| San Mateo - Marikina River (Ilog ng Marikina) | |
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Marikina River in Pasig City
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| Country | Philippines |
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| Regions | National Capital Region, CALABARZON |
| Cities | Marikina City, Quezon City, Pasig City |
| Source | |
| - location | Rodriguez, Rizal, CALABARZON |
| Mouth | Pasig River |
| - location | Pasig City, National Capital Region |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
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Drainage map of the Pasig-Marikina River River system
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The San Mateo - Marikina River (Tagalog: Ilog ng Marikina) is a main river system in Eastern Metro Manila, Philippines. A river stretching from Rodriguez, Rizal, to Pasig City that connects to Pasig River as major tributary near Napindan Area in Pasig City.
San Mateo - Marikina River used to be an important transport route during Spanish era. However, due to negligence and industrial development, the river has become very polluted. Also, squatters nearby simply dumped their garbage at the river. In the late 1990s because of the dynamic transformation of Marikina City under Mayor Bayani Fernando the river has survived and now, one of the most important treasures in Marikina City.
The San Mateo - Marikina River flows in the center of Marikina Valley because of the mountain ranges of Sierra Madre on the east and Quezon City or Capitol Hills in Quezon City on the west. Marikina River is much known in Marikina City because the city itself maintain its rehabilitation of a river which is a good example in other cities not only in Metro Manila but in the Philippines for reviving neglected rivers and water systems. The river recognized as Hall of Famer for the Cleanest Inland Water in Metro Manila.
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Marikina River is considered to be at the heart of Marikina City. It intersects with Pasig River along the Manggahan Floodway. The Manggahan Floodway connects Pasig River and Marikina River with Laguna de Bay. Its water flows from the upper portion of the Marikina River into the Manggahan Floodway then directly to the Laguna Lake.
It has 7 creeks and waterways connected to it. The river's depth ranges from 3–21 meters and spans from 70–120 meters. It has a total area of nearly 75.2 hectares and is 11 kilometers long. The riverbank has an elevation of 8 meters above sea level at the boundary of San Mateo and Marikina. This slowly goes down at an elevation of 4 meters nearly before the Malanday and Santo Niño boundary. The lowest elevation is along Calumpang which 2 meters above sea level. The river serves as the city’s major drainage system.[1] Unfortunately, the water coming from the creeks has many soil particles causing the river to be filled with soil particles coming from residential-industrial land. This has also added to the soil erosion problem of the city.
There are only nine bridges crossing the river. They are as follows: Batasan Bridge Quezon City to San Mateo, Rizal (near Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City), Gil Fernando "formerly called Tumana", Marikina, Marcos (together with LRT-2 from Katipunan Station to Santolan Station), Macapagal Bridge (Marikina City), Manalo, Rosario, Sandoval and Santa Rosa de Lima Bridge (Pasig City)
Here are the landmarks and areas beside and near Marikina River:
Marikina River is on the verge of an ecological imbalance, as a strange species of fish dominates its ecosystem. Prior to the invasion of the Janitor fish the Marikina river used to be full of other species: tilapia, martiniko, ayungin and biya.
Since the late 1990s the Marikina River has been plagued by infestation of the so called "Janitor fish". There are two species of Janitor fish present in the Philippines; Pterygoplichthys pardalis and Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus found in the Marikina River and Lake Paitan in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija.[2]
A scientific study of the species found in five locations in the Laguna de Bay tributary system, amongst them the Marikina River, revealed that the specimen of Janitor fish previously reported as Hypostomus plecostomus actually belong to the genus Pterygoplichthys, family Loricariidae. The collected specimens for this study consisted of two species; Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus and Pterygoplichthys pardalis. Both species were collected from the Marikina River. Only the species disjunctivus was collected from Pasig River.[3]
The growing fish population has prompted the city government to launch a new program to control their number. The city issued Ordinance 004, series of 2007 to: Ordinance Launching a Janitor Fish Eradication Drive in the City of Marikina, Granting Cash Incentives to Participants Therefore and appropriating Annually the Amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) For the Purpose[4]
On 26 September 2009 at about 6:00 pm PST, the 50-mph "Tropical Storm Ketsana" or "Ondoy" hit Metro Manila and dumped one month's rainfall in less than 24 hours, causing the Marikina River system, including the Manggahan Floodway, to burst its banks very rapidly. Along with flooding along other river systems, 80 percent of the National Capital Region became flooded. Also flooded were 25 nearby provinces. In Metro Manila alone, 20 feet of dirty water forced people to evacuate their homes. By the 30th of September at least 450,000 inhabitants had been displaced, with at last 380,000 forced into makeshift shelters. 246 people were reported dead. It is thought that blocked pipes and a poorly maintained sewerage system, along with uncollected domestic waste, were major contributory factors in the speed with which the flood waters were able to engulf the surrounding area. A "State of National Calamity" was declared by President Gloria Arroyo, and a task force was set up to rescue the inhabitants, however the government was forced to admit that resources were in short supply, and called for world assistance. Although, good efforts have been made to make the drainage system better for the whole city by fixing the sewers together with the new trademarked "Red Sidewalks".
This is the worst storm on record that Manila has experienced since 1967.
On 24 June 2011, Marikina River once again turn into its limelight. Heavy rains not as much as Ondoy dumped over Luzon including Metro Manila and nearby areas. The water level in Marikina river reached its critical level, flooded beside its riverbanks, just near along the river. Fortunately, the river was not reached into its higher banks, into the streets and communities. The river gradually subsided after the rains, and the people residing the river was very cooperate to local government. As a result, zero casualties was reported but the mud and debris from the river was left by overflowed riverbanks.
On 27 September 2011, Marikina River also once again turn into its limelight. Heavy rains like Ondoy Dumped over Luzon including Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The water level reach the higher level than 24 June 2011. The water rises at 10:30 am. At 5pm, water reached 20.1 meters. SM Marikina Basement Parking submerged in muddy water. Many people in Barangay Tumana, volunteered to evacuate for their safety. In Barangay Nangka, many people also went to evacuation center.They suffered on neck deep water and mouth deep water. In Bayabas St.,(near Balubad St.) Few of families are trap inside because water is rising. One of the residents said that the water outside their house is head-deep water and inside is chest deep water and they are asking for rescue. In San Mateo Rizal, Barangay Ampid 2, the water in the creek that flows to Marikina River, reaches the basketball ground below the bridge and only the basketball ring can be seen. In Barangay Banaba, Many people living beside the river is evacuated in the San Mateo Bridge. One of the house submerged and only the anthena of the TV can be seen. In Barangay Ampid 1, Many people also evacuated. One of the creek there that flows to Marikina River, overflows and residents suffered in waist deep flood. No deaths recorded in Marikina, but in San Mateo, there is one. The day after, Marikina River until in critical level. Many people return to their homes and clean their house. But in the banks of the river flood doesn't subside. On 29 September 2011, 5am in the morning,finally water subside in the banks of the river and the residents started to clean. 6 am in the morning, water reaches the 15.2 meters. And so on, the water level return to normal level.
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