(Image from DHSUD)
MANILA – The Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) has presented to Malacañang its proposed master plan aimed not only at rehabilitating the waterway but also maximizing its economic potential by transforming its banks into people-centered parks and commercial hub.
Dubbed the Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli (PBBM) Project, the massive urban development undertaking was jointly crafted by member agencies of the IAC-PRUD, which was created under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order (EO) 35 signed on July 25.
Under EO 35, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) was tapped to head the IAC-PRUD with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) as vice chair.
According to a DHSUD news release, the PBBM Project master plan was submitted on Wednesday and contains development plans – composed of mixed-use commercial areas and open public parks – along the 25-km. stretch of the Pasig River from the Manila Bay to Laguna de Bay.
Initially, the IAC-PRUD identified eight key areas where the people-centric improvements, such as jogging paths and bike lanes, could be made from the city of Manila up to Rizal province, traversing major cities in the metropolis.
The PBBM Project covers permanent relocation for thousands of informal settler families (ISFs) along the Pasig River banks.
The DHSUD said plans are already laid out for the resettlement of the affected ISFs, with the collaboration of other national government agencies, such as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA).
Full support of First Couple
DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said the PBBM Project complied with EO 35, which tasked the IAC-PRUD to formulate an urban development plan for the rehabilitation of the Pasig River while preserving its “historical and cultural value.”
The rehabilitation of the Pasig River is also one of the three priority advocacies of First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, the other two being education and improved access to quality health care.
Acuzar welcomed the support of the First Couple as a huge boost to the efforts of IAC-PRUD for the massive rehabilitation of the historical waterway.
“With the issuance of EO 35 by the President, and the full-backing of the First Lady, lalo pong mapapabilis at mapapaganda ang pagbuhay muli sa Pasig River (rejuvenating the Pasig River would be done more quickly and superbly),” he said in a statement.
“Kasama po ang ibang departamento ng gobyerno sa ilalim ng IAC-PRUD, sisikapin po ng DHSUD na matupad ang bisyon ng ating Pangulo at First Lady (Along with the other government agencies under the IAC-PRUD, the DHSUD will exert all efforts to achieve the vision of our President and First Lady).”
Serving as members of the IAC-PRUD are the respective secretaries of the departments of public works, environment, interior and local government, tourism, transportation, finance, and budget.
Chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the general manager of the PPA, the commandant of the PCG, the general manager of the LLDA, and the chief executive officer of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority were also named members of the council.
The National Housing Authority will serve as the secretariat. (PNA)
