A New Way to Ride: The Pasig River Ferry
by Chip Childers
primary photo unavailable
“Revive the river of our dreams”
-A sign painted on the span at Mandaluyong Bridge
 
In Bangkok, years back, I remember being impressed with how the Thais utilized the Chao Phraya River, which bustled with ferries and boats of all description, and their canals, which are plied by motorized boats moving at an impossibly fast clip. Ice cream men sold their frozen treats from speed boats to people in riverside parks, and it made me wonder why there was nothing even close to that on Manila’s Pasig River. Mind you, the Pasig is not near the same in scale as the 400 kilometer long Chao Phraya, but it always seemed like an under utilized resource. The Pasig River is an interesting geographical feature, as it is technically a tidal estuary connecting Manila Bay with Laguna de Bay Lake, and stretches 26 kilometers in its entirety. Along its lengths, it passes through 8 cities and 3 municipalities. It averages a 50 meter width, and a 4 to 6 meter depth. Yes, it was declared biologically dead in the 1990’s, due to pollutants coming from both along the rivers length and on the lake, but things are looking up, and organizations such as the Pasig River Rehabilitation Program (www.prrc.com.ph), are working hard to breathe life back into the river.

Another sign that the Pasig is being rehabilitated into functional use is the establishment of the Pasig River Ferry, with its fleet of 6 comfortable twin-hulled, double-engined passenger boats that ply the river about ten times a day over 24 of its 26 kilometers, with 14 stops total. The inauguration of the ferry route early last year is a visible sign that the city of Manila is getting itself together, and is becoming a more traveler-friendly city. With 3 light rail systems up and running well, more on the way, and now the Ferry, Manila is getting criss-crossed with convenient options for seeing the city. The ferry is a perfect way to get around, for both commuters and tourists alike, and its route stretches along a cross-section of the city that shows all walks of it’s life, in rawest form-from gorgeous to ghastly.

After hearing about the Ferry in enthusiastic stories from photographer John Chua, I took a trip from Guadalupe to Jones Bridge, turning a boring errand at the nearby Bureau of Immigration office into a sightseeing jaunt through Manila. Not only was it about the same length of time (about an hour), it was also a third the price of a taxi (45 Pesos, cheaper for students) and about a hundred times more interesting. With its spacious seating (boats can accommodate up to 150 people nicely), air conditioned compartments and on-board movies, it was at least twice as comfortable, as well. Stations are remarkably efficient, shiny and well-serviced, with comfortable waiting areas. You see a wide variety of things on the river, from kids swimming out to mid-river buoys, basketball games in unnamed baranggays, esteros or small tributaries, once used for banca traffic in the days of old, periodically joining the Pasig’s mainflow, and ship crews on watercraft of various descriptions, at work or relaxing between trips from Manila to whatever foreign port they just arrived from.

Passengers swing by dozens of places you don’t see from the road, and avid travelers will note a multitude of sites they will surely want to return to. Structures spotted from the river span show architectural styles that tell the story of Manila’s colonial past, with buildings exhibiting Spanish, American and homegrown influences among others. Dozens of new parks, wharfs and other projects show the vigor possessed by river rehabilitators, who are fixing up the Pasig.

The downstream terminus station near the Immigration office is at Plaza Mexico, which celebrates 450 years of the Mexico-Manila Galleon trade, and makes for an easy staging point for those visiting Intramuros, Rizal Museum, Luneta Park, and the National Museum. The Escolta station at the foot of Jones bridge (which is where the Philippine-American war was started, and which, along with the nearby Post Office, is one of the few structures that survived the intense bombing at the Battle of Manila, at end of World War II) is a great place from which to explore Binondo, Divisoria and Recto. A stop at Lawton allows tourists to visit the Arroceros Park, beautifully foliaged on the riverbanks. Passing the Pasig’s only island, the Isla de Convalescencia, with its orphanage, keep an eye out for Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines. Note the riverfront back door, from which President Joseph Estrada slunk out by motorboat when his front door was blocked by angry protestors demanding his ouster in 2001.

The Ferry passes several universities as it passes by Sta. Mesa, such as the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and keep your eye open for riverside horse stables as you pass the Sta. Ana Racetrack. Stops by Makati City Hall and Mandaluyong Bridge make hopping on a breeze for travelers. Pulling into the Guadalupe station by Edsa, the river passes by PowerPlant mall and the Rockwell Commercial Center, and the contrast of towering, shiny skyscrapers and a bustling modern shopping district is a jarring contrast to some of the more, uh…rudimentary structures in the rivers lower reaches. The station at Guadalupe is walking distance from the EDSA MRT Line, connecting nicely for easy, cheap commuting/traveling, and above Guadalupe are 3 more stations in Pasig City, all the way up to the upper terminus at Kalawaan Bridge. Future plans have stations located up the Marikina River, which joins the Pasig upriver from C-5, making the ferry even more functional.

As one passes along the banks, my imagination falls back on photos I’ve seen from the late 1800’s, and I remember reading that early Spanish settlers set up fences to keep out river crocodiles. I think of the evocative images from Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, with Ibarra sneaking upriver into Laguna de Baia hidden under cogon leaves, and the opening pages of El Filibusterismo, which finds the characters navigating the windy course of the Pasig River, still wild and tree-lined. This river made Manila, but some have forgotten it even exists. As I finish my trip, I notice another sign painted across another one of the 13 bridges that cross the Pasig’s length, and I am reminded that this river, too, has great potential, and there are those that know this. I smile as our ferry pulls into the jetty, as I read to myself the sign: “Resurrecting Pasig River- Alive Again!”

Travel Notes
The Pasig River Ferry fares are from Php 25, 35 and 45 per ticket. Php 20 flat rates are given to students while senior citizens are given 20% discounts.





Directory Listings

Bookmark and Share