The other footwear capital

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – In a province known for its rice fields, the newly created city of Gapan is making a name for itself as a large-scale producer of slippers. About 40% or 25,000 pairs a week are delivered to various department stores in Metro Manila. The balance are sold in Baclaran.

The industry employs 3,000 families, most of whom are based in the city’s three largest barangays of Pambuan, Mangino and San Lorenzo. Materials are sourced through nine suppliers based in the city. In turn, these suppliers buy their materials, both local and imported, from Divisoria.

Slippers are made from Monday to Friday. Deliveries are made during the weekend.

The cost of producing a dozen pairs averages P400.

"Despite the economic slowdown, slipper-making is a P100-million industry," said Mayor Ernesto Natividad, one of city’s biggest manufacturers of slippers before he joined government. "Because demand remains high, the industry could easily become a P500-million industry."

Fighting Marikina

Gapan has plans to step into Marikina’s shoes as the country’s footwear capital. "We’ve overtaken Marikina in terms of volume," said Natividad. "Assuming we both produce quality products, our labor is still 30% cheaper than Marikina."

Gapan, however, lacks the technology and equipment available to Marikina. It also lacks funding. Manufacturers who employ an average of four to six persons need at least P50,000 in operating capital. Most of the city’s small manufacturers depend on the credit extended by footwear materials suppliers.

"Not many people in Metro Manila realize the slippers they wear are made in Gapan. Our slippers do not carry ‘Made in Gapan’ tags," said Natividad. "We’re trying to convince our manufacturers to pay the small additional cost of putting a tag in each pair that they produce."

In an effort to provide additional capital to footwear manufacturers, the city government plans to enter into a 50-50 sharing scheme of up to P100,000 for each cooperative. A manufacturer who recently participated in a trade fair in SM Megamall is in the process of forming the first cooperative of slipper manufacturers.

"Maybe a federation of slipper manufacturers can eventually be organized so we can implement a single market strategy and a uniform pricing scheme. Right now, the manufacturers undercut each other instead of putting up a unified front when they face prospective buyers," Natividad said.

Further down the road, there are plans to set up a large factory for slipper production. There are dreams of exporting Gapan-made slippers. All these have to wait. Natividad intends to push the industry forward, one step at a time.