MANAGING URBAN SPACES FOR LOCAL GOVERNANCE: A FRAMEWORK FOR

SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES IN MARIKINA CITY

A Policy Paper Presented to the Faculty of the

College of Continuing
Advanced and Professional Studies
University of Makati

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Degree of Master in Public Administration

By

MARIA LUISA HECHANOVA JAVIER

 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

INTRODUCTION

Urban spaces are considered as one aspect of the city environment that is

dynamic in daily life for people living in urban areas. They play an important

role in creating healthier and more liveable communities by providing positive

environmental, social and economic benefits.When talking about benefits it

involves people living in a city. A sustainable cities should strive to provide a

clean, safe living environment of high quality and a place where people want

to live and work, now and in the future generation.It should meet the differentt

needs of future residents as well as sensitive to the environment and contributes

to a high quality of life. To live sustainably it is also important to reduce

earth’s natural resources consumption. There is a need to safeguard these

resources from the abused of people. But bacause

But its urban areas are experiencing risk due to population growth. According to a

report the world population in urban areas is projected to grow from 3.3 billion in

2007 to 6.4 billion by 2050. This growth is expected to happen not only in the capital

Metro Manila but mainly in small and intermediate cities. The consequences of this

rapid urbanization will be dramatic.

In many big and small cities in the Philippines, the effects can already be
felt: lack of proper housing and growth of slums, inadequate and out-dated

infrastructure – be it roads, public transport, water sanitation, or electricity-

families facing poverty and unemployment, safety and crime problems, pollution

and health issues, as well as the impacts of natural or man-made disasters and

other catastrophes due to the effects of climate change. With these kinds of

change, provides policymakers and city local government units with a challenge

to create productive urban spaces with opportunities and benefits for the city.

Making cities sustainable means creating career and business

opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies

and economies. It also involves investment in public transport, creating

green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in

participatory and inclusive ways. Sustainable development cannot be achieved

without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban

spaces.

Sustainable cities should strive to provide a clean, safe living

environment of high quality and a place where people want to live and

work, now and in the future generation. It should meet the diverse needs of

future residents as well as sensitive to the environment and contributes to

a high quality of life.

This study then aims to assess the sustainability plan and management of

Marikina City to see whether these are effective enough in promoting

sustainable cities and communities by managing its urban spaces. The NUDHF

will also be used in the study as the point of comparison as it is the guiding
principle of the UN on the road to the achievement of the eleventh goal of the

SDGs, that is, to―make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and

sustainable. Counter-checking whether the programs, targets, and indicators, of

these two broad entities and the sustainability plan and management of

Marikina City, in particular, are being localized is important for the assurance

that proper actions in alleviating lives are really being carried out down to the

smallest of communities. This study uses both research methods through an

interview with personnel from the UN, government offices working with DPWH,

city administration officials and other management offices in Marikina City, and

scholars in the academe of environment and urban management. The

researchers will do an analysis and synthesis on the qualitative data, while the

quantitative data will be based on indicators and proper statistical measures.

This research explores the concept of sustainable urban spaces and analyzing an

international application which could help suggest a framework for urban

spaces in Marikina City to be productive. And become a sustainable city that

could attract tourists and residents to live in.

The central of the research, in its broadest sense, is going to revolve around

the sustainability plan and management of Marikina City, as well as the city‘s

practices, which main purpose is to address issues on the urban management,

and responses to disasters and attend to these issues using the elements of

sustainability that the city has. The ability of the plan and management to

generate sustainable cities and communities is to be assessed according to the

standards of sustainability set by the UN and the plans of action in achieving

sustainable cities and communities of the SDGs.

B. Background of the Study

To begin with, the researcher chose Marikina City and its guidelines, plan,

and management for sustainability as the topic to focus on simply because it is a

city which is prone to natural disasters and its government and offices are

coordinating bodies which main purpose is to address issues that concern

responses to basic needs of its constituents. The plan and management for

sustainability of Marikina City surely has many different branches or offices

that have different duties and perform different functions, and its guidelines are

attending to different issues and problems such as prevention, risk reduction,

and urban management, and so on and so forth. This research, however, is only

going to focus on the urban management that the city currently had. This

includes only the part where the guidelines discuss and show the promotion of

sustainability of communities.

The Sustainable Development Goals initiated by the United Nations

member states are a set of universal goals intended to attend to a wide range of

worldwide issues and problems faced by almost every country around the globe.

This research will be limited to only one and will focus only on the eleventh goal,

which is the promotion of sustainable cities and communities.

According to the United Nation Development Programme(UNDP) more

than half of world population live in cities, and by the year 2050, two-thirds of all
humanity or 6.5 billion people will be urban. Sustainable development cannot be

achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage urban

spaces. Making cities sustainable means creating career and business

opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and

economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating green public

spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and

inclusive ways.

In assessing Marikina City, this research will base some standards of

evaluation on the targets and indicators of this goal. The validity of the

hypothesis will be tested through the localization that goes in a top-bottom

process from the city level down to the barangay level. Marikina has always also

proven to be one of the cities that recover easily from these devastations. It is one

of the few localities that are rich in terms of development and sustainability. The

researcher, then, intend to figure out what the practices of the city are and how

the implementation of these practices are being constantly upheld and strictly

followed.

According to Asuncion (2016), good governance is the key to achieving and

promoting development goals, when good governance is achieved,

microeconomic stability is possible which would eventually lead to poverty

reduction in multiple dimensions.

Good governance is essential in forwarding pure intentions and to focus on

development rather than the self-interest of those in government(Denbach &

Bernstein,2003). National and local governments differ on the range of its

implementation ability thus having different types of governance needed.

Because the local government is able to address grass-root problems, its policies

must cover more detailed issues such as energy and water conservation

strategies, alternative transportation and the proper distribution and use of

lands(Homsy & Warner,2015). Practices that promote sustainability starts at the

local level.

Another basis of the assessment of the plan and management for

sustainability of Marikina City is the guidelines provided by the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development or widely known as the Sustainable Development

Goals. The SDGs stem from the positive feedback of the United Nation‘s

Millennium Development Goals. According to the Knowledge Platform of the

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, Millennium Goals differ from

the Sustainable Development Goals in terms of scope wherein the SDGs aim at

addressing root causes of social, economic and environmental problems that

hinder the development of countries.

Another factor which this paper aims to address is the land use planning

of Marikina City. Planning is government direct intervention in its broadest

sense. The rationales for government intervention in land use are well known.

There is an insufficient resource from land and the activities of the land used

lead to an outwardness or neighborhood effects that have to be managed. Land

use planning, which involves physical, environmental and zoning plans. These

plans set the direction on the scale and pattern of urban developments and

provide the means to manage problems and opportunities arising from

conflicting and complementary uses of land.

The urban land situation in the Philippines is critical, as compared with

other countries in the region, starting from the arbitrariness of zoning decisions,

the indiscriminate conversion of agricultural and agro-forest lands, substandard

developments, and high cost of housing, which raised the question of whether the

problems result from inefficient urban planning.

Another factor to consider is the pattern of settlement in the metro

manila region which underwent considerable change. Not only the population

increases in all areas of the region but that of the urban design and planning as

well.

Looking back, Manila City which was once the home to Spanish and

mestizo aristocracies, became a densely populated and large slum and squatter

areas developed. The once aristocratic suburbs in the Metro Manila became the

sites of poor, lower and middle-class residences. On the other side, rich families,

moved to either Makati or Quezon City, which were historically the lower-

middle-class areas(Caoli 1988). The rapid growth of Makati was primarily the

result of a planned development of the 900-hectare Ayala property, or more than

50% Makati’s total land area, which was transformed into mixed financial,

commercial and residential subdivision in the 1950s.

The development of high rise buildings in the area made the city one of

the most expensive residential locations. While Quezon City became a popular

destination due to the government’s decision to make the city the government
center in 1948 and became the new capital city later. Many national government

offices were transferred in the 1990s, and this is the start of many changes in the

urban landscapes. The proliferation of high –rise developments and

condominiums, industrial properties are converted to commercial use and

properties originally for residential use are being converted for commercial use.

One good example of this changed is the RFM food processing plant located in

Pasig it has been redeveloped into residential use in 1995 which is now known as

Philtown Properties. Another one is the Alabang breeding farm in Muntinlupa

which is converted into a financial and business center. While agricultural lands

and open spaces in Metro Manila have been depleted. From a predominantly

agricultural and forestlands, Metro Manila has become highly urbanized in

terms of land area. And lastly, real estate activity in the urban spaces has

tremendously increased since the 1980s.

Marikina City is known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines. It is located

in the Eastern most of Metro Manila, bounded on the west by Quezon City, in the

South by Pasig City and Cainta, Rizal, on the east by the capital of Rizal

Province, Antipolo and in the north by San Mateo, Rizal. Marikina is only

around 21 km. away from the City of Manila

Marikina was given the title the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines" because

of its notable shoe industry. Shoemakers in the city recently finished creating the

World's Largest Pair of Shoes and it was only recently that the Guinness `World

Records recognized this achievement. The Shoe Museum located in the city is the

home of the famous shoe collection of the former First Lady Imelda Marcos,
 shoes of the world leaders, past presidents, famous celebrities and persons, shoes

of different countries around the world, etc., and contains the largest collection

of pair of shoes in the world.

With all these achievements of the City of Marikina, the researcher will try

to evaluate if the city’s will be able to recognize urbanization and urban growth

as a transformative force of sustainable development.

A. Statement of the Problem

1. What planning theories may be acceptable in the urban spaces and built

environment of Marikina City?

2. How can the City of Marikina be reviewed in the planning of settlements and

communities which can be sustained through managing urban spaces?

3. Who are the various key players and stakeholders in the policy stages of building

a framework for sustainable cities and communities in Marikina City?

4. What are the SWOT findings in the research that may be relevant towards

understanding the urban spaces and built environment of Marikina City?

5. What are the policy recommendations that may be appropriate in order to

realize the character of sustaining urban spaces in Marikina City?

B. Objectives of the Study

 1. To explain the planning theories that are acceptable in the urban spaces and

built environment of Marikina City.

2. To explain the activities that involves reviewing in the planning of settlements

and communities which can be sustained through managing urban spaces.

3. To determine the various key players and stakeholders in the policy stages of

building a framework for sustainable cities and communities in Marikina City.

4. To identify the SWOT findings in the research that may be relevant towards

understanding the urban spaces and built environment of Marikina City.

5. To determine the policy recommendations which may be appropriate in order

to realize the character of sustaining urban spaces in Marikina City.

C. Research Methodology

The research methodology used in this policy paper is qualitative method. In

particular, the descriptive approach was employed. The key informants were chosen

based on their influence and contribution on the said topic. The following research

approach will describe the means that was used in collecting the primary data. Thus

the following approach were put to use:

Qualitative approach was used to investigate the way and how of decision making,

not just what, where, when. Hence smaller but focused samples are more often used

than large samples.

 Descriptive Approach was used to describe what is usually done. A descriptive

approach may be making a decision on a topic only based on past experience. (

Shields, Patricia & Rangarjan, N.2013)

Individual Interview was performed to understand what’s going on in the

community or about the issue in hand. The purpose is to collect information from a

wide range of people or experts. (Graham Bill 2005)

Stakeholder Analysis was used to determine and identify those people who have a

stake or an interest in the reforms under consideration. It helps us understand the

impact of reform in a social and political environment.

SWOT Analysis was used in this paper to describe and analyze the strength,

weaknesses opportunities and threats of an organization. Once completed, SWOT

analysis determines what may assist the firm in accomplishing its objectives, and

what obstacles must be overcome or minimized to arrive in a favorable desire

(Humprey,1960)

D. Scope and Limitation

Being an exploration and inquiry in itself, this research has its restrictions and

boundaries, is confined within the important specifics only, and digs deeper into

each of these particulars. The scope and limitations provide an outline for the

researchers to follow so the whole research will have a clear and coherent body

of correlated ideas, so the readers will have an overview of the gravity of the

importance and essence of each variable.

E. Significance of the Study

 Conducting research on the evaluation of Marikina City‘s plan and

management for sustainability in line with the goals and indicators set by the UN

expands the present literature on the applicability of theories and guidelines onto

the national level. The same goes for the localization of these guidelines from the

national government to the local units. This research stresses the importance of

exerting effort on the part of the government and different offices and agencies

by way of exchanging ideas, share experiences, use analytical tools to make its

communities resilient and sustainable.

This study will also benefit the following institution/individual

1. LCE (Mayor )- Motivated to become a better public servant, shows political will

in the delivery of public services

2. Law Enforcement- exhibited full control and commitment to actual enforcement

of laws and regulations

3. Local Community – their welfare is something that is being given the most

important attention. Builds confidence in becoming even more participative in

community affairs, people have become more aware of their rights and have an

enhanced sense of responsibility.

4. Business Sector –exhibited genuine trust in the local government unit because of

transparency and accountability among the local executives.

5. DILG – contributes to the DILG campaigns for more greener open spaces

6. Information Office- represents an important level of strength which is essential

 for the holistic development of the society.

7. Sangguniang Pang Lungsod- as elected sphere of the city, a more developed and

implementation of shared vision.,full enforcement of laws and city ordinances

8. Barangay- the closest to the people, better understanding of local needs

9. Urban Planners- improves cooperation, collaboration, teamwork, and

networking

10. Real Estate developers- built trust and strengthened programs success

H.GLOSSARY OF TERMS

SDGs - established by the United Nations 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development,

it is a framework of goals, targets, and indicators that aims to guide the agendas and

policies of its member-states

UNDP - it is a network of the United Nations that is tasked to promote sustainability

by encouraging development through connecting countries‘ experiences,

information and resources

Public Policy - it is the means of the state to address the needs of the people through

laws, and guides the actions of the government

Policy-analysis - the evaluation of an existing public policy that aims to explain its

Importance and report its progress in terms of effectiveness

Effectiveness- the influence that the NDRRMC has on the communities in getting

them to abide by its guidelines and in the process fostering sustainable communities
Governance refers to the process whereby elements in society wield power and

authority, and influence and enact policies and decisions concerning public life, and

economic and social development. Governance is a broader notion than government.

Governance involves interaction between these formal institutions and those of civil

society.

Sustainable- communities that are able to survive in the face of disasters and to keep

up with it for a long period of time

Resilience- the ability of communities to become invulnerable and even more

prepared should there be any threat of another disaster

Recovery- the phase where communities develop their abilities of going back to their

normal state after surviving a natural disaster

Development- the process of communities growing even more advanced and

stronger with every disaster that it endures and survive

 CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

A. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

1. THEORIES OF URBAN PLANNING

Planning theory is the body of scientific concepts, definitions, behavioral

relationships, and assumptions that define the body of knowledge of urban

planning.

Urban planning exists in various forms and it addresses many different

issues, urban planning can include finding ways to solve grave housing and

environmental crisis or support and provide sustainable and liveable structures for

the present and future needs of the people. It is predicted in just over ten years that
 people will lack affordable housing and urban spaces are already increasingly

shrinking.

According to Habtezion&Padgham (2014), good governance is one of the crucial

aspects needed to build urban resilience. This includes the sustained capacity of the

government to recognize the vulnerabilities found in the community. The

governments in the local level play a vital role in urban planning because it is the

local government that are first to provide assistance after catastrophic

events(Habtezion& Padgham,2014).It is crucial for the government to provide

mechanisms as part of the resilience of a community. Policy coherence between the

national government and the local governments is important in promoting resilient

cities and communities. In achieving resiliency, national governments must invest

not only in infrastructures but also in human resources where social resilience is

rooted.

According to Adger (2005), resilience in the social level will only be attained

if there is cooperation between different institutions and the government in

educating the society of the possible hazards in their area and also what they could

do in order to rise after the disaster. The individuals in an area would benefit if

their community is resilient.

2. THEORIES OF LAND USE

Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or

wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats

such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods. A city is a place of dense

human settlement, or in other words, a location where many people live close

together. Globally, over half the world’s population lives in urban settings and that

number is expected to rise over the next 25 years. Some estimates suggest that about

84 percent of the population in developed countries will live in a city by the year

2030.

According to Theories of Urban Land Use and their Application by John

McDonagh(1995), the factors that influence the property developers deciding for

urban land projects are demographic, economic, sociological, legal and political. Of

these demographic, economic, and sociological factors tend to drive demand.

Economic factors are employed as the decision tools choosing between various

alternatives. Whereas the legal and political factors will establish the framework

within which the development takes place and attempt to influence, for the benefit

of society in general, the direction of that development. And the interrelationship of

these factors is extremely complex and one factor cannot be viewed in isolation from

the others. And one holistic technique that can be used to analyze this interaction, is

to study historic urban land use in an attempt to see if any consistent patterns of

development have occurred. If such urban land-use patterns can be determined, and

by deduction any consistent patterns, their causes identified, this will help in

predicting the future shape of cities in similar circumstances.

CITY PLANNING
 The development of cities in the early history of humans, people typically

lived in small groups, living off the land through hunting, gathering, and farming.

During the Middle ages, cities were generally limited in size, the center of the city

was often claimed by a cathedral or marketplace, streets were often narrow and

houses were built close together, despite the lack of modern sanitation, cities were

able to remain relatively healthy because the population where small.

3. URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN

Urban planning is a technical and political process concerned with the development

and design of land and the built environment, including air, water, and the

infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportation,

communications, and distribution networks.

In the eighteenth century, when the industrial revolution began, the cities urban life

transformed. The city had a greater population and a social organization built on

the relationships between workers, Inventory of machines and development of

factories as well as works became more specialized, this means that individuals

began to focus on one task in their work and individuals have a more specific task.

Factories were an important development during the industrial revolution and they

brought people into areas close by the factory to live. This increased the population

of smaller cities and as more factories came about, the population continued to rise.

Urban design process involves some degree of problem-solving or solution making

(Jones,1992), the urban designers or the proponent agency task to handle the urban

project of the city needs to identify a number of questions and develop designs ideas.

Which will need to be evaluated against a series of criteria. To determine whether or

 not the design idea could potentially become the right design solution for the

project.

URBAN SPACES FOR MOBILITY

As already mentioned in this paper that the majority of the population would

be living in cities and by the middle of this century, two-thirds of the world’s

population is expected to be living in urban areas. Cities are key factors in achieving

the Sustainable Development Goals, the residents need housings, food, water and

enrich their daily lives with sports and culture as well, and getting around their city

by relying primarily on cars and motorcycles and bicycles as well. With the

increasing urbanization mobility would be disastrous, air pollution, chronic traffic

jams and lack of the cities planned for open spaces for public transport make it

harder for the residents.

The utilization of urban spaces is one aspect that cities could be evaluated,

how they build or developed in terms of functional, innovative and sustainable

transport a more specific task. sustainable mobility that includes public transport as

well as non-motorized transport.

Improving the use of urban spaces by redeveloping unutilized urban spaces

by converting it to parking lots and provide more bicycle space for easy accessibility

in moving up and down the cities and to ease traffics and air pollutions making

more liveable cities.

B. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

1. IPO MODEL (Figure 1)

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 2. Improved land use
Unutilized open spaces
Redevelopment of parks
Facilities that more
Conversion of un utilized Inclusive and sustainable
people need to access
spaces to parking lots, communities
Parking lots
Redeveloped transport Promote cohesive
Bicycle lanes planning community

Traffic congestion EFFec tive leadership Improved productivity

multi-stakeholders Strong and capable public Increased income

involvement administrator

People empowerment Increased responsibilities

of people

FEEDBACK

INPUT NARRATIVE

The input represents the current status of Marikina’s urban spaces wherein there

are areas in Marikina City especially the park in Barangay Marikina Heights, this park

was identified as an underutilized area with great potential. Currently, an open field with

trees and a historic grotto, the Marikina city officials may use the unutilized space by

transforming it into parking lots, making it a bicycle lane, complete with jogging paths, and

creekside flower paths. focussing on maximizing, complete with jogging paths, creekside

flower paths, and recreation areas.

 Cities are fundamentally about people and attending to their needs is what makes a cities

strong and makes people living enjoyable and comfortable, it requires the local government

to be dedicated and taking a detailed attention in their voices.

PROCESS

The process involved in the implementation of urban spaces planning needs effective

leadership which is visionary and well educated that can be able to solve problems and

service-oriented with full awareness with the management of the government.

OUTPUT

Open spaces are opportunities for commercial investment but also for the common good of

the people and the city as well

 CHAPTER III

URBAN PLANNING IN MARIKINA CITY

A. THE CITY OF MARIKINA

History

The Augustinians were the first to arrive at the Marikina Valley in 1500, at

the spot known as “chorillo” in Barangka. Next came the Jesuits in 1630, in a place

now called Jesus Dela Peña or Jesus of the Stones. Here, the Jesuits established a

mission and built a chapel in 1687, this pueblo became a parish known as

Mariquina. In 1901, with the coming of the Americans, its name officially became

Marikina. The early settlers lived along the riverbanks and nearby fertile farms.

By the 19th century, Hacienda Marikina had become the biggest in the

Country. For its size, natural beauty and plentiful harvest, the hacienda was

declared a “mayorazgo” (Royal Estate) by the Spanish Government. In the next

century, to affirm the dignity of labor and enlist the cooperation of the workers, the

Jesuits officially named the hacienda in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the Patron of

Farmers.

On 11 June 1901, Marikina was incorporated in the newly created Province

of Rizal by Act. No. 137 of the Philippine Commission. In 1975, when the Metro

Manila Commission was created under Presidential Decree No. 824, integrating four
cities and 13 towns majority of which were in the province of Rizal, Marikina

became part of Metropolitan Manila area.

Known as the shoe capital of the Philippines, Marikina’s shoemaking

industry began through the pioneering efforts of Don Laureano “Kapitan Moy”

Guevarra, assited by TiburcioEustaquio, Ambrocio Sta. Ines, and

GervacioCarlos.Kapitan Moy’s worn-out pair of British shoes provided the creative

spark: He took the shoes apart, painstakingly studied their components, and then

made patterns out of them. After keenly observing the Chinese in Parian, Manila, he

fashioned his own pair of shoes. With crude tools, raw materials, and the villagers’

support, Kapitan Moy subsequently mastered the art of shoemaking.

By the turn of the 20th century, Marikina emerged as a town of shoemakers.

Honed by years in shoe manufacturing, the natives quickly developed a work ethic

that had prepared them for the arrival of heavy industries in the 1950s. With the

proliferation of industrial plants came waves of workers who had chosen to stay,

rapidly increasing the population. In no time, shoe manufacturing flourished into a

multi-million-peso industry, earning for Marikina the moniker, “Shoe Capital of the

Philippines”

It was during the term of Mayor Bayani F. Fernando who took office in 1992

and determined to see Marikina become a city during his time. It could have been a

city in 1994 when it qualified, but no initiative was taken in the House of

Representatives. It needed the help of Speaker Jose de Venecia and Congresswoman

Carmencita O. Reyes, whose ancestors hailed from Marikina, to get a bill moving in
the Lower House of Representatives on second reading in December 1995, after a

public hearing was held in Marikina.

The Senate approved the bill unanimously on September 30, 1996. Explaining his

vote, Senate President Neptali Gonzales cited the rapid progress of Marikina under

Mayor Fernando whose father, Mayor Gil Fernando, was a partymate of Gonzales

in the liberal party for many years.

The stage was set for the signing of the bill into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on

November 6, 1996 at Malacañang . Some 150 Marikeños, among many guests, heard

the President hailed Republic Act 8223 as “recognition of the indefatigable efforts of

the people of Marikina towards development led by Mayor Bayani F. Fernando.”

. On December 6, 1996, Marikina became a city when Republic Act 8223 was

signed by Pres. Fidel V. Ramos and subsequently ratified by the people through a

plebiscite converting the same into a highly urbanized city. The ascension of

Marikina into a city was considered an offshoot of four years of hard toil leading to

the town’s dramatic transformation under the leadership of Mayor Bayani F.

Fernando.

On March 13, 1997, Marikina, formally inaugurated a city and, thereby, attained a

milestone in its long and colorful history. Today Marikina City is a multi-awarded

metropolitan city, often lauded for its vibrant business life, highly skilled workforce,

and a responsive local government that puts a premium on governance, sustainable

urban development, and public service.

Geography

Location and Land Area

Marikina, a lush valley bounded by mountain ranges and sliced by a river, is

one of the 14 cities and three municipalities comprising the Metro Manila area. It is

Approximately 21 kilometers away from Manila, and lies within 14.6507°N, latitude

and 121.1029°E longitude.

The total land area of Marikina is approximately 2,150 hectares. This represents

about 3.42% of the total land area of Metro Manila.

On December 15, 2006, Republic Act No. 9364, an act amending Section 10 and 53

of RA 8223, creating two congressional districts in Marikina City. The move

validates Marikina’s status as a formidable city with a high potential for further

growth and Progress. At present, Marikina city has two districts.

District I comprise of nine (9) barangays namely;

1. Barangka 4. Kalumpang 7. Tañong

2. San Roque 5. Jesus dela Peña 8. Sta. Elena

3 .Industrial Valley 6.ComplexMalanday 9.Sto. Niño

While District II comprise seven (7) barangays, namely;

1. Concepcion I 5. Marikina Heights

2. Concepcion II 6. Fortune

3. Nangka 7. Tumana

4. Parang
 According to the 2015 census, Marikina has a population of 531,128 inhabitants.

Figure 2.Projected Population by Gross Density and Percentage by Area Per Brgy. Marikina City 2015

% by Area
Barangay Population Area (Sq.Km.) Density

1. Kalumpang 23,262 80.27 3.47 28,979

2. Barangka 30,805 70.11 3.46 38,453

3. Tañong 15,297 116.86 5.05 13,090

4. J. dela Peña 14,607 90.83 3.90 16,224

5. I.V.C. 20,768 74.89 3.24 27,731

6. San Roque 24,646 115.79 5.00 21,285

7. Sta. Elena 8,869 51.43 2.22 17,244

8. Sto. Niño 40,844 162.56 7.02 25,125

9. Malanday 57,732 165.58 7.15 34,866

10. Concepcion I 57,945 226.24 9.78 25,612

11. Marikina Hts. 42.384 233.55 10.9 18,139

12. Parang 56,013 170.46 7.36 32,273

13. Nangka 38,931 159.50 6.89 24,408

14. Concepcion II 29,610 194.77 8.42 14,966

 % by Area
Barangay Population Area (Sq.Km.) Density

15. Fortune 34,332 200.93 8.68 17,086

16. Tumana 35,533 191.40 8.27 18,564

TOTAL 531,128 2,314.37 100% 22,949

The natives of Marikina are referred as “Marikeños”.They are remarked to

be some of the most disciplined people in the Philippines due to the influences,

ethics and urbanity from the past administrations.

Marikina is the biggest manufacturer of quality shoes in the country. It

produced 80% of the shoe production of the Philippines. All locally produced shoes

are made in Marikina, from slippers to shoes.

Topography

Marikina is primarily a valley nestled amidst Mountain ranges and rolling

Hills, its topography is generally characterized as flat terrain with only a portion

that is mildly slopping. These mildly slopping areas are particularly evident in the

eastern section of the city.

Its surface features also highly favor agricultural land use that was the

predominant land use of the town about two decades ago. These topographic

characteristics have rendered the city to be generally suitable for urban settlements
 as evidenced by the increasing number of subdivisions and industrial establishments

in the area in recent years.

B. THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

C. SHORT TO MIDTERM URBAN PLANNING IN MARIKINA CITY

D. ANNUAL INVESTMENT OF MARIKINA CITY IN REALIZING THEIR URBAN

PLANS

E. URBAN SPACES AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Governance refers to the processwhereby elements in society wield power

and authority, and influence and enact policies and decisions concerning public life,

and economic and social development. Governance is a broader notion than

government. Governance involves interaction between these formal institutions and

those of the civil society (The Governance Working Group of the International

Institute of Administrative Sciences 1996

The City of Marikina under the strong leadership of then-Mayor Bayani

Fernando the City of Marikina was cited us Model of Good Governance. In a span

of 4 years of his mayorship, Mayor Fernando was able to make Marikina become a

city.
And the city became known as a multi-awarded city with programs that have

benefited the people and the business sector.

http://www.gdrc.org/u-gov/ugov-define.html