For his 30th birthday, Mark Bumgarner pays it forward with “MARK-et Bike,” a rolling sari-sari store for Marikina shoemakers affected by Typhoon Ulysses.
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After the onslaught of typhoon “Ulysses” that caused immense flooding in Marikina City and inundating warehouses for various shoes and bags, businesses were forced to close down. Because of the irreversible damage, families of shoemakers also lost their only means of livelihood. Alongside the current pandemic, what was once a thriving industry is now struggling to make ends meet.
As the shoe capital of the Philippines, Marikina shoemakers plays an instrumental role in the fashion industry and has helped local designers build their brands, including fashion designer to the stars Mark Bumgarner. “We have lost a big chunk of brands and designers either through scaling down or totally shutting down. By supporting local designers and brands, we are also helping their families and our local economy as a whole to survive these trying times,” he shares. With this, what was supposed to be a project for the last year’s holiday season, became his 30th birthday celebration.
Rather than throwing a big ol’ party, Bumgarner decided to pay it forward and launch “MARK-et Bike,” a non-profit initiative to provide a sustainable livelihood for the families of Marikina shoemakers. Inspired by his past as a race car driver and similar to a kariton classroom, the rolling sari-sari store can be used to help the families sell essential goods around their communities. “I decided it to be a store attached to a bike because it is easier to go around communities and is manageable in terms of maintenance,” Bumgarner shares. “We also considered that their communities are in need of this type of service because markets or palengkes are not as accessible due to the pandemic.”
Bumgarner also shed light on the reality of Marikina’s shoe industry through a video that told the story of the seven beneficiaries of the initiative. Namely, these were the families of Mang Ben, Mang Elmo, Ate Merlyn, Mang Abet, Kuya Dante, Mang Buddy, and Ate Jo. “My good friend Mia who owns a shoe factory that used to produce my shoe line closed down during the pandemic. She helped me plan the project since she had employees who lost their jobs. Four of the seven beneficiaries I know personally: from sample makers to quality controllers. I wanted to give back to those who helped me build my brand,” he says. The bikes also came with stocks of rice, canned goods, soap, shampoo, facemasks, and others as initial capital to help them jumpstart their store. “These families may have lost their livelihood but their desire to make a living and contribute to society is always there. They never lost it.”
The fashion industry has always been at the forefront of giving support in times of crisis. During typhoons, designers mount donation drives and during the pandemic, brands have provided PPEs for frontliners. “It disproves the myth that fashion is just a frivolous industry. We can produce items of clothing as means of protection and sometimes we can also provide inspiration and hope to people who are in dire need of it,” Bumgarner says.
Big or small we can all help our fellow Filipinos to get back up on their feet and for Bumgarner, he is looking forward to the possibility of improving ‘MARK-et bike’ into a sustainable project for others who need it. “We want to see how the beneficiaries are doing with their micro-enterprise and work from there.” He ends our interview with a simple note, describing his 30th as his “best birthday ever.”
