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HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

Marikina City, a lush valley bounded by mountain ranges and sliced by a river, is one of the thirteen (13) cities and four (4) municipalities comprising Metro Manila. It is approximately 21 kilometers away from Manila. It is bounded on the East by the Sierra Madre mountains and by the Quezon City hills; on the north by San Mateo and on the South by Pasig City and the Municipality of Cainta. Its founding day is April 16, 1630.

Marikina was transformed into a highly urbanized city by virtue of Republic Act 8223 on December 8, 1996. From the ruins of war, Marikina painstakingly rebuilt her shattered economy, particularly her shoe industry. Marikina City today is a multi-awarded metropolitan city often cited for its vibrant economy, a highly skilled and literate workforce, an involved and enlightened business community and a responsive local government that puts a premium on governance, sustainable urban development, and public service.

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LAND AREA AND LAND USE

The total land area of Marikina is approximately 2,150 hectares. This represents about 3.42% of the total land area of Metro Manila. The city is composed of two geographical districts, 16 barangays and two congressional districts.

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POPULATION

Marikina City’s population stood at 490,612 according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) based on estimated population growth of 2.34% annually.

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TOPOGRAPHY

Since Marikina is primarily a valley nestled between mountain ranges and rolling hills, its topography is generally characterized to be level, with only a mildly sloping portion. Type A slopes cover about 1,569 hectares or 71% of the total land area of Marikina, which is highly suitable for and tolerant to mechanized farming and urban development in the western and central sections of the city. The rest of the slopes are fairly tolerant to development although prone to erosion and land slippage.

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POWER and WATER RESOURCES

The Manila Electric Company is the franchise power distributor of Marikina’s electric power requirement. Although sizeable in volume, river water is not being used for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes. Potable water is supplied by Manila Water Company, Inc., which serves the eastern portion of Metro Manila.

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WEATHER and RAINFALL

Marikina City’s rainfall is characterized by two seasons, dry and wet. Dry season usually starts in November and ends in April. Wet season begins in May and ends in October. Maximum rainfall is usually from June to September. The average annual rainfall is 2,405.1 millimeters, with a monthly peak of 504.2 millimeters in August and a low of 7.2 millimeters in February.

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SEWERAGE

There is no central sewerage in the city as the National Building Code allows individual septic tanks and mandates specifications for the construction of the same. At the same time, the city strongly promotes the use of neighborhood septic tanks, especially in densely populated communities.

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EDUCATION

Marikina City has 18 public elementary school, 9 public high schools and 2 public colleges/vocational schools. These schools are strategically located in different barangays and subdivided into two elementary school districts. Its first state college, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina, offers affordable tertiary education to local residents. The presence of several computer-learning schools in the city such as the Systems Technology Institute, AMA Computer Learning System and Expert IT Education Center (EITEC) further meets students’ computer literacy needs.

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Marikina City prides itself as a livable city characterized by clean surroundings, hassle-free roadways and sidewalks, parks and playgrounds, a healthy public market, quality shopping centers and restaurants, free public elementary and secondary education, squatter-free environment, free health services, minimal traffic, less pollution, and a high crime solution efficiency rate of 97%. Good governance underscores the local government’s programs and activities.

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