As I was on my way to Makati City for some paperwork, when my jeepney happened to pass by the Pasig River, probably the most famous waterway in the Philippines. A lot of things have been said about the historic Pasig River, both good and bad. The good was mostly said a hundred years ago, while the bad is being said now. However, slowly but surely, more and more good things are being said about it.
One of the goods is the Pasig River Ferry. The ferry services starts from Escolta in Manila to Guadalupe in Makati. I just happened to catch the ferry just as it was departing the terminal. There weren’t many people on the ferry. One of the staff on the ferry said that the ferry has a lot of ridership on rush hour, early morning and the evening trip from Makati. Though right now, there aren’t really any riders at all.
A maintenance guy would be going by the rows of plastic seats to clean the aisles of any rubbish. The cabin is fully airconditioned and it is really comfortable. One of my fears of riding this ferry service is the stench of the river. However, this wasn’t a cause for worry at all. Although there wasn’t any more of that legendary “sweet fragrance from the river”, it didn’t stink at all.
Just before the Ayala Bridge, a group of coast guards with rifles boarded the ferry. When they saw me taking photos, they requested me not to take photos when we pass by the Malacanang Palace – the seat of government of the Philippines, which was right beside the river. I do not see how my photos can endanger the President but I dutifully complied. The palace actually has photos of it in postcards all over the country. It was a rather modest looking colonial style mansion beside the river. In the park, surprisingly was a small mosque, I assume for foreign dignitaries to use when they are visiting.
Once we were past the Malacanang Palace, we were then allowed to roam outside the cabin. From here I can breathe in the fresh, yes, fresh air. Yes, the water still looks murky, uninviting and probably dead. But a lot of people still make this river their home. One of the coast guards told me that they are doing their best to clean the river. It is really taking a lot of effort to do so since people insist on living beside the river and eventually throw all their waste there. The coast guards hope that in time people will realize the importance of the river and take care of it more.
After the Nagtahan Bridge, the two coast guards got off and will be waiting for the next ferry going the other way. We continued on our cruise down the river. You can see a lot of activities by the river. A lot of informal settlers still call it there home. Even some barges which park on the river also have people going about their daily business. Interestingly, the Pasig River Ferry isn’t the only ferry service on the river. There were informal ferry services for residents to help them cross the river. One of my ferry’s staff said that these services are illegal and they have a tendency to overload, which is a very dangerous thing. The coast guard would catch them but after a while the would be doing it again.
I finally got to my destination in Valenzuela Station in Makati City. The station itself is quite modern but a little small. There aren’t a lot of passengers most of the time anyway. There is a fan and seats for any passengers who happen to be there waiting for the ferry. Outside the station is a colony of informal settlers. This turned me a little bit off from the pleasant ride that I just had. But I guess, this is the reality in the Philippines, which is still a mix of the old and the new.
The Pasig River Ferry is an excellent way to go from Manila to Makati with the least amount of stress. Unlike public buses, the seats are good for one person. There is no overloading and the airconditioning works. For a small amount of money, it can be a good choice for someone going that way. My only complaint is that the stations are a little bit out of the way. Plans are underway to extend the ferry services all the way to Laguna, I hope I would be able to try it sometime, hopefully with better public transport connections.
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I’ve been meaning to ride the pasig river ferry again, thanks for reminding me!
hi ryan,
i wonder how the recent floods in manila have affect the ferry services. if the laguna lake’s water level has indeed risen, the pasig river ferry might indeed be a great alternative to travelling by land. if only the local governments could relocate the informal settlers along its shores.
thanks for visiting!