The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the local government unit (LGU) of Vintar in Ilocos Norte have teamed up to establish an inabel footwear industry to create jobs and stir economic growth in the province.

For this, at least 55 residents of the farming village of Abkir underwent a three-day training from Aug. 18 to 20 integrating local weaving into footwear making.

Inabel pertains to the intricately made textile product from handloom weaving.

Mayor Richard Degala on Wednesday expressed hope that Vintar would become a hub for quality footwear production in the province, opening opportunities for local entrepreneurs, creating jobs, and driving inclusive economic growth.

“Through our collaborative effort, let us continue to become efficient and innovative in making quality footwear to drive economic progress in our town,” he said as he thanked the DTI for helping facilitate the training by bringing in experts from Liliw, Laguna.

As technology development support for the footwear-making initiative, the DTI also granted PHP650,000 worth of shared service facility to the Vintar LGU, which allotted PHP500,000 as counterpart fund to jumpstart the project.

Prior to holding the training, DTI Ilocos Norte, Vintar LGU, and local micro-entrepreneurs conducted a benchmarking activity in Laguna and Marikina, two of the country’s renowned shoemaking centers, to expose participants to advanced shoemaking techniques, the use of innovative materials, and value-adding processes.

The project complements the ongoing efforts of the municipality to engage local communities in fiber processing, after the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute committed its support for the development of a Bamboo Textile Fiber Innovation Hub in Vintar.

Vintar is the largest municipality in terms of land area in Ilocos Norte, covering 62,482 hectares.

Farmer associations in the municipality maintain over 5,000 bamboo clumps to sustain the local fiber industry along with a renewed interest of the locality to revive its inabel loom weaving. (PNA)