SDG 6, The Pasig River, and PAREX

What is SDG 6?

Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world; however, millions of people, most of them children, die and suffer from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene every passing year. Statistics have shown that one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water, and two out of five people do not have a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water. SDG 6 strives to reduce those numbers and to protect natural and local water systems along with native aquatic species.

By 2030, SDG 6 intends to give all people affordable, universal, and equitable access to safe drinking water along with proper fixtures to maintain a level of sanitation and hygiene in all communities. It also aims to address water pollution by minimizing improper waste disposal and maximizing water treatment, which will also feed into their goal of increasing sustainable water-use efficiency in all sectors of society to prevent water scarcity. Furthermore, SDG 6 aims to protect and preserve water-related ecosystems of all types.

The Pasig River and SDG 6

In the Philippines, Pasig River is the 27-kilometer river connects Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay and splits Metro Manila in two. Combined with its estero (estuary) system, it is an important watershed since it historically had provided sanitation, food, livelihood, and transport to all nearby residents.

Once the center of all life in the region, the river began to deteriorate in water quality following WWII. Factories and informal settlements were built without proper sewage systems, and these developments also narrowed the river banks and esteros. By 1990, ecologists had pronounced the Pasig River as “biologically dead.” Germs host to diarrhea, dengue, and other water-borne diseases that can kill millions have multiplied in these garbage and wastewater-infested canals. At times, some residents have no choice but to use the water for bathing and washing

To bring the Pasig River back to a healthy state, President Joseph Estrada called for the establishment of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) in 1999. The PRRC promoted initiatives to improve the river’s state by raising public awareness and empowering community cleanup initiatives. In 2009, a collaborative effort between government agencies, private companies, and the PRRC strived for a massive cleanup of the entire river-estero system. These combined resulted in the removal of visible surface trash, construction of proper sewage systems, planting of vegetation, and placement of garbage-filtering nets. Fish like tilapia and catfish have also returned to the river.

Winning the first-ever Asia RiverPrize Awards in 2018, the PRRC with its River Warriors and Estero Rangers continued cleanup projects until its abolition in 2019 by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The PAREX Issue

Despite previous cleanup initiatives and accolades, a comprehensive rehabilitation of the river cannot be completed nor can the goals of SDG 6 be fulfilled with the presence of other looming issues. The most recent and major of which is the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX).

A 19.37 km, ₱95 billion elevated infrastructure project to be built alongside the river’s banks, the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) spearheads the expressway’s construction under the supervision of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and DENR. First proposed in 2017, PAREX had its public consultation last July 14 of this year, was approved by the national government, and broke ground on September 24.

Despite being labeled as green and hybrid infrastructure by SMC, PAREX poses a variety of problems for the Pasig River, particularly in its environmental aspect. News reporting and coverage have allowed concerned groups to point out harmful effects constructing PAREX would cause, such as the amount of space the elevated six-lane expressway will occupy. In a report done by The Philippine Inquirer, urban planner Paulo Alcazern said that this will further shrink the width of the already narrowed river, and it further disregards the natural water system since water flow within the Pasig River while impeding its esteros. Related to that is the planned dredging into the river’s surface to make way for its construction, where habitats of newly re-populated tilapia, dory, and other species will be destroyed. RJ Mallari of Greenpeace Philippines said in a press conference that microplastics and road dust that come from cars traversing over the expressway will also pollute the river further. This will become worse during monsoon season when stormwater runoff forces pollutants off the expressway directly into the river below. Lastly, International climate action consultant Bea Dolores told Rappler that the partial coverage of the river from sunlight can kill off the good bacteria that has naturally helped clean up the water.

With the help of journalism, alarmed citizens found out how this infrastructure project was fast-tracked compared to others. The DENR was yet to sign an environmental compliance certificate, an indicator that any specific project will not cause significant environmental damage, even after the expressway’s groundbreaking. Meanwhile, the planned architect of PAREX, which SMC claims will design the expressway to have green and hybrid features, mentioned in a press release that no deal has been signed between him and the corporation.

As a whole, SMC has been criticized by environmental groups and scientists for many of the above reasons. Though PAREX has broken ground and its completion set for 2027, the vocality of concerned individuals have made its fate uncertain. The adverse changes that the fast-tracked implementation of PAREX can potentially bring could not have been found out if it weren’t for journalism and media.

Sources:

• Brotons, J. C. (2016, November 4). How to Revive an Ailing River. Retrieved November 13, 2021 from Development Asia website: https://development.asia/case-study/how-revive-ailing-river

• CNN Philippines Staff. (2018, October 17). Pasig River rehabilitation feat wins international award. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from cnn website: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/10/17/Pasig-River-rehabilitation-Asia-RiverPrize-Awards-2019.html

• Enano, J. O. (2021, October 4). Scientists join opposition against Pasig River Expressway project. Retrieved November 13, 2021 from INQUIRER.net website: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1496485/scientists-join-opposition-against-pasig-river-expressway-project

• Pedrajas, J. (2021, September 29). PAREX would bring more heat, more flooding in NCR, various groups warn. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2021/09/29/parex-would-bring-more-heat-more-flooding-in-ncr-various-groups-warn/

• Rey, A. (2021a, September 28). Ramon Ang: “Forces critical” of PAREX pressuring Palafox, no deal yet. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from Rappler website: https://www.rappler.com/business/ramon-ang-statement-palafox-pasig-river-expressway

• Rey, A. (2021b, September 29). Mobility advocates question “unusually fast” gov’t approval of PAREX. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from Rappler website: https://www.rappler.com/business/mobility-advocates-question-unusually-fast-government-approval-pasig-river-expressway

• Rodriguez, M. (2020, September 4). Time and Time Again: A Short History of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Project. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from SPOT.PH website: https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/83476/pasig-river-rehabilitation-project-history-a4362-20200904

• The Global Goals For Sustainable Development. (2017, September 12). Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from The Global Goals website: https://www.globalgoals.org/6-clean-water-and-sanitation