Marikina shoe exhibits to be held on regular basis in malls

The successful marketing campaign of the city government of Marikina to revive its businesses, particularly its ailing shoe industry, is proof that it can now stand on its own after the massive loss of lives and property in the city brought about by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” in 2009, city officials said.

At the 3rd Marikina Business Conference held in the city recently, Mayor Del de Guzman also announced plans to regularly hold exhibits of its shoe products in Metro Manila malls, with the recent success of the monthlong Sapatos Festival and the entry of their shoe products in  the One Town, One Product (OTOP) program of the Department of Trade and Industry.

For starters, from December 15 to 18, products made in Marikina such as shoes, bags, leather and crafts will be displayed in a trade exhibit at  SM Mega Mall dubbed “Made-in-Marikina: Gawang Marikina, Gawang Kinikilala.”

“Marikina-made shoes have an edge in competing with those made abroad as proven by testimonials from other people here and overseas. So it is just logical that shoes are the city’s primary products,” said De Guzman.

OTOP is a program of the DTI aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and creating jobs, where each city identifies, develops and promotes a specific product or service that has a competitive advantage.

To support the city’s OTOP, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo offered P15 million for the construction and development of a shoe laboratory in the city to be supervised by the Philippine Footwear Federation Inc.

Another boost to Marikina’s economy was a recent proposal from three South Korean steel companies to do business with the city government, the mayor said.