One of the old barangays in Marikina City named after patron saint Saint Roch Montpelier. San Roque is known for its landmarks.
Each of the 16 barangays in Marikina City tells a fascinating story, lending its own sense of uniqueness and charm. Learning the lessons of history allows Marikeños to understand their Barangays' form and function and to contribute to their preservation and prosperity. The "Bayan" potion of the city includes San Roque, Santa Elena, Santo Niño and Calumpang. Named after a saint, Barangay San Roque
was a forestal region before the colonizers founded settlements here. Early migrants, encouraged by the opening of agricultural tracts following the arrival of missionaries, built communities, among them Daang Cainta. Two of the pioneering settlers in the area were the families of Don Isabelo Mendoza, a former gobernadorcillo, and Gervacio Carlos, later a stalwart in the shoe industry. Geographically, San Roque is bounded in the east by the Sierra Madre mountains; on the north, by Sta. Elena; to the south is Calumpang; and on the western sector, by the Marikina River. The old residence of Apolonia Santos (Maestrang Oniang) was formerly a civil guard headquarters, cuartel, in the last decade of Spanish rule. During the American era, it housed the old Roosevelt High School. It used to be a church property but the Spaniards abandoned it just as the Revolution of 1896 started to gain momentum. Fray Rafael, the building administrator, sold the building to the government, which in turn was sold to Captain Itoy, Santos’ grandfather, before the Americans arrived.
