Supporting Local: Our Commitment to the Philippines
By Evita Miraflor
It's the 127th Philippine Independence Day, and the country is a totally different place now. Think about it – instead of just dirt roads, we've got proper paved ones, and the cities are full of huge buildings reaching for the sky. At the same time, as the ways people can earn a living become more diverse and widespread – perhaps through new industries, the growth of existing ones, or the rise of entrepreneurship – we're seeing a significant increase in the number of opportunities available. This could mean more job openings, new avenues for small businesses to thrive, or even a greater demand for various skills and services. As the economy diversifies and more people find ways to support themselves, it often creates a ripple effect, leading to even more possibilities for others. Because of all this change, lots of people have moved to the cities, though some have also chosen to live in other places, and despite being away from home, they carry fragments of our rich culture with them.
As a country that has been colonized for many years, many of us Filipinos have come to believe that things made overseas are better. Little did we know, this hurts us because many Filipino workers get paid very little due to the reduced demand for local products. Even though we know that imported stuff often costs less because it's made in huge quantities, how can we truly grow and become the authentic versions of ourselves if we don't nurture what's ours? It’s like self-love, but applied to our whole country.
In Marikina, their livelihood used to revolve around fishing and farming, but that shifted when Don Laureano “Kapitan Moy” Guevara, assisted by Tiburcio Eustaquio, Ambrocio Sta. Ines, and Gervacio Carlos, took it upon himself to teach the young people how to make shoes by dissecting his imported pair of shoes, wanting to give them another way to earn a living. Marikina's lively shoe industry was once made up of many small, family workshops scattered across different streets and even within people's homes. But as the years have gone by, a lot of those small workshops have shut down. This happened because of easier trade with other countries, competition from cheaper imported shoes, and also because the skilled shoemakers were getting older without anyone to teach their craft to.
Today, only a few Marikina shoe workshops, including Zapateria Hub and Risque Designs remain dedicated to passing down shoemaking expertise to younger generations, aiming to preserve this tradition and artistry.
By purchasing shoes made in the Philippines, we not only acquire a quality product but also help sustain the livelihoods of local artisans. For Hayo, it's about creating opportunities and transforming our own stories and experiences into pairs of shoes in ways we didn't expect would resonate with others. Perhaps someday, we'll reach a point where we can rely on ourselves as a nation, because ultimately, it takes a community to uplift one.