Manila, Oct. 16 -- A mother from the coastal Pangasinan city of Alaminos has turned discarded seashells into world-class home decor and kitchen accents, now on display at the Manila Furnishings and Apparel Manufacturers' Exchange (FAME).

Gemma Vistro of Gemma's Souvenirs began making souvenir items around in 1996 to help her husband earn income for their growing family.

"We live in Alaminos City, where the Hundred Islands National Park is, and there are a lot of tourists, and souvenir making is one of the rising livelihoods, and so I also tried to do it," she said in a phone interview Friday.

She then began selling her handmade souvenirs made from seashells, collected from the shores and some also bought from fisherfolk, going around ...