Cleaning up the river is an environment facelift milestone in Marikina City

"Mariquina,” its pre-US-Philippine Commission name, officially became a town in 1787. Bounded by mountain ranges and a river, the 2,150-hectare city has transformed from a murky low-profile town into a multi-awarded local government unit. The key was a common vision owned by the people.

Marikina, also known for its shoe industry, now has a population of 427,037 and contributes about P8 billion a year in revenue to the national government, making it one of the most progressive cities in Metro Manila.

River City
This river city has been a recipient of numerous awards, such as the Gawad Galing Pook Award for its “Save the Marikina River Program” in 1995. Having won more than 60 citations over the years for its innovation and excellence in local governance, the city is still flowing with ideas to become more competitive—not just in shoe production but also in local governance and investment climate.
Prior to 1993, Marikina River was a filthy flowing body of water. Roads were flooded, and city dwellers suffered from uncollected garbage, obstructed sidewalks, and disregard for the law.

As the leadership changed, the city’s destiny shifted. By cleaning up the river and developing its shore, a turnaround in the city’s image paved way for renewed public support for the local government’s programs.

The Marikina City Development Authority (MCDA) was created to come up with a master plan that would emulate Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). The URA’s goal was to make Singapore a great city to live, work, and play. Singapore was chosen as a benchmark because of its “sound physical environment, economic dynamism, culture of discipline and honest government”—a duplication that is paying off for Marikina. The MCDA also became the city’s brains for its systematic development and architectural poise.

Taking advantage of the river’s landscape, the city put emphasis on infrastructure development as well as on culture to imbibe community traditions. Pathways and parks were built along the riverbanks to focus attention on the care of the river. Making the riverside safe and clean encouraged the public to come out. The process became a reorientation on how important it is to protect the river from getting polluted.

The business aspect was also integrated. One familiar example place is the Riverbanks Center, built as a commercial spot combined with bars, restaurants, shopping, and leisure. Near the center stand 28 stone-sculptured carabaos heading for the river—a throwback to Marikina Valley’s farmland origins.

Aside from the river attractions, the city is also promoting its historical roots. One such place is the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina or the two hundred year old Kapitan Moy Building which was declared by the National Historical Commission as a historical shrine. This is where the shoe industry was started in 1887 by Don Laureano “Kapitan Moy” Guevarra.

A few meters away from the building is the Shoe Museum. It houses 804 pairs of shoes made in Marikina, including those previously owned by Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, Fidel Ramos, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, senators, athletes, and other celebrities

House in Order
Beyond advancing cultural heritage, the heart of the city’s success has been governance. Mayor Marides Fernando believes in the principle of “fixing broken window panes,” a theory of sociologists in the US. The concept is that people adapt themselves to the environment so that if it is in disarray people tend to behave roughly. This is the reason why the city planning office fixed the environment first. Consequently, the city’s commitment to good governance has been aptly recognized with a Presidential Award on Environmental Management, one of the Top Three Competitive Cities in the Philippines, and the Most Competitive City in the National Capital Region.

The city leadership believes that people should be treated equally, but they must also behave decently. “People need not go to the municipio to beg for service, it must be brought to them. No need for preferential treatment,” says Tomas Aguilar, Jr., the city’s planning and development officer.

It all started with the program Disiplina sa Bangketa (Discipline on the Sidewalks) which involved the removal of obstructions in the sidewalks including illegal vendors. Despite resistance on its initial run, the risk paid off well as it resulted in pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and hassle-free roadways.

The same principle was applied to the public markets. The city’s public market was considered the “Cleanest and Most Healthy Market” by various agencies. It has its own Clean Food Laboratory where all kinds of food sold are randomly tested for safety.

Next was getting rid of filth. Marikina has a Waste Management Office (WMO) that oversees the city’s 24-hour transfer station and materials recovery facility. The WMO ensures garbage collection and disposal, street cleaning, enforcement of ordinances such as the Anti-Littering Code, and the conduct of environmental education. A very nice catch in its waste management is that if you want to do business in the city, you will be required to attend seminars on basic sanitation.

Marikina also has a Settlements Office whose main task is to provide decent shelter to underprivileged citizens. Its mission is to have a squatter-free city. One of its services is the community mortgage program (CMP) originatorship, a financing program of the National Mortgage Finance Corporation, which assists residents in the depressed areas to own the lots they occupy. The squatter-free concept is linked to its zoning program to prevent illegal structures in the city.

These programs and Marikina’s system of governance is anchored on three core values: discipline, good taste and excellence. These are the values consistently imparted by the city government to its people, putting emphasis on high standard for integrity and good conduct. One of the city’s symbols shows a logo of a faceless man in native camisa de chino and salakot. It depicts an individual of native and who is one with his community. Written underneath the symbol are the words “City of Good Conduct”—a reinforcing image to raise the citizen’s character.

Quick Response
Having guiding principles is as important as bringing the message across. And one fast way of delivering the message is through the city’s locally operated radio—DZBF at 1674 khz on the AM band. This is a way to relay local events and to educate the public in general, and the Mariqueños in particular.

Delivery of basic services is another aspect that the city is quick in addressing. If America has 911, Marikina has its own Rescue 161 for medical, fire and police assistance. It guarantees a response time of five minutes upon your call. For the same reason, Marikina has its own blood station for emergencies. It is also worth mentioning that the city’s engineering department is the most complete in terms of equipment with close to 600 in manpower—a proven asset during calamities and rescue operations.

The city was also quick in investing on education. Public elementary and high school students have benefited under its educational program, which provides free school fees and school supplies. Marikina also came up with an ordinance which adopts a privilege card for qualified non-delinquent real property taxpayers. Good tax paying citizens are granted discounted rates on fees of selected government services. It is simply a creative way of informing the citizens of their privileges and getting people to pay taxes.

Business Caravan
The Department of Trade and Industry and the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center have awarded the city as the most responsive local government unit. The city does not wait for business to come in, but instead seeks out opportunities.

Through the City Trade and Industry Office, business conferences, international and local trade exhibits are being conducted. The office also provides consultancy services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and sets up livelihood training programs to benefit budding entrepreneurs.

The office also coordinates with business groups in the city that prospective investors could get in touch with, such as the Marikina Council of Fashion, Philippine Footwear Federation, Inc., Marikina Valley Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Marikina Shoe Caravan, and the Marikina Valley Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Chamber of Commerce & Trade.

Marikina is reviving its shoe industry through a national shoe caravan and by further seeking international markets as well. To support this endeavor, the city raised its shoe standards by mandating all producers of footwear in Marikina to adopt the International Standard French Sizing System and the international standard quality for shoe components.

Aside from trade promotions and SME assistance, the city planning office pressed for the approval of its land code from the HLURB last December 2001. This allowed the city to map out properly in zones the residential, business, and other areas of the city. It further revealed at least three to four hectares of available land in Marikina Heights for business. To attract more investments, the city council is also finalizing its Investments Code for prospective investors.

Huge Vision
A community given a clear vision and direction is indeed empowered. In Marikina’s case, the visions were accompanied with strictly implemented regulations that guarantee accountability. A sound future is just in the next corner for the city in pink. It has three primary goals for the coming year: get the people employed, engage the citizens in intellectual activities, and promote a deeper sense of community.

For more information, visit www.marikina.com.ph.

The Philippines is composed of over 7,000 islands scattered over 3 major island groupings - Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. While the main business centers are in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao, there are many other places with good business potential.

Click here to view Philippine map