KBPIP ABS-CBN PASIG RIVER’S ‘KISS OF LIFE’ ACCOUNT

FROM KBPIP ABS CBN

This ‘Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig: Pasig River’s ‘Kiss of Life’ Account’ is a document that describes the rehabilitation of Pasig River. It is imperative that the organization behind this initiative is introduced to orient the readers on the force that will steer the project to its completion. The bulk of the document describes the different stakeholders and the corresponding programs that shall revive the River.


PASIG RIVER’S ‘KISS OF LIFE’ ACCOUNT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. BACKGROUND 3
II. THE OBJECTIVE 5
III. THE STRATEGY 7
IV. ESTIMATED TOTAL PROJECT COST FOR ESTERO DE SAN MIGUEL 17
V. THE ORGANIZATION 18





KAPIT BISIG PARA SA ILOG PASIG
PASIG RIVER’S ‘KISS OF LIFE’ ACCOUNT

I. BACKGROUND
The Pasig River (the River) is a 27-kilometer body of water in the Philippines. The River, having 47 tributaries, traverses Metro Manila, capital of the Philippines, and connects Laguna Bay to Manila Bay, passing through eight cities (Manila, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Pasay, Taguig Kalookan, San Juan) and one municipality (Pateros). The Pasig River was once a source of water and a thriving ecosystem that was used for fishing, being a habitat for 25 varieties of fish and 13 different types of aquatic plants. It was a major trading route, serving as the main entry point of international traders who did business with people of Manila called Taga-Ilog, meaning, ‘river dwellers’. This is why the River is said to be intimately connected to Philippine culture and history.
Through the years, the River fell victim to the urbanization of Manila. In 1990, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) declared in a study that the Pasig River was biologically dead. The main reasons for the River’s deterioration were cited to be industrial pollution, solid and liquid waste dumping and urban migration.
Attempts have been done by different organization to clean the Pasig River. Though significant steps have been made, the River still remains the lost muse of Metro Manila with its dark water system and sullied tributaries. Recognizing the need for a broad-based effort to clean the Pasig River, ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. (AFI), a non-government organization created to help the country and its people realize its potential by initiating programs on education, child care, disaster management and the environment, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a government agency responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the country’s environment and natural resources, through Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC), a government agency organized to transform the River and its environs into a showcase of a new quality of urban life, signed a memorandum of agreement in March 2008 to co-manage the rehabilitation of the Pasig River and the tributaries leading to it. This partnership gave birth to Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP), which was formally launched last February 24, 2009.
Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig literally means ‘linking arms for the Pasig River.’ It is the coming together of different sectors – the national government, local government units (LGUs), the military, the police, non-profit organizations, the private sector, local and foreign experts, the communities, the spiritual communities, students and individuals – to once more give a chance to revive this historic river.


II. THE OBJECTIVE
The Vision. KBPIP envisions that Pasig River will be freed from solid wastes, afforded adequate technology to reach an official classification of Class B for the Pasig River and Class C for its tributaries, and allowed to naturally regain its original ecosystem to eventually be inhabited by aquatic creatures, respected and enjoyed by Filipinos. The restoration shall transform surrounding communities, not only through aesthetic improvement, but more importantly, by creating livelihood opportunities and subsequently stimulating affected economies.
H.E.L.P. The project aims to provide Health, Economy, Livelihood and Peace (H.E.L.P.) to all communities involved:
1. Improve people’s Health by offering informal settlers an alternative to squatting and improving the quality of the River’s water;
2. Perk up Economy by employing members of the communities to work for the River’s transformation and opening possibilities of creating businesses as the River gets transformed into a local and tourist destination;
3. Generate Livelihood by setting up programs in the resettlement areas and communities involved and,
4. Establish Peace and Order when the informal settlers are removed from the River’s easements, properly lit guarded by the City.
The Stakeholders. The challenge is to be able to achieve set initiatives involving each of the four major stakeholders of the Pasig River rehabilitation initiative, for a realizable and sustainable vision:
1. The Informal Settlers will be relocated and provided with a resettlement program for a permanent dwelling area away from the River.
2. The River will be cleaned, i.e., accumulated garbage removed, sewage system corrected, surrounding ‘infrastructure’ strengthened and quality of water restored to rebuild a better ecosystem, allowing natural inhabitants to thrive.
3. The Community will be educated and provided for a system to manage solid waste and trained for permanent guardianship of the River to safeguard the River from future abuse.
4. The Public will be made aware of the efforts being done in the River to promote consciousness on proper environment practices.
The idea of chance to bring life to this once supreme river allows the nation to hope for a brighter future for the Filipinos. Within the seven years of work that KBPIP will pour on the River, this is what it hopes to ultimately accomplish, best described by the words of AFI’s managing director and appointed chairman of PRRC, Ms Gina Lopez: “Our work is all about hope. Every time we succeed, we awaken hope in what can be. At the end of the day, everything starts from hope. And that’s what we are all about.”


III. THE STRATEGY
The programs that are being created to rehabilitate the River shall naturally involve the major stakeholders described in the preceding section. As the term ‘Kapit Bisig’ (linking arms) implies, the task is multi-faceted, composed of different programs. Each program is envisioned to cause a ‘ripple effect’, the sum of which is bigger than the collection of its parts, allowing participants to bring about sustainable change to other concerning stakeholders. These programs include the following:
For Informal Settlers:
1. Relocation
2. Provision of resettlement

The relocated families unpack as they arrive in the Bayanijuan relocation site
For the River:
3. Clean-up
4. Infrastructure development
5. Water quality restoration


Everyone working together in cleaning up Estero de Paco

For the Community:
6. Information, Education and Communication campaign,
7. Solid Waste Management
8. Permanent guardianship of the River


Materials Recovery Facility in Baseco, Manila which promotes solid waste management in the area.

For the General Public:
9. Public awareness campaign

Overall Strategy. The project will identify and work on a number of key esteros, setting the system and the technology that will clean and maintain the work done in the River. Initial esteros are identified to be Estero de Paco (having the ideal characteristic of a controlled waterway) and Estero de San Miguel (being the location of the seat of power). The success stories in these esteros will be replicated in other cities through the concomitant effort with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for other cities to do the same. Under the tutelage of KBPIP, the concerned metropolis will take on the effort of rehabilitating the portion of the River within their cities. KBPIP hopes to do this within a period of five years, using the last two years of the project to rehabilitate the main River.
Strategy for the Informal Settlers. Affected families will be removed from the three meter easement of the River and offered various alternatives of relocation. One of these alternatives will be KBPIP’s own resettlement program, Bayanijuan sa Southville 7, where in relocates will be provided the means to a fresh start towards a decent and productive life.

An aerial view of Bayanijuan sa Southville 7
Strategy for the River. Physical rehabilitation of the River requires two things, removal and stoppage of waste from getting in the River and provision of oxygen to allow helpful bacteria to live to naturally clean the River. All solid wastes will be removed from the water and proper infrastructure, such as proper sewage system within the three meter easement and the basin, will be constructed to prevent septic waste from entering the River again. The River will be dredged according to proper depth and slope while the easements will be properly rip-rapped to prevent erosion.
In choosing the right technology to be employed in the River to revive its water, KBPIP will ascertain that this technology is highly efficient, cost effective, adaptable, sturdy, requires low maintenance and environment friendly.
To ensure that the right amount of technology is engaged, KBPIP will form a team of experts, which would include Environment Engineers, Hydraulic Experts, Biologists, Socio-Economist and Civil Engineers among others, to set the technical strategy of the actual cleaning of the River. It will maximize the use of indigenous know-how and foreign methodology as well.
The landscape of the River will be designed with the end vision of providing people access to the River to once more enjoy its splendour - the people and the River coexisting harmoniously. To be incorporated in its transformation is a comprehensive landscaping architecture and environmental planning design, to include transformation of the basin into a green hub, that will allow the people to enjoy the company of the River, either walking along side it, riding its flow or simply appreciating its beauty.
Strategy for the Community. The upkeep of all the efforts done on the River will eventually be turned over to the Local Government Units through its Barangays. The project will heavily involve this populace with the intent of bringing about transformation in attitude and thinking to ensure maintenance of the River. To allow the residents to gain ownership of the efforts, potential guardians which KBPIP will refer to as ‘River Warriors’ will be chosen from the barangay residents. They will be trained and educated in proper management of the environment and they will spear head the change in their communities’ attitude. The Barangay households will be encouraged to practice proper solid waste management through a massive and cutting edge Information, Education and Communication campaign that will declare a revolution against unfriendly environmental habits. Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) will be set up to showcase processing of the segregated waste. The communities will also be involved in the physical work done in the River, allowing each to earn a living or contribute through the act of volunteerism. And when the River is finally transformed into a local or a tourist destination, economic possibilities will be opened to the residents. The sense of ownership that will be created because of these involvements will secure the guardianship of the River.

The River Warriors working together to cleaning up Estero de Paco
Strategy for the General Public. Fun runs and, school and church advocacy programs will be initiated by KBPIP to raise awareness and to stimulate interest in the initiative being taken. Efforts will be zeroed in on the schools and the churches to help echo the heart of the advocacy to a group that can show force, who has the muscle to encourage the rest of the public to support and practice good environment habits. The more interest raised among these organizations and individuals, the more momentum the initiative gains and more support is poured in the project, another ‘ripple effect’ is created.

Linking of the Programs. The different programs will be linked in two ways. First, by the material requirement of the River. The Coco coirs, indigenous material used in the slope edge of the River, will partly be produced in Bayanijuan. One third of it population will be engaged. As this group gain purchasing power, the rest of the businesses within the community will flourish, causing a ‘ripple effect’. Produce of the MRFs, i.e., composts, pavers and hollow blocks will be used for the water edge and landscaping work of the River, enabling the MRFs to support its operation while developing its long term market. The grass planted along the River will be harvested and made into baskets and handicrafts, giving livelihood programs to the nearby communities. The nursery will be set up in La Mesa Park to provide for the plant requirement of the landscaping of the River, allowing production of plants using organic materials. Second, by the IEC campaign that will serve as the undercurrent in transforming all individuals involved in the work in the river, directly or indirectly, in adopting proper habits and practices to care for the River and consequently the environment. Each household will be transformed into an MRF. They will be taught in clusters of 10 to properly communicate the message. Urban gardening will be encouraged to serve as source of additional income for the households, catering not only for their own needs but for the needs of the public, while avoiding use of recyclables, if not, selling them and raising funds. And when the River is finally transformed, the River Warriors together with the communities, the hands that helped in its transformation, will tell its story to the local and foreign tourist in a ‘River Walk’. Economic opportunities are now opened, the River becomes a platform of what can become, from a 27 kilometer septic to an eco hub where quality of life is improved and a culture shift is effected.
Each of the programs contributes to the revitalization of the River, linked together by a common goal, so that, the River now becomes a showcase of HOPE brought about by the linking of programs.

BEFORE: Estero de Paco Headwater (2009)

CURRENT: Estero de Paco Headwater (2010)






BEFORE: Estero de Paco Quirino (2009)


CURRENT: Estero de Paco Quirino (2010)





BEFORE: Estero de Paco Osmeña (2009)


AFTER: Estero de Paco Osmeña (2010)



IV. ESTIMATED TOTAL PROJECT COST
Total Pasig rehabilitation cost is estimated at USD 580MM, broken down as follows:

The cost at first glance would seem astonishingly colossal, but, the price of allowing the River to be affronted is immeasurably sinful and undeniably corrupt. Without measuring the damage it causes to nature, the cost to government in terms of health care due to water borne diseases and methane production, and destruction of property and the loss of lives during a catastrophe because of a clogged waterway far outweighs the cost of a clean-up. And on the other hand, the potential of renewing lives and allowing the River to be a platform for the country to show the world that we too have a plan to clean our act together is of disproportional returns.


V. THE ORGANIZATION
It is common for members of an advocacy group to have a high level of passion for the cause that the group was formed to rally for. What sets this breed apart is not the zeal it possesses but its ability to withstand and survive the filth and despondence that surrounds the work in the River. While this team is composed of people from different backgrounds, each is bonded not only of the organization’s reason for being but more of each individual’s experience of surmounting impossible deadlines and seemingly ridiculous undertakings. The work place has been turned into a playground where each is allowed to be their own person and is expected to play their role, the best way they know how, where laughter is encouraged and where friendships are formed. Should the work be too hard or the beating be too painful, there is a net of support that would cushion the fall and allow its members to bounce back in the game.
The solution for the River’s rehabilitation may be simple but the task is not a trivial issue and the timeline is tight. The organization needs to turn harmoniously guided by a clear strategy in reaching its goal. The organization will keep a policy of transparency, not only on how it spends its resources, the River deserves no less, but it will make clear to all players each step that the project will take to reach the goal. In doing so, it is made clear to everyone as to how they can contribute to this goal and consequently, the project is assured that, in this playground, everyone is singing the same joyous song.
Management will always be involved in any undertaking, be it a clean-up or a representation to donors. It will keep its ears close to the ground and it will listen to the voice of its team in creating its strategies, articulating its approach and operationalizing its plan. It will be a steady hand, a sound mind and a gentle heart that would lead the team to the finish line.

KAPIT BISIG PARA SA ILOG PASIG BELIEVES THAT REVIVING THE RIVER AND THE CONSEQUENT TRANSFORMATION OF ATTITUDES AND LIVES WILL BRING ABOUT THE RESURGENCE OF HOPE …. TO THE NOW PRODUCTIVE RELOCATES, TO THE USEFUL HANDS TWINNING THE COCO FIBERS, TO THE EMPOWERED RIVER WARRIORS, TO THE EARNEST GOVERNMENT PARTICIPANTS, TO THE CHALLENGED BRAINS AND BRAWN OF EXPERTS, TO THE SUPPORTIVE RUNNERS, TO THE BENEVOLENT DONORS, TO THE INFORMED FILIPINO PUBLIC, TO THE FOREIGN EYES, TO THE EAGER YOUTHS, TO THE RADICAL HEARTS OF KBPIP, TO THE DETERMINED DREAMER WHO TOOK ON THE CHALLENGE … THE ‘KISS OF LIFE’ BLOWN TO THE RIVER IS GUSTED BACK BY THE RIVER.