THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Yesterday, the fourth of April, Antipolo marked the silver anniversary of its conversion to a component city of the province of Rizal.
Last Saturday – three days before the anniversary date – Antipoleños marked one of the biggest celebrations of this important milestone with programs and parades, and were joined by the many early trekkers to the Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines who were there to bike, eat, tour or take part in the anticipated Palm Sunday mass at the international shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
What a pilgrimage it has been.
It will be recalled that, several decades ago, the then-town of Antipolo was just a sleepy, rural neighbor of the affluent cities of the national capital region. Back then, thousands of visitors flocked to Antipolo once or twice a year – for the summer, to enjoy the cool breeze and the waters of Hinulagang Taktak, and during Holy Week to join the annual trek to the Antipolo Cathedral by devotees fulfilling their pledge to undertake Holy Thursday “Alay Lakad.”
To this day, the Cathedral and the falls continue to attract multitudes. With the passing of years, many of these visitors eventually decided to make Antipolo their home. In recent years, its population had grown by an average of 20 percent per year. The number of residents was less than half a million at the start of the millennium. The population count was at 924,000-plus at the end of 2022. It is projected to hit 950,000 by the end of this year and to exceed one million three years from now.
With population growth came the demand for effective governance. The performance indicators have been encouraging. Antipolo has consistently landed on the list of the country’s most competitive component cities and preferred destinations of investors.
Last year, it ranked number one in those lists in the following categories: education infrastructure; compliance with the anti-red tape act; speed in getting business permits; use of information technology in public services; and the local government’s ability to provide constituents with disaster risk assessments and early warning systems.
Its ability to generate its own resources has put it at number two. It is also number two in terms of the number of active business establishments and in the quality of its disaster reduction plan.
In the past 25 years, Antipolo and its people have proven that its status as a component city has been well-deserved.
Antipolo City would not have gotten to where it is if it were not for the vision and efforts of four Rizaleño leaders. As its marks its silver anniversary, we look back to its rich history with much gratitude to these four Rizaleño leaders who paved the way towards the component cityhood of the Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines.
They are former Rizal province congressmen Emigdio Tanjuatco, Jr. and Gilberto “Bibit” Duavit, former Rizal Governor Ito Ynares, former Local Government Undersecretary Victor Sumulong and former Mayor Daniel Garcia who both served as mayors of Antipolo.
These five Rizaleño leaders were the “midwives” who nurtured the conception of the idea of Antipolo as a component city of Rizal. They envisioned Antipolo as a bustling urban city that would serve as a magnet for social and economic opportunities that would benefit the entire province.
They saw the important role of Antipolo in the life of the entire province. They thought that, since Antipolo has been an important religious destination for more than a century, it can also serve as a destination for businesses, industries, and establishments that make for a prosperous hub of development for the whole of Rizal.
Based on vital performance indicators, it appears their vision for the city has been realized.
As Antipolo celebrates the 25th anniversary of its cityhood, I would like to thank our readers who follow our weekly column and who have made it a habit to write us and give us feedback both on our pieces and on our job as city mayor.
I also thank our partners from the business sector who found the city a perfect place to create jobs and prosper their enterprises. I also thank the hundreds of thousands of families who have made Antipolo their home – “Antipoleños-by-choice” as we call them. Their contribution to the performance and growth of the city is priceless.
Tomorrow, thousands of barefoot pilgrims will walk from various points in Metro Manila and will travel from different parts of the country to join the Holy Thursday trek to Antipolo. We welcome them as they make the long walk to the international shrine.
We stand in solidarity with the faith of these pilgrims. We have made sure that Antipolo will be able to provide them with sufficient convenience and inspiration.
A meaningful Holy Week celebration to all.
(For feedback, please email it to [email protected] or send it to Block 6 Lot 10 Sta. Barbara 1 cor. Bradley St., Mission Hills Subd., Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Rizal.)