HISTORY OF PASIG RIVER

A hundred years ago, renowned American urban planner Daniel Burnham compared
Manila Bay to the bay of Naples, the Pasig River to the winding river of Paris and
Manila’s esteros to the canals of Venice.

Considered the cradle of the Tagalog civilization, the river was witness both to
significant events in the country’s history and to daily lives of people in the fledging city
of Manila.

-in pre-colonial years, pasig river is the main passage for transport, trade and cultural
exchange between Philippines and its neighboring countries.

-http://www.prrc.gov.ph/index.php/pasig-river/history

-most convenient and oldest route from qc to mandaluyong to center (manila)

-noong panahon ng kastila ito ang daan papuntang importanteng lugar sa maynila
(opisina ng espanyol sa intramuros etc)

-ang pasig river ay saksi sa pagaalsa ng mga tsino sa mga kastila at sinasabing dito
sa ilog pasig tinapon ang mga labi ng tsino at pinagbawal ang pag inom rito sa loob
ng 6 na buwan.

-ginamit din ang ilog pasig sa pagpupulong ng mga katipunero

-bago pa ang kastila, itoy sentro na ng kalakalan.(daungan ng dayuhang barko) at sa

gilid nito’y may pamayanan narin

-dahil sa pagiging sentro nito, natayo sa ilog pasig ang unang parola sa bansa noong
1846. (ngayo’y tinatawag na parola, tondo)

-noong panahon ng amerikano humina ang saysay ng ilog pasig dahil sa bagong tulay
at sasakyan sa pilipinas.

-ayon sa prrc, 1930 nabawasan ang isdang nahuhuli rito

-1950, kaunti nalang ang naliligo

-1960, bawal nang maligo at maglaba

-1970, bumaho na ang tubig

-1980, itinigil na ang pangingisda

-1990, dinileklarang biologically dead ang ilog pasig, bawal nang kainin ang isda at
maligo rito.
 ABOUT PASIG RIVER
-pasig river is 27 kilometer

--by the 1990s, the pasig river was considered biologically dead[1]

-663 km square watershed area

-it covers 23 cities and municipalities in metro manila and rizal province

-it connects manila bay in west and laguna lake in east

-withstanding passage of time, pasig river still draws the attention of many filipinos.
The river is sometimes called “ilog ng mga filipino” because of its notable sight that
mark the rich anal history of the philippines.

-pasig river connects laguna bay to manila bay stretching 25 kilometers. It is lined by
metro manila on each side, and the marikina river and san juan river are its major
tributaries. During spanish times, the river is an important transport route.

-due to negligence and industrial development, the river has become much polluted
and considered dead – unable to sustain life – by ecologists. The pasig river
rehabilitation commission (prrc) was established to oversee rehabilitation efforts for the
river. Supporting the prrc are private sector organizations, i.e. Clean and green
foundation, inc. That implemented the “piso para sa pasig” campaign.

Nowadays, however, Pasig is no more than a ghost of its old self. Apart from water
lilies and janitor fish, hardly any life form survives in its murky recesses. Many of its
tributaries are clogged by garbage from Metro Manila’s households.

From being a recreation venue and a source of food and livelihood, the river became
the 'dumping ground' of informal settlers who live along the banks of the river and its
tributaries, as well as by almost all establishments surrounding it.

The river, is also the catch basin of floodwaters from several tributaries from upstream
areas of the Manila, conduit to mitigate the flooding in most areas of Metro Manila and
its dredging would increase the carrying capacity of the river.

Lined up along both river banks are several oil depots, factories, and huge slums,
producing most of the waste that flows on it. Ecologists have already pronounced the
Pasig River as dead and incapable of sustaining marine life.

-http://www.prrc.gov.ph/index.php
PICTURES OF PASIG RIVER

Ilog pasig 1826-1829

The pasig river in 1899

 Pasig River in 1900

Pasig River near Quiapo

 View from Fort Santiago

View from Guadalupe Bridge

 CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION IN
PASIG RIVER
Narration of the Problem

Pasig River considered the toilet bowl of Manila

An estimated 65% of the pollutants in the Pasig river come from households, 30% from
the industrial sector and 5% from solid wastes.

Metro Manila’s 11 million-plus residents, according to studies, produce roughly 440

tons of domestic wastewater every day. The river became the city’s toilet bowl.

Worse, as the city continues to wage its battle against solid waste, the river also
became the primary dumping ground. Currently, Metro Manila is reportedly producing
as much as 7,000 tons or 31 cubic meters of trash per day. Out of this, about 1,500
tons is dumped daily (and illegally) on private land, creeks, rivers and the Manila Bay.

One river clean up effort after another failed as the source of the pollution. Metro
Manila’s population of over 10 million individuals continued to relentlessly dump waste
and garbage into the river and its tributaries.

The problem has gotten so bad that some parts of the San Juan river, one of the
Pasig’s main tributaries, are already emitting methane.

One of the main rivers of the Philippines, Pasig River was once praised for its beauty.
It encompasses in its system many smaller rivers and tributaries, six subbasins and
Manila Bay. It is the primary river supporting the area known as Metro Manila, which
is the capital city of Manila, and its surrounding metropolis. Since the end of World
War II, Pasig River has been the primary recipient of much of the pollution produced
by Metro Manila’s ten million inhabitants.

Urban Growth

The population along Pasig River has continued to multiply, but the developing
country’s ability to cope with waste disposal has not kept up. Initially used for bathing
and fishing, the river has become known as the “toilet bowl” of Manila. Pollution
dumped into the river and its tributaries has accumulated, and is no longer capable
of sustaining any life other than janitor fish and water lilies. Ecologists consider it
dead. Although many laws and plans have been put into place to regulate pollution
and clean the water, none have proved very effectual to date.
Household Waste

It is estimated that 65 percent of the pollution in Pasig River comes from household
waste. In a third world country where many of the homes do not have indoor
plumbing, the river is a place to dump some of the 440 tons of wastewater produced
daily by Metro Manila’s citizens. An additional 4,000 settlers along the river are
considered to be “informal.” Among its other unpleasant features, Pasig River is
noted for its dark-colored water, unpleasant smell and the presence of floating feces.

Industrial Waste

Approximately 30 percent of river pollutants come from industries, which are located
in close proximity to it. One Action Plan created by the River Rehabilitation
Secretariat identified 315 industries that generate significant amounts of pollution.
Some of these, such as the Republic Asahi glassworks factory, have their own water
treatment facilities that are still incapable of removing heavy metal pollutants, such
as nickel. Copper, lead, manganese and zinc have also been found in unacceptably
high levels, along with pesticides, nitrates and phosphates.

Solid Waste

Solid waste means garbage. Metro Manila produces 7,000 tons of garbage a day
without the facilities to dispose of it adequately. Therefore, much of it -- about 1,500
tons -- is thrown into streams, tributaries and the bay. Some tributaries have actually
become clogged from all of the trash in them. One project called “Kapit Bisig sa Ilog
Pasig,” intends to set up solid waste management facilities, and to encourage
communities to become involved by teaching them how to generate income by
making items like pails, chairs and bricks from plastic and polystyrene foam.

Fitzgerald, H. (2018). What Are the Causes of the Pasig River Pollution?
Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/info-8788724-causes-pasig-river-
pollution.html
 PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES FOR THE
BETTERMENT OF PASIG RIVER

-metropolitan manila was founded and built along the banks of pasig river. Being the
center of the colonial power of spain, the usa and japan, the metropolis had
experienced not only the cycle of economic growth, but more importantly, the birth,
decay and rebirth of filipino society and culture. As more and more people flocked the
area to participate in trading activities, they brought along with them their distinct
cultural imprints. As a result, varied cultural influences were infused in the early
filipino's indigenous culture, to extent that they perhaps, had lost what was originally
theirs.

-1970s, river restorations stsarted

-1999, pasig river rehabilitation commission was built with a goal of restore river water
quality to class c level.

Class c water quality

• Water for fishery

• Secondary recreation like boating

• Water supply for manufacturing processes after treatment

-prrc has 4m usd has buget since last 8 yrs with the help of lots of stakeholder

-prrc resettles 20,000 infromal settlers in ilog pasig

-prrc developed 39km riverbanks into linear parks, walkways and greenbelts

-2.8m cubic meter of silt and sediment dredged in ilog pasig

-removed 27m kls of floating garbage along ilog pasig

- revived the pasig river ferry system during 2007 to enhance east-west connectivity in
the ncr

-prrc also sealed an agreement with water concessionaires to fast track the
establishment and households sewage and treatment facilties as to contributor of
domestic and indutrial waste pollution.

-prrc also secured the power to inspect operations and wastewater treatment facilites
of factories and commercial establishment from laguna lake development authority and
same agreement to the environmental management bureu to cover all cities w/in pasig
river system.

-prrc has the 2017-2032 pasig river integrated and strategic master plan and now will
expand cover areas beyond pasig river systems to the larger ecosystems of manila
bay and laguna lake.

Ex DENR Sec. Gina Lopez help the rehabitation with the help of PRRC:

• Cleaning of Esteros with “KAPIT BISIG PARA SA ILOG PASIG” by Bantay

KAlikasan

-17 oout of 47 was cleaned last 2018

• Phil, Intl Marathon creates a marathon called: “ A run for Pasig River” And One
run Philippines for the benefit of pasig river.

• Relocations of informal settlers

• -partnership with NGO’s, Government Agencies and Private Companies.

• River Cleane up

• Pasig River Won An “Asia River Prize” Award last Oct 2018 sa Sydney Australia

Pasig River Rehabilitation

The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) and the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
will launch a project to transform the Pasig River into a “zero toxic and clean river zone.”

The PRRC and ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. are forging a partnership to resuscitate the
dying Pasig River through “clean river zones,” believing that the best way to address
the problem is to stop the discharge of toxic waste into the already polluted river.

“Kapit Bisig sa Ilog Pasig,” the seven-year project would focus on the improvement of
the physical appearance of the river and create awareness among residents about the
sensitive river system to stop pollution around the waterway.

The project involves fund-raising campaigns, education campaigns, the insulation of

materials in recovering facilities within the river’s zones, and the relocation of 4,000
informal settlers along the river.

Other organizations and sponsors like Plantex Philippines, which manufactures

organic cleaning solutions, Sagip Pasig, Bantay Kalikasan, and the Clean and Green
Movement, which reportedly donated P6-million.

The estimated target of this project is 700 million.

To achieve this, solid waste management facilities will be set up in the area to ensure
that all wastes, biodegradable and non-biodegradable, will be properly segregated and
composted or recycled. One incentive for communities to get involved is the income
they are expected to generate from making different products like pails, table tops,
chairs, tiles, and bricks out of shredded plastics and melted styrofoam.

In addition to this, Bantay Kalikasan proposes to the Local Government Units a good
resettlement program coupled with a viable livelihood program for the informal settlers
along the tributaries.

Reference:

Manila Bulletin

Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Philippine Star

ABS – CBN News

Source; prrc video played in sydney australia-

-Bantay Kalikasan, Abs Cbn Found.

 LAWS
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 274 August 18, 1973 PERTAINING TO THE
PRESERVATION, BEAUTIFICATION, IMPROVEMENT AND GAINFUL
UTILIZATION OF THE PASIG RIVER, PROVIDING FOR THE REGULATION AND
CONTROL OF POLLUTION OF THE RIVER AND ITS BANKS IN ORDER TO
ENHANCE ITS DEVELOPMENT, THEREBY MAXIMIZING ITS UTILIZATION FOR
SOCIO-ECONOMIC PURPOSES

WHEREAS, it has become imperative to prevent the further deterioration of the Pasig
River which has resulted due to the indiscriminate disposal of wastes into the river,
due to the lack of proper maintenance and due to the inadequacy of systems of
control over the use of the waterways of the river;

WHEREAS, the innate beauty and aesthethic qualities of the Pasig River and its banks
remain overshadowed and consequently untapped on account of the continued
existence of obstructions and eyesores right along the river and its banks;

WHEREAS, by bringing out its natural and potential beauty through the cleansing of
its waters of the clutters of wastes and debris likewise by ridding it of the pollutants
that surround it, the Pasig River could become a major tourist attraction, providing a
significant source of foreign exchange earnings for the country;

WHEREAS, the Pasig River holds a strong influence on the socio-economic

development of the areas around it and that to-date this recognized potential has not
yet been tapped;

WHEREAS, the current thrusts of development point to the need to tap the latent
resources of the river by improving the carrying characteristics of its waterways and
properly controlling its use as drainage and navigational channel to make it a major
thoroughfare for maritime transport;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by

virtue of the authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of
the Philippines and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081 dated September 21, 1972,
as amended, do hereby order and decree:

Section 1. The Immediate Implementation of the Pasig River Development Program.

This shall be a joint undertaking of the public and private sectors for the primary
purpose of developing the Pasig

River and its environs within a minimum period of three years to achieve maximum
social, economic, and environmental benefits. The developments shall include
projects along public works activities like drainage, navigation, tourism, and
recreational activities, low and medium cost housing, parks, small-scale industries,
and land easements along the river banks.

Section 2. Incentives to be Granted. In order to effect the accelerated, complete and

successful implementation of the program and the attainment of its objectives, the
following incentives are hereby provided:

a. To those industries undertaking the necessary measures to control pollution in the

area and to those agencies involved in low and medium cost housing, parks, small-
scale industries and land easements along the river banks, all duties paid on anti-
pollution devices and equipment of the agencies involved in activities under the
program shall be reimbursed by the government. Provided also that all expenses
inclusive of research shall be allowed as deductible items from the taxable income of
these industries and agencies.

b. To those industries/persons whose activities will enhance the utilization of the Pasig
River and its environs for Tourism purposes, (e.g., regatta activities, floating
restaurants, etc.) the same incentives as those provided in (a) above shall hold.
Provided in addition, that other provisions governing Incentives Law on Tourism
Priorities Plan of the National Government shall also apply.

Section 3. Police Powers. The government shall in the course of implementing the
Pasig River Development Program be clothed with the following specific police
powers in addition to existing police powers presently enjoyed by the National
Government.

a. To impose levies in the form of local tax on all industrial and commercial users of the
Pasig River proper and its tributaries as well as the esteros branching from and
draining into the Pasig River.

b. To institute penal actions on any person or legal entity committing acts or omissions
in violation of the rules and regulations promulgated by the National Government as
exemplified and enumerated under Sec. 6 of R. A. 3931 otherwise known as the
Pollution Control Law and as implemented by National Water and Air Pollution
Control Commission, specifically the rules and regulations relevant to the Pasig River
Development Program. It is hereby provided that in cases of persons who are
convicted by the appropriate courts, a maximum fine of P10,000 and/or imprisonment
from six to twelve years or both shall be imposed at the discretion of the court, it is
further provided that in case of acts or omissions committed by other legal or juridical
entities the manager thereof shall be held liable, with an accessory penalty of
suspension for a reasonable period of time of its permit to operate for the first offense,
and the cancellation of its permit to operate for the second offense.
Section 4. Appropriation. Upon approval of the President, a Trust Fund Account shall
be created to finance the Pasig River Development Program and other river works
projects of the National Government to be deposited in the National Treasury which
shall be generated from the following

a. Proceeds from levies (in the form of local taxes) on industrial and commercial users
as provided in Section 3 of this Decree;

b. Fund releases from appropriations under the Infrastructure Program, Provided, That
for FY 1974 P7 million shall be appropriated for the Pasig River Development
Program from the Infrastructure Program Allocation for Miscellaneous Public Work:
Provided, further, That a minimum of P7 million shall be annually appropriated in the
Regular Infrastructure Program for the succeeding Fiscal Years as continuing
appropriations; and

c. Fund releases from other appropriation as prescribed and authorized by the

President or his duly authorized representative.

Section 5. All previous laws, decrees, orders, directives and memoranda issued
inconsistent with
the above are hereby revoked.

Section 6. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT PASIG RIVER
Gov't puts trash traps, warns 'esteroristas' in Pasig River

The problem begins in waterways such as the San Juan River, now the most polluted
in Metro Manila
TRASH TRAP. Instead of catching fish, this net traps garbage in the San Juan River.
Photo by Ralf Rivas/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – To stop trash from flowing into the Pasig River, a
government agency placed "trash traps" in areas traversed by this body of water, as it
threatened to impose sanctions against "esteroristas."
The trash traps, or nets, were installed in parts of the San Juan River, and along the
boundaries of Mandaluyong City, Manila, and Quezon City. Volunteers were assigned
to collect the garbage caught by these trash traps.
The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) said it will monitor the amount of
trash collected by the nets to determine the source of most of the garbage.
The PRRC then vowed to crack down on "esteroristas," or the "terrorists" of
"esteros" (waterways).
 The commission said "esteroristas" found guilty of polluting the Pasig River will
face still-undisclosed sanctions.
"We have already sent memos to individuals and companies. We will release the
names soon," said Jose Goitia, executive director of the PRRC.
Goitia also appealed to Metro Manila residents to dispose of garbage properly.
Otherwise, he said the PRRC's efforts will be put to waste.
Most polluted waterway: San Juan River
Gotia said the Pasig River, after all, "is alive again," after it "was considered biologically
dead" in the 1990s.

More than 63,700 tons of plastic – equivalent to more than 10,600 elephants in
terms of weight – flow from the Pasig River into the ocean every year, according to a
study published in the journal Nature Communications.
The problem begins in waterways such as the San Juan River.
In April alone, almost 8,000 sacks of trash weighing around 4,000 kilos were collected
in the San Juan River, according to the PRRC.
The San Juan River is now considered the most polluted waterway in Metro Manila.
Garbage threatens the government’s big plans for the Pasig River, including an
improved ferry system by 2022 that would decongest Metro Manila traffic.
"Maawa naman kayo sa ilog, pati sa mga naglilinis kasi nasasayang 'yung effort
nila.(Please take pity of the river and the ones cleaning it up because all their efforts
are put to waste). A little rain and all the trash is back again," Goitia said. –
Rappler.com

Rivas, R. (2018). Gov't puts trash traps, warns 'esteroristas' in Pasig River.
Retrieved from

https://www.google.com.ph/amp/s/amp.rappler.com/nation/201882-pasig-river-
rehabilitation-trash-traps-esteroristasj

PRRC to speed up projects after low completion rate in 2018

The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission says it will be on track to finish its projects
by 2019

MANILA, Philippines – The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) will be in

a catch-up mode for the rest of the year after it has cleared the roadblocks that caused
it to miss deadlines in 2018, PRRC Executive Director Jose Antonio Goitia on Monday,
June 3, said.

Goitia was reacting to the Commission on Audit (COA) report which said thatPRRC's
projects only had an accomplishment rate of 1% to 27.65% in 2018 despite spending
96% of its funding due to failure to anticipate problems.

"Regarding that 2018, kung bakit naman naubos yung funds (on why the funds ran
out), my predecessor had a project at San Fransisco River that was stopped," Goitia
said, referring to a PRRC project in Quezon City.

"Pumayag yung DBM (Department of Budget and Management) na ituloy namin yung
San Francisco Phase 2 project."

(The DBM said that we can continue the San Francisco Phase 2 project.)

2019 Linear Park Projects of the PRRC

As per the 2019 General Appropriations Act. Due to the delayed enactment, the project
implementation will also be delayed.

Goitia also pointed to the lack of support from the National Housing Authority, which
he said promised to provide 16,700 houses for the relocation of informal settlers.

PRRC Planning Division Head Jimbo Mallari said that these delays were
"uncontrollable factors." These were the delayed 2019 budget and the case of a
barangay chairman barring PRRC's contractors from relocating informal settlers.

"Mahirap, ayaw nila magpa-implement ng projects kasi tinatanggal namin yung [mga]
tao. Isa 'yan sa mga dahilan: we get threats from the LGU (local government units).
They don't want to support the project of the national government," he added.

(It's hard, they don't want to have the projects implemented because we remove the
people. That's one more reason: we get threats from the LGUs, they don't want to
support the project of the national government.)

Goitia, however, clarified that the barangay chairman in question was an isolated case
and they already filed a case to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
– Rappler.com

Mogato, A. (2019). PRRC to speed up projects after low completion rate in 2018.
Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/232140-pasig-river-
rehabilitation-commission-to-speed-up-project-2019

PRRC to speed up projects after low completion rate in 2018

MANILA -- The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) hauled 162,390

kilograms of waste (5,413 sacks of garbage), which were pushed by the high tide in
Manila Bay into the Pasig River, during a series of massive clean-up operations which
started last April 27.

The huge volume of waste along Pasig River at present is caused by the backflow of
Manila Bay -- a natural phenomenon observed especially this time of the year, by the
San Juan River and some esteros draining garbage and polluted water after the recent
heavy rains.

PRRC’s River Warriors, River Patrols, River Watch, and other employees are doing
manual clean-up daily with the use of limited cleaning implements and utilizing two
small trash boats.

Clean-up operations are done in San Juan River and Manila, including the Malacañang
area.

PRRC is now placing new trash traps and continuously cleaning up San Juan River --
one of the major tributaries of the 47 identified waterways connected to the Pasig River
and carries the wastes of the cities of Manila, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Quezon.

PRRC’s clean-up operations will continue in the following weeks to ensure that the
rehabilitation efforts at the historic and award-winning Pasig River System are
maintained and sustained.

PRRC will also conduct a joint Pasig River clean-up with the Philippine Coast Guard
on Saturday, May 11, 2019, together with interagency partners and volunteers.

“I am calling for the support of everyone, including our fellow government agencies,
local government units, and all sectors of society to help us, the PRRC, in our efforts
to clean, save, and protect the Pasig River as part of our obligation to our environment
and in support of the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Manila Bay led by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),” said PRRC Executive
Director Jose Antonio Goitia. (PRRC PR)

______ (2019). PRRC to speed up projects after low completion rate in 2018.
Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1069307

Beware of fish caught in Pasig River

Authorities warn public vs eating catch from waterway after tests show high levels of
toxic chemicals, coliform

MANILA, Philippines — Just this once, it would be better to let the “big fish” get away,
especially if it came from Pasig River.

Netizens have been caught up in a fish frenzy after photographs of gigantic dory, tilapia
and catfish caught in one of Metro Manila’s major bodies of water circulated recently
on Facebook
But while authorities hailed these as new signs of life in the river once declared as
“biologically dead,” the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) on Wednesday
cautioned the public against eating the fish taken from its waters.

The warning was issued after laboratory tests conducted by the PRRC on some of the
fish showed alarmingly high amounts of toxic chemicals like lead, mercury and
chromium

On top of these, the samples also tested positive for overwhelmingly high levels of
fecal coliform — bacteria from human and animal feces.

The efforts of PRRC and other stakeholders to restore Pasig River to its former glory
have already paid off.

In 2009, a biodiversity assessment carried out by the Department of Environment and

Natural Resources showed that eight species of fish had already returned to the river
after just a decade of rehabilitation.

Five of these were exotic, two were native while the Manila sea catfish or kanduli was
endemic.

Despite these findings, analyses showed that the fish remained unsafe for human
consumption.

Based on the PRRC’s sampling and tests done earlier this year, the fish caught at
Napindan Channel, the Guadalupe and Santa Ana ferry boat stations and Manila Bay
had fecal coliform levels that exceeded the standard of 10 most probable number
(MPN) per gram.

For instance, the tilapia, kanduli and banak caught at the Guadalupe station recorded
a fecal coliform level of 2,400 MPN per gram.

The kanduli taken from near the Napindan Channel was at 930 MPN per gram.

Some fish also showed high levels of lead and mercury. Exposure to and consumption
of these toxic chemicals at high amounts pose health risks.

A 3-kilogram tilapia hauled from Estero de San Miguel in Manila, on the other hand,
tested positive for high levels of chromium.

According to the PRRC, this could be due to the wastewater discharged by nearby
medical institutions and a distillery

The PRRC said that more studies on the fish caught in Pasig River should be done,
including one on possible contamination of microplastics due to the high volume of
waste thrown into waterways in Metro Manila.
Enano, J. (N.A). Beware of fish caught in Pasig River. Retrieved from
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1153974/beware-of-fish-caught-in-pasig-
river#ixzz5xUjogkxD

Pasig River 8th in top 20 polluting rivers

File photo of Pasig River

Environment groups held a boat tour last week that showed the magnitude and
trajectory of plastic waste from tributary San Juan River to the Pasig River’s mouth.
 The tour, led by Greenpeace
Philippines and the Pasig River
Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC),
highlighted the chokepoints and
documented the pollution along the Pasig
River and feeding into Manila Bay.

Abigail Aguilar (left), Greenpeace

campaigner, and other campaigners hold
the banner that reads “Ban single-use
plastic” during the boat tour hosted by
Greenpeace and the Pasig River
Rehabilitation Commission to show the magnitude and trajectory of plastic waste from
tributary San Juan River to the Pasig River’s mouth.

The groups also released a Global Positioning System-equipped buoy to track the
movement of marine debris, such as plastic waste, from Pasig River into open
waters.

The boat tour is a prelude to the Manila Bay beach clean-up and brand audit, organized
by Greenpeace Philippines and its partners, to highlight the intensity of plastic pollution
in Manila and identify the brands that are most responsible for plastic pollution.

The clean-up and brand audit will be at Freedom Island, Parañaque City, from
September 11 to 20.

“We need to more thoroughly examine the state of our water bodies and underscore
the impacts of prevailing practices, such as discarding single-use plastics into the
Pasig River, which eventually contributes to pollution in Manila Bay,” said Abigail
Aguilar, detox campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines.

Aguilar added: “It’s urgent that we all understand that the root problem is the production
and promotion of single-use packaging, when we should be developing more
sustainable habits instead.”

She said the pollution in our water bodies is also a manifestation of the “dismal
implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the urgent need
for a national law banning the use of single-use plastics altogether.”
In a June 2017 report, the Pasig River was ranked eighth in the top 20 polluting rivers
as predicted by the global river plastic inputs model. The study said the river dumps
up to 63,700 tons of plastic into the ocean each year.

San Juan River is a major river system in Metro Manila and tributary of the Pasig River.
It traverses five cities, namely, Quezon City, San Juan City, Mandaluyong City, Pasig
City and Manila City, all highly urbanized areas, which also suggests high generation
of wastes. The accumulated volume of solid and liquid wastes from domestic,
commercial and industrial establishments surrounding the 37.4-meter-wide river
significantly contributed to its failing water quality.

Greenpeace said Pasig River’s surrounding areas are prone to flooding due to siltation
in San Juan River where most of the garbage flow from upstream Quezon City, collects
further and travels down through San Juan, Mandaluyong and Manila, and ending up
in the Pasig.

Despite being the shortest river of the three tributaries, San Juan River is consistently
the most polluted main tributary of the Pasig River.

A report from the PRRC showing the annual average water quality data from 2009-
2016 indicates that the biochemical oxygen demand concentration in San Juan River
frequently exceeds 100 milligram (mg) per liters, which seriously exceeds the required
Class C standard of 7 mg per liters, Greenpeace said.

PRRC has launched numerous projects to revive and develop the river and its
tributaries. Its current initiative, the San Juan River Dredging Project, aims to increase
the depth of the river through the removal of accumulated debris and contaminants
and aims to improve the economic, environmental and health status of San Juan River
through dredging activities.

“I live in San Juan, so I see it every day suffering greatly from toxic pollution. Did you
see bubbles of methane gas upwelling from the river? I fear not only for my health but
for the health of my family and our community, so I am determined to lead the
rehabilitation of San Juan River through the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission,”
PRRC Executive Director Jose Antonio E. Goitia said.

“If we succeed in cleaning the San Juan River, then we also succeed in cleaning the
Pasig River,” he added. The plight of the Pasig River mirrors the status of the world’s
oceans, with reports on plastic pollution in water bodies often looking very dim. The
Philippines ranks third-worst polluter, with 1.88 million metric tons of mismanaged
plastic waste per year, with China as No. 1, followed by Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam
and Malaysia in the top 10 countries with mismanaged plastic waste, Greenpeace said
in a news release.

Except for China, these countries are all classified as developing economies,
benefiting from economic growth, reduced poverty and improved quality of life. But this
new found spending power has led to “exploding demand for consumer products that
has not yet been met with a commensurate waste-management infrastructure.”

“Manila is on the brink of crisis. If we continue dumping and trashing our waterways,
and if big companies continue business-as-usual by producing single-use plastic, then
it won’t be long before our oceans are no longer able to sustain life,” Aguilar said.

_______ (2017). Pasig River 8th in top 20 polluting rivers. Retrieved from
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2017/09/17/pasig-river-8th-in-top-20-polluting-
rivers/

Huge fish from Pasig River not safe to eat

It's good news that fish have started to appear in the Pasig River, but they're not
good enough to eat just yet because of high coliform.

TOXIC. Fish returns to the Pasig River, but they can't be eaten just yet. Photo from
PRRC
MANILA, Philippines – Several photos of huge fish caught in polluted Pasig River
went viral on social media recently, much to the delight of Filipinos.

They praised the government, particularly the efforts of the Pasig River Rehabilitation
Commission (PRRC), for cleaning up the river and the return of huge tilapias

While the PRRC noted that 8 species of fish have already returned and now live in
Pasig River just after a decade of rehabilitation, the agency noted that the fish caught
there is not ideal for human consumption.

PRRC examined tissues of fish caught in several areas of Pasig River and found that
it exceeded the limit of fecal coliform fit for human consumption.

The limit is only at 10 most probable number per gram (MPN/g), but some fish caught
in some areas reached as high as 2,400 MPN/g.

Fish samples in the Guadalupe Ferry and Santa Ana Ferry area had significant levels
of lead and mercury.

Meanwhile, the 3-kilogram tilapia that was caught in Estero de San Miguel had high
chromium content.

"Due to the presence of contaminants in the fishes collected, the PRRC would like to
inform the public that deliberate and large consumption of the fishes in the Pasig
River System may pose health risks in due time," the PRRC said.

"It is highly advisable to prevent any conduct of contact recreational activities and
consumption of freshwater organisms until further notice once sufficient and
comprehensive scientific research has been made," it added.

PRRC added that the presence of more fish indicates that the river's state has
indeed improved, but noted that the rehabilitation is still an ongoing process.
– Rappler.com

Rivas, R. (2019). Huge fish from Pasig River not safe to eat. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.rappler.com/science-
nature/environment/237753-prrc-says-huge-fish-pasig-river-not-safe-eat

In ‘biologically dead’ Pasig River, life is finding a way

Once considered a bucolic jewel snaking through some of the busiest areas of Manila,
Pasig River has long been thought of as dead—a waterway that only accrued sludge
and filth.

Don’t be surprised if the 25-kilometer river is again brimming with life.

Environmental advocates and students picking up garbage along the banks of Pasig
River on Saturday were amazed to find activity above and beneath the fetid waters:
the hardy janitor fish and tilapia, migratory birds and hyacinths.

“We were surprised the river wasn’t foul-smelling,” says Joshua Wano, a junior tourism
major from Polytechnic University of the Philippines. “The water also seemed clear.
Before it was dark brown to black.”

Wano was among the dozens of volunteers who joined Saturday’s Pasig River
#Salikalikasan, a cleanup activity led by the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA)
and other government and private organizations in time for Earth Day on Sunday.

“The Pasig River has significantly improved,” said George Oliver dela Rama, public
information officer for the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC). “Though it
was declared biologically dead in 1990, [for the last five years] you can see a
resurgence [of] life.”

Choked by sachets

But while environment advocates consider cleanups like this as mere “stopgap
measures” to revive the river, they deem it crucial to raising awareness among the
communities to sustain the river’s rehabilitation, said Bayen Tinga, the event’s
organizer and external affairs director of PMFTC Inc.

Much remains to be done for the Pasig River, which is suffocating from high levels of
organic and chemical wastes dumped into it by the thousands of factories and
households along its banks.

It has yet to meet the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ standards
for Class C water quality, which would make it viable for fishery, recreation and
manufacturing.

According to Dela Rama, 70 percent of all wastes in the river are domestic—human
feces, garbage, food and compost, while the remaining 30 percent come from industrial
and chemical waste from factories.

Lt. May Thorssen of the PCGA particularly lamented the high saturation of plastic
sachets choking the river. “That’s always been a huge problem, because the
households living along the river could only afford to buy [their commodities] not by the
jug, but by the single sachet,” she said.
But recent tests showed improved water quality in the waterway, Dela Rama said. He
attributed this partly to the PRRC’s continuing efforts to clear the easements of
households and structures, particularly along the river’s tributaries.

“Once we finish that, we could convert them into environmental preservation areas
[like] water parks and green belts. Hopefully later on we could introduce water quality
technology and conduct community awareness works so the public may be more
aware of how to sustain the river,” Dela Rama said.

Other initiatives such as private sector-led cleanups, as well as the installation of

sewage treatment systems along densely populated areas along the river’s tributaries,
have also helped revive the dying river, he added.

Subingsubing, K. (2018). In ‘biologically dead’ Pasig River, life is finding a way.

Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/newsinfo.inquirer.net/984255/in-
biologically-dead-pasig-river-life-is-finding-a-way/amp