MANILA — Instead of food, a community pantry offered free footwear to residents of Barangay Sto. Niño, Marikina City.

The spirit of bayanihan lives as 'Otto and Ely Knows shoes' gave away different sizes of slippers, sandals, and shoes.

"Kasi yung nangyayari ngayon medyo stressed ang mga tao, sabi namin, kung pwede kami makatulong sa ibang paraan para mamigay kami ng katuwaan dito sa community namin dito sa Marikina," said shoemaker Elise Ebullan.

(Because of what’s happening right now, people are a bit stressed, we said if we can help in other ways so that we can share the fun here in our community here in Marikina.)

Marikina earned the title "Shoe Capital of the Philippines" in 1956 after establishing a notable shoemaking industry and becoming the biggest manufacturer of shoes nationwide at the time.

The industry's birth is traced back to 1887, when a local community leader and a few companions reconstructed a pair of imported shoes, marking the spread of shoemaking skills by hand in what was then a mainly agricultural town.

But last year, at least 80 percent of shoemakers were forced to halt business operations due to the pandemic.

Community pantries have meanwhile sprouted across the country after Ana Patricia Non started the movement in Maginhawa in Quezon City.

Non started the initiative over a week ago to offer free food to people in need, as government aid had not been sufficient to feed many people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

• Community pantry initiator fears for life after false red-tag claims
• Maginhawa community pantry halts operations; organizer cites red-tagging

After getting support from other officials for her “Bayanihan” initiative, Non resumed her pantry, which has already been replicated in many parts of the country.

• Community pantry movement shows wages, gov't aid not enough: initiator

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