Rehabilitation efforts of Pasig River tributary a success
A local commission is making strides in reviving a once murky and grimy portion of the Pasig River, making it “clearer” and “more alive”.
In a Facebook post last Monday, the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) showed pictures of a cleaner and more vibrant Estero de San Miguel in Manila, with ornamental plants lining its banks – a far cry from its decade-long state of pollution.
The PRRC praised its hardworking “River Warriors”, and the LIAC-Manila for their relentless support of their restoration efforts of the 2.3 kilometer tributary of the Pasig River which runs behind Malacañang.
A report from a local newspaper revealed that in 2014, the commission spent P52 million for the restoration of Estero de San Miguel, in conjunction with their efforts of relocating families residing along its banks – over one hundred informal settlers who built shanties along the waterway were relocated to the province of Bulacan.
The PRRC conducted several projects in Estero de San Miguel, including dredging, building linear parks, planting ornamental trees, and conducting phytoremediation (treatment of contaminated water using plants).
Last May, the PRRC placed trash traps along the estero, which aided the volunteers in collecting trash and blocking further entry of garbage into the artificial watercourse.
The once deteriorated Estero de San Miguel now looks livelier and more vibrant due to the spirit of volunteerism and the ecological initiatives of the PRRC in collaboration with different government agencies.
Estero de San Miguel is one of the several waterways that the multi-sectoral drive of the PRRC targeted for cleanup and rehabilitation, including the Estero de Aviles in Sampaloc, Estero de Binondo, Estero de Magdalena, and Estero de Vitas.
The PRRC urged the public to maintain the cleanliness of the now rehabilitated Estero de San Miguel. “Look how cleanliness brings peace to our lives!” said the PRRC.
via Inquirer / Carlo Jacob Molina
