The rebirth of MALABON
A CITY OF SOUL AND HERITAGE
Two things come to mind when we hear of Malabon—the ever-famous Pancit Malabon and the infamous flooding that plague the quaint city.
What used to be known as Tambobong, Malabon was founded as a “Visita” of Tondo by the Augustinian friars on May 21, 1599 and it was not until April 21, 2001 that Malabon officially became a city. Beyond its repute, Malabon is fast becoming a highly urbanized city that holds much promise and potential for growth and development. Under the tenure of the late former mayor Tito Oreta, the city had undergone a revolutionary transformation with new infrastructures such as the Northern Metropolitan Manila, the eleven-storey Malabon City Hall, and the 2,500-sqm Oreta Sports Center Building, which boosted the morale, recreation, and welfare of the entire city.
Today, there seems to be no stopping Malabon from blossoming into its fullest potential. With no less than Mayor Antolin “Len-Len” Oreta III at the helm of propelling the city into progress, Malabon is looking forward and setting its sight on a bright future. As the city celebrates its 415th founding anniversary, The Philippine STAR takes a trip to the city in search of culture, heritage, and promise.
“I grew up in Malabon and I have had fond memories here as a child. Whenever I would go to my lolo’s house, I remember being so excited because the place was so vast and it was where I loved playing the most. But when the floods came, especially during the ‘ 80s, things started to change and a lot of people began leaving the city behind,” recalls Mayor Len-Len.
“With that, I aspire to change the way people see Malabon. I want people to know that Malabon is alive and thriving, and that it is a beautiful place with the kindest of people,” he states.
Carrying on with the mission of good governance centered in the empowerment and education of the youth, protection of women and children, and the welfare of the environment amid urban development, Mayor Len-Len, in just a short span of time, has managed to realize these visions.
With the safety of its citizens as top priority, the government’s street lighting project has successfully installed lighting in 22 main thoroughfares as well as wide scale road repair and upgrade, which coincided with other flood control projects.
For the longest time, Malabon merely had two police cars, as such; the city government upgraded its security arm and acquired 11 mobile police cars, 29 police motorcycles, and hired 200 additional police personnel to ensure peace and order as well as to regulate traffic control.
Recognizing that resilience is the only way to avoid further damages in the event of any disaster or natural calamity, the city mobilized the operation of the 24-hour Malabon Command and Control Center, which oversees the major thoroughfares through CCTV cameras installed in each location, as well as the acquisition of a rescue van. To address the flooding problems, the government acquired new trucks and its very own water tank.
To ensure that health and wellness are extended to all communities of the city, the city government is in the process of improving the operation of the Pagamutang Bayan ng Malabon and other health care centers, along with ensuring that each centers have enough basic medicines.
As the city government advocates the importance of providing the youth with quality education, 10,000 books were distributed to grades four, five, and six students as well as 20,000 school bags and supplies to grades one and two students.
Other developments include the Catmon People’s Park. It is said that there has always been a stigma that barangay Catmon, the poorest barangay in the city, is hopeless and cannot be improved. Intent on proving otherwise, the administration has been focusing its development efforts in the area. This year, constructions to roll out include a mini government center in Catmon, a Justice Hall, a youth center for juvenile delinquents, basketball and volleyball courts, a new police head quarters, and a fire station.
Set to rise as well is the new and improved Pagamutang Bayan ng Malabon, a secondary hospital to replace the old primary hospital, which will house new and state-ofthe-art emergency rooms, spacious rooms, operating and delivery rooms, nursery rooms, dietary rooms, dialysis stations, and x-ray machines.
A number of housing projects have also been lined up in the areas of Barangay Longos, Panghulo, and Potrero. Plus, a school building will be built for the City of Malabon University within the year and a School for the Arts for high school students. To provide a holistic environment for the communities, the first-ever Animal Pound will be made operational this year to increase awareness for proper pet care, as well as four Material Recovery Facilities to be constructed in Barangay San Agustin, Tinajeros, Maysilo, and Concepcion.