FACT CHECK: PH footwear brand Islander is not shutting down

Claim: Popular local footwear brand Islander will be shutting down, according to a Facebook post.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook post containing the claim has gained over 20,000 shares, 47,000 reactions, and 4,400 comments as of writing. 

The post dated Wednesday, December 27, included a screenshot of a farewell post by the “Islander Factory Outlet,” a Cebu-based outlet of the footwear brand, along with a caption that says “outlets are now closing down.”

Comments in the post indicated that some social media users misinterpreted the post and thought that the entire company was ceasing operations. 

The Facebook page “Lokal Cebuano” first posted the claim on Tuesday, December 26, which later gained 43,000 shares, 51,000 reactions, and 5,800 comments. The page has since edited the post with a clarification note. 

The facts: Only the factory outlet in Cebu is closing down on January 1, 2024, not the entire company. 

Islander Factory Outlet, the page that posted about the impending end of its operations, is an outlet of the footwear brand located in Tungkop, Minglanilla, Cebu. The outlet sells “limited production and export overruns” manufactured by Islander Footwear Manufacturing Corporation (IFMC), according to its About page.

“To all who worked with us, patronized us, shared with us, enjoyed with us, laughed and cried with us, persevered and believed in us, our friends, colleagues, families…Thank you, thank you so much!” Islander Factory Outlet said in a post on December 26.

Nowhere in the post of the Cebu-based outlet did it say that the entire brand is completely shutting down. 

Only in Cebu: In a statement posted on December 27, IFMC clarified that the closure affected only the Cebu outlet. 

“Unfortunately, try as we might, compelled by factors we cannot control, we are forced to close and not to operate again,” it said.

It added that Islander sandals will still be available on the market, but will be “produced and supplied by other entities not related or connected to us.”

On December 27, Islander Philippines also issued a statement confirming that the brand will not be shutting down.

“The recent post circulating is related to a specific outlet only and does not impact the overall Islander brand,” it said. – Rappler.com

Jerry Yubal Jr. is an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow for 2023-2024. 

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