The De la Paz family hails from the shoemaking hub of Marikina. If you are a De la Paz, there's a big chance you're related to Mikko's family. "Marikina used to be a thriving city where the best Philippine-made, stylish and sturdy shoes were created by experienced shoe artisans," Mikko's father Noel recalls. Sadly, the city was devastated by typhoons Ondoy and Ulysses, with business and residential areas under water for weeks. But even before these natural disasters, the shoe industry was shattered by the influx of cheaper footwear from China. Life has indeed been very tough on the hard-working Marikeños, and now, there's the Covid-19 virus that poses another threat.