Explore Philippines (Marikina City, Metro Manila)

Marikina City - Shoe Capital Of The Philippines

Description
A city once threatened by a residential housing pandemonium, Marikina has emerged to reap various national awards for excellence in local governance and environmental preservation. In 2002 alone, it was a “Clean and Green” awardee of the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran – a category for which it has already been a Hall of Famer as early as in 1996, when it was still a municipality. On the same year, Marikina was also recognized for having a healthy workplace and marketplace. In various occasions, the city has been awarded as well as the “Best Local Government Unit.”

Thriving proof of the city’s continued quest for excellence is the Marikina River Park. Spurred by the death of natural resources resulting from the continuous growth in residential area, Marikina took pains in rehabilitating and converting the 220-hectare Marikina River into a sports and recreational park.

The city is no stranger to popularity. It has long been famous for its export-quality shoes, the products that gave Marikina the monicker, Shoe Capital of the Philippines. The city’s former Bigasang Bayan is presently being rehabilitated to become the Shoe Museum, showcasing no less than Marikina shoes. Part of the collection are the famous Imelda Marcos shoes. Don Laureano Guevarra, popularly known as Kapitan Moy, who hailed from Marikina, is considered as the founder of the country’s footwear industry.

Marikina also used to be a fulcrum of regional sports events when it was still a part of the province of Rizal. It used to be the training ground of some of the best athletes the country has ever produced.

Geography
Marikina, a lush valley bounded by mountain ranges and sliced by a river, is one of the twelve cities and five municipalities comprising the Metro Manila area. It is approximately 16 km. away from Manila, passing through Quezon City. It occupies a total land area of 38.9 sq. kilometers.

Population
The total population was 357,231 as of the 1995 census.

Political Subdivision
The city is composed of 14 Barangays under one Congressional District. It has been classified as a Highly Urbanized City.