The new and familiar at Marquinton Residences

MANILA, Philippines - It’s quite rare to find Marikeños who are not proud of their city. Take the case of Nestor Garcia — an anesthesiologist, and owner and medical director of a local general hospital that bears his name. Garcia was born in the ‘40s in San Mateo, a suburb very near Marikina. He remembers a serenely happy childhood that had a sweeping view of the Sierra Madre and school kids playing with butterflies: “Napakaganda. ‘Pag namulaklak ang mga talahib, puting-puti, parang yelo. It’s like looking at a postcard, like being in Austria.”

The present Marikina is as dynamic as other smart cities in Asia, and is even compared to Singapore for its governance and growth, yet it has retained that welcoming, idyllic charm that makes it an ideal family residence especially for those who grew up there. Marikina City is the site of Marquinton Residences along Sumulong Highway, the first condominium development in the area. Developed by Federal Land subsidiary Horizon Land, Marquinton Residences is situated on 17 hectares of prime land and has three condominium buildings forming a master-planned community. The vertical neighborhood offers home seekers the excitement and convenience of a cosmopolitan lifestyle minus the stresses usually associated with urban living.

“Nababago na ang lifestyle ng Pilipino,” the doctor says, embracing positive change with vigor and levelheadedness. He owns several condo units within the developer’s different tower communities in Marikina, and actively serves as treasurer of the unit owners’ association. “One needs to have foresight. My wife and I will most likely live in this condo when we retire because here, you have all the amenities when you go down. There’s a mall and restaurants below.”

The development connects to Blue Wave Mall, which has cinemas and entertainment centers, convenience and specialty stores, a flagship supermarket, and the latest café and dining outlets. Marquinton Residences amenities answer the everyday needs of residents and help foster social interaction through activities like bazaar events at the function area, and swimming lessons during the summer months. Accessible via public transportation, the development is just a short distance from the Marikina City Hall, the city sports center, the public market. Traversing the main road toward Quezon City, it is just minutes away from the iconic Sta. Clara church and the schools where his children went to study: Ateneo de Manila and UP Diliman.

Dr. Garcia and his OB/GYN wife Nora, who served as past presidents of the Marikina Valley Medical Society, have three grown children now living on their own: Noreen who helps in the operations of the family-owned Garcia General Hospital; Nona, an acclaimed visual artist; and youngest son Nelson, who is a doctor like his parents. Although the Garcias still maintain a 6-bedroom house in Marikina Heights, the head of the family mentions that he prefers the efficient setup of a condo home since he and his wife are no longer able to take full advantage of the space at their old residence. He even had their pool cemented over, although the grandkids won’t miss swimming there because they are able to take a dip at the pool in Marquinton Residences whenever they are in town. Garcia’s medical school classmates sometimes stay in his unit whenever they are here for a homecoming, and he has plans of having one of his properties rented out, evidently enjoying the possibilities that come with a whole new way of living at Marquinton Residences.

“People say that Marikina is clean, pati palengke napakalinis,” he says. “It really is very quiet, masarap dito. When you live in Marikina, you wouldn’t want to leave.”