Marikina
Marikina (/mərɪˈkɪnə/), officially the City of Marikina (Filipino: Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.[3]
This article is about the city. For the river, see Marikina River.
Marikina
none
April 16, 1630
December 1, 1996
16 (see Barangays)
Marion S. Andres (UNA)
- Marjorie Ann A. Teodoro (1st District)
- Stella Luz A. Quimbo (2nd District)
260,749 voters (2022)
21.52 km2 (8.31 sq mi)
48 m (157 ft)
456,059
21,000/km2 (55,000/sq mi)
104,415
Marikeño
Marikeña
1st city income class
2.56% (2015)[4]
₱ 2,940 million (2020)
₱ 10,113 million (2020)
₱ 2,856 million (2020)
₱ 4,464 million (2020)
Manila Electric Company (Meralco)
Manila Water
+63 (0)02
Tagalog
Located along the eastern border of Metro Manila, Marikina is the main gateway of Metro Manila to Rizal and Quezon provinces through Marikina–Infanta Highway. It is bordered on the west by Quezon City, to the south by Pasig and Cainta, to the north by San Mateo, and to the east by Antipolo, the capital of Rizal province.
It was founded by the Jesuits on the fertile Marikina Valley in 1630 and the area was called Jesus dela Peña (Jesus of the Rocks) and later on called Mariquina.[5] Marikina was the provincial capital of the Province of Manila under the First Philippine Republic from 1898 to 1899 during the Philippine Revolution.[6] Following the onset of American occupation it was then organized as a municipality of Rizal Province, prior to the formation of Metro Manila in 1975. Formerly a rural settlement, Marikina is now primarily residential and industrial and has become increasingly commercial in recent years. The City of Marikina is considered one of the wealthiest local government units in the Philippines.[7]
Marikina is known as the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines" owing to its famous shoe industry.[8] It is the biggest manufacturer of shoes in the Philippines, producing almost 70% of shoes made in the country.[9] Located in the city are the Philippine International Footwear Center and the Shoe Museum, housing the infamous shoe collection of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, wife of the late Filipino president, Ferdinand Marcos.[10]
The city is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo. It contains the Our Lady of the Abandoned Church, the oldest in the Marikina Valley, built in 1572.
Transportation[edit]
Public transport and road networks[edit]
Public transportation within the city, like in most of the urban areas in the Philippines, is facilitated mostly using jeepneys and buses. Tricycles and pedicabs give access to more secluded areas, while taxicabs and a carpooling transport system are available throughout the city. FX taxis have begun to compete directly with jeepneys on major roads while UV Express transport services are also available in selected terminals. BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal located in Marikina–Infanta Highway-C5 Interchange near SM Marikina is a major public transport terminal east of Metro Manila. It is a part of decongesting the traffic in Metro Manila and other neighboring areas that offer interisland bus service destinations.[66]
In the early 2000s, Marikina became one of the pioneers in promoting a "bicycle-friendly" city by building bike lanes along major roads and city streets. The local government constructed a 66-kilometer network of bikeways to help reduce air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, fuel consumption, and traffic congestion in the city.[67] The bikeways project provides an estimated annual savings of 250 tons/km of carbon dioxide, 0.02 tons of particulate matter, and 0.13 tons of NOx.[67] The World Health Organization awarded the project in 2008 in the category of climate change and health.[67] In 2012, the longest bike lane during that time was opened along the stretch of the Marikina–Infanta Highway.[68]
In January 2016, the city government of Marikina invented the "AMV" or "Adaptive Mobile Vehicle" for PWDs or Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens. The "AMV" is a wheelchair vehicle or can put a wheelchair inside. The local government of Marikina wants to be a "friendly city" for the Senior Citizens.
Marikina River is the main waterway in Marikina and is used by local fisherfolk as a mode of river transport. River ferry terminals are still not operational in the city due to the threat of overflowing water in the river during heavy downpours or typhoon season.
Media[edit]
Marikina has its own radio station, Radyo Marikina, a community station owned and operated by the city government. It is considered the first local government radio station in the Philippines. Its frequency is 1674 kHz in Metro Manila. The studio is located at the Public Information Office on the second floor of Marikina City Hall.
The PMCC 4th Watch, a religious group with headquarters at this city, owns and supervises Life TV and Life Radio. Their studios are located at NCLC Building in Barangay Santo Niño. Life TV broadcasts through BEAM TV nationwide digital television broadcast, in UHF Channel 50 and SkyCable channel 44.
