Old denim pants are finding new life. The Hernandez Library in Makati City is turning them into schoolbags. These bags will go to elementary students in Sulu.
The library launched a denim donation drive. Organizers want to help 1,300 students. They need old jeans to make free and durable schoolbags.
Tina Hernandez founded the library. She sewed the prototypes in December 2025. She did this work from her wheelchair.
The schoolbag has a smart design. It features a small denim backpack. It uses a neon silver-backed taffeta top. This material comes from umbrella fabric. It has a drawstring closure. The bag also includes reflective material. This feature gives high visibility to students. It helps children walk safely on the dark roads of Sulu.
A workshop of female tailors is helping the project. They work in MIKA San Pedro, Laguna. They have already completed more than 300 bags. They charge for labor only. The bags will go to nine beneficiary schools in Sulu at no cost to the families.
The library accepts more than just jeans. Organizers also request buttons, school supplies, and child-size raincoats. Tailors will use denim scraps to make pencil cases with the buttons.
People can drop off donations at the library. The Hernandez Library is located at 150 Amorsolo St. in the MG Building, Legaspi Village, Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati City. Drop-offs are open from Mondays to Fridays. The hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Donors can use alternate drop-off locations. One partner is the UP Vanguard Secretariat Office. It is located at the Department of Military Science and Tactics. The address is Ylanan Corner Magsaysay Streets, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Another partner is the MIKA San Pedro Workshop. It sits beneath the Barangay Narra Basketball Court in San Pedro, Laguna. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Organizers have one strict rule. They accept denim materials and clothes only. Non-denim old clothes do not work for this project.
The library has a long history of helping Sulu. The effort started in December 2023. The Hernandez Library began sending books and school supplies to Sulu schools. Partner organizations and the Armed Forces of the Philippines helped with the deliveries.
More aid arrived in January 2025. Workers delivered 2,171 kilograms of books and school supplies. These items came from donation drives in Metro Manila. A military C-130 aircraft transported the cargo to Sulu schools. The Department of National Defense and the AFP assisted the mission.
Infrastructure aid followed in June 2025. Workers built a new classroom and comfort room. They turned the facility over to Tuwak Primary School in Patikul, Sulu. The school previously had only one classroom. Army engineers and Civil-Military Operations units made the build possible.
The Hernandez Library began as a family library. Tina Hernandez inherited and managed it after her grandfather passed away. A group of friends joined her in 2025. They now help her manage the space.
The team is creating the Hernandez Institute. The institute will be a nonprofit endeavor. Its goal is to contribute to Philippine memory. It will preserve history and institutional memory. It aims to encourage literacy among the youth. The project hopes the next generation can learn from past mistakes. It wants youth to forge a better future for the country.
The donation drive continues on weekdays. Organizers encourage the public to check their closets. Every pair of old jeans brings a Sulu student closer to a safer and brighter school year.