Marikina Sapatos Festival 2015

The Marikina Sapatos Festival officially starts on October 26, 2015 and will run until December 30, 2015 at Freedom Park in front of Marikina City Hall.   The grand opening will be held at Plaza de los Alcaldez at 8am.

This year marks the 10th Marikina Sapatos Festival.  In 2005, a City Council ordinance renamed the Sapatero Festival to what it is known today as the Sapatos Festival, with its objective of revitalizing the city's shoe industry and give recognition to Marikina-made shoes.

This year, the Sapatos Festival has also expanded to include Marikina-made bags.
Aside from the Mega Shoes and Bags Bazaar at Freedom Park, which will be held every Monday to Thursday from 8am - 6pm, every Friday - Saturday from 8am - 10pm and every Sunday from 8am - 7pm, weekend fairs will also include activities such as Zumba (every Saturday at 7am), Banchetto and food fairs (every Fri & Sat. from 8am - 10pm), cooking demos (every Friday 6pm - 9pm), and movie nights/variety shows (every Saturday & Sunday from 9am - 10pm).

An evolution of shoes exhibit is located at the Marikina City Hall quadrangle.

Other events during the Marikina Sapatos Festival are:

• Philippine Footwear Leathergoods Trade Show - November 6 - 9 (4th floor Legislative Building) (8am - 5pm)
• Tour de Takong (Stiletto Race) - November 14 at Freedom Park (3pm)
• Time Capsule - December 4 at Kapitan Moy (7am)
• Grand Parade Festival Queen, Street Dance Competition, Float Parade - December 5 at Marikina Sports Center (3pm)
• Danza de Takong (Stiletto Street Dance) - November 27 - 28 (Elimination); December 12 (Finals) at Freedom Park (6pm)

For more details and to support the Sapatos Festival on social media, follow

• @SapatosFest2015 on Twitter
• @SapatosFestival2015 on Instagram
• Marikina Sapatos Festival 2015 on Facebook
• Official hashtags #SapatosFestival2015 & #iWearMarikina

Feast of St. Crispin, Patron Saint of Shoemakers & Our Lady of Marikina Replica Procession - Marikina Sapatos Festival 2015

Our Lady of the Abandoned Church celebrated the Feast of St. Crispin on the eve of the 2015 Marikina Sapatos Festival.  .

The feast of St. Crispin is observed every October 25 by Marikina being the patron saint for shoemakers and is the feast day of the Christian saints, and martyred twins Crispin and Crispinian. This feast is the first of the events included in the Marikina Sapatos Festival 2015 which will run from October 26 - December 30, 2015.

One of the events was the "Our Lady of Marikina Replica Procession" which was held on the 2nd day celebration for 10th Canonical Coronation Anniversary of Our Lady of the Abandoned, Patroness of Marikina.

SOHAiesta - The 1st ever Food Banchetto and Bazaar

Everyone is invited to join the 1st ever Food Banchetto and Bazaar dubbed as SOHAiesta organized by OLOPSC Alumni Batch 1996 in cooperation with Society of OLOPSC High school Alumni ( SOHA ) at OLOPSC DC Arcadia Gen Ordonez St. on Oct. 23 and 24 at 5 pm onwards.

Your favorite Marikina Restaurants like Crepeman, Mad Mustard, Kanzen Sushi and Cripy Doki will be joining the event. And not to be outdone, your kids get their share of fun... A Trick or Treat costume party from 5pm - 6pm. Also enjoy and listen to acoustic performers to liven up the night. 

For more details, call 3308756997 or 997-7777

See you all there!

Directions to OLOPSC DC Arcadia Gen Ordonez St., Marikina City.

Lilac Food Fest 2015 Amidst the Typhoon

Despite rainy weather caused by Typhoon Lando, the 2015 Lilac Foodfest proved to be a successful one last October 17, 2015 with people dropping by to sample different cuisines and types of food offered.

Similar to popular Food street destinations such as Maginhawa in Quezon City and Kapitolyo in Pasig City, Lilac Street in SSS Village, Marikina City is slowly becoming another food street with various non-food chain restaurants and cafes each worth visiting and checking out.

All Aboard The Riverland Express

The Riverland Express train at Marikina Riverbanks Center.

Marikina Participates in the Metro Manila Shake Drill for July 30

Aside from the city government of Marikina scheduling its own series of earthquake drills in its 16 barangays this July 2015, Marikina will also participate in the Metro Manila Quake Drill organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on July 30.

Quoted from the Official Metro Manila Shake Drill website, it says "On July 30, 2015 10:30 AM, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, with multi-sector cooperation from schools, business, government agencies, and religious organizations, will be conducting a metro-wide Earthquake Drill. This will increase the metro’s chances of better recovery and implementation of contingencies in the event of earthquakes."

Marikina is among the 12 cities in the National Capitol Region that will participate in the largest Earthquake Drill to be held in Metropolitan Manila which starts at 10:30 am on July 30.

The Metro Manila Quake Drill scenario for the East Quadrant which includes Marikina City and Pasig City are fallen structures. The evacuation site identified for this drill is LRT 2 Santolan Station and Marikina Boys Town in Marikina, and Ultra in Pasig City.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) had earlier warned of a 7.2 magnitude quake following movement from the West Valley Fault which passes through the barangays Barangka, Industrial Valley, Malanday and Tumana in Marikina.

Map of West Valley Fault passing through portions of Marikina City

MMDA is counting on public's participation.

For more details, visit

• http://www.metromanilashakedrill.com/
• http://www.bepreparedmetromanila.com/
• http://tremors.instigators.io/
• #MMShakeDrill hashtag
• Metro Manila Shake Drill Audio Broadcast - signalling the start of the drill

Project Tremors Website Determines How Near or Far You Are From the Valley Fault Line

Lately, the Valley Fault System (also known as the Marikina Valley Fault System) has been in the news including locations where the Fault Line passes through.  In response to providing valuable information on the Valley Fault System, a group of developers came up with an online tool that maps out the fault along with barangays and cities affected.

Project Tremors is a website that uses data sources from GMA Network, ABS-CBN news, nababaha.com and Local Waters Utilities Administration (LWUA) to map out the East and West portion of the Valley Fault System.

Developed by Dominic Tuazon , Louis Michael Concepcion, Emmanuel Soriano and designed by
Kyle Abughanem, the website graphically illustrates the barangays affected and in the path of the fault line through a map.  In addition, the barangays listed show the population breakdown.  You can also search for your location and it will calculate your distance frmo the fault line.

Affected areas in Marikina include:

• Loyola Garden Village
• Loyola Subdivision
• Monte Vista Village
• Industrial Valley Subdivision
• Cinco Hermanos Subdivision
• Wood Crest Subdivision
• Loyola Grand Villas
• Dela Costa Homes

To access the website, visit http://tremors.instigators.io/

The Official Marikina City Government Website also provides an Earthquake Prepredness Guide called Lindol 101, which includes tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake, an emergency checklist useful contact numbers.  To access the guide, visit http://marikina.gov.ph/#earthquake

OLOPSC High School Batch 1990 Celebrates 25th Anniversary with a Reunion

Batch 1990 of Our Lady of Perpetual College in Marikina will be celebrating their 25th year High School reunion at the Dionisio Sr. Hall.

This reunion hopes to bring together the 200+ alumni who graduated high school from OLOPSC (then known as OLOPSS - Our Lady of Perpetual Succor School).  Also invited are Elementary graduates of the same year.

This batch was one of the batches who enjoyed the newly constructed campus at General Ordonez (then Molave St.) transferring from the old campus along Bayan Bayanan Avenue.

Fourth year High School advisers who handled this batch were Mrs. Eva Faytaren for Assumption of Mary,  Mrs. Ruby Reyes for Coronation of Mary, Mrs. Grace Rarang for Legion of Mary, Mr. Gener Pascual for Immaculate Concepcion and Mrs. Cecilia Ramos for Solemnity of Mary.

One of the most notable people from this batch was Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade Arlene dela Cruz, the first woman topnotcher of the Philippine Military Academy graduating at the top of the PMA "Masikhay" Class 1999.  Unfortunately, she was involved in a fatal road accident in Bataan in 2008.

This 25th year alumni reunion is a prelude to the OLOPSC Grand Alumni Homecoming tentatively scheduled for December 5, 2015 where all batches will reunite.

The reunion will begin with a mass at the school chapel, followed by dinner, acknowledgement per section, tribute to the deceased batchmates, a video presentation and end off with a party for everyone to catch up with classmates and batchmates.  

Thank you to Jack Daniels, Manila Water, Phoenix Publishing House, Pan de Amerikana sponsoring the reunion as well as several pledges from 1990 batchmates who are both living here and abroad. 

Founded in 1978, Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College is one of the leading and recognized schools in Marikina City, located along Gen. Ordonez St.