31/05/2026
๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ | Project PAWrpose: Sketching Hope for the Voiceless
On every street people walk, there are silent eyes waiting to be noticed. Cats curled up in sari-sari stores. Skinny dogs used to scavenge scraps on scorching pavement. In the rush of daily life, they've become part of the scenery. There, but rarely truly seen.
But for a group of young students from the Bicol University Institute of Design and Architecture, these stray animals aren't just "strays". To them, they're lives that deserve care.
From that realization, Project PAWrpose was born, an advocacy led by Chairperson Rojan Paul Biรฑas that merges art and service to help stray and rescued animals. As Biรฑas shares, โGrowing up, my eyes werenโt just set on grand skyscrapers, they were fixed on the corners of the streets where our stray and sheltered animals often seek help and protection.โ
For Binas, architecture wasnโt just about building structures for the privileged; it was about creating sanctuaries for those who couldnโt ask for one. โI wanted to build a sanctuary for those who could never ask for one,โ he says. Project PAWrpose became that platform when he was elected as BUIDeA Representative, a way to be a voice for the voiceless, because, as he puts it, โthey may be voiceless, but they are not heartless.โ At first glance, it might look like a simple fundraising drive. But the deeper you look, the clearer its purpose becomes. Every keychain and sticker they sold wasn't just a design, but a story of hope.
๐ผ๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐๐ก๐๐จ๐จ
As architecture students, drawing, designing, and creating are part of their everyday rhythm. For Biรฑas, however, an artistโs talent carries a greater purpose.
โI want them to see the potential I see in their work, that their artworks can actually save lives,โ he says.
That belief shaped the concept behind their products. The keychains and stickers werenโt just memorabilia. To Biรฑas, they were โportable remindersโ of the kindness each buyer supported. Every time someone glances at a sticker on their notebook or a keychain on their bag, theyโre reminded that they once became part of something with heart.
And perhaps thatโs one of the most important things Project PAWrpose showed: you donโt need to be rich or powerful to help. Sometimes, buying a small item is enough to give food and hope to a life thatโs been waiting for care.
๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐จ, ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ
With the help of student volunteers and the community, the project successfully raised funds for Tabaco Animal Rescue and Adoption (TAARA). In its first season alone, they provided two 25-kilo sacks of rice, bags of dog and cat food, and groceries for the shelterโs volunteers.
โOur only goal was to make sure no rescue sleeps hungry, we also made sure to provide groceries for the TAARA volunteers, because to sustain the animals, we must also support the selfless hands that feed them.โ Biรฑas shares.
Later, their support went beyond food. In the projectโs second season, they donated solar-powered floodlights for the shelterโs relocation site, which had no electricity yet. They also gave medicines, cleaning supplies, and nutritious food to keep the animals in good condition.
At a time when people quickly lose interest in advocacies, itโs inspiring to see young people choosing to stay aware of problems often ignored. As Biรฑas puts it: โFor every small piece of art sold, a life gets fed and a heart gets hope.โ
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฟ๐ง๐๐๐ข๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ
But like many good causes, the journey wasnโt easy. As an Architecture student, Biรฑas admits that balancing heavy academic requirements with leading an advocacy was one of the biggest challenges. Behind the projectโs success were sleepless nights, exhausted bodies, and moments when his own motivation almost ran out.
โIn moments of exhaustion, I ask myself: โWho is this for?โโ he says.
Itโs a reality many young people face today wanting to help, but limited by time, fatigue, and personal responsibilities. Yet Project PAWrpose proved you donโt have to wait for the perfect time to start doing good.
More than that, it showed that true leadership isnโt about one person doing everything. โI learned that leadership isnโt a solo flight. Itโs camaraderie. It is the moment when the advocacy stops being โmyโ project and starts being โourโ movement.โ Biรฑas says. And itโs true, no advocacy is built alone. Behind every successful project are people willing to help, believe, and move toward the same goal.
๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ค๐ข๐
One of the biggest lessons Project PAWrpose leaves behind is this: you donโt need to be a professional first to create change. Despite their age and academic pressure, these students proved they could be instruments of compassion and action.
โWe donโt need to be licensed first to design change,โ Biรฑas says.
In a society that often underestimates the youth, their project stands as proof that change can start in small ways. And perhaps thatโs the true spirit of Project PAWrpose, not just helping animals, but awakening the communityโs awareness that caring is everyoneโs responsibility.
๐ผ ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ
With the ongoing unrest of Mayon Volcano, both people and animals are once again in danger, with animals often left behind and forgotten during disasters. Though Project PAWrpose has officially ended and its volunteers are now busy with finals week, their commitment to stray animals remains.
โEven if the project has officially ended, our love and stand for these animals will remain,โ Biรฑas says.
For now, they continue to support TAARA through digital mobilization and awareness campaigns, making sure the animals affected by the disaster arenโt forgotten.
In the end, Project PAWrpose proves that real change isnโt measured by the size of the project, but by the depth of its purpose.
Because sometimes, a small sticker isnโt just a design.
Sometimes, itโs food.
Sometimes, itโs hope.
And sometimes, itโs the reason a creature feels, once again, that someone cares.
| via ๐๐ข. ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ, Krokis Associate Editor - External
| photos by ๐๐ถ๐ญ๐ช๐ถ๐ด ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฐ ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ๐ข, Contributor
