The Sapatos Festival from November 11- December 29,2019 seeks to improve Marikina shoes industry. The said event was carried-out at the Marikina Freedom Park, in front of the city hall.
There are 48 footwear and leather-goods makers participated the festival that sell high-quality shoes for as low as P200 to as high as P3,000.
“The Sapatos Festival is showcasing quality and affordability shoes, bags, belts, and other products made by Marikina’s skilled craftsmen. The festival also highlights the ingenuity and craftsmanship of Marikina shoemakers and manufacturers,” City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said.
He also emphasized that the industry of Marikina shoes obtained a significant role in the economy of the city since the olden time.
Moreover, the said industry has been strengthened by the Department of Trade Industry, following the order of President Rodrigo Duterte in reviving the footwear capital of the Philippines.
“Technological improvement remains an industry concern. While there are patrons who prefer manually produced shoes because of their durability, still, innovation is crucial for the shoe industry to flourish and expand,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said.
With the efforts of DTI, the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) Project, together with the Philippine Footwear Federation Inc. (PFFI), acquires machines and equipment which serve as common service facilities for efficient, quality and innovative production.
“Among the SSF projects is the High Value Custom-Made Footwear, which intends to capture a market that prefers custom-made shoes, featuring new methodologies in shoe engineering, footwear design and manufacturing. It also uses state-of-the-art scanner that automatically produces a 3D model of the foot in seconds for measuring and size estimation, ” DTI report mentioned.
Respectively, the shoemaker Tatay Orly Santos , who created the shoes that President Duterter worn during his annual State of the Nation Address, participated the bazaar.
Sources:https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/11/13/sapatos-festival-opens-in-marikina-from-nov-11-to-dec-29/
https://www.dti.gov.ph/consumers/27-main-content/emb-news/10658-dti-moves-to-strengthen-marikina-shoe-industry
