Marikina shoe caravan on Metro Manila tour

As part of its efforts to revive an ailing industry that once brought it renown, the city government of Marikina opened a festival highlighting its footwear through a month-long caravan touring Metro Manila.

The festival, which opened Oct. 3, will run until Nov. 11.  City officials claimed it was the longest celebration the city has undertaken as a marketing strategy to promote its shoes and other leather products.

On the first day of the shoe caravan, 30 participating shoemakers were given a much-needed boost when it was announced that Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian would order thousands of pairs of Marikina shoes to be given away to city hall employees as Christmas gifts.

Ryan Salvador, head of Marikina’s government service office and chair of the Sapatos Festival working committee, said the caravan will  visit the cities of Malabon, Navotas, Caloocan, Valenzuela,  Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Muntinlupa, San Juan, Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Mandaluyong, Las Piñas,  Makati and Pateros town.

On weekends, the shoe caravan will put up exhibits in the malls of Marikina, Masinag and Taytay.

City officials, led by Mayor Del de Guzman, said they were hoping that they would be able to market their products in the Metro by establishing a network with other local government officials.

Earlier, De Guzman said the city government ordered 35,000 pairs of shoes to be given away to all elementary and high school students of Marikina’s public school system.

De Guzman, whose father was a former shoemaker, is the author of Republic Act No. 9290 otherwise known as the “Footwear, Leather Goods, and Tannery Industries Development Act.” This requires government agencies to buy products made by local industries and encouraging the private sector to do the same.

Apart from the caravan, the local government has also opened its city hall to the public for its Mega Shoe Sale until Nov. 18, offering a 20 to 30 percent discount on shoes and bags made  by local manufacturers.