Lives destroyed and opportunity lost, this is the effect
of a system rooted in weak foundations, supported by a
system which does not recognize the solutions to perennial
problems hampering the industry from reviving properly
and progressing forward.
Developing the industry also requires the development
of our supply chain. Whether it’s imported or local
supplies, the business environment has to be conducive to
free-flowing trade of quality input/raw materials. Local
industries should be given incentives to develop quality
products. There is no opportunity for greatness if all players
aim for the mediocre. Subsistence operations can help a
company weather through various economic situations,
but it cannot plant that seed that will bring about greatness
which brings dignity and rewards for the stakeholders.
Marikina Heritage Roadshow – Creating a roadshow
with the purpose to educate and raise awareness will help
in preserving and progressing the Marikina shoe industry.
This will showcase the industry and its various sectors to
entice and educate others to properly support and invest in
the Marikina shoe industry.
This could include talks about the industry including
local historians and industry leaders, basic information
and consumer education for assessing footwear products,
showcasing local brands and locally made leather goods to
create and spread brand awareness, live demonstrations on
how leather goods are crafted and the like.
One of the main goals of the roadshow is to create
opportunity for Marikina to reach out to our fellow
countrymen and create opportunity for those who wish
support the industry by investing in local manufacturers
to drive up demand and hopefully scale properly set up
production facilities.
base of the industry. Subsistence is a thing of the past,
the industry and its stakeholders should be thriving.
Shoemaking as a craft should be grown and nurtured,
not squeezed and milked for all its worth without
growing the grassroots.
We, at Black Wing Shoes, have already started
documentation of international standards and how they
apply to the local market as well as a documentation of basic
pattern tolerances for grading and custom footwear use. As
most of our clients know, we have already adopted a daily
wage system since the beginning, and next year, we will
implement an informal ranking system to differentiate the
skill levels of our artisans. We have also started taking in
apprentices as part of our study to see how much time they
would need to fully mature. Currently, we have a pattern-
making apprentice and a cobbler apprentice.
I believe in presenting and working toward effective
solutions rather than just dreaming about them. Proper
problem identification is key to effective solutions.
Awareness of issues is also key to creating a more
sustainable system. It is a lot of work, but hopefully we
get to dialogue with the authorities in order to create
more realistic, effective and sustainable solutions with
the budget that is given to them. It is about time we stop
wasting government resources and grants on senseless
things that will never impact the grassroots.
2019 is another year to try and make an impact yet
again, another year to hope that we may save what is
left of our heritage by growing it instead of milking
whatever is left of it.
Previously published as "A Time to Hope – Fighting for the Marikina Shoe
Industry Heritage," January 2019 at blackwingshoes.wordpress.com
Creation of a “Seal of Excellence” – This brand
recognition would ensure that baseline standards are met
in terms of sizing, materials, labor practices and after-sales
services. Think of it like the “Super Brands” of Marikina.
This can also set the tiering for incentivized programs so
that local businesses would operate in a more ethical and
sustainable way. It can also give grading to locally-made
shoes and other leather goods to give a basic valuation and
set client expectations.
Mass production and entry-level footwear production
should be mechanized to reduce wastage while mid and
high-value products be produced by hand. Shoe/footwear
engineering and artisanship are two different things.
While interdependent at the level of product R&D, in
manufacturing things become different and improper
appropriation of the production means and method can
result to unsustainable practices which hurt the artisan
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