo isusuot nang mga mamahalin, andito ang iyan sa ukay. Huwag n'yo icompare sa mga bumibili natin na sa tahi dito, kasi yung na sa tahi dito madaling masira.
I sell all US-sourced clothing and shoes. That which is too expensive to buy new, you can find here at the thrift store. Don't compare it to what's made in the Philippines, because what's made here quickly falls apart. —Marieta, ukay-ukay owner and operator, Dingalan, Aurora
Do you have clothes that are made in the Philippines? What is the quality?
Nakadepende sila sa ukay almost, hindi nakeilangan sila ang bago, ukay lang enough na. Pag may program sila sa mga school, sa ukay sila tumatatakbo, Bago sila pumunta sa bago, sa ukay sila pumupunta. First choice. Kung wala, hiram.
It's like [the Filipino people] almost depend on thrifting, like they don't need to buy new, just thrifting is enough. When they have a program at school, they run to the thrift store before they look to buy new. Thrifting is their first choice. If they don't find it thrifting, they look to borrow. —Juliet and Ann, ukay-ukay owners and operators, Dingalan, Aurora
What would it be like to first look to meet our needs through thrifting or borrowing, instead of buying new?