It’s not so bad, really
The Pasig river, that is.
The mere mention of ilog Pasig sends shivers down every Manileño’s spine, along with mental pictures of a black, putrid, dead body of water. This morning, I found out that it wasn’t so bad afterall.
A cruise down the river from the mouth of the Manila bay all the way to the Mangahan floodgates showed us a river with brownish-green water (not black), not filled with garbage (there are still garbage, but it’s not as much as you’d expect), thriving with life (on the banks, anyway).
It’s amazing how the metro looks from this side of the river. There are plenty of architectural wonders you wouldn’t see when you travel by road: from beautiful pre- and post-war buildings to muti-storey homes on stilts lining the river banks and under the bridges.
You can really see how much the rehabilitation of the Pasig river is progressing. It may not be as clean as it was back in Rizal’s time, and though it may not become as clean, you can see its potential. Aside from the rehabilitation, the plan for resurrecting a ferry system is now being implemented. Ferry ports are now being constructed in various points along the river, from Manila to Marikina. As someone who fell in love with Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River Express, this is wonderful news and probably much more so for those living near the river.
The Historic Cruise of the Pasig River with Prof. Ambeth Ocampo was organized by the Ayala Museum, in conjencture with the Ode to the Pasig River exhibit. If you’re interested in joining the cruise, you can inquire at the Ayala Museum.
That sounds like an intresting ride… Does it drop by Malacanang?
It passes by, but it doesn’t make a stop. We’re not even allowed to take pictures starting at the Nagtahan bridge up until the next bridge. There was even a PSG onboard.
Sounds fun! I love their notion of bringing back the Pasig River, even though it will not be as clean as before. But at least they are optimists! They never lose hope and I admire their quality!
Yeah, I also do think there’s still hope for the Pasig river. Problem nga lang daw pag summer kasi the water level goes down and that’s when the smell of the river is potent XD
it’s really nice to know that there are environmental advocates that support the government’s program for the pasig river. sabi nga sa history, the river is the indicator of a city’s life or lack thereof. NCR’s (at least the cities where the pasig river runs through) metro problems (thank God for the MMDA projects of the past three years) that have something to do with so-called agents of pollution (visual, noise, air and the sort — squatters, street vendors, etc) have always been some of the major culprits in the ailing of the pasig river. Selected locations of the river’s banks have also been given the right treatment (removal of residents — legit or squatters — that pollute the river) thanks to the enforcement of laws by the local government (’cause, let’s face it, even if malacanang and certain advocates push for clean-ups when city mayors are indifferent, the project would be rendered useless). restoring the glory of the river doesn’t have to be anti-poor or what some pro-communism organizations claim it is (referring to the removal of squatters). they merely have to abide by the laws of the land of which they’re citizens just as the middle-class Filipinos are also paying taxes. it’s time Metro Manila residents become proactive and not entertain the pathetic “victim complex” that the noisy minority has been cajoling them to imbibe. they’re beginning to be like a scorned lover who’s still hung up on an ex-lover from the martial law years… tsk-tsk!