BIRKENSTOCK community gathered in an inaugural walk at Rizal Park
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — BIRKENSTOCK Philippines partners with The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) to launch The Philippines By Foot, a movement to explore the country by walking.
To truly know the Philippines is to walk it. It is an experience found in the uneven stone of colonial-era streets, the chaos of the morning commute, and the soft, shifting sand off the coastlines. For Filipinos, walking is entirely instinctive. We do it to survive the daily grind, but we also do it to savor the rare moments when time slows down.
Yet, this collaboration looks beyond the physical act of moving to ask a more meaningful question: How do we turn a daily necessity into something people actually long to experience?
We do not move simply because we are told to. We move because we want to see what is around the next corner, to feel the ground beneath us, to connect with the world, and to belong to a movement that matters.
THE CAMPAIGN
Recognizing this, global footwear icon BIRKENSTOCK has partnered with TPB to launch The Philippines by Foot campaign. This is a nationwide movement of monumental scale; it is an invitation to explore the sheer grandness of the Philippines from its 7,641 islands to its thousands of walkable streets and storied heritage sites. By grounding BIRKENSTOCK’s German orthopedic heritage directly into local ground, this initiative invites an entire nation to re-examine how we move. It is a collective call to embrace the philosophy of “Walk Naturally” – relearning how to navigate our world exactly as the body was designed to: balanced, supported, and completely at ease.
FROM KILOMETER ZERO TO HISTORIC STREETS
The movement took its symbolic first steps at Kilometer Zero in Rizal Park (Luneta), which is the exact geographic benchmark from which all distances in the archipelagos are measured. Officials from the Luneta administration, TPB representatives, media friends, guests, and the BIRKENSTOCK community gathered for an inaugural walk.
Beneath the towering Independence Flagpole, the group began a contemplative route that honors the very core of Philippine history. They paused at the iconic Rizal Monument for a collective group photograph, before moving silently past the solemn grounds of The Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal and the historic Gomburza Marker. The outdoor stroll then shifted into moments of reflection amidst the landscapes of the Chinese Garden, the Musical Dancing Fountain, and the Japanese Garden. Winding their way toward Agrifina Circle and the Sentinel of Freedom, the journey culminated at the steps of the National Museum complex. By pausing to study the narratives that shaped the Filipino identity, the community experienced firsthand what it means to truly discover it on foot.
Left to right: Maria Margarita Nograles (COO of TPB), Jimmy Thai (CEO of Primer Group), Evelyn Chua (SEA Managing Director of Birkenstock)
As day turned to evening, the narrative shifted to the mid-century halls of The Henry Hotel Manila. Maria Margarita Nograles, COO of the TPB, alongside Evelyn Chua, BIRKENSTOCK Managing Director for Southeast Asia, and Jimmy Thai, CEO of the Primer Group of Companies, laid out the grand scale of the project. The collective vision was to chart the country’s most walkable destinations, celebrating the intersection of pedestrian advocacy, local heritage, and regional culture.
The momentum was immediate. By the next morning, the campaign partnered with the Just Walk PH community, taking over the historic streets of Intramuros. The group embarked on a route that wound past the storied facades of the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church, before breaking for reflection at Villa Immaculada Park and Plaza de Roma. The walk transformed into an active exploration of heritage, taking participants through the creative halls of Silahis Art and Artifacts, and along the rugged, stone fortifications of Baluarte de San Andres, Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao, Puerta Del Parian, and Baluarte de San Gabriel. The message was clear: our history is best absorbed slowly by foot.
THE ANATOMY OF A COMMUNITY: THE BIRKENSTOCK MUSEO
Inside the mid-century halls of The Henry Hotel, the venue took the form of a museum-style gallery dedicated to the Filipino BIRKENSTOCK community. Rather than relying on glossy, staged photography, the exhibition served as a living archive by charting the personalities of nearly 50 local BIRKENSTOCK wearers. The curated portraits spanned generations, documenting the exact shoe model worn by the personality and the years spent to create the same pair of cork-and-leather soles.
The gallery juxtaposed the everyday routines of regular commuters with the extraordinary paths of cultural icons, proving that good design belongs everywhere.
A glimpse of the BIRKENSTOCK Museo Display
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
The geography of the Philippines is vastly diverse, stretching from tightly packed urban corridors to quiet, remote shores. Yet, too often, these places are treated as mere backdrops to a frantic daily rush. The Philippines by Foot is a collective effort to change that perspective, inviting people to actively engage with the ground beneath them.
Led by BIRKENSTOCK but fueled entirely by the authentic stories of local communities, the movement will partner with regional provinces across the Philippines. The ultimate ambition is simple yet profound: to give Filipinos a reason to step outside, slow down, and view their home regions not through the numbing lens of daily routine, but with a renewed sense of wonder and discovery.
The map is laid out, and the invitation is open. So where to next? The Philippines by Foot calls on Filipinos everywhere to step outside, seek out the country’s most walk-worthy corners, and become active participants in our shared culture.
To join the next community walk and document your own path, follow @birkenstockphofficial and @thephilippinesbyfoot use the hashtag #BIRKENSTOCKPH and #PHbyFoot on social media. Learn more about the movement and join the upcoming walks at thephilippinesbyfoot.com.
BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand deeply rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot. Founded in 1774, BIRKENSTOCK carries a family tradition of shoemaking with its core values on function, quality and tradition. It is also the inventor of the footbed, shaping the principle of walking as intended by nature.
