Marikina City is a highly urbanized industrial city located at the eastern part of the island of Luzon in the Philippines.  It is one of the cities and municipality that comprises the conurbation of Metro Manila, the country’s National Capital Region.  The city sits on the lush Marikina Valley surrounded by the Cordillera and Sierra Madre mountain ranges, and traversed by the Marikina River in the mid-west.  Bordering it to the west is Quezon City, to the south are Pasig City and the municipality of Cainta in Rizal province, Antipolo City to the east, and the municipality of San Mateo, also in Rizal, to the north. 

Marikina is famous for its shoe industries and export-quality products, giving it the designation as the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines”.  Found in the city is the world’s largest pair of shoes certified by the Guinness Book of Records, and the Shoe Museum that features  the former first lady Imelda Marcos’ collection of shoes.

Aside from this, the city has also received many awards and prestigious titles even before its incorporation into a city.  It has been the first local government unit to receive the title Cleanest and Greenest City in the Philippines, and has set itself as a hall of famer in the said category.  Most recently, in 2004, Marikina was declared as the Most Competitive Metro City in the Philippines.  It was awarded by the esteemed Asian Institute of Management Policy Research Center, International Labour Organization (ILO), German Technical Foundation, Asia Foundation, and Konrad Adenauer Stiflung.  The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has honored Marikina by including the city in its prestigious Global 500 Roll Of Honour.  It has also been recognized as one    of Asia Pacific’s most healthiest and livable cities.

All these awards and recognitions stand proof of not just the city’s status, but also of the discipline and hard work of its residents.  Together with its booming and vibrant economy, its supportive business sector,  and responsive government, Marikina is setting the standard for all urban cities in the Philippines.

Residential Places in Marikina

Much of Marikina is composed of residential areas.  Most middle class and upper class families reside  in the many villages and subdivisions in the city.  Some of the city’s prominent gated communities are Loyola Grand Villas,  SSS Village, the Rancho Estates, WOODRIDGE VALLEY HEIGHTS, TIMBERLAND HEIGHTS, and the OUR LADY OF LOURDES EXECUTIVE VILLAGE.

Marikina also has the newly erected Marquinton Residences Complex, which is a compound of high-rise condominiums situated along Sumulong highway in Calumpang.  The first of its kind in the city, it is a favored residence of many middle to upper class young professionals and starting families.  It features a park and play area for children, adult and kiddie swimming pools, a spa, and a health club.  Also housed within the complex is the affluent Blue Wave Mall.

Hospitals and Universities of Marikina

Marikina has numerous private and government tertiary care hospitals, as well as several private clinics scattered all over the city.  The most impressive and prominent of these is the Marikina Valley Medical Center that stands on a 2,060 m2 parcel of land along Sumulong Highway corner Aguinaldo Street in Barangay Sto. Nino.  This 7-storey twin structure with a floor area of 6,000 m2 is a government hospital that boasts the standards of a luxury hotel and amenities of a fully modern hospital.  It features a fully air-conditioned out-patient department and hospital wards, which totals to an approximate of 100 bed capacity. Among its specialties are cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, , general surgery, cosmetic surgery, nephrology , pulmonology, oncology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, and rheumatology.

Listed below are other general hospitals and specialty clinics in Marikina:

Marikina Hospitals
Name Address Telephone

Amang Rodriguez Medical Center Sumulong Highway, Sto.Niño 933-5830
Garcia General Hospital Bayan-Bayanan Avenue, Concepcion Uno 941-5511
Salve Regina General Hospital Marcos Highway, San Roque 682-3597
San Ramon Hospital 38 G Ordoñez Rancho IV 941-8040
St Rodriguez Hospital Sumulong Highway, Sto.Niño 941-5854
St. John The Baptist Hospital Sta. Ana Extension, San Roque 682-9093
St. Victoria Hospital J P Rizal Avenue, Lamuan, Malanday 475-1552
St. Vincent Hospital Bayan-Bayanan Avenue, Concepcion Uno 948-5553

Clinics

A L Veniegas Maternity Clinic 59 Bronze, SSS Village 941-1385
Alcantara, Joy Medical Clinic 352 JP Rizal Avenue, Sta. Elena, 245-5476
Amang Doctors Clinic 243 Shoe Avenue, Sto Nino 933-1432
Arriola Children's Clinic 6 W Paz, Sta. Elena 646-2015
Asian Derma Clinic Riverbanks Mall, Barangka 475-1642
Assumption Clinic 8 P Paterno Avenue, Parang 933-9307
Bautista Medical Clinic 404 e Dela Paz, Sto Nino 682-8882
Capcos Medical Clinic 213 J P Rizal Avenue 646-1812
Cases-Berbardo Polyclinic 37 J P Rizal Avenue, Calumpang 933-0977
Celestial Maternity Clinic 688 J P Rizal Avenue, Conception Uno 941-2452
Centro Medical & Laboratory Clinic J P Rizal Avenue, Sto Nino 943-2795
Clinica Ace J P Rizal Avenue, Sto. Nino 948-9368
Clinica De Vera 613 J P Rizal Avenue, Conception Uno 941-8937
Clinica Kabuhat 11 A Tuazon Avenue, San Roque 645-2245
Clinica Parang 95-B Gen Molina, Parang 942-7415
Communiy Kidney Clinic 136 J P Rizal Avenue, Calumpang 646-0425
Del Mundo Clinic J P Rizal Avenue, Sto Nino 941-8633
Dela Paz Clinic 198 E Dela Paz, Sta. Elena 646-1908
Emmanuel Clinic 586 J P Rizal Avenue, Conception Uno 941-1668
Eugenio Medical Clinic 598 E Mendoza, Sto Nino 935-6735
F R Santos Medical Clinic 5 J P Rizal Avenue, Calumpang 645-2894
Holy Spirit Maternity Clinic 18 J M Basa, Calumpang 645-6278
Holy Trinity Polyclinic 175-C Cabarrubias, Tanong 998-2222
Immaculate Conception Multi Specialty Clinic 626 J P Rizal Avenue, Conception Uno 940-2149
Jimenez Medical Clinic 97 B G Molina, Parang 997-0153
Madonna Maternity Clinic 223 Malaya, Malanday 941-4936
Navarro Clinic 18 Sumulong Highway, Sto Nino 646-2153
St. Rose of Lima Medical & Maternity Clinic A de Guzman, Parang  490-6188

Education 

The city of Marikina has two universities, namely the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina and the Ateneo De Manila University.  The former is Marikina’s only state university and has only been established in 2003.  Aside from its nursing program, the university’s banner course, it also offers courses in business administration, hotel and restaurant management, caregiving, computer programming, criminology, education, and mass communication.  The latter university, on the other hand, is the Marikina half of the Ateneo De Manila University Loyola Heights campus in Quezon City.

Complementing the two aforementioned institutions are the numerous colleges and vocational schools found in the city.  Among these are the Marikina Polytechnic College, Kalayaan College, National Christian Life College,  Roosevelt College, St. Camillus College, Our Lady of Perpetual Succor School, the vocational school National Cottage Industries Technology Center, and the computer schools of AMA Computer College )Marcos Highway), AMA Computer Learning Centers, STI Learning Centers, Deeco Technological Institute, IETI Computer and Technical Education College, and the Expert Information Technology Education Center. 

Commercial Places in Marikina

Marikina has three major shopping malls, one of which is the SM City Marikina which sits at the corner of Marcos Highway and East Marikina Riverbanks Service Road in Calumpang.  It is the newest branch of the Philippine’s  largest mall chain owned by SM Prime Holdings and currently stands as the larges mall in Eastern Metro Manila and the whole of Rizal province.  Its 5-storey structure houses  a department store, a hypermarket, an entertainment hall, 8 cinemas, and various shops and boutiques for apparel, shoes, accessories, and home appliances.  Outside the building is a large parking lot complemented by a multi-level carpark. 

The most upscale among these is the Blue Wave Mall at the Marquinton Complex along Sumulong Highway in Sto. Niño.  Aside from the usual amenities and features of a shopping mall, such as retail shops and a supermarket, , Blue  Wave is considered as Marikina’s premiere leisure entertainment center with its 4 state-of-the-art cinemas, cafes, and fine dining restaurants.

The Riverbanks Mall, the third mall in Marikina, is found at the city’s riverside commercial and recreation center, aptly called the Marikina Riverbanks Center.  The mall offers the usual convenience afforded by modern shopping center, such as a department store, a supermarket, shops and stalls for clothes, shoes, and cellphones, as well as various popular fastfood chains.  Located within the center are other retail shops, restaurants, and several offices, a hotel, and the Philippine Science Centrum.

Marikina’s leisure and entertainment centers—the Marikina River Park and Blue Wave Mall—host a variety of bars and restaurants.  The Marikina River Park is a favorite night spot among the locals because of the abundance of music bar/restaurants found in the area coupled with the scenic night view of the river.  Some of the prominent establishments at the park are Riverfront Grill, After Six Bar and Lounge, East 53 Bar & Grill Restaurant, and Tabing Ilog Bar (Riverside Bar). 

Meanwhile, Blue Wave Mall mostly has family-oriented dining establishments, such as Max's Restaurant, Big Buddha, Hotshots, Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties, Yellow Cab Pizza, and Shakey’s.

The whole stretch of A. Tuazon  Avenue (Gil Fernando Avenue)  also has notable sport bars, drinking joints, night clubs, and restaurants lining both sides of the street.  Some establishments found there  include the Anahaw Grill & Restaurant, Jerry’s Seafoods, Kubo Sa Tuazon, Rivergold Grill & Resto Bar,  BITE Resto Bar, 51 Sixty Seven Billiard Hall, and Time Rusher Billiard Hall. 

Service Establishments of Marikina

The city’s electric power is provided by the Manila Electric Company or MERALCO.  It is the largest electric power distributor in the Philippines, supplying 22 cities and 89 municipalities, including the whole of Metro Manila and Mega Manila.  Its Marikina branch is located in Concepcion, at the corner of Bayan-Bayanan Avenue and Gen. Ordoñez Street, where bill payment and applications can be made.

The major telecommunication service provider in the city is the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).  Its roster of telecommunication products and services include fixed telephony, internet access via dial-up and DSL, and mobile network services through its mobile arm, Smart Communications.  Its South Marikina branch is located beside Shell gasoline station along Marcos Highway in Cainta, Rizal.

Alternative telecom companies in the city are Globe Telecom and Bayan Telecommunications.  With their   brands, Globelines and BayanTel, both companies provide fixed telephony and internet access either through dial-up, DSL, or broad band.  Another Broad band service provider in Marikina is SmartBro of smart Communications.

Mobile Network service providers in the city  are Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Sun Cellular of Digitel  communications.  All three companies offer prepaid and postpaid subscriptions, as well as competitive features such as mobile banking, mobile TV, and internet browsing. 

Security 

The Marikina Police Station is the Philippine National Police Eastern District’s first station.  Under it are sub-stations functioning as community police and precincts.  Listed below are their locations and contact information:

Marikina Police
Police Station Location Telephone
Marikina Jacamar Street, Sta. Elena 646-6151 / 646-1631

PCP* 1 Calderon Street, Calumpang 934-3434
PCP 2 Shoe Avenue, San Roque 646-8479
PCP 3 Oriole Street, Sta. Elena 646-1651
PCP 4 Shoe Avenue, Sports Parks 0919-7005511
PCP 5 Malaya Street, Malanday 924-1346
PCP 6 JP Rizal, Concepcion 1 924-0419
PCP 7 P del Pilar, Concepcion 2 942-0561
PCP 8 Marikina Heights 933-4020
PCP 9 Parang Barangay Hall 943-0072
PCP 10 Nangka Barangay Hall 934-8625
PCP 11 Barangay Jesus dela Peña
 948-6963
PCP 12 Boni Avenue, Tañong 948-6810
PCP 13 Barangka Barangay Hall 948-1274
PCP 14 Maj. Dizon Street 933-0164
*PCP-Police Community Precinct

Embassies in Marikina

Marikina does not have any embassies or consular offices.  Many of the foreign embassies and consulates to the Philippines are located in the cities of Makati and Manila.