Hukbalete is a non-profit organization that aims to proliferate ecotourism to younger generations of Filipinos by creating new and interesting experiences that not only offers enjoyment, but also environmental awareness.

Working closely with the team, we developed the identity of the brand by making sure everything is rooted in the values they espouse, while still being able to communicate effectively with the audience in mind.

We wanted the organization to have a name that is not only own-able but uniquely unbureaucratic compared to other organizations of their nature. We wanted the name to be easily remembered and to have its own soundbite.

We combined the word “Hukbong” which is the Filipino word for army, and “Balete”– one of the most common tree species found in the country. A reaffirmation of the organization’s goal of building environmental awareness by creating an ‘army’ of well-informed Filipino citizens.

Our main task aside from developing the name and visual identity of the organization was to create this year’s Specimen Annual. A compiled almanac of the Filipino flora arranged by region for the year 2020.

We wanted the annual to be a unique product experience that will stay true to the values of Hukbalete. The annual not only contains information about the different trees found in regions of the Philippines but also a location and travel information to find a sample of that specific species.

We also designed the book to be a complete product experience when visiting the different tree sites. We included a compass to help navigate as they try to locate the individual specimen, and also a notepad to keep track of notes or other important data during their trek.