Marikina Travel Guide, Philippines

Marikina City -The Shoe Capital of the Philippines

Marikina is a 2,150-hectare land located between a cleaved river and mountain ranges. It is one of the twelve cities and five municipalities which comprise Metro Manila.

Marikina has been a subject of controversy when it was threatened by a residential housing chaos. Despite the ups and downs of the city, it emerged to have reaped several national awards for environmental preservation and excellence in local governance. It was named the 'Clean and Green' awardee during the year 2002 and it was honored at Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran since 1996. These awards serve as evidences of the city's effort to environmental awareness.

Geography

Marikina is considered one of the largest cities in terms of land mass. It is bordered by Quezon City on the West, Pasig City to the South, Antipolo City to the East and San Mateo to the North.

Marikina's Popularity

The city owes its popularity to the now transformed Marikina River. The 220 hectare river is now converted and rehabilitated into a recreational and sports center. Because of the local government's action and the participation of the city inhabitants, the death of natural resources has successfully changed course.

Marikina has long been popular for its export-quality shoes. The business paved way to thousands of jobs for the inhabitants of the city. Today, the most famous shoes are displayed on the city's Shoe Museum. This art center also houses a part of Imelda Marcos' shoe collection.

What to See in the City

Marikina has several interesting places to offer. It has numerous business, industrial and commercial centers which are all located at the heart of the city. Most of the northern part of Marikina is made  up of subdivisions and several residential areas.

Here is a look at the places you have to visit at Marikina City:

The Gallery of the Riverbanks Mall

The city houses the largest pair of shoes in the world. It was awarded by the Guinness World Book of Records and is considered a primary destination area in the city.

Our Lady of the Abandoned Church

This famous landmark has undergone several repairs and renovations already. It used to be a place of worship for the Augustinian friars. Despite the many calamites it faced, the church remains to be one of the best sites the city has to offer.

Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina

This 200 year old ancient building was formerly owned by the father of Marikina's shoe industry. The place is frequented by tourists and locals because of the wide selection of footwear displays that were once owned by the former first lady Imelda Marcos.