Tour Around Markina City , inter city private cash only economy

Tour Around Markina City , inter city private cash only economy

Here we are, guys, in Marraina City, Philippines. We’re just north of downtown Metropolitan Manila, right? Yeah. Yeah, we are. We are. All right, let’s give you guys a little bit of a tour of the area that we are staying in. This is the street we’re on. The street where we’re living, but we’ll give you a guys a little tour around the town. And it is aged. It’s old. I I don’t know how how long is this Do you know how long the city The city’s been here for hundreds of years, right? Yeah. Yeah. Got to be. It’s got to be along along the river. People always migrate along the river, right? Wherever there’s water, you find people, right? It is rainy season though. Look at the tambi, man. Oh, yeah. Oh, there’s there’s the bus. It’s a 24/7 lift. Some of these are businesses. E, they’re still open. Some of these places, right? Yeah. On the other side, when you go down the other way, I noticed there was a lot of food there. They’re making food. Street food. Street food. Yeah. Karindera, that is called. Yeah. rice and uh luton ulam. That’s how uh basic basic business here. Okay. Food. In Canada, we can’t just open a food stand like that. In Canada, the government shuts us down. Saying there’s too many protocols, too much this and too much that. And I don’t see anyone in the Philippines dying of food poisoning. But they always make up stuff, you know. Oh, open your mirror. mine. This mirror. Uhhuh. Okay. Oh, unless you There you go. Mechanical mirrors. There you go. So you can see what you’re doing. Oh, I think he’s waiting for you. Yeah, that’s the first time I ever see a guy on a scooter. Wait, they usually try to go through you. First time, huh? Yeah, that’s the first time. They don’t trying to go right through your car. The other driver is not. So, this is Addis Street. Atis street. Oh, it’s like more of a bizari type of uh marketplace here, eh? Yeah. Local call this palen. Oh, talipa. Talipa. Talipa. Small small store in the a little bit of uh vegetable. Mhm. When you when you in the mall, you say you say groceries in this in the That’s why Talipa something small. That’s where I got the uh bananas there for 25 cents. And we got our fruit here for less than a dollar a US dollar. You could buy a lot of food with $20 American, right? It’s the driving here is pretty hectic, I notice. Yeah, Lisa Sari si store. Lots of people shopping there. Lots of people shopping. This is this is the private sector. This is family, right? Family business keeps the economy going. Yeah. Yeah. This economy is very powerful, right? This is a multi-billion dollar economy in your country. And this is what this is what keeps your country going. What do you call it? Uh the thingy thingy the a little bit of maybe one piece of garlic, one piece of uh one piece of onions. That’s they call that that that story called Oh, so they sell seasoning. Yeah. Like stuff like that. Like kind of stuff like that. Okay. Wow. These streets are endless. They like just go in circles. So many corners. So many This has got to be this this this a lot of this this area has got to be have have been here for many years. Yeah, 100%. This this this is not a new this is not a new place. This place is new. If you want the I know the histo uh the oldest uh street or oldest in the kapetan moy in the they called bayan bayan want to go there. Is it is it is it here in this town? Is it in Marina? Yeah yeah in Maragina. Yeah we could drive there. Wow. Oh, this is nuts. But this is entertaining. This is very interesting to see. Look at that buyers. Yeah. Two pieces of fish. One pieces for two pieces of uh fish. Mhm. 10 cents. 25 cents. Papa. Yeah. 25. I see the sign of 25 cents American for for two fish. Yeah. Here we go. Asa Jaska. Okay, buddy. Easy there. Wow, the food. Wow. Lots of sausages here. Wow. Lots of lots of food stands and stuff. So, when I tell people I I could buy a lot of food for for 20 bucks, a lot of people in the comments are saying I’m lying or making it up. Oh, frozen. That guy. That guy’s making pizzas there, too. Back there. There was pizza. Holy smokes. The bakery. There’s a bakery over there, too. E, I can smell it. Fresh bread. This is the intercity. This is the inter city economy that keeps your country going. In Canada, we don’t have this. In Canada, you try to open something like this, they’re all over you for permits and safety this and safety that. There’s no safety. It’s just they’re trying to bankrupt you. It’s too hard to leave it there. It’s too expensive. Too expensive. But that’s a discipline. No, it’s theft. Stealing. Stealing. Government likes to steal from people. Government doesn’t produce anything. Government doesn’t make anything. Government doesn’t make any money. The people make the money. Stealing and the government. Yes. Here you go. You got it. Oh, here we go into this street here. Oo. Our streets. Tea and burgers. Mind you, it’s early in the morning and uh everything’s still pretty closed, right? I think this late, this person here is opening their shop up right now. We’re on Jason and Pine Tree. Ooh, Kirby’s Pandisal Bakery. Hot Pandisal Bakery. Oh, cool. Oh, Pandisel. Oh, yeah. Rose loves 4:30 a.m. 1000 p.m. Rosie loves Pandisel. Yeah. Canada. Yeah. We We There’s a There’s a friend that makes it for her. My mom made it, too. My mom makes it. You give her the recipe. My mom will make anything. She’s Portuguese. Portuguese version. Oh, no. She’s My They could pretty much cook it. Oh, big burgers. Star up after star burger. Oh, Mr. Boyce special specialty. All kinds of cool little shops here. Intercity economy. And you know what the thing is with the money that’s in this in the city? So the people that have a shop here, right? Yeah. You pay them for something, right? They take that money and they buy something here and then they take that money and buy here and they take that money and buy food and then they take So the money stays inside the city, right? Yeah. It stays inside city. Canada Street. Canada Street. Diny Mark. Denmark. Cabayan. Cabayan Street. Indigo. S. Gabriel. And you want me to drive in this? No way, man. I need a lot of patience. But this is it. is so it went in a big circle. Everything’s just everyone’s just so close to each other like driving and walking and nobody care. No one’s scared. You know what I mean? Like they’re just in there. Look sh Marina the city. What’s the population of this area? Do you know? Um 20,000 16,000 I don’t I don’t like that. Maybe in the Google. Yeah. Well, Google’s Google’s. It’s all they’re lying about population. Oh, they always make it more than it is. And they always do that. Is that real? Yeah. They’re constantly lying about pot. They like everything. Utalia Utalia Street. Just everyone’s all about their business. Hey, doing their thing. Going to work, going to school, going to That’s a sar store. Talipa quick burger. Fried lots of fried chicken. I’ve seen chicken everywhere. Chicken’s good. They called KFC. Kanto fried chicken. Oh, canto fried chicken. Kong mean uh means street corner corner. Kanto. That’s in Spanish, too. Kanto means like a corner. Corner of the street. KFC. Kanto. Fried chicken. Mhm. Kanto, Dalia Streets. It’s good. You know, I’m going to tell you something. I’m the only white person here. Well, I’m not even really white. I’m Portuguese. Beniter Iberian or whatever. There’s nobody. I haven’t seen one person yet. Like the whole time I’m here. Even we went to McDonald’s, there’s no white people. You notice that? It’s just it’s just Filipinos. Well, we are in the Philippines and you’re going to find Filipino people in Philippines, right? That’s just what it is, right? Yeah. But but uh I just really shocked to see that there’s no that there’s no expatriots or just, you know, just people like, you know, I’m I’m really shocked not to see a lot of Americans here. But you know what? I noticed nobody nobody really speaks English here either. Like they do, but not as you know what I mean, right? Yeah. It’s they’re all speaking Tagalo here. Now, this is the main street that takes you out. Yeah. Now, are we going south now? Yeah, we’re going south. So, we’re going towards Manila. We’re going to to the where they call Bayan. The main the main the main thoroughway. Yeah. Thoroughare. I guess we go to McDonald’s for coffee. Yeah. Is it on the way? Is it this? Oh, we’re going to that old street. But we Yeah. Take a detour. I don’t care. Do whatever you want. You best take me anywhere. I don’t care. These guys really take chances on these scooters, man. Man, they’re all over you, man. Like hornets. Maybe later. We got a coffee. Yeah, we’ll go wherever you want to go. It’s still too early. It’s still 8:00. Yeah, I I had one of those chickens the other day on the sign there. 99 pesos for a big uh piece of chicken and and a drink, too. And uh and rice. Oh. Oh, the I love Marina sign. Yeah, you you can’t do it without We can’t make a video of Marcina without having the Marraina sign. There it is. I love Marraina by the river, right? With a flooding river. Flooded river. Look at the chocolate color. Mhm. Yeah. Everyone’s watching the level, the tide level, flood level. I love my rakina. Rizal Street. Who is Rizal? Was he a general in the in the army? Like Risal? Was he a president or like JP Razal? Who’s Rizal? Risal is I don’t I forget. Do you forgot? Yeah, cuz I see that name everywhere. Brial. Queson. That’s a case. Okay. Who is he? The ex president. Oh, ex-president. Okay. This is This is the old Look at the Oh, the architecture. Yeah, I see that. Older buildings here. Very older buildings. in this uh some of them are semi- restored too. I could tell some of them some have some work on it. Yeah. Interesting. This is a main market. Well, there’s another market up that way, too. Eh. Yeah, these scooters, man. Oh, there’s a bike lane, too. Yeah. I just know I I I know there’s bikes, but I just didn’t see a bike lane. This makes it worse for the cars with the bike lane, right? Yeah. This guy looks like he’s transporting some eggs in the back of his uh There you go. The Capitan. That’s the oldest that I want. Oh, cafe captain restaurant. Oh, I see it. I want to You see that the old It’s historical. Yeah. So, Oh, there’s a little There’s a little like um parking like a seating area. That’s nice. Yeah. It’s the old church. Glacia church. You say glacia, right? Eglacia. Uh, Catholic. Yeah, but I’m saying you say glacia. Yeah. Okay. Christian. Let’s go to go back. Go back there, man. No stop signs, nothing. Everyone just kind of goes on an honor system. Eh, they just kind of let you go through. There’s the Marraina Catholic School right there. Yeah. Well, it looks like it stopped raining again, friend. It looks like it stopped raining again. Streets. Let’s go back. Ooh, garlic buns. You know, the traffic here isn’t that bad, to be honest. Uh, this is the first time we’re stopping in a jam. With the amount of the way people are driving, you would think you’d be accidents every corner, but it’s very again, it’s kind of kind of like more of an honor system they have here for driving. Captain Moy. Who’s Captain Moy? Captain Moy. It’s the No, the historical man. He’s a historical man. Capitan in the in this in Marina. Oh, he was a captain. He was stationed in Marina. Yeah, that’s why. Like a mayor. Oh, he was okay. Comment, guys. Comment, like, and subscribe. If you guys know if we’re wrong about something, let us know. If you have a wrong, just comment. Ooh, public market. Look how big that is. That’s beautiful. Yeah. A huge market coming up here straight ahead, folks. Let’s go straight ahead. That That’s uh heavy traffic there. Yeah. No, it’s okay. It’s okay. We’ll go anywhere you want to take me. You go. What people want to Let’s show people what they want to see when they come here. I like these little yellow taxi tricycle thingies. Motorcycle uh side side cabin. Oh, there’s the market right there. Wow, that’s a big market. That’s a big market. That’s a big market. It’s a big pier. It’s almost like a pier of sorts. The construction Well, it’s pretty tricky to get

🌱 Pre‑Colonial and Early Spanish Era (1500s–1600s)

Marikina’s earliest known inhabitants were riverine communities and agrarian settlers residing in the Marikina Valley. In the 1500s, the Augustinian missionaries arrived, making initial inroads in Barangka at a place called “Chorillo” . Though accounts vary, some mark this early arrival around 1500, while others reference the 1570s–1572 as the establishment date for the first Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish .

In 1630, the Jesuits entered and founded a chapel known as Jesús de la Peña (“Jesus of the Rock”) in a rocky section along the river . On April 16 that year, Jesuit Fray Pedro de Arce presided over the inaugural Mass, marking Marikina’s formal Christian journey .

By 1687, the community had grown into a parish called Mariquina under Spanish rule, and by 1690 it was firmly established as a formal town .

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🏞️ Hacienda Marikina and Agrarian Growth (1700s–1800s)

During the Spanish colonial era, the fertile valley evolved into Hacienda Mariquina, one of the Philippines’ largest haciendas, overseen by the Tuason family. Its vast rice and vegetable production earned it the status of a royal endowment (mayorazgo) .

The town’s name has several origin stories: one suggests it honors a Spanish priest named Mariquina; another ties it to the Spanish phrase marikit-na (“beautiful”), from which locals misheard the term; a third relates it to a town near Viscaya in Spain .

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👞 Shoemaking Emerges: Kapitan Moy’s Legacy (1887 onwards)

In 1887, Don Laureano “Kapitan Moy” Guevarra kickstarted Marikina’s signature shoemaking industry. He dissected imported leather shoes to understand their construction, then crafted local patterns. Supported by villagers and inspired by the Chinese craftsmen in Manila’s Parian, he produced the first Marikina-made canvas and leather shoes .

Over time, shoemaking proliferated across the valley. Villages became centers of footwear craftsmanship, laying the foundation for Marikina’s enduring identity as the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines” .

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🌊 Revolution and Early Republic (1896–1900)

During the Philippine Revolution (1896–1898), Marikina (then Mariquina) was designated capital of Manila Province under the First Philippine Republic . Revolutionary figure Andrés Bonifacio is even said to have used the area as a staging ground before advancing to the Montalban caves .

In 1900, Don Vicente Gomez was elected the first Alcalde Presidente (presidential mayor) .

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🇺🇸 American Period: Name Change and Growth (1901–1930s)

Under American rule, the spelling shifted to “Marikina” by Act No. 137 (June 11, 1901), and Marikina was incorporated into the Province of Rizal .

By 1938, Juan Chayungco became Marikina’s first modern-era mayor .

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🏭 Industrialization & Urban Challenges (1950s–1970s)

Post World War II, Marikina’s shoemaking industry, revitalized through Kapitan Moy’s earlier groundwork, flourished under national development efforts. By 1956, the city earned widespread recognition as the country’s Shoe Capital .

Simultaneously, industrial plants arrived, drawing migrants and accelerating urbanization—often disorganized and without infrastructure. The unchecked growth, coupled with factory and residential encroachment, led to severe pollution in the Marikina River .

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🌆 Metropolitan Integration & Flood Crisis (1975–1992)

In 1975, Presidential Decree No. 824 integrated Marikina into the newly formed Metro Manila group of cities and towns .

A devastating flood in 1992 submerged ~25% of the city, prompting a reassessment of urban and environmental policy .

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🌍 Rehabilitation, Cityhood & Green Initiatives (1992–2000s)

Post-1992, Marikina launched the “Save the Marikina River Program.” Measures included clearing informal communities, constructing riverbank infrastructures, imposing pollution controls on factories, and developing riverside green spaces .

Simultaneously, the city embraced governance reforms, city planning, and public services. Marikina officially achieved chartered city status on December 8, 1996, under Republic Act 8223 .

The Marikina River Park took shape in 1993, expanding along an 11 km stretch and totaling around 220 ha of recreational spaces—including bike trails, skate parks, an amphitheater, sports courts, and Riverbanks Center mall .