Learn More About Barangay Tumana, the second most populated Barangay in Marikina City

Tumana, which is in the northwest of Marikina City, is more than just a neighborhood. It's a community whose past is deeply connected to that of Marikina.

Sitio Tumana was formerly a part of Barangay Concepcion Uno before it was officially designated as Tumana. With Republic Act No. 9432 signed on April 10, 2007, Barangay Tumana formally became a separate administrative unit somewhat recently. The act made the barangay publicly known as Barangay Tumana in the City of Marikina, Metro Manila. This solidified the barangay's place in the city's government.

Among the sixteen barangays making up Marikina City is Barangay Tumana. Among Marikina's barangays, it has the second-highest population. Geographically speaking, Barangay Tumana occupies 8.27% of Marikina City's total land area—191.4 hectares. It is found on the northwest side of the city, bounded by Barangay Nangka to the northeast, Barangay Concepcion Uno to the east, and Barangay Malanday to the south. With 46,874 people overall as of 2021, Tumana is clearly a populous community within Marikina.

Tumana sadly is also prone to flooding. According to a 2009 study, Barangay Tumana was severely affected by Typhoon Ondoy. The area's proximity to the Marikina River makes it vulnerable to river swelling with heavy rain. This fragility has impacted the experience of the community and been a major influence on initiatives of planning and development.

The MMDA Tumana Impounding Area, a prominent location within the barangay, serves as the destination for towed and stalled vehicles from Metro Manila. Also, the bridge crossing Marikina River in Tumana connects Marikina to Quezon City.

Tumana also thrives as a community with several companies. Tumana had 996 registered businesses as of 2023. With 435 sari-sari stores, which account for more than 40% of all registered businesses in the barangay, reflecting the entrepreneurial energy commonly found in Filipino communities. This underlines the significance of the local economy's small-scale retail sector.


References:

Map of Tumana
https://www.citypopulation.de/en/philippines/marikina/137402016__tumana/

Republic Act No. 9432 (April 10, 2007)
https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2007/ra_9432_2007.html

Facts and Figures 2023, Marikina City Official Website
https://marikina.gov.ph/facts-and-figures

Philippine Statistics Authority, City of Marikina
https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/barangays/1380700000

Tumana Bridge - Connecting Two Cities

In the 90's, there were only a few roads that led out of Marikina City to the neighboring cities Quezon City, Pasig City, Cainta and Antipolo City.   A. Bonifacio St. was the main artery of Marikina leading out to Marcos Highway and eventually connecting to Aurora Blvd in Quezon City.

An access road though was developed to have an alternative means to get to Quezon City from Marikina City and that is the Tumana Bridge.  

From J.P. Rizal Street in Concepcion, turn at the Bagong Farmers Avenue 1 and this road leads straight to the Tumana Bridge.  In September  2008,  the House of Representatives approved the new name of Tumana Bridge which is now known as Gil Fernando Bridge.

The change was due to the newly constructed and elevated flyover connecting two major districts, Concepcion in Marikina City and Balara in Quezon City.   Before this new bridge, an old bridge existed but was impassable the moment the Marikina River's waters rised.    The bridge was almost as low as the river water which is why the bridge disappears when it is submerged in rising waters.  The new bridge has taken care of this problem.

The bridge is strictly enforcing the passage of standard vehicles on the bridge.   Bicycles, pedicabs, people and trucks are not allowed to use the bridge.

This is what I call a scenic route as you traverse the bridge from Marikina and cross the river to the serene fields and quiet neighborhood along the hillside in Balara eventually winding up to Katipunan Road.  You can cut enjoy the scenery and cut travel time by half by using this access road.