Welcome to Marikina City!

In view of the non-existence of records or documents on how Mariquina came into

being, the following legends were gathered from the old of the different barrios in
Marikina.

From the name of a priests name Mariquina

One of the builders of the Jesus dela Pea Chapel was a young priests called
Mariquina who was given the task of baptizing children to Christianity. Because
of this very noble job Mariquina was named in his honor to bestow upon him
glory and praise.
From a young lady called Maria Cuina
Before the Spaniards came to Mariquina, a beautiful, virtuous, polite and
intelligent lady named Maria Cuina was residing in the town. Because of her
expertise in business, she became rich and her fortunes were expended in charity
ad eventually became famous in the whole town up to Manila. When a traveler
from other towns visited the barrio, he asked for the name of the town, a resident
replied Maria Cuina thinking that what was being asked was their admirable
lady. Since then, the story spread throughout and the town was known as
Mariquina.
From the word Marikit-na
During the construction of the chapel of Jesus dela Pea, it was being supervised
by the Jesuit priest and the laborers were Filipinos. As expected, language barrier
was a problem resulting in the usual misunderstanding. When the chapel was
completed and the priest asked what would be called of the structure, one worker
answered Marikit-na-Po, thinking that what was being asked was the condition
of the chapel. Because the Spaniards knew that the word Po is a sign of respect
and they were finding it difficult to express the letter T, the Marikit-na was
believed to be said as Marikina.

Hall of Famer as the Cleanest and Greenest City in the Philippines.

Most Competitive Metro City in the Philippines
98% Literacy Rate
Healthiest City in Asia Pacific
Marikina has produced 80% of the shoe production in the Philippines
City of great talents
Most livable City in Asia Pacific Marikina proved that it is possible to keep
at phase with progress while maintaining the health of environment

Visit Marikina City and see for yourself why it is famous far and wide as the Shoe
Capital of the Philippines. Be awed by the Largest Pair of Shoes in the world
and the renowned Shoe Museum, the repository of shoes donated by former
presidents of the republic, other political bigwigs, sports icon, celebrities and
famous personalities, not to mention a collection form Madame Imelda Marcos.
You may shop-till-you-drop at the Marikina Shoe Trade Fair permanently domiciled
at the east side of the Marikina Sports Park. There you will find proudly Marikinamade shoes, slippers, sandal and bags at affordable prices.
Marikina aspires to become a Sports Hub for which reason the Marikina Sports
Park is undergoing a makeover and appropriate retrofitting as an improved venue
for local, regional, national and international sporting events.
Marikina City prides itself of cultural and heritage sites such as Kapitan Moy, the
ancestral house of the founding father of the shoe making industry preserved for
posterity and now the favorite venue of conventions, conferences, weddings,
baptismal and other social events. Additional heritage and cultural attractions
include the Jesus Dela Pea Church, Our Lady of the Abandoned Church
and Teatro Marikina, home of noteworthy year round cultural events.
In pursuit of environmental and health concerns, the Marikina River Park offers
not just a refreshing view but has become a haven for promenaders, early
morning joggers taichi enthusiast and other health buffs. We also have the
longest bike lane in the country spanning 56 kilometers to the delight of bikers
and the benefit of people opting for a healthier, cheaper and greener mode of
transport.
The city skyline and environs are getting more and more cosmopolitan as
condominiums, multi-story housing units as well as malls, supermarkets and
shopping centers are sprouting all over. New constructions are the pipeline
projecting a notable image of economic vibrancy. And yet, in the midst of all
these urbanization frenzy, Marikina aggressively pursue the preservation of old
architecture and the identification of new heritage sites. Thus committed to keep
Marikina a clean, green and livable city whose people are known for warm
hospitality and urbanity. Come and see for yourself what Marikina have been so
far.

SHOE MUSEUM
Its just fitting that Marikina City, being popularly known as the shoe capital of the
Philippines, houses the Shoe Museum.
The Shoe Museum was conceived in 1998 under then Mayor Bayani F. Fernando
on the assumption that the City, being the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, can be
a significant venue for nurturing the historical and cultural values of its shoe
industry. It was opened in February 16, 2001 and was initially called the Footwear
Museum of Marikina.
The building which houses the museum was used as an arsenal during the
Spanish period. It was also a detention cell during the Filipino-American war where
General Macario Sakay, one of the leaders of the Katipunan, was held. At the
latter part of the American regime, it was converted into a motor pool for the
American soldiers. After the 2nd World War, the Tuason family used the building
as a rice mill for the entire hacienda.
The Shoe Museum is deftly organized into the following collections: that of the
world reknowned shoes of former Philippine First Lady, Imelda Marcos; assortment
of shoes worn by personages.
such as former Philippine presidents, vice presidents, senators, ambassadors, and
Marikina mayors; traditional footwear from various countries; and a collection of
entries to city-sponsored shoe design competitions. The museum acquaints us
with the know how of making shoes with the shoe lasts used as master mold of a
shoe and the different animal skins used like alligator skin, snake skin, pigskin,
calfskin and sheepskin. It also exhibits a life-size diorama that shows shoemaking
in Marikina as was done during the early stages of its shoe industry. The 800 pairs
of shoes of Mrs. Marcos, are part of the 3,000 pairs collection which she
accumulated performing her duties as first lady during her husbands 20-year
incumbency. She wore those shoes at meetings with dignitaries both here and
abroad. Photos showing Mrs. Marcos during key state occasions accompany some
of the shoes on display. These shoes now benefit the local shoe and fashion
designers and manufacturers as they carry the exquisite designs and fine
craftsmanship of the foreign shoe artisans.
The museum holds shoes of several famous people including a pair of shoes from
the president of the Philippines in chronological order Other shoes note worthing
are those of celebrities, ambassadors political figures and even traditional shoes
from several countries. On the 2nd floor, youll read history about shoe making
including life-size mannequins depicting the art of shoe making. Youll also find
some unusual shoe sizes like one being 3 feet long. The main bulk of shoes on
display was contributed by former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos.
Youll see all different kinds of shoes she owned for different occasions. Shoes
both made in Marikina and made abroad with different brands, styles, shapes and
colors are on display. The museum also has a hundred pairs of traditional shoes
coming from different countries as well as shoes of many personalities, actors,
former Philippine presidents, vice presidents, senators, and mayors of Marikina
City.