Explore Manila! (Marikina City)

Metro Manila is the home of many Filipinos. The urban landscape of Manila has attracted a lot of Filipinos with the promise of a better life. Most of them end up disappointed with the harsh realities of urban living but still they remain steadfast to their hope that city will give them a better life.
 
It is hard to fall in love with Manila. The love that you feel for Manila is a love that grows in you. You learn to love the beauty together with the inadequacies of city living. Through time, Manila becomes attach to your life that one could not easily shrug off its beauty. This is my goal – to show a different side of Manila. Welcome to my “Explore Manila!” series.
 
Explore Marikina!
 
Marikina City is known as the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines”. The city is known for its shoe industry where 70% of the shoes in the Philippines are produced by Marikina. This city, once a rural community, is now one of the progressive cities in Metro Manila and one of the wealthiest local government in the country. The city was also able to develop its tourism front, together with its growth as an economic center.
 
Join me as I explore Marikina City!
 
Jesus dela Pena Church
 
In the midst of a simple community along the banks of the Marikina River is a chapel where the city’s first Catholic mass was held. The community, where the church is located, was one of the early communities along the Marikina River where its residents were dependent on the river for their living. It was the Jesuits who introduced the Christian faith in the community holding the first mass in a 1630 inside an old storage house. The storage house would later on be converted in the chapel making it the oldest church in the city.

The Juan de la Pena Chapel is the oldest church in the city of Marikina.

The simple design of the church is in contrast with the usual Spanish-period churches that I see during my travels. It doesn’t have that grand façade and sprawling lawns that we usually see in pictures. Here was a church that represents its old community that exemplifies the simplicity of their faith.
 
Marikina River
 
A tributary of the Pasig River, the Marikina River traverses the city of Marikina with its waters coming from the Sierra Madre. The river was once a transport route during the Spanish period and, with the development of the road system, the river transport system was slowly weaned out. The Marikina River ecosystem deteriorated with the development of the city as an industrial center.

The Marikina River is the city's main attraction. The city government has managed to implement an effective system to try to revive the river.

The local government of Marikina has taken a lot of initiatives to clean up the river and to develop its riverbanks as an attraction. They have managed to improve the condition of the riverbanks that it is now a major attraction of the city with water activities that people get to enjoy while creating livelihood for its local residents.

The "Mariquit Na" Statue along the banks of the river.

Kapitan Moy (Sentro ng Pangkultura ng Marikina)
 
“Kapitan Moy” is the person responsible for the development of Marikina’s shoe industry. The 200-year old “bahay na bato” was the site of the first shoe factory in the city and its historical significance is recognized by the National Historical Commission. The house was later turned into a primary school and as a military headquarters by the Japanese during World War 2.

Kapitan Moy was the site where the first shoe factory was established in Marikina City.

At present, the heritage house is now a center for cultural activities of Marikina with two restaurants occupying the first floor. The second floor now serves as a venue for temporary art exhibits by local artists.
 
Our Lady of the Abandoned Church
 
Restored in 1957, the Our Lady of the Abandoned Church in Marikina City is the home of one of the religious images of the Virgin Mary in Metro Manila that is said to be miraculous. The church was established after the Agustinians took over the spiritual leadership of the city. The congregation was later moved to its current location because of persistent flooding in Jesus de la Pena Church.

The Our Lady of the Abandoned Church in Marikina City.

The church was badly damaged during the Filipino-American War and its belfry was destroyed during World War 2 and its restoration marked the unwavering faith of the locals. What caught my attention during the explore activity was the life-size statues of saints that don the side roofs of the church. It looked like a legion of saints guarding the church and its congregation.

The grand interiors of the Our Lady of the Abandoned Church.

The church’s interior was glowing in gold with the Virgin Mary’s image as its centrepiece. Its painted ceilings is also a must see. The church is one of those churches where its interiors stand out.
 
Shoe Museum
 
Just right across the Our Lady of Abandoned Church is a museum that serves as a repository of shoes of different public figures in politics, entertainment, and business. The Marikina Shoe Museum is the city’s exhibit area that showcases its thriving shoe manufacturing business. The first floor opens with a brief and a life-size diorama of the industry. It also has a collection of different footwear from around the globe.

The Shoe Museum is the repository of shoes owned by prominent Philippine personalities.

Interestingly, the museum is also the home of Imelda Marcos’ shoes collection during her term as First Lady of the country. Some of these shoes were made in Marikina. These collections are prominently displayed on the second floor, complete with a large picture of the former First Lady.

The life-size diorama of the shoe manufacturing industry of Marikina City

Marikina Sports Complex
 
The Marikina Sports Complex is a world-class sport facility at the heart of Marikina. Its facilities include an Olympic-size pool, track and field, basketball courts, volleyball courts, a library, and a museum. The venue has hosted a number of local and international local sporting events.
 
Here is a fast fact, did you know that the land where the complex stands was once a train station?
 
Largest Shoes in the World
 
True to the city’s call to make quality shoes, Marikina City also holds the Guinnes World Records for having manufactured the largest pair of shoes in the world. Measuring 5.29 meters long and 2.37 meters wide, the shoes is on display at the Marikina Riverbanks Mall.
 
The shoes were created in 2002 and was the highlight of the first Sapatero Festival of the city.
 
Post Explore Notes:
 
Marikina City is one city that has shown resilience and development over the past years. Despite the onslaught of Ondoy, the city has managed to rise up from the debris of the calamity with the right level of governance. I have always admired the city government, even way back in college, with how it has managed its resources to make the city liveable and properly developed.
 
Furthermore, it has managed to try to rehabilitate the Marikina River and use it as an attraction without disregarding that the river can turn its wrath to residents along its banks.
 
Marikina City is definitely a model city that every local government can emulate.

A typical day in Marikina is watching kids bike along the banks of the Marikina River.

Furthermore, it has managed to try to rehabilitate the Marikina River and use it as an attraction without disregarding that the river can turn its wrath to residents along its banks.
 
Marikina City is definitely a model city that every local government can emulate.