Robots Take Over Marikina -- A Review

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Robots take over Marikina, but only for Christmas

By Kristine L. Alave
Inquirer
Last updated 10:02pm (Mla time) 11/17/2007


MANILA, Philippines--ROBOTS HAVE INVADED Marikina City.

But residents need not be alarmed because the silver-gray steel figures which can be found in the streets and in public parks are not out to take over the city.

Instead, they are there to spread Christmas cheer and to remind Marikina denizens of how far the city has come in the past years.

Every year, the city government comes up with a theme for the holiday decorations it puts up all over the city.

This year’s theme is “Transformers,” based on the movie of the same title about a gang of robots.

Weird-looking, multi-limbed creatures are not exactly a traditional décor for the holidays but Ronald Ramido of the Marikina public information office said the theme is of particular significance to the city.

According to Ramido, the activity is a tribute to the local officials—past and present—who helped transform Marikina into what it is today, a competitive city from a once backyard municipality.

Among these officials are the incumbent Mayor Marides Fernando, her husband, former mayor and now Metropolitan Manila Development Chair Bayani Fernando and Vice Mayor Marion Andres.

So far, the robots have been a hit among residents. In front of the city hall where several are on display, parents take photos of their children with the robots in the background. Some of the kids gleefully run around the “creatures.”

Nestor Nierva, the officer in charge of the city’s steel fabrication department which was in charge of building the robots, said some of their creations were patterned after those in popular television shows, although most of the pieces were designed by the welders themselves.

“At first, I would scrutinize their work. But later on, the workers became very good at it,” he said. “The welding hurts the eyes, but it’s worth it because we get to use our imagination, to be creative,” he added.

The official said they got their ideas from anime shows like “Gundam” and “Voltes V.” The Gundam-inspired robot, he said, was one of the biggest and popular pieces they made.

Dave David, an employee at the warehouse, said they also visited art websites on the Internet to get an idea of how to construct sculptural pieces from scrap metal.

While other cities shelled out money for fancy decorations and expensive Tivoli lights to adorn their streets and public spaces, Marikina City decided to recycle some of its resources in line with its image as an environment-friendly city.

Before the project started, the city government’s automotive warehouse in Barangay Sto. Niño was bursting with rusty scraps and defective metal parts from machines and vehicles, David said.

Since the workers at the engineering department started to assemble the robots last month, the floor-to-ceiling racks in the warehouse which used to be full of scrap metal have been almost cleaned out, he added.

According to Nierva, they were told to make about 100 steel robots for the Christmas festival. But since the metal parts have almost run out, he said they might end up with just 50.

The robots vary in size and shape. The tallest they have made so far is 10 feet while the smallest is only a foot tall. Almost all of their creations are made from discarded metal and plastic parts which are later painted in metallic gray.

The “Carabot” robot, a futuristic carabao installed on a dais in front of the city hall, was made from discarded car and motorcycle parts. It signifies the hardworking and diligent character of Marikina City residents, the PIO said.

Another popular piece has Spiderman for its inspiration: An android hanging from a web in a tree. Another “creature” still being assembled in the warehouse has curved metal tubes for limbs and a metal ball for its head.

After the holidays, the robots will be collected and transferred to the city parks and greenbelts for the public’s enjoyment, Nierva said.

Apart from the nontraditional Christmas décor, the city government of Marikina is also celebrating the season by opening a tiangge (flea market).

According to the PIO, the city is hosting a market of 700 stalls next week that would be open from 4 p.m. until midnight to give residents a chance to shop for good buys during the holidays.

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer