QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — Filipino footwear designers bagged five awards in the recently concluded 13th International Footwear Design Competition in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, China .
The competition was organized by the Confederation of International Footwear Association (CIFA), which is a group of 17 footwear associations in Asia.
Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo expressed her admiration for the Philippine Footwear Federation, Inc., based in Marikina, following the victories of Lee Villanueva, Ivan Fabia, Ma. Daniella Louise Flores-Borrero, and Chad Gabrielle Tanutan.
Ivan Fabia secured the top prize in the Lady’s Boot Individual Category, while Chad Gabrielle Tanutan clinched the top spot in the Men’s Shoe Individual Category.
Lee Villanueva earned the first runner-up position in the Lady’s Boot Individual Category, and Ma. Daniella Louise Flores-Borrero took home the second runner-up award in the Men’s Shoe Individual Category.
“Marikina-made shoes are truly exceptional—guaranteed high-quality, durable, and world-class!” Quimbo said.
She emphasized her long-standing commitment to strengthening Marikina’s footwear industry.
“This victory is a source of immense pride and I hope it contributes to greater recognition, patronage, and support for the Marikina shoe industry,” she added.
The winners were also part of the top finalists in the 9th Filipino Footwear Design Competition (FFDC) 2023 with the theme “PAA-HON: Championing Filipino Culture and Heritage” of the Department of Trade and Industry – National Capital Regional Office (DTI-NCRO) in partnership with the Philippine Footwear Federation, Inc. (PFFI) and the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI).
The competition is an annual gathering of global footwear manufacturers, wherein world marketing information and production technologies of the footwear industry meet. (JEG/PIA-NCR)
