MMDA to add more boats for Pasig River ferry

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will acquire additional boats for the Pasig River ferry service fleet this year, the MMDA announced yesterday.

Four new boats would be acquired this year, with plans to add more boats in 2025 to transport additional passengers and speed up travel time along the Pasig River, the MMDA said in a statement.

The Pasig River ferry service currently operates 13 boats.

With the help of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the MMDA aims to build two new stations in Manila, in Plaza Mexico and Intramuros, as well as repair the damaged pontoons at the Valenzuela station in Makati and PUP station in Manila.

The two agencies will also conduct dredging operations in the Pasig River, San Juan River and San Francisco River.

MMDA Deputy Chairman Frisco San Juan Jr. and PCG Lt. Commander Michael John Encina discussed the plans during a meeting last week.

The PCG is in charge of operating and guarding the ferry boats. The MMDA manages the entire fleet.

Boat rides on the Pasig River ferry, which runs between Pasig and Manila, have been free to commuters since 2019. The ferry service has stations in Pinagbuhatan, San Joaquin and Maybunga in Pasig; Guadalupe and Valenzuela in Makati; Hulo in Mandaluyong, and Lambingan, Sta. Ana, PUP Sta. Mesa, Lawton and Escolta in Manila.