MANILA — Political will along with convergence among several government agencies will be the key for the Duterte administration’s plan for the sustainable rehabilitation of Pasig River, Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said.
“If you’re able to show that this is the best way to deal with the problem there will be pressure for the next administration to continue it,” he said in a briefing Wednesday.
Diokno explained that in the past there have been proposals from the private sector to help in the river’s rehabilitation but there were no point persons with whom to talk. Thus, he said an Executive Order (EO) will be released hopefully this April to indicate which agencies will take part in the rehabilitation as well as their mandate.
Under the plan, the inter-agency effort will ask the six local government units (LGUs) where Pasig River traverses, namely the Quezon City, Marikina, Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasig and Taguig, to do their share in cleaning up the river and ensuring that current reasons for its pollution will be stopped.
He said local government officials need to enforce discipline among their constituents and implement the especially the easements along river banks, among others. “If there is a need to demolish the illegal settlers then this must be done but LGU officials need to ensure the affected families’ relocation, he stressed. It’s really an all government effort…It will be indicated in the EO,” he said.
Also part of the plan is to increase the number of stations of the Pasig River Ferry System’s from 12 to 27, with 24 servicing boats by the end of 2020. It is intended to cater to 76,000 commuters daily or 19,836,000 a year, excluding special trips, express routes, weekend schedules. “We feel that (by) embracing this ferry service, it will motivate people to clean up the Pasig River. A big part of this will be with the help of LGU officials,” he said.
Diokno said the plan is to ensure that the ferry system will have improved services before Christmas season this year since this is when land traffic in the metropolis becomes haywire. “Our plan it to have a comfortable, predictable and reliable ferry system… Right now it’s spotty. You don’t know whether you’ll come on schedule so we want it to be regular, every 15 minutes,” he added.
To date, the ferry system is being run by the MMDA. Its stations are located at Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City; San Joaquin and Maybunga in Pasig City; Guadalupe and Valenzuela in Makati City; Hulo in Mandaluyong City; Lambingan, Sta. Ana, PUP, Lawton, Escolta, and Plaza Mexico in Manila. The DBM secretary, however, said the PUP station in Sta. Mesa is scheduled for repair while the Sta. Ana station is undergoing repair.
Meanwhile, DBM Assistance to Cities Program Manager Julia Nebrija explained that the MMDA has the needed funds to construct three additional ferry stations namely at Quinta Market in Quaipo, Manila; Ayala Circuit in Makati City; and another still undetermined area. She said cost for the construction of the stations depends on its size but this has yet to be determined. “This is going to be a very big help as an alternative route going to north, and also the most direct connection east to west from Laguna de Bay all the way to Manila Bay,” she added. (Joann Villanueva/PNA)
