Instead of building a skyway along the Pasig River, PROMDI presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao said he would prefer developing Metro Manila’s main waterway into a tourist destination similar to the Brisbane River in Australia.
In a press briefing at the Iloilo City Hall following his courtesy call to Mayor Jerry Treñas, Pacquiao said the Pasig River Expressway project (PAREX) which is being pushed by San Miguel Corporation President Ramon Ang is a laudable project but this could cause irreversible damage on the Pasig River.
If elected president, he would push for an honest-to-goodness clean-up and rehabilitation of the Pasig River.
He said the river also needs to be dredged to remove the heavy silt that has turned its once-pristine waters into murky sewage.
“I have a plan for Pasig River. That’s very beautiful to develop. We just have to dredge it, clean the water and develop the surroundings, and the easement,” he said.
Pacquiao’s idea to turn Pasig River from a filthy eyesore to a beautiful promenade and river ferry superhighway came when he inspected its entire stretch all the way to Laguna before the pandemic.
He noted that it is worthy to invest in the clean-up and rehabilitation of the Pasig River because of its potential as a major attraction for tourists.
Instead of a skyway along the river, Pacquiao should put up a modern end-to-end river ferry s which can be integrated into a multi-modal transport system for Metro Manila.
On the other hand, building an expressway on top of the river could seriously damage the river and can even cause severe flooding in its surrounding areas.
