Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission executive director Jose Antonio E. Goitia delivered his Yearend State of the Pasig River Address at the Asia Leaders Forum in Makati Shangrila Hotel on Dec. 14 and proudly announced that only in President Rodrigo Duterte’s term that the Baseco and Napindan pig pens polluting the historical river with untreated animal wastes were raided and dismantled, a problem neglected for the past 19 years.
Goitia, who took oath before President Rodrigo R. Duterte last June 29, 2017, and had 25 years of public service experience under his belt in addition to his proven track record in business, highlighted the commission’s unprecedented achievements.
He said almost 20,000 informal settler families living along the banks of the Pasig River and its tributaries had been relocated.
Private properties were also not exempted. To date, over 300 privately-owned structures encroaching the legal easement were dismantled at no expropriation cost to the Philippine government.
In addition, PRRC transformed 14 polluted tributaries into environmental preservation areas with walkways, vegetable and herbal gardens, and solar lamps.
“Through strong implementation of projects and efforts that will help revive the Pasig River and its environs into a condition conducive for transport, recreation, and tourism,” he said. “By 2022 and beyond, we expect that the properties near the Pasig River will rise in value, and that the people will enjoy hassle-free commute to the South with our dream Pasig River-Laguna de Bai multimodal express transportation.”
“Together with PRRC and the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, we are able to bring together the country leaders and experts from both the private and government sectors to discuss what could be the future landscape of real estate based on statistics, research, and master plans,” said Tag Media’s Chief Operations Officer Grace B. Nicolas.
“Real estate is not just about buildings but also about technology, innovation, and environment like the Pasig River—the lifeline of our nation,” she added.