Marikit-Na figure rises in Marikina mall for Independence Day

In celebration of the Philippines' 119th Independence Day, SM City Marikina features a figure from the city's folklore in a centerpiece in its atrium from June 8 to June 30.

Above and below: Workers set up the flag-inspired Marikit-Na statue at SM City Marikina. Photos: Danny Pata

"Marikit-Na" depicts a woman who is said to have accidentally drowned in the Marikina River, and from whom the city supposedly got its name. Folk stories describe her as a beautiful lady ("marikit" means pretty) with long hair who was always seen near the chapel of Jesus de la Peña near the river.

The 20-foot-high figure inside the mall wears a flag-inspired costume made of rubber—a familiar material in the country's shoe capital—crafted by Marikina's "Rubberman" Mark David Cerezo and visual artist Mike Fore Hontanar. — BM, GMA News