What if your toothbrush could help fight poverty and grow a forest?

Gersava’s pivot from survival to sustainability began with a viral image: a sea turtle choking on a plastic straw. “That hit me hard,” he says. “I kept asking myself, how can I help the environment and at the same time, create opportunities for people like me who came from insurgency-affected areas?”

In 2015, while working in Manila, he began experimenting with bamboo—a plant that had been a staple of his childhood. “We used bamboo for everything: paper, water containers, even toys. I realised it could be the answer.”

With just PHP10,000 and no background in business, Gersava founded Bambuhay—a portmanteau of bamboo, “hanapbuhay” (livelihood) and “buhay” (life). The brand took off with its first product: bamboo straws. Within a year, the company generated PHP6 million in sales and landed major clients like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Max’s Group and Zagu.

Read more: How Monaco is transforming from a playground for the super-rich to a destination for sustainability

Then the pandemic hit in 2020. With food and hospitality sectors crippled, Gersava pivoted to a new idea: bamboo toothbrushes engraved with endangered species. The mission was twofold: promote eco-friendly habits and raise awareness for at-risk wildlife.

But he didn’t stop there. Inspired by Japan’s plantable newspapers, he wondered, “Why not toothbrushes that grow trees?”

“After a lot of research and experiments, we embedded seeds from native endangered trees—like alibangbang, molave, and Philippine acacia—into the toothbrush handles,” he explains. “We launched the world’s first plantable toothbrush made from bamboo.”

Each toothbrush is designed to be biodegradable, with natural carbon-infused soft bristles and packaging made from recycled paper embedded with seeds. After three months of use, the toothbrush can be planted to grow into a tree or bamboo.

Despite early commercial success, Bambuhay’s beginnings were far from glamorous. “Our first production facility was just 30 square metres,” says Gersava. “We worked with solo parents, persons with disabilities, deaf and mute. We were literally boiling bamboo in backyard pots.”

There were moments when he almost gave up, including a failed investor partnership and internal team struggles. “In 2017, I was ready to close Bambuhay,” he admits. “But then, a chance conversation at a birthday party led to someone offering to invest. That saved us.”

Then there was a moment that tested his resolve most. “I remember carrying 25 kg of bamboo to a client in Makati from the Nueva Ecija province; I carried the bamboo alone with no car—using just my hands. I cried that night. I was in my early 30s and I hadn’t cried since I was 12 years old.”

That moment defined his mission; more than products, Bambuhay would transform lives. “I want this to be the first company in the Philippines that’s owned by the people,” he declares. “Every person in our company should be co-owners. Why should only a few individuals get rich?”

Read more: This cleaning services startup is giving its employees a share in its success

Since its founding, Bambuhay has created hundreds of jobs amongst the indigenous peoples (IP) and marginalised communities, groups close to Gersava’s heart. “I grew up in an IP community, and my grandmother is from Sagada. Helping indigenous people is in my blood.”

The company partners with former slash-and-burn farmers, women, people with disabilities, unemployed youth and indigenous communities. He assembled a committed team and scaled operations, turning farmers into “agri-preneurs”. One of their supervisors started with only a high school diploma. “Now she’s our quality assurance head. That’s the power of opportunity.”

By 2030, the company aims to lift 1,000 families out of poverty and reforest 10,000 hectares of land. His “1 Billion Mission” is a plan to eliminate a billion plastic toothbrushes and plant a billion native bamboo trees by 2050.

“The more we grow, the more impact we can create,” he explains. “We want to export to Dubai, the Nordic countries, Europe and the US. But even as we scale, we remain grounded in our mission.”

Read more: Fading traditions: These endangered crafts in Asia are on the brink of extinction

In 2023, Gersava was appointed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the National Innovation Council (NIC), an elite policymaking body that includes cabinet secretaries and industry leaders. At 36, he’s one of its youngest members.

“Everyone else has master’s degrees from Harvard or Stanford. I came from Sultan Kudarat State University. But I was picked by the president himself. He said, ‘We need young minds for innovation.’”

As NIC’s representative for MSMEs, Gersava advocates for small businesses and social enterprises. “One of our goals is to streamline business permits. From 50 steps down to one. We want innovators to focus on their work, not red tape.”

Gersava is pushing to exempt early-stage startups from taxes for up to three years. “Most MSMEs don’t dream of scaling up because the system’s too hard,” he says. 

He’s also co-leading the Filipinnovation Awards, designed to recognise local talents and give them the support needed to scale globally.

Read more: How Halia’s founder Alexandra Jocom champions sustainability, one biodegradable period pad at a time

Despite the accolades, Gersava isn’t slowing down. In fact, he has his sights set on the country’s highest office.

“By 2040, I want to become the President of the Republic of the Philippines,” he says with conviction. “Not because I want power, but because I know what it means to struggle. I’ve lived it.”

Asked what he’d tell the boy who walked barefoot for hours to school and went hungry on exam days, Gersava paused. “It’s okay you experienced all that. Without it, you wouldn’t be Mark Gersava. That hardship? That’s what made you.”

In the meantime, his focus remains on Bambuhay and the belief that innovation doesn’t have to come at the planet’s expense.

“We can be a first-world country by 2040,” he says. “But only if our innovation uplifts people, protects our environment and breaks the cycle of poverty.”

And if anyone is proof of that possibility, it’s the boy from the jungle who dared to plant a future.

NOW READ

Plastic roads? This startup’s mission is to make plastic waste into sustainable bricks for roads

No jump scares, no problem: this horror filmmaker can terrify you without the shocks

Reel vision: how The Projector’s Karen Tan turned a forgotten cinema into Singapore’s coolest cultural hub