IN just two weeks after they started the activity, the local government of Marikina City on Tuesday reported that sales generated by its Shoe Caravan reached more than P3 million and it continues to increase.
Marikina City Mayor Del de Guzman said in the first week of the Shoe Caravan, the shoe manufacturers from Marikina grossed more than P2.365 million in sales and it rose to P3.091 million in the second week.
De Guzman is optimistic that the sales will continue to increase as the local government is visiting different cities in Metro Manila to promote the quality Marikina-made shoes in the caravan.
As a proof to this, de Guzman said the mayors of Valenzuela, Malabon, Navotas, Caloocan and Taguig have ordered shoes from Marikina to be given to their employees.
“The results are very encouraging. The participating shoe manufacturers are happy, especially since their sales continue to increase each time,” de Guzman said.
The Shoe Caravan is an activity in line with the celebration of the Sapatos Festival in Marikina, which runs from October 3 to November 18. The festival aims to revitalize the shoe industry in the nation’s Shoe Capital.
The shoe caravan will also visit Pateros, Muntinlupa, San Juan, Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Makati and Mandaluyong.
During de Guzman’s term as the congressional representative of District 2 in Marikina, he authored Republic Act (RA) 9290, or the Footwear, Leather Goods and Tannery Industries Development Act, which encourages people to support, promote and encourage the growth of small and medium enterprises belonging to footwear, leather goods and tannery industries.
The law mandates the government and encourages the private sector to source their footwear and leather goods needs from domestically accredited producers and manufacturers.
“If the government and the private sector would support and patronize the said industries for their employees as stated in RA 9290, it would greatly help Marikina as most footwear and leather goods come from here,” said de Guzman.
