Marikina as The Little Singapore

I've recently been to Singapore and now it makes more sense why former mayor Bayani Fernando wanted to pattern Marikina City to this country when he was the mayor.

Singapore is a country of cleanliness, orderliness and discipline. You can see it all around you there... the clean roads, the obedient pedestrians, the greenery in the form of plants and flowers, the numerous tourist attractions, the transport promptness... it's all there. And although Marikina can't fully duplicate Singapore, a lot of the efforts of upgrading the quality of life in Marikina is evident by the initiatives the city has undergone to provide city residents with a similar atmosphere.

In Singapore, every street has at least some form of flora and fauna, whether it be full-grown tall trees, or elegantly trimmed bushes and flowery bushes. The clean & green movement & tree planting and preservation in Marikina are just a few that make the city look cleaner too.

The orderliness in Singapore is unbelievably astonishing. It even makes evening city roaming a breeze as the government provides a safe environment for both residents and tourists alike.

Discipline is also very evident in Singapore as you'll see pedestrians obediently following crossing intersections only on a green light and motorists giving way to them before turning. Motorists as well follow the traffic rules and regulations making the streets less accident-prone. Garbage is thrown in designated areas & rarely would you see any trash scattered on the streets. Marikina has made huge efforts to place street signs and guides on where to cross and what motorists are allowed to do to lessen a chaotic metropolis that nearby cities are used and accustomed to. Waste management is also regularly implemented citywide as all areas of Marikina are being serviced by scheduled garbage pickups and disposal. Because of these efforts, Marikina has won awards for being one of the cleanest cities in the Philippines.

Tourists won't experience any hard time getting around as brochures are available all around the city containing complete and detailed information about anything and everything a tourist needs to know to make their trip a memorable one. Touring the city is a breeze as directions to any place in the metro is distinctly given with other pertinent details one may need to know.

In a nutshell, Marikina has encapsulated this vision of ideal city living and slowly trying to make the city a better place. Singapore is more modern and advanced but using Singapore as a role model for the city has set the city's goal to a more specific and precise vision... towards the progress of a great city.