LAOAC—The suekos/bakya­-making (wooden slippers) industry in the town may be facing its sunset years but some continue to use them in spite of flooding of rubber slippers/sandals in the market.

Mayor Silverio Alarcio Jr said there were four barangays that produced suekos during the industry’s heydays. Today, there is only one family and in one barangay that continues to produce.

The lone sueko-maker in Barangay Calaocan produces about 1,000 pairs a month sold in mountainous areas for its durability. “People in the mountains prefer to use suekos because they last longer than rubber slippers,” he said.

Alarcio said that sueko-making is dying as an industry, but there is still a market for it.

He said suekos are also being used by the town government as memento for its guests and as giveaway for couples tying the knot in civil rites where their names are engraved on the wooden slippers and the date of their wedding.

Alarcio said this is his way of promoting the town’s suekos-making industry to symbolize the “lasting partnership” of the couple.

“They should be together. One cannot go without the other,” he said.

He said a pair of suekos go together and can be worn interchangeably, “there is no right, no left which must be adopted by the couple that they should go together, not one is right and the other is wrong.

He said they are also promoting the suekos industry as a tourism destination. “If you want to see how bakya is made, our guests will be brought to Barangay Calaocan”.

He said the suekos industry started before the war.

The suekos’ leaves are made of recycled tires and sole is made of wood from santol, acacia and other wood.

Alarcio said they are encouraging those engaged in suekos industry to plant trees, too, to replace the ones used to produce the footwear. (Eva Visperas)

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