The River Pasig

Rivers have always been where civilizations originate. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers were the sites of the first civilizations, owing to the fact that water is life. The rivers provided food, irrigation and cleansing for the people. All over the world, cities were built around rivers or lakes. Rarely would you see a city or town built far from a significant body of water.

Metro Manila is one such city, where the Pasig River snakes its way from Manila Bay to Laguna de Bay, a whole 25 kilometers long, effectively dividing the Metro into two. During the Spanish era, the river was the city’s EDSA, providing an important transport route for the city’s inhabitants. Since it crosses all the major municipalities, you could get anywhere just by taking a boat ride on the Pasig. The river was clean, sweet-smelling and beautiful.

But because of progress and industrialization, coupled with the influx of thousands of informal settlers along its banks that dump all their garbage and have converted it into their personal toilet, the river lost all its beauty, and eventually died. No living thing can survive in its waters, and in spite of efforts to revive it as an alternative thoroughfare for commuters, its stench effectively change the minds of would be passengers.

Apparently, the Philippines is the only ASEAN nation left which has not been able to clean up its principal river, serving as another feather in our cap of embarrassments. Many attempts to revive the river have been made. Foundations have arisen solely for this task. But now, a serious effort has been launched, spearheaded by the ABS-CBN Foundation in cooperation with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.

Although not a small task, it is possible with today’s technology and hopefully a strong political will, to bring back the glory days of this important river, detoxify and once again make it viable in seven years. Bacteria that effectively neutralize the coliforms in the river are available and have been successfully tested. Rivers are living things. They can teem with life and provide life. They can also develop disease and spread it as well. They can also die, but fortunately, they can also heal.

In the case of the Pasig River, a cessation of all industrial waste dumping, along with the relocation of thousands of informal settlers along its banks are beneficial to its healing. For no matter how hard the efforts of all those involved to clean up the river, if the "insults" persist, it cannot heal.

It would be nice to see the Pasig River alive and clean in seven years or less. A milestone by any standard, befitting the highest praise to those who can accomplish it, and maintain it as well.