Local Brand Patag Unites Culture and Contemporary in Pinoy Mousepad Designs

Over the past year, we’ve been working away in the spaces of our own homes while the pandemic continues till the present-day. In that time, Filipino brand PATAG has taken on the challenge of putting a novel take on how we design the spaces we spend so much time on with their mousepads.

PATAG makes use of the diverse traditional artistry of our own Filipino heritage and embeds it into the desk mats they carefully design. Their mousepads are made of a soft micro-fiber cloth with stitched edges and a natural rubber base. Their respect and appreciation for Filipino culture is made known through the aesthetic visuals of their best-selling designs such as Hiwaga and Manlalaro. 

“Patag is a Filipino term which means ‘pantay’ or flat, and ‘makinis’ or smooth which literally describes our extended mouse pads or desk mats”, says one of Patag’s founders Jaedick de Leon.

PATAG’s Manlalaro desk mat. (Source: PATAG)

For example, the Manlalaro is PATAG’s pilot of their Ifugao-series designs. It was made for gamers with the saying “Tunay na Manlalaro, sa isip, salita, at gawa” in mind. According to PATAG, it incorporates the Kinattibanglan which is a fernwood diamond-shaped design that represents the eyes of Ifugao’s ancestors along with the Inambayung, a triangular hip bag that they used to store amulets blessed by the hinalupe gods. The mousepad makes use of the well-known Baybayin writing script as well.

If that wasn’t enough, PATAG gives back to the communities they take inspiration from by donating a part of their earnings to underserved communities in remote areas. Right now, 10% of their income is given to the Ifugao IPEd Center through their partnership with non-government organization Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo). They even credit their designers on their pages with Aaron Amar, typeface creator, being credited for the Manlalaro design.

PATAG’s keycap collaboration with Zero Sky. (Source: PATAG)

de Leon continues with the mission and vision that PATAG deeply embodies saying, “We envision PATAG to speak about equality or ‘pagkakapantay-pantay’. The brand’s commitment is promoting cultural and societal equality by bridging the gap between modern society and Filipino ‘remote’ communities. As we borrow a piece of Philippine culture from our beloved communities, we are committed to unfailingly give back and share a portion of the sales profit from our products to Filipino communities we will be partnering with.”

For now, PATAG only makes extended mouse mats and the occasional keycap for those interested. In the future, PATAG may expand their horizons in integrating Filipino heritage to modern technology.

Take a look at PATAG’s minimalist traditional designs on patag.com.ph. Follow them on Facebook and support their initiatives to help indigenous communities.

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