The One & Only; Marikina

LIFE NG ISANG TAGA-MARIKINA By Pauline Dela Paz

Picture
'I'm ready to take pictures!'

I am already 17 years old, in seventeen of living and staying here in Marikina city there are a lot of changes in the city. In the past 5 years I think, a lot of roads in Marikina are not yet fixed far from what we were using today. And the Marikina Spots Center is not that facilitated in the past like there’s no fountain in the corner of the main intersection of road to Cubao and to Masinag.

As years go by, there are a lot of agricultural buildings such as Kapitan Moy, shoe museum, etc. are built and renovated by former city mayor Bayani Fernando and his wife Marides Fernando which was replaced by Del De Guzman (our newly elected mayor). There are a lot of activities held in Marikina like Rehiyon-Rehiyon, Angkan-Angkan, Shoe Festival, Procession during holy week and the common Sta. Cruzan with the Reyna Elenas.

In Christmas season, the city is launching a tiangge near Marikina River Park. The stalls have their own designs and there’s a floating stage where in artists and bands are performing serve as an entertainment to the shoppers while walking and buying stuffs.

In new year's eve or on the 30th of December, there’s a free fire works display at Marikina River Banks for the children to enjoy watching and there’s are carnivals for them to experience riding Ferris wheel, Horror Train, etc. for a cheap price. There are food stalls, where you can buy inihaw na mais, inihaw na pusit and other kinds of street foods. In the other side of the river there and displays of water fountains or open house which are made by the different barangays in Marikina. There’s a price (money) for the most visited and most liked design.  In short, it is fun to live in Marikina.

When I was second year high school, I think. We are required by our teacher to watch and support our school in an event at the Marikina Sports center. It is called Rehiyon-Rehiyon. It is a competition of different schools (private and public) in Marikina representing different local provinces. I was shocked by the simple, cheap but colorful and beautiful costumes of the representatives with their own beauties inside and out. They even put paints I’m not sure if it’s textile or poster paint in their bodies to catch the attention of the audience by their colors.  These are some pictures I have taken in the internet to show you how is it.




Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
 The tickets were not that expensive but the show is worth it. There are fire works display after the competition for the judges to have time to compute the scores to find out who the winners. That’s what I have experienced but I don’t know if the same sequence and rules are followed by the participants. And I’m sure they will feel proud too if they are living in Marikina City.