The Tukod Foundation debuts Tanaw, an auction and supper club that aims to raise funds for the construction of “Bayay Halian”: a climate-resilient school, creative space, and community kitchen for the people of Halian Island.
It often comes as a surprise to many that National Artist for Architecture Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa devoted the same thoughtful craftsmanship to children’s toys as he did to the landmark structures that defined his career. In the 1970s, he created Bobi Toys: an environmental toy line celebrated locally and internationally as one of the first to draw inspiration from Filipino culture, even representing the Philippines in fairs abroad. Today, his nonprofit legacy, the Tukod Foundation, honors that vision through “Tanaw,” a fundraiser that will be auctioning five rare sculptures inspired by these iconic designs.
The initiative aims to help build Bayay Halian: a climate-resilient school, creative space, and community kitchen for the youth of Halian Island, a remote community situated between the Dinagat and Siargao islands. In creating this safe, enriching environment for Filipino children, the foundation carries forward Mañosa’s enduring belief in shaping the future through design and creativity.
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About The Tukod Foundation
The Tukod Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit foundation accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification and 1% for the Planet. Founded in 2000, it stands as the living legacy of the late Mañosa. The group works across placemaking, publishing, archiving, and cultural celebration, nurturing Filipino culture through projects that design with—and for—the archipelago’s climate, biodiversity, and ecology.
This philosophy echoes that of the National Artist, whose pioneering Neo-Vernacular Filipino architecture was based on the core belief that architecture should be “true to itself, its land, and its people.”
Today, the organization enters a fresh chapter under the leadership of Mañosa’s granddaughter, Board President Isabella Tanjutco. She’s also joined by her sister Executive Director Natasha Tanjutco, and their cousin Sabina Mañosa. Together, they form part of a dynamic and diverse team of entrepreneurs, architects, designers, and creatives. These include Ishka Mejia, Trina Dacanay, Nikki and Bellee Huang, Ten Monteverde, Adela Locsin; Impact Directors Issa Barte and Tine Bencito; and Environmental Director Gab Mejia, all of whom are steering the foundation toward a future where design, culture, and nature remain deeply intertwined.
About Bahay Halian
At the heart of Tanaw is the belief that every child deserves a joyful childhood: a space where they can play freely, develop essential skills, and nurture their creativity without inhibition. It’s an ethos Mañosa constantly put into practice, designing children’s furniture and toys after noticing the lack of thoughtfully made pieces for his own kids.
His daughter Isabel—known as Bambi—fondly remembers him as a father with the warmth of a grandfather, someone who infused her childhood with magic at every turn. He carried that same spirit into the lives of his granddaughters, delighting in introducing them to nature, inventing games, and giving them the freedom to explore their curiosities.
The foundation’s vision for Bayay Halian is one that aims to provide the youth of Halian Island with that kind of childhood, one that will positively shape their futures through the different forms of art. Home to 1,100 residents, the island hosts abundant marine biodiversity (including sea turtles) and a creative community capable of leading initiatives rooted in their own ways of life.
Working closely with its residents, the foundation saw just how much damage 2021’s Typhoon Odette left on the island’s schools, many classrooms unrepaired for years. Even a new government-built facility, completed as recently as 2024, quickly became dilapidated—mold and leaks spreading across the ceilings by 2025, the students spending too much time cleaning up the puddles and messes.
Despite these challenges, the community demonstrated remarkable resilience, constructing makeshift classrooms and holding lessons outdoors. Their commitment paid off: with only a modest, improvised library, students went on to win a Storytelling and Literacy Competition Award through the regional Department of Education.
Still, the foundation imagines a future where the island’s youth doesn’t have to worry about infrastructure. Bayay Halian will serve as a model that answers the need for climate-centric schools, ones suited for regional weather, built to last, and designed with the Filipino in mind, serving as both island creative space and community kitchen. Ultimately, the project hopes to regenerate island traditions and provide culture-based climate education for its young residents.
The Tukod Foundation is leading the Bayay Halian initiative in partnership with the youth-led organization Kids for Kids, as part of its Archipelago of Youth program. In line with its commitment to nurturing emerging talent, the foundation has also engaged a team of young designers—Bea Rodrigues, Bea Carague, and Janelle Gan—to bring the project to life. The group is currently working under the guidance of architect Angelo Mañosa of Mañosa & Co., as well as architect Dong Ping Wong of New York’s Food Architects, who served as mentor to Natasha and Isabella Tanjutco through The World Around’s Young Climate Prize.
About Tanaw
Like his architectural designs, Mañosa’s toys were products of his love for the natural world and country, smartly designed to be used in different ways and circumstances. His seesaw is emblematic of this, made portable so parents could take it indoors or outdoors (since the Philippines mostly experiences rainy or sunny weather), and featuring little nooks where children can crawl into and hide in while playing.
The inaugural Tanaw auction selected five of his most popular designs, transforming them into five one-off, larger-than-life sculptures to be sold through a silent auction, hosted alongside a supper club in collaboration with Toyo Eatery. While much bigger than their small counterparts—making them ideal statement pieces for the home—these sculptural works possess the same wholesome and functional charm, with a visual language that evokes the nostalgia of simpler times.
The silent auction, hosted online by Leon Gallery, will be open to the public from November 22 to December 13, 2025. Bidding will be conducted through the Leon Gallery portal at https://leon-gallery.com/auctions. Proceeds from the auction will directly fund the Bayay Halian project.
For information on donation packages and to contribute, please visit the Tukod Foundation website at tukod.org or contact Charlotte Vicente for donation inquiries at [email protected] or +639989728799
Photos courtesy of the Tukod Foundation.
