PASIG RIVER REHAB. Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar (left) leads the inspection of the area where the next phase of the Pasig River Urban Development Project will be constructed in this undated photo. The project would interconnect the showcase area at the back of the Manila Central Post Office with the world-renowned walled city of Intramuros. (Photo courtesy of DHSUD-SCAPS)
MANILA – Sustained construction on the next phase of the Pasig River Urban Development Project would interconnect the showcase area at the back of the Manila Central Post Office with the walled city of Intramuros.
The 500-meter showcase area of the Pasig River rehabilitation project, dubbed the “Pasig Bigyan Buhay Muli” (PBBM), was completed on Jan. 17 with the official unveiling led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
The next stage of the nine-phase rehabilitation project that stretches to the Intramuros area will be led by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
“Makakatulong ito ng malaki sa turismo sa lunsod ng Maynila. Dito rin natin pino-project na magkakaroon ng mga commercial shops na magbibigay oportunidad sa ating mga kababayan na siya namang vision ni President Bongbong Marcos Jr. at ni First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos (This will greatly contribute to tourism in the city of Manila. Here we are also projecting that there will be commercial shops that will give opportunities to our countrymen which is the vision of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos),” DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said in a news release on Monday.
"Tuluy-tuloy lamang po kami sa Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) sa pagta-trabaho, hanggang sa mabuo ang proyektong ito (We at the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development Project will continue to work until this project is completed)," he added.
Apart from boosting tourism and maximizing the economic potentials of Pasig River, the PBBM Project also aims to promote transportation interconnectivity in Metro Manila as the waterway traverses several major cities across the capital region.
The project envisions to transform the 25-kilometer stretch of the river into people-centered and community-driven park with walk paths and bike lanes.
When completed, it will provide a seamless travel on foot or two wheels from Manila Bay to Laguna de Bay.
The revitalization project stemmed from Executive Order No. 35, issued by the President in July 2023, that created the IAC-PRUD tasked to “transform Pasig River back into historically pristine condition conducive to transport, recreation and tourism.”
The showcase area was completed and opened to the public six months after the issuance of the order.
The project has an estimated completion timeline of three to five years and will be funded solely through donations from the private sector.
Overall, the revitalization project aims to capitalize on the full potential of Pasig River and bring it to the level of other major waterways in the world such as the Thames River in London, the Chao Phraya in Bangkok and the Seine River in Paris. (PNA)
