Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years:

Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back To Life

Marie Stephanie N. Gilles Introduction

Master of Architecture Student/ Teaching Associate Throughout the centuries since the Spanish occupation
UP College of Architecture of the Philippines in the early 16th century, this river, one
steph.gilles529@gmail.com/ mngilles@up.edu.ph of the Philippines’ major water bodies spanning 27
kilometers (with 4 major and 43 minor tributaries), had
always been a vital vehicle of industry and trade, a
Romeo B. Santos (Adviser) reflection of our culture and heritage, around which
Professor countless poems and testimonies had been written
College of Architecture attesting to its pristine elegance and functional legacy.
University of the Philippines
rbsantos1@up.edu.ph

Abstract
The Pasig River is a major channel traversing important
cities of Metro Manila, serving as a vital transport access
for industrial goods. It has also been extolled as
reflective of our national heritage. The river is now
biologically dead, a depository of residential and
industrial wastes of the metropolis, thereby posing
health hazard to families living along its banks.
Figure 2 Pasig River then with pristine waters

This paper starts with the historical timeline showing

the state of the river from the early 15th c. and how it has
deteriorated today, comparing rehabilitation programs
from both public and private sectors with actual
development using desk research, observation,
mapping-inventory and interviews. Lastly, a case study
of large scale rehabilitation project using current
technology is described.

Keywords: river revitalization, ecosystem, timeline of

deterioration, rehabilitation efforts Figure 3 Pasig River now in its polluted state

Figure 1 Map of Pasig River Showing Cities and Municipalities that are Traversed by it
1
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
 Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years: Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back to Life
Stephanie N. Gilles, Romeo B. Santos

those objective and subjective conditions which hamper

their due progress.

Historical Perspective: Socio-

Cultural Significance Of The River
And Timeline Of Deterioration
1. Pre-Spanish Era (5th c. to 16th c.): Trade and
Commerce
As with any other important river system in the world,
Figure 4 Trade boats near Divisoria market the Pasig River has provided people not only with their
Source: Ronnie Alejandro Collection basic needs, but more importantly, a place where to
build their community. Geography illustrates how most
of the significant human settlements in the history of
Today, five centuries later, the sad state of this river is a civilization were born on the banks of rivers, as is the
cause of restlessness and heightened environmental case with London’s Thames, Egypt’s Nile or Rome’s
concern. This river that once teemed with so much life Tiber. Manila’s Pasig River played a vital role in
and activity, is now pronounced biologically dead, transport, trade and commerce that connected the
having been converted into a garbage basin of hinterlands of Laguna Lake and Manila Bay. As early as
residential and industrial wastes, rendering it unfit for the 5th c., this river had been the major source of water
marine life and posing as a continuous health hazard for and livelihood of various communities that settled along
the more than 100,000 families living along its its banks. People washed clothes in the shallower waters
riverbanks. and fisher folks’ daily catch were always bountiful. The
passenger boats that plied the river from the nearby
The rehabilitation of this river has been deemed a top province of Laguna to Manila and back served as the
priority concern for which various sectors of our society, primary means of transportation.
especially those directly affected, have aligned forces to
ensure its viability. The Department of Environment At the mouth of the river connecting to Manila Bay,
and Natural Resources (DENR), in close collaboration where Fort Santiago is now located, as early as the 13th
with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission century, were ports where vessels from foreign lands,
(PRRC), had been spearheading programs and projects such as Borneo, China, Java, India, Sumatra, Siam,
side by side the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Annam (Vietnam), Japan and the Middle East, brought
major cities in Metro Manila to address this growing trade items like silk, porcelain, glass beads and were
unrest. Funding programs and initiatives have poured bartering them with gold, pearls, betel nuts and honey
in from non-government sectors as well, coming up that our natives would bring (Fox, 1961). Way back in
with pilot projects such as relocation of informal settlers, the 5th century, trading communities were engaged in
bio-remediation, phyto-remediation, dredging and the brisk trade along the banks of the Pasig River (Alli,
application of indigenous technology to solve the 1994).
problems which the revival of this dying ecosystem
entails. A proposed system of filtration with several
lines of defense for waste collection (to catch solid 2. Spanish Occupation (1521 to 1898):
wastes from the individual manholes to the tributaries Urbanization And Infrastructure
before flowing into the river) as well as biochemical Along the banks of the Pasig River, the most influential
treatment starting from the septic tanks to the sewer and powerful Tagalog kingdom of Maynila was
lines before reaching the river are being studied as to transformed into a well-fortified Spanish colonial
their viability and affordability vs. urgency and capital, aptly called the Walled City or Intramuros,
necessity. which became a military stronghold, the seat of
After the historical perspective from the early 15th c. and government, the womb of the Catholic Faith and the
the timeline showing how the state of the river has exclusive residential quarter of the Spaniards. It housed
deteriorated today, this research hinges on analysis of the residence of the Spanish Governor-General until it
current data from the physical, biological and was forced to relocate to San Miguel in the area of
infrastructure viewpoints as well as qualitative Malacanang Palace after the great earthquake of 1645.
interviews from among those spearheading the The coined word Malacanang, adopted from the
programs in multi-sectoral levels: government Tagalog, “May lakan dyan” meaning, “there is a nobleman
(departments, agencies, LGUs and commissions), non- there”, served as a suitable abode for the highest official
government (foundations, funding institutions, of the land (Zafra, 1973). Today, Malacanang Palace still
professionals, technical experts) and advocacy groups remains as the residence of the highest person at the
such as environmentalists and the common citizens. It helm of our country, the President of the Republic.
seeks to examine the programs laid out in a timeline and
to assess the progress and accomplishments to date,
It was during this time that the Manila-Acapulco
examining the factors and causes of so-called successes
Galleon Trade soared to new heights, lasting from 1565
or failures, thereby proposing solutions to overcome
2
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
 Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years: Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back to Life
Stephanie N. Gilles, Romeo B. Santos

to 1815. Two vessels were making the journey annually war, patterned after the design by Juan Arellano in
between the Philippines and Mexico, each trip lasting Greco-Roman style.
200 days (Agoncillo, 1990). From the goods brought to
Manila Port at the mouth of the river, they were
distributed by means of ferries, bancas, boats and
lighters (flat-bottomed barge) through Pasig River, its
tributaries and inland waterways which served as an
effective network for transport, as well as an artery for
the delivery of goods from the interior. A system of
paying taxes equivalent to toll fees was imposed which
these traders were subjected to prior to entering the
river from Manila Bay. Of cultural and historical
significance, Pasig became witness to countless festive Figure 6 Post-War Destruction: Manila Post Office
fluvial parades, both religious and secular in nature. Source: World War II in the Philippines

Our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, through the two

novels he wrote in the mid-1800’s, described the river as
having clean water and very beautiful, a source of
potable water supply by some Chinese haulers or
peddlers. Apart from this, Binondo creek, referred to as
a bend of this river, served as a multi-purpose water
system: a bathing place, drainage and sewage area,
laundry area, fishing ground and means of transport Figure 7 Quezon Bridge's art deco pylons before the war
and communication. Interestingly enough, as early as Source: Ronnie Alejandro Photography Collection
the Spanish times (16th to 19th c), pollution by sewage
and laundry washing have already started. By 1850, Foremost in their plan of action was to improve the
Spanish dwellers noticed the waters losing its pristine North and South Harbors to further trade and
quality, thereby prompting them to devise a filtering commerce. Very soon ships plying the river became a
method of sand and charcoal to maintain its potability. common sight. Another factor that contributed to the
area’s industrialization was the establishment of
Parallel to urbanization came the rise of the earliest railways, road networks and bridges, these include the
infrastructure, telecommunications and public utilities Del Pan Bridge, Jones Bridge, Quezon Bridge, Sta. Cruz
(Electricista) in the Manila area. Trans-oceanic shipping Bridge and the asphalting of the city roads.
lines also increased, with the weekly Manila-Hongkong,
the monthly Manila-Barcelona and Manila-Yokohama The downside effect of all this progress, however, was
and other irregular schedules from the US and that the river was receiving the waste materials that
European countries (cf. Fig. 5). went along with industrialization, causing its clear
waters to darken. The condition of the river further
deteriorated with the onset of World War II, that had left
its indelible marks on the river: 7 bridges destroyed,
artillery tanks and remnants of shattered buildings
deposited into its basin. The death of the city spelled the
death of the river with all its consequences.

After the war, the city started the rebuilding process

marked with intense urbanization and industrialization.
Urban area expanded laterally along the river banks,
buildings and informal settlers occupied easements and,
Figure 5 Inter-island shipping at Pasig River
as a result, the Pasig river ’s carrying capacity
Courtesy of Old Manila Book Center
diminished. The side effects of progress and devastating
effects of war were the culprits which made the Pasig
3. American Period (1898 to 1945) To Post-War into what it is now: polluted, hazardous, fearsome,
Era sticky with mud, slimy and smelly with its dark waters
obscuring its shallow depths.

The American occupation ushered in the early stages of

industrialization along the banks of the Pasig River due For three decades the river’s purpose as the major
to the ease in transport of products and the accessibility transport route was significantly reduced due to its dirty
of the ports of Manila Bay. Communication was basin with the emergence of land-based transport
hastened with the establishment of the Manila Post systems facilitated by bridges. Furthermore, even
Office in 1926, rebuilt in 1946 after it got damaged by industries were moving out of the Pasig River to areas
3
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
 Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years: Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back to Life
Stephanie N. Gilles, Romeo B. Santos

Table 1 Timeline of the State of Pasig River and Rehabilitation Efforts

easily accessible to large trucks and container vans. 2000 was the migration of households from the
provinces to the capital city of Manila, in the hope of
securing jobs and varied sources of income as the capital
Timeline: Factors that Contributed had more job opportunities to offer compared to the
to its Deterioration & Remedies provinces. Due to industrialization in the 1980’s to 2000,
its waters were converted into a receptacle of industrial
wastes which comprise 31 to 45% of the water
pollutants. The percentage of solid wastes ranged from
10% in 1990 to 6% in 2000 (cf. Figure 8).

Current Efforts At Rehabilitating

The River
1. Foreign Assistance and Local Participation
The Danish International Development Assistance
(DANIDA) played an important role and laid the
groundwork for the Philippine government with its 100-
Figure 8 Pollution Sources in the Pasig River System (monitored from million Kroner grant, through its Department of
1990 to 2000) Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), to
establish the Pasig River Rehabilitation Program (PRRP)
The Pasig river’s decline was a slow process that began in 1989, which sought to improve the river’s health by
in the 1930s, when fish migration from Laguna Lake consolidating all river rehabilitation efforts. Soon, other
decreased, and by the 1950’s, people stopped bathing national government agencies (NGAs), local
and washing activities. By the 1960s, the river started to governments, civic groups, and even the private sector
smell and turned black. Water quality dropped and became involved. A most notable initiative was Clean
ferryboat transport lessened. In 1970, the river fell below and Green Foundation’s Piso Para sa Pasig (PPP) which
Class C levels of pollution, and in 1975 even below Class was able to raise Php 51 million for its programs.
C II as it became a victim of urban pollution; its canals Launched in 1995, the PPP’s massive multi-sectoral
served as sewerage for the domestic and industrial campaign for advocacy brought nationwide attention to
wastes from factories and informal dwellers that Pasig’s sorry state for the first time.
sprouted on its riverbanks. In 1980, river tourism
diminished, and in 1985, all type of fishing was brought On Jan. 6, 1999, a presidential mandate established the
to an end (cf. Table 1). Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC), tasked
with coordinating all rehabilitation efforts, with the goal
One major factor that contributed to the increase in of restoring Pasig River to Class “C” level—that which
domestic wastes from 45% in 1990 to 63% in the year can sustain life, with Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
4
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
 Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years: Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back to Life
Stephanie N. Gilles, Romeo B. Santos

Table 2 Pasig River System Average Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as of 2009
Source: Department of Environment and Natural Resources

less than 7mg/liter — throughout a 15-year program, a stations, where ferries pick up passengers at regular
target hoped to be achieved by 2014. intervals. Unfortunately, it stopped operations for lack
of funding.
With more extensive powers and functions vested on
this new implementing body, the PRRC with 13 partner
government agencies, began its mission of transforming
the Pasig River and its environs into a showcase of a
new quality of urban life.

The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and

the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) have
been applying stringent regulations and monitoring
measures on factories which have wastes flowing out
into the river. An example is the Environmental
Compliance Certificate which every establishment,
connected to Pasig river and Laguna Lake, has to submit
to the agencies responsible for monitoring their waste Figure 9 Map showing the Pasig Ferry Stations
production.

Among the non-government organizations from the

foreign arena that have vouched full support to this
rehabilitation program, the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) has provided a $176 million financial assistance
package to resuscitate the river for a 15-year project, the
first phase of which was the so-called ADB PAREMAR- Figure 10 & 11. A station & a ferry boat
SDP (Asian Development Bank Pasig Rehabilitation
Environmental Management – Sector Development
Program) carried out from 2000 to 2008, given that a
2. Environmental Protection Areas (EPAs) and
projected 5 million people discharge their wastewater to
Urban Renewal Areas (URAs)
this river without having any septic tank or waste water
treatment facilities between them and the river. An important move in infrastructure and environmental
consciousness was the implementation of the easements
along the riverbanks, from 3-meters for its tributaries
and 10-meters for the main river, which have been
The Pasig River Ferry Service was also revived as an declared Environmental Protection Areas (EPAs) and
alternative mode of transportation to decongest city have been transformed into public linear parks and
traffic and as a vehicle towards greater awareness of this esplanades. Of the 38 kilometers of both banks of the
advocacy to revitalize the river. Inaugurated in February river, to date, 21.21 kilometers of linear parks have been
2007, the ferry service had a total of 14 fully operational developed. Land and communities beyond the 3 to 10-

5
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
 Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years: Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back to Life
Stephanie N. Gilles, Romeo B. Santos

meter EPAs were also declared Urban Renewal Areas livelihood programs and 51 families are receiving
(URAs). continuous financial assistance. ADB also financed
schools and community centers, health and day care
centers at the resettlement locations. Basic municipal
One of the biggest challenges facing the river’s
services, such as improved water supply and sanitation,
rehabilitation is the conflict-riddled process of relocating
essential infrastructure, and security of tenure were also
slum communities otherwise called Informal Settler
provided. With ADB assistance, 20 vacuum trucks for
Families (ISF) thriving along the riverbanks, which have
septic tank–emptying services were procured. A total of
been a constant source of pollution. In fact, 65% of waste
4.91 hectares have been completed, benefitting a further
dumped into the river comes from these households.
80,000 families (about 440,000 people). These renewal
The establishment of EPAs meant relocating thousands
and resettlement projects are expected to reduce waste
of ISFs to adequate resettlement areas and providing
input and improve environmental conditions in the
them with affordable housing, livelihood opportunities,
Pasig River basin and the entire metropolitan area.
and other development support.

3. Case Study of Large Scale Rehabilitation

Efforts using Current Technology
To significantly reduce solid wastes in the river, the
dredging program was implemented under the
guidance of the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH), where a total of 1,454,833 m3 of
solid wastes have been excavated. Some of these solid
waste materials are stored in landfills and others in
Underwater Placement Overhead Capping units
(UPOCs) with a cumulative accomplishment of
2,030,483 m3.

Figre12&13. EPAs before & after developing into linear parks

Figure 15. Location and Size of Underwater Placement with Overdepth

Capping (UPOC)
Source: Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission

In addition to this, a total of 4 sites have been put up for

Fig.14. Sta Ana resettlement Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), for shredding
Actual photos showing the previous state of informal settlers and development plastic, paper and other recyclable wastes. Other efforts
into parks and medium rise housing at improving the quality of water are: (a) bio-
remediation – pilot project using 23 carefully selected,
To date, 7,488 housing units have been provided for useful, non-pathogenic and naturally occurring
approximately 10,000 families (about 55,000 people) microbial isolates were used to attack, degrade and
living in deprived conditions within EPAs, relocated in neutralize the pollutants, (b) installation of garbage
resettlement sites at in-city and near-to-town locations traps (currently in 17 out of 43 creeks), (c) provision of
that meet ADB standards for involuntary resettlement. aeration and filtration devices (presently in 7 out of 17
The PRRC ensures that affected households are better creeks, (c) phyto-remediation: use of selected plants, e.g.
off in the resettlement areas than in their precariously millionaire’s vine whose roots cleanse the waters, for
built houses by the river banks that are prone to greening riverbanks and increase dissolve oxygen level;
flooding during the rainy season. The PRRC also a total of 7,398 linear meters have been covered by these
provides trainings and microcredit for small business plants at 3 major sites.
enterprises, and other livelihood assistance. From these
families, 4,863 individuals are benefitting from the

6
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
 Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years: Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back to Life
Stephanie N. Gilles, Romeo B. Santos

Currently, ADB is reviewing the possibility of

supporting the wastewater infrastructure development
plans of construction septage treatment plants (STPs) of
the two private water supply and sanitation
concessionaires servicing the metropolis, i.e., Maynilad
and Manila Water, so as to contribute to a further
reduction of communal wastewater discharges to the
Pasig River.

Conclusion, Challenges and

Recommendations
Figure 16 Dredging Equipment
After having illustrated the primary importance that
this river holds for the life and welfare of Manila and its
neighboring cities which this waterway traverses, it is
justifiable that there is an intensive rehabilitation of the
Pasig River spanning three decades in the serious
implementation of programs and policies. It is by far
one of the most comprehensive river rehabilitation
programs being undertaken by the Philippines,
involving 13 government agencies, 3 big private
companies, 3 foreign grantors and numerous local and
civic communities. Of these programs, especially the
recent ones (15-year plan of the PRRC from 1999 to
2014), an evaluation study of the final completion report
Figure 17 Material Recovery Facility dated December 2009 shows that the overall
performance is 55% accomplishment vs. the expected
67%, having coursed 10 years or two-thirds of the
allotted project period. This is assessed from all fronts:
from the policies, programs, infrastructure
development, public information advocacy through
media and general awareness of the people regarding
this cause. Despite the multitude of efforts, a lot still
remains to be done by all sectors concerned.

Notwithstanding, there has been a proliferation of

initiatives and proposals for pilot projects towards
sustainable development in wastewater treatment in
Figure18 Phytoremediation
line with heightened awareness of the need to revitalize
this river, some of which are:
PRRC is now undertaking the second phase of the
project. In February 2009, the “Kapit Bisig sa Ilog
a) Decentralized water treatment facilities:
Pasig” (Arm-in-Arm for the Pasig River) program was
several lines of defense from the manholes to
launched by the DENR, through PRRC and ABS-CBN
the sewer lines to the tributaries before going
Foundation. The partnership’s goal is to turn the Pasig
to the river and introducing bio-chemicals into
into a Clean River Zone in 7 years (up to 2016) by
septic tanks and sewage treatment plants to
ensuring zero toxic input into the river through solid
improve quality of effluent water (started in
waste management, household or community septic
Malacanang housing facilities: positive
tanks desludging, and septage treatment. It will also
outcome),
continue the rehabilitation and resettlement work
initiated by the PRRC.
b) Proposal to provide filtration dams using
indigenous materials and technology: bamboo
Among the private corporations deeply committed to
weave and coco shreds as sieve at funnel
this cause of rehabilitating the river are Unilever (that
points,
had been involved since the 1980’s in environmental
concerns), PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone
Company) and Ayala Foundation that have joined forces c) On-going projects implementing zero waste
towards this goal. management in homes, offices and industries:
3R’s (reduce, recycle and reuse) – segregating
7
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
 Revitalization of Pasig River Through the Years: Bringing a Dying Ecosystem Back to Life
Stephanie N. Gilles, Romeo B. Santos

and recycling solid waste materials and Bibliography

converting them into useful products, e.g waste
paper into egg trays, scrap plastics to wash
basins or pipes, scrap metals to reinforcement Agoncillo, Teodora A. 1990. History of Filipino People. 8th
steel; composting of organic material, edition. Garotech Publishing,
Quezon City.

d) Encouraging collaboration of NGOs (non-

government organizations) and informal Alejandro, Reynaldo G. & A.A. Yuson, 2000. Pasig: River
settlers along the riverbanks to generate public of Life. Unilever Philippines, Inc. Manila.
awareness, e.g. River Day (similar to Earth Day
or Earth Hour), wherein at strategic locations
Alli, Armando N. 1994. The Social Acceptability of
within a specified hour, they can throw bio-
Introducing a Mass Transit System on the Pasig River. (Ph.
chemicals to cleanse the river, and
D. Dissertation). University of the Philippines, Diliman.

e) Enhancing the design of resettlement housing

Commandante, Armand S. 1979. The Impact of Physical
facilities to espouse the principles of green
Constraints on Metro Manila’s Urbanization (Ph. D.
architecture (initiated by Gawad Kalinga
Dissertation) University of the Philippines, Diliman.
volunteers): natural lighting and ventilation,
passive cooling technology, solar heating,
plants and open spaces; self-help technology DENR, River Rehabilitation Secretariat (RRS) and
and core housing with flexibility for expansion. DANIDA. 1996. Reviving the Legacy. Pasig River
Rehabilitation Program (PRRP) – Third Year Report. June,
1995 – December, 1996.
It is with a lot of hope and optimism that these more
recent initiatives will be the tipping point of Pasig
River’s rehabilitation and turn the tide from its DENR-PRRP. 1994. Pasig River Squatters Relocation and
deterioration. With a positive projection and building on Resettlement Program.
the efforts of current multi-sectoral collaboration, the
future generations can then enjoy a Class C water Gagalac-Regis, Emelina et al. 2001. The Pasig River:
quality and resume the activities once witnessed by this Caring for a Dying Ecosystem. A project of the Pasig River
River, thereby reinstating it to its seat of importance for Rehabilitation Commission with funding from
our country’s capital region. DANIDA. Manila.

JICA-MMDA. 1998. The study of solid waste management

for Metro Manila in the Republic of the Philippines- Final
Report. March 1998.

Lacson-Locsin, Ma. Soledad (Translator) and Raul L.

Locsin (Editor) 1997. El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal.
Bookmark, Inc. Philippines.

Miller, Gorge A. Interesting Manila. 1906. E.C.

McCullough & Co., Inc.
Figure 19. View of Pasig River – downtown Manila
Photography by Sonny Espiritu
PRRC, Completion Report, Assessment of Policies &
Programs. Dec. 2009. Quezon City

Tamayo-Zafaralla, Macrina, 1981. Ecology of water

pollution in Pasig River II. Biological Parameters. Kalikasan,
Philipp. J. Biol Vol. 19 (2-3):151-164.

Zafaralla, Macrina T. 1982. Pasig: Ecology of a Dying

River. Scientia Filipinas Vol. 2(1): 30-44.

Figure 20. Vision of Pasig River in 2020 Zafra, Nicolas. 1993. The Colonization of the Philippines
Perspective by Architect Felino Palafox, Jr. and the beginnings of the Spanish City of Manila. National
Historic Institute. Manila. pp. 1-63.

8
MUHON: A Journal of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designed Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture