It's almost the end of the year, but we still had something special up from our sleeves, the Bantay at Mingming Collection— a special edition of IndieTags and NeoCollars dedicated to our own Filipino dogs and Filipino cats, Aspins and Puspins.

Bantay and Mingming are names that resonate with warmth and familiarity. They represent the countless Aspins and Puspins who bring joy, loyalty, and a sense of community to our lives. Whether it's the vigilant Bantay watching over our homes and making us feel safe and loved, or the gentle Mingming who greets us on our daily walks, these animals hold a special place in our hearts.

The Collection: A Closer Look

The designs of the IndieTags in this collection mainly uses elements that are deeply rooted from Filipino history and culture.

• Colors of Pride, red, blue, and yellow picked up from the Philippine Flag resembles the characteristics of Aspins and Puspins: affectionate, peaceful, and proud.
• Araw from the Philippine flag represents the warmth and energy that Aspins and Puspins gives off in our homes.
• Postage Stamps reflects the Filipinos' way of communication in the earlier times to express their emotions and translate it to writing, usually for someone far away.
• And lastly, of course, a brown Aspin and a ginger Puspin. The crowd favorites! Aspins and Puspins of these colors represent their Filipino-ness the most. They're energetic, loyal, and full of love and affection!

This collection is mainly focused on Aspins and Puspins, hence, the Filipino elements. Given that, this collection was actually supposed to be released on August 2024, during National Aspin Month. Unfortunately, there were some lapses during production which caused some delays. But hey, the collection is here now! It's still not too late, it's better even, because this will be our gift to all the Bantay's and Mingming's this Christmas season.

Pawmunity Heroes

Aspins and Puspins are very much loved within our homes, but there are still unfortunate ones that do not know the feeling of living in comfort and has no choice but to venture in the streets. Thankfully, there are volunteers who dedicate themselves and pour out their hearts in rescuing strays. In the past year, I have visited rescues and community cats and dogs in behalf of Pawnec and I have met some of these Pawmunity Heroes.

The very first and the most memorable one I visited was the community dogs of CvSU (Cavite State University), which campus is located in Indang Cavite, to hand over some custom-made Pawnec Tags for our furry friends. With the help of International Veterinary Students' Association - Cavite State University, we were able to sponsor their custom tags. The Pawnec Tags will serve as their identity to be easily distinguished as a member of CvSU's community, as well as to easily monitor them by hosting their vaccine history, spay/neuter status and do's and don'ts considering their social behavior.

I'm an alumni of this university along with another colleague in the team, so I was really excited while I was on the way as I'll be seeing familiar faces (at least of dogs) again. When I got there, some of the officers of IVSA - CvSU came up to meet me and we went over to where the dogs usually hang out in. One of the dogs I met was Putu. Putu is a white Aspin with some black and brown markings on her face and body. She was shy at first but turned out to be very social and even loves to be pet. She was a sweetheart.

A week after I visited, I suddenly received a message from Charyze, one of the officers of IVSA - CvSU. Putu was sadly involved in a car accident. They were puzzled at first on why they haven't received any scan alerts from Putu's tag unlike other days where they receive a bunch from students who scan the tag. I was tearing up on the bus while reading Charyze's message; I felt my heart strings being pulled upon hearing the news. But how much more for those veterinary medicine students who poured out their hearts in taking care of Putu for a long while?

Putu is now playing around in doggy heaven with no pains and sicknesses, and us at Pawnec were glad to be a part of Putu's long adventures and short walks, even during her last paw prints on planet Earth.

Putu is just one of the community pets who inspired us to start Pawmunity Heroes— a set of episodes where I go to different animal rescue houses, visit community dogs and cats, and be involved in animal volunteer work.

For the Love of Aspins and Puspins

In the middle of writing this blog, Pepper, my year-and-a-half old gray tabby Puspin, climbed up to my lap and laid down while looking at me and exposing his tummy— signaling for belly rubs. And yes, he does this a lot.

I personally grew fond of the Bantay at Mingming Collection and had developed a personal connection with it. At home, we have an Aspin and three Puspins, namely Choco, Pepper, Calcifer, and Calypso, respectively. Choco was adopted from a family friend; Pepper was a rescued offspring of a stray cat roaming around our street; and Calcifer and Calypso were rescued by my father in a tricycle terminal on different times.

Knowing that a product, more so, a collection of products, is dedicated to something that is close to our hearts, is a heartwarming reminder of the love and care we share with our pets. It reflects a commitment to their well-being and celebrates the special bond we have with them.

Celebrating the Spirit of Bantay and Mingming

Our aim with the Bantay at Mingming Collection is to celebrate the unique bond between Filipinos and our beloved Aspins and Puspins. Our goal is to deepen pet-human relationships through sharing heartfelt stories that resonate with love and loyalty. I sincerely believe that acts of love towards animals can create a profound impact, and it is something worth celebrating.