Pair of giant slippers ushers in Gapan’s ‘tsinelas’ festival

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – A pair of giant slippers as big as 30 feet went on display in this city’s main thoroughfares as the city government launched here yesterday its “7th Tsinelas Festival” or festival of slippers highlighting its seventh anniversary as a component city.

Mayor Ernesto Natividad and Vice Mayor Christian Tinio led city officials usher in the festival meant to boost sales and income of local slipper makers in the face of stiff competition from imported slippers coming from China and other countries.

Dozens of tsinelas stalls have been installed along the national highway in Barangay Bucana to showcase the slippers aside from the parade of floats and streetdancing. At the entrance of the new city hall, a giant slipper mounted on a float is put on display. 

The city’s backyard slippers industry, which originated in the 1930s, has been abuzz in Barangays Mangino, Pambuan and San Lorenzo. It generates annual sales of P500 million.

During the pre-war period, slippers were made of carabao leather from Meycauyan, Bulacan.

However, the government prohibited the slaughter of cattle such as carabao, resulting in the decline in leather supply. Slipper makers were thus, forced to tap other raw materials such as plastic and rubber.

Local slippers are now made of synthetic materials, giving the city the distinction of being the biggest producer of synthetic-made slippers in the country. These type of slippers are sold in Luzon, mostly in Bicol, Ilocos Norte and in Baclaran and major department stores in Manila.

Natividad, who is one of the biggest slipper producers here before he entered politics, said with a minimum capital of P15,000, one can start a slipper-making business.

One of the few exceptions was Tessie Gomez who started with a meager capital of P120.

The city’s slipper industry, however, is being threatened by the flood of imported slippers. Aside from China, other countries where slippers are being brought in are Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.