Pasig River in Manila,

One of the world’s most

polluted rivers

(The first requirement for the subject Synthesis)

SUBMITTED BY: VHER CHRISTOPHER L. DUCAY

SUBMITTED TO: PROF. DELIA DELOS REYES, CPA

September 3, 2017
The Pasig River (Ilog Pasig) is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de
Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for 25 kilometers (15.5 mi), it bisects the Philippine
capital of Manila and its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its
major tributaries are the Marikina River and San Juan River. The total drainage basin of
Pasig River, including the basin of Laguna de Bay, covers 4,678 square kilometers
(1,806 sq mi).
The Pasig River is technically a tidal estuary, as the flow direction depends upon the
water level difference between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. During the dry season,
the water level in Laguna de Bay is low with the river's flow direction dependent on the
tides. During the wet season, when the water level of Laguna de Bay is high, the flow is
reversed towards Manila Bay.
The main Pasig River passes through five cities (Taguig, Pasig, Makati, Mandaluyong
and Manila, and one municipality (Taytay). The river system has 4 major tributaries
(Marikina, Pateros-Taguig, Napindan and San Juan) and 43 minor tributaries mostly
located in Manila.

In the earlier stage the Pasig River served as an important means of transport; it was
Manila's lifeline and center of economic activity. Some of the most prominent kingdoms
in early Philippine history, including the kingdoms of Namayan, Maynila, and Tondo
grew up along the banks of the river, drawing their life and source of wealth from it.
When the Spanish established Manila as the capital of their colonial properties in the Far
East, they built the walled city of Intramuros on the southern bank of Pasig River near
its mouth.

The commonly accepted origin for the endonym "Tagalog" is the term tagá-ilog, which
means "people from (along) the river". An alternative theory states that the name is
derived from tagá-alog, which means "people from the ford" (the prefix tagá- meaning
"coming from" or "native of").In 1821, American diplomat Edmund Roberts called the
Tagalog Tagalor in his memoirs about his trips to the Philippines.

After World War II, massive population growth, infrastructure construction, and the
dispersal of economic activities to Manila's suburbs left the river neglected. The banks
of the river attracted informal settlers and the remaining factories dumped their wastes
into the river, making it effectively a huge sewer system. Industrialization had already
polluted the river.[9]

In the 1930s, observers noticed the increasing pollution of the river, as fish migration
from Laguna de Bay diminished. People ceased using the river's water for laundering in
the 1960s, and ferry transport declined. By the 1970s, the river started to emanate
offensive smells, and in the 1980s, fishing in the river was prohibited. By the 1990s,
the Pasig River was considered biologically dead.

Now a days 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 waste water 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 cleanup 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

Sad to say 2 of our Rivers are considered one of the most polluted rivers in the World
here are the Top 12 Most Polluted Rivers in the World:
(https://listaka.com/top-12-most-polluted-rivers-in-the-world/)
12. Pasig River, Philippines. 6. Jordan River, Israel/Jordan.
11. Cuyahoga River, USA. 5. Yamuna River, India.
10. Mississippi River, USA. 4. Buriganga River, Bangladesh.
9. Sarno River, Italy 3. Matanza-Riachuelo River, Argentina.
8. Marilao River, Philippines. 2. Ganges River, India.
7. Yellow River, China. 1. Citarum River, Indonesia.

Efforts to revive the river began in December 1989 with the help of Danish authorities.
The Pasig River Rehabilitation Program (PRRP) was established, with the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources as the main agency with the coordination of the
Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA).

In 1999, President Joseph Estrada signed Executive Order No. 54 establishing the PRRC
to replace the old PRRP with additional expanded powers such as managing of wastes
and resettling of squatters.

The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) and the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
has launched 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 revive 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

As Metro Manila’s population has ballooned over the past decades, the once-clear
waters of Pasig River have turned the color of mud. “Kahit anong rehabilitation, or clean
up project, mahirap talaga. And based dun sa report na ginawa namin, napakalaki ng
cost para linisin ang isang ilog, or rehabilitate,” says Beau Baconguis of Greenpeace.

For over four decades, there have been efforts to revive the Pasig River. But Dr.
Eugenia Lagmay of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) says the river
can’t be revived without first cleaning the over 40 polluted canals or esteros that flow
into it. This requires not only resources and political will from the government, but
cooperation of those who live near the water

It is really embarrassing to all of us that we are the only ones in the ASEAN region who
have not been able to address this particular problem. If you look at all the
metropolitan cities around the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ask our
neighbors, there’s a river that runs across all of these cities, and all of these rivers have
had the same problems that we’ve had in Pasig river. Bangkok, Taiwan, Jakarta has
solved this kind of problem.