Koko Pimentel, wife lead push to revive Marikina’s shoe industry

Sen. Koko Pimentel and wife Kat join First lady Liza Marcos in touring exhibit showcasing Marikina’s shoes and local delicacies.

First Lady Liza Marcos (second from left) watches the Marikina show exhibit programs with Sen Koko Pimentel (left) and his wife Kat (third from left)

First Lady Liza Marcos joins Kat Pimentel on the stage with Marikina exhibit officers.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and his wife, Special Envoy Kathryna Yu-De Guzman Pimentel, are leading efforts to revive Marikina’s struggling shoe industry, once a major source of jobs and pride for the city.

The couple joined First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos on Tuesday at Marikina Freedom Park to launch “Marikina: Pamana ng Sapatos – Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas”, a public exhibit that showcased local products by shoemakers, bag makers, and small businesses.

Pimentel said the event should reignite public interest in Marikina-made shoes by reminding Filipinos of the city’s rich heritage in craftsmanship and quality. He emphasized that the presence of both the First Lady and Former First Lady sends a powerful message of national support for the revival of the industry.

“We thank First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and Former First Lady Imelda Marcos for standing with Marikina’s shoemakers,” Pimentel said. “Their presence gives this advocacy the attention it deserves and helps restore pride in our locally made products.”

The Pimentels are pushing both national and local efforts to restore the industry. Pimentel, who is running as representative of the first district of Marikina, had recently filed Senate Bill No. 2994, which proposes the creation of modern Shoe Manufacturing Hubs across the country, starting in Marikina. The bill offers tax incentives, R&D support, shared facilities, and a national “Buy Local, Wear Local” campaign.

“This bill aims to strengthen the shoe industry so it can compete locally and globally,” Pimentel said.

Locally, the Pimentels launched the Libreng Sapatos program last year, giving free Marikina-made shoes to over 1,000 top-performing public school students and around 800 teachers in District 1. Also benefited from the Pimentel’s program were stenographers who were given free shoes. It was the first initiative of its kind in a city known as the country’s shoe capital.

The program supported Marikenyos and provided income for local shoemakers – a program which the veteran senator vows to continue, if given the chance to serve his beloved city as its congressman.

At its peak, Marikina had over 1,300 shoe manufacturers and employed more than 300,000 people. Today, only around 200 shops remain.

Kathryna De Guzman Yu-Pimentel, granddaughter of former Mayor Munding de Guzman who helped build Marikina’s shoe legacy, said the city can bring back those glory days with strong support.

“Marikina is still the Shoe Capital of the Philippines,” she said. “We just need to help our shoemakers.”

The senator, for his part, said his proposed bill will mandate the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in coordination with local government units, to identify strategic locations nationwide for the establishment of shoe manufacturing hubs.

Under the bill, a Shoe Industry Development Program will be created, to be led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Pimentel said his wife, the President’s Special Envoy to the United Arab Emirates for Trade and Investment, will play a key role in promoting Marikina-made shoes in the Middle East by connecting local manufacturers with international trade fairs, buyers, and distributors in the region.