MANILA -- It should be a collective goal to transform Pasig River as a multifaceted urban haven, where communities can reap benefits from, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.

At the ceremonial opening of the “Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli” Project, President Marcos stressed that Pasig River should be considered more than just a waterway but would serve as a communal hub.

“We envision civic spaces where our children will play, our seniors relax, families will exercise, artists can showcase their talents, and the creative can display their wares,” he said.

“We want it to be a permanent exhibit area of green technology that works—from solar lights to rain harvesting facilities— sustainable practices like urban gardens.”

The Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli project is being spearheaded under the guidance of First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos together with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Metro Manila Development Authority. It envisions the Pasig River to become “a living river” of multiple benefits for the multitude with safe walkways and bikeways along its banks, greener corridor and a string of parks for communities nearby.

It aims to maximize the river’s economic potential by converting the 25-kilometer stretch of the Pasig River from Manila Bay all the way to Laguna de Bay into open public parks and mixed-use commercial areas, was presented by the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) in August 2023.

The chief executive also noted that the river should be maximized as maritime highway.

“We will also maximize this ready-to-use but underutilized maritime highway, by deploying more ferry boats and stations, because, if you build them, the riders will come,” he said. (PND)