This Hole-in-the-Wall Poblacion Store Was Made by Bikers for Bikers

(SPOT.ph) Wedged in one of Poblacion’s residential streets, the Groundwork storefront is hard to miss—it’s the only apparel store in a row of tightly spaced houses. It’s the last place you’d expect a shop selling activewear to take root, especially in mall-centric Metro Manila, and yet it shines with neighborhood charm all the same. We take a step inside, and the first thing we want to do is tell all our friends about this hidden gem.

Also read: A Resident's Guide to Poblacion

What is Groundwork?

Groundwork is an apparel store peddling clothing and accessories created by a couple with the cyclist in mind. It started back in 2019, sold mostly online and in pop-ups, until founders Rafael and Clarence Betilez opened up a brick and mortar store in Makati in 2023. The shop is less than a year old, and is mostly frequented by bikers in search for clothes that can protect against Manila’s scorching heat and provide comfort at the same time.

Each design stems from personal concerns owners Raf and Clarence faced while biking the streets of Metro Manila. As with bikers who stick together on the road or during times of rest under a shade, they eventually got to talking with others and learned about their problems with their clothes, too.

Thus, Groundwork was born.

The Beginnings of Groundwork

We can’t talk about Groundwork without bringing up Thy Origins, their original brand that is still included in the storefront sign. Thy Origins is also an apparel store, whose main focus is on street and casual wear featuring bold typography designs and art from local artists. It started out in 2014 and was sold online and sometimes during pop-ups.

It was in 2019 when their love for biking was reignited and they met like-minded individuals during their adventures on wheels. Many brainstorming sessions, research and development phases, and tedious decisions later, the couple felt it was time to open up a physical store that would service Filipinos in search of clothes that not only kept them cool during hot days on a bike, but also look chic enough to wear as is.

“Nung 2019, nagkayayaan ulit [mag-bike]. Based sa personal experiences namin din eh, ginagawan lang din namin ng solution. Parang, kulang tayo sa pocket. Hassle maglagay ng bag. Gawa tayo ng shirts na may pockets,” Raf said.

“Una sa Facebook Marketplace, tapos word of mouth; marami na ring nagtatanong,” Raf explained.

When asked why put up shop in Poblacion, the anwswer was natural.

“Dito kami nakatira. Itong place kung nasaan 'yung store, residential siya. Before, online lang kami, yung mga customers nag-rerequest sila ng something na baka pwedeng magkaroon ng kahit pick-up point na mahahawakan namin 'yung products or i-try. Pinag-ipunan din, andun din 'yung need talaga. 'Yung customer experience din,” Raf said.

Demand grew and they decided to transform their home’s first-floor garage into a physical store for Groundwork, and keep living above where they blend both rest and work. It officially opened just last year, and has been frequented by friends and bikers, mostly through word of mouth.

The husband-and-wife duo initially worked in the hotel business before they decided to drop their jobs in favor of pursuing the clothing brand. Today, the brand enjoys a polished website and even more polished promotional photos, but it wasn’t always that way. Raf had his fair share of struggles and failures prior to Thy Origins and Groundwork—all experiences he deems valuable and integral to the journey getting Groundwork off the ground.

“Siya naka-isip, gawa tawa ng brand na plain lang. Basics,” Clarence tells us.

“Groundwork is more on the technical side parang 'yung fabric kasi, designed siya for outdoors talaga. 'Yung iba is water-repellant, 'yung iba four-way stretch, mas madali siya sa pag-cycle, sa movement. Si Thy Origins, more on artwear siya,” Raf explained.

“Uy, maglagay kayo ng ganito, gusto rin namin ng ganito.” Clarence recalls the requests they got from fellow bikers.

Community

Raf, born and raised in Poblacion himself, thought it was only right to plant the store where he is rooted. Clarence, a Nueva Vizcaya native, moved in with the same dedication to the brand. Both are aware that the Poblacion they’re at is rather far from the Poblacion people know—one lit in neon signages, passing fancy alcoholic concoctions, and endearingly called “sa taas.”

Raf has been around a long time, even before Poblacion got its cool status. His neighbors right now might not drop by daily, but they show support whenever the store holds pop-ups and bikers gather to meet at their shop.

“Andyan 'yung support. Halimbawa may events, pop-up, natutuwa sila. May mga customers din kami na taga-dito,” he said.

It is here that they greet guests who have traveled several kilometers just to find the shop, where they entertain customers who have turned into friends returning for their fix of clothes that just fit, and where they climb up for rest and respite, and where they come down for another day of packing parcels, shipping orders, and greetings face both old and new.

“Masaya, tsaka overwhelming," Raf tells us. He explains that sometimes clients schedule meet-ups with them at the store, or others simply drop by, all of which they are happy to accommodate. “May deeper relationship ka with your customers. 'Yung business andyan 'yan, pero 'yung community, mas relaxed lang din.” Raf says.

“Hindi siya seller ako, buyer ka, tapos. Hindi nagtatapos sa ganon. Friendship 'yung nabubuo,” adds Clarence.

Expertise

What Groundwork may lack in big-brand power and global presence is made up for with commitment to and love for their work. Ask them in-store or online about their products and they can answer queries on materials, sizes, and even the manufacturing process. Every decision is deliberate. While bigger brands are focused on professional cyclists, Groundwork aims to fill the gap for those who bike for transport or as a hobby.

“Kami raw yung nagiging option nila. Hindi naman lahat ganon 'yung preference. Yung iba leisure bikers, bike commuter, bike packers. Gusto nila 'yung casual lang. Siguro dito samin nila nakita yung casual pero functional. Nagfo-focus kami sa functionality talaga dahil sa experiences namin,” Raf says. 

“'Yung customes namin, naghahanap ng hindi mainit, lightweight. Talagang naghanap kami ng fabric dun sa function, at the same time durable din.” says Clarence.

Ribstop fabric is lightweight and dries easily, they explain. It's partially made out of cotton, not pure nylon, because that would be too hot. To make it breathable, the fabric has small holes. Their shirts are made out of this fabric and so are their caps.

Harsh as it may seem, both Raf and Clarence have heard customers compare their products to more established international brands, and completely understand if some people choose to buy products elsewhere. Instead of spite and disappointment taking over, Raf has taken it as a challenge to improve.

For how refined the website and whole operation look, know that the duo went through a lot to get a product on shelves and one their digital storefront. There are countless revisions and edits before a product is deemed perfect enough to sell, and the details could be as miniscule as choosing where to put the seam, what type of zipper to use, or how big the pockets should be. Buyers don’t really get to see the nitty gritty behind the scenes, but they take pride in knowing every step was worth it.

Future

Asked what’s next at Groundwork and both Raf and Clarence have a hopeful glimmer in their eyes.

With demand growing steadily, the two have elected to move to a process that prioritizes in-house production instead of relying on third-party services. They’ve also taken into consideration what their customers and friends are saying or asking for—a step that’s driven past collection, and will continue to serve as the brand’s North Star moving forward.

“Mahirap din talaga 'yung overheads. Galing online, doble 'yung gastos mo kapag meron kang physical store. Kailangan mo i-maintain, 'yung productions delays din partly. 'Pag walang bago, walang bibilin yung mga customers. Kaya naisip namin na magkaroon na tayo ng sariling prod team para hawak natin 'yung lead time,” Raf said. 

Growth is a goal for any business, and though Raf wants to someday end up in a mall with more foot traffic to make the products more accessible to customers, he intends on keeping the Poblacion storefront to chat with customers and hold local events. He's in touch with everybody around and often brewing ways to get more people to visit the store and the neighboring coffee shops as well. Someday, he hopes the community gets bigger, and that what they're doing now adds to Poblacion's character as a neighborhood.

As he tells us, “Cliche man pakinggan, pero dun na papasok 'yung passion. 'Yun 'yung magiging dahilan kung bakit magsa-stay pa rin kami kahit mahirap.”