The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the local government unit (LGU) of Vintar, Ilocos Norte, have partnered to establish an inabel footwear industry aimed at creating jobs and spurring economic growth in the province.
As part of the initiative, 55 residents from Barangay Abkir completed a three-day training from August 18 to 20 that integrated traditional inabel weaving into footwear production. Inabel refers to intricately handwoven textiles made using traditional looms.
Mayor Richard Degala expressed optimism that Vintar could become a hub for quality footwear production in the region.
“Through our collaborative effort, let us continue to become efficient and innovative in making quality footwear to drive economic progress in our town,” Degala said, thanking the DTI for facilitating the training with experts from Liliw, Laguna.
To support the project, the DTI provided PHP650,000 worth of shared service facilities, while the Vintar LGU allotted PHP500,000 as counterpart funding.
Before the training, DTI Ilocos Norte, the Vintar LGU, and local micro-entrepreneurs conducted benchmarking visits to Laguna and Marikina, renowned shoemaking centers, to learn advanced techniques and value-adding processes.
The initiative complements Vintar’s ongoing efforts to develop the local fiber industry, supported by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute, which is helping establish a Bamboo Textile Fiber Innovation Hub in the municipality.
Vintar, the largest municipality in Ilocos Norte with 62,482 hectares, sustains its local weaving and fiber industry through over 5,000 bamboo clumps maintained by farmer associations, boosting both tradition and innovation in the community.