Matahom Likha+

Co-Founder and Principal Designer Joy Merryl Ngo’s design pedigree is built on a foundation of rigorous academic excellence and global distinction. A graduate of Interior Design from the University of Santo Tomas and a licensed professional, she expanded her expertise through specialized credentials, including USGBC LEED Green Associate training and Inside LVMH certification. A trailblazer on the international stage, she made history as the first Southeast Asian in the field of Interior Design to win the prestigious Istituto Marangoni 80 Talents scholarship in Milan honing her craft at a renowned institution celebrated for its deep ties to global luxury houses.

Accolades and critical acclaim have quickly followed Matahom Likha's momentum. At the 2025 Philippine International Furniture Show, Manila Bulletin spotlighted our Kisig Liquor Table as a show highlight, complementing our Principal Designer's recognition as an Emerging Designer. Most recently, our Alon Cabinet earned us the Editor's Choice award from Tatler Philippines at Manila FAME.

This standard of excellence is rooted in the vision of Co-Founder and Principal Designer Joy Merryl Ngo. Long before Matahom Likha, her talent was celebrated across prominent titles like Metro Home and Speed, and further cemented when she won the competitive Istituto Marangoni 80 Talents design competition, securing a prestigious scholarship at the renowned Milan institution.

Since our soft premiere in Singapore in 2024, our journey has been defined by continuous global and local presence. In March 2025, Principal Designer and Co-Founder Joy Merryl Ngo was named among the Emerging Designers of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers at the Philippine International Furniture Show. Following a showcase in Tokyo under Design Philippines at the Tokyo International Gift Show, we proudly mark our debut milestone on the home front: exhibiting for the very first time at Manila FAME.

Born in quiet solitude during the pandemic, the Dalangin Collection, Tagalog for prayer, began as bespoke commissions for my private interior design clients before the founding of Matahom Likha+. Each piece is channeled straight from sketches into physical form, honoring the archipelago’s most treasured materials. We pioneer the use of irreplaceable tribal weaves from the Mountain Province on contemporary furniture, paired with the luminous, gem-like glow of sustainable capiz and mother-of-pearl. True to its name, Dalangin is a prayer cast in form: thought-provoking, forward-looking, and designed to captivate.