HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) is a proposed elevated expressway in
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
that will skirt the banks of the Pasig River and connect the cities of
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
,
Mandaluyong Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to ...
,
Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
,
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the ...
,
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...
and the municipality of Taytay. The expressway is being proposed to alleviate east-west traffic congestion in Metro Manila. It is a joint venture between the
Philippine National Construction Corporation The Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) in the Philippines. It is the largest construction company in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia. It is usually tasked with major ...
and the
San Miguel Corporation San Miguel Corporation, abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines. Originally founded ...
. The project broke ground on September 24, 2021, while construction of the expressway has yet to start pending the approval of its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).


Route description

The expressway will start from
Radial Road 10 Radial Road 10, more commonly referred to as R-10, is a planned network of roads and bridges that all together would form the tenth radial road of Manila in the Philippines. It is the westernmost of the radial roads north of the Pasig River runn ...
in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
and will end at
Southeast Metro Manila Expressway The Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME), also known as Skyway Stage 4, C-6 Expressway and formerly as Metro Manila Expressway, is an under construction tolled expressway running across eastern Metro Manila and western Rizal. The expressw ...
in the municipality of Taytay. There will be three segments, in addition to utilizing the portion of the Skyway Stage 3 from Plaza Azul (Nagtahan) to San Juan River in Manila. From Manila at the west, the expressway will run along the southern bank of Pasig River. It would turn to the land in
Paco Paco is a Spanish nickname for Francisco. According to folk etymology, the nickname has its origins in Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the father of the Franciscan order; his name was written in Latin by the order as ''Pater Communitatis'' (fath ...
, where it will utilize the right-of-way of Paz Mendoza-Guazon Street and Quirino Avenue before meeting Skyway Stage 3's Nagtahan Exit at Plaza Azul. Its utilization of Skyway's segment starts at Plaza Dilao Exit and ends at the future San Juan Intersection with Skyway Stage 3 above San Juan River. From there, it would resume and cuts through Punta,
Santa Ana, Manila Santa Ana is a district in the City of Manila, Philippines. It is located on the city's southeast, bordering the cities of Mandaluyong and Makati in the east, the city districts of Paco and Pandacan in the west, and Santa Mesa in the north. It ...
before retaking the Pasig River alignment at the southern bank up to the future
Southeast Metro Manila Expressway The Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME), also known as Skyway Stage 4, C-6 Expressway and formerly as Metro Manila Expressway, is an under construction tolled expressway running across eastern Metro Manila and western Rizal. The expressw ...
/ C-6 in
Taytay, Rizal Taytay, officially the Municipality of Taytay ( tgl, Bayan ng Taytay; ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is also known as the Garments Capital of the Philippines. Most occupation of the residents are relate ...
.


History

First proposed circa 2017 as the Manila–Taguig Expressway (MTEX), a project of Citra Group and PT Citra Persada Infrastruktur, the expressway is planned as a
viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
over the Pasig River and
Laguna de Bay Laguna de Bay ( Spanish for "Lagoon/Lake of Bay"; tl, Lawa ng Bay, ), also known as Laguna Lake, is the largest lake in the Philippines. It is located southeast of Metro Manila, between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the ...
, and a network of bridges similar to the proposed
Metro Manila Skybridge Circumferential Road 3 (C-3), informally known as the C-3 Road, is a network of roads and bridges that all together form the third beltway of Metro Manila in the Philippines. Spanning some , it connects the cities of Caloocan, Makati, Navotas, P ...
. The expressway will have three segments and two- to six-lane viaducts and bridges. The overall length of the expressway will be . The project has an estimated cost of and an estimated implementation period of 36 months. The expressway is also said to undertake river
dredging Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing d ...
and cleanup works on the Pasig River before, during, and after construction. In September 2021, the San Miguel Corporation has named Filipino green architect Felino "Jun" Palafox as a prospective consultant to introduce "green architectural and urban features" in the Pasig River Expressway system. Initially denying his involvement, Palafox later confirmed his involvement in the project, emphasizing the need for a "missing link for the eastern and western parts of Metro Manila”. The project's technical aspects and financial aspects were approved by the
Toll Regulatory Board The Toll Regulatory Board is a Philippine government agency that regulates all toll roads in the Philippines. The TRB was created by virtue of Presidential Decree (“P.D.”) No. 1112 or the Toll Operation Decree. It possesses regulatory aut ...
on July 14, and a public scoping was held by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman, DENR or KKLY) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, developmen ...
(DENR) the same day. The project scoping report indicated that 101 representatives were present at the scoping, most of which had raised concerns on the project's environmental impacts and a lack of information on the project's detailed engineering designs. The report stated that each of these concerns were responded to with a promise for a follow-up public scoping to take place in October 2021. On September 21, 2021, the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA) was approved by the government, wherein a formal agreement was signed between the San Miguel Corporation, the Department of Transportation, and the
Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways ( fil, Kagawaran ng mga Pagawain at Lansangang Bayan}), abbreviated as DPWH, is the executive department of the Philippine government solely vested with the Mandate to “be the State's engineering ...
at a groundbreaking ceremony held on September 24, 2021. On March 14, 2022, the STOA was approved by the Office of the President. A follow-up project scoping for the project was later held on March 25, 2022. Construction of the expressway was expected to begin in 2022 and was to be complete by 2023, pending the signature of
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a sen ...
to start construction. However, as of 2023, construction has not yet begun, pending regulatory requirements.


Criticism and concerns


Environmental and mobility concerns

Transport and environmental advocates in April and July 2021 opposed the project, citing environmental concerns that the concrete megastructure would hamper the river's role in controlling floods and contribute to the
Urban Heat Island effect An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban area, urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human impact on the environment, human activities. The temperature difference is usually larger at nigh ...
, which will worsen the urban heat in Metro Manila. Concerns were raised that building the Pasig River Expressway would also introduce
air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
and
noise pollution Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of them are harmful to a degree. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mai ...
in the area, as well as non-exhaust emissions, such as
microplastics Microplastics are fragments of any type of plastic less than in length, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Chemicals Agency. They cause pollution by entering natural ecosystems from a v ...
from car tires,
road dust Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in hom ...
, and
particulate matter Particulates – also known as atmospheric aerosol particles, atmospheric particulate matter, particulate matter (PM) or suspended particulate matter (SPM) – are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. The te ...
that will worsen the pollution in the Pasig River and in the communities around it. Advocates also pointed out that the construction of more new roads would only worsen traffic congestion by attracting more vehicle use, thus decreasing mobility in a phenomenon known as
induced demand In economics, induced demand – related to latent demand and generated demandSchneider, Benjamin (September 6, 2018"CityLab University: Induced Demand"''CityLab'' – is the phenomenon whereby an increase in supply results in a decline ...
. Among the figures that opposed the expressway's construction is Senator
Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. (; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He served as a Senator of the Phil ...
, who envisioned to develop the sides of the Pasig River into a tourist spot if elected as President in the
2022 Philippine presidential election The 2022 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on May 9, 2022, as part of the 2022 general election. This was the 17th direct presidential election and 16th vice presidential election in the Philippines since 1935, ...
s. Labor lawyer Luke Espiritu and environmentalist David D'Angelo, both under the senatorial slate of
Partido Lakas ng Masa The Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM; ) is a democratic socialist political party in the Philippines. Created in 2009, it includes as its affiliate the labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino and is Sanlakas' political party for purposes of con ...
, have also called for the rejection of the project.


Heritage concerns

The Intramuros Administration and heritage advocates also opposed the project, noting that the alignment of the project, particularly Segment 1 from
Radial Road 10 Radial Road 10, more commonly referred to as R-10, is a planned network of roads and bridges that all together would form the tenth radial road of Manila in the Philippines. It is the westernmost of the radial roads north of the Pasig River runn ...
to Plaza Azul, would transverse multiple heritage sites and historical buildings such as the
Intramuros Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Present-day ...
fortifications, Fort Santiago, the Aduana Building, the Bureau of Immigrations building, the National Press Club building, and the Manila Central Post Office. Both parties raised concerns on the proximity of the project to these heritage sites, as advocates noted that the project would not only disrupt the visual integrity of these heritage sites, but also as the vibrations during the construction of the project could also damage the structural integrity of these landmarks.


Issues during public scoping

Mobility advocates have urged the DENR to postpone the second public scoping that was held on March 25, 2022, citing concerns that the first project scoping held last July 14, 2021 was not carried out correctly and should be invalidated, noting several inaccuracies and deficiencies in the project briefing materials. Advocates also noted the absence of key agencies such as the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining, ceb, Nasodnong Komisyon alang sa Budaya ug mga Arte) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. ...
, the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herit ...
, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology at the previous public scoping, declaring the need to hold a new public scoping meeting that will include the inputs of the mentioned agencies. In April 2022, the Intramuros Administration has also informed the Environmental Management Bureau under the DENR that it has not been consulted about the project prior to the public hearing. Discrepancies between the project alignment that was shown during the project scoping and on the
environmental impact assessment Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the term "environmental imp ...
(EIA) report were also raised, as 20 percent of the total alignment shown during the first project scoping has been modified in the EIA report. Advocates raised that these changes were not properly notified and informed to stakeholders along these areas, noting that the informed consent of these stakeholders are missing from the EIA report.


Environmental impact assessment plagiarism

In April 2022, it was found out that the EIA report for the project contained entire sections that were
plagiarized Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...
from the environmental impact assessments of the
Makati Intra-city Subway The Makati Intra-city Subway or (MkTr) is an under-construction underground rapid transit line to be located in Makati, Metro Manila, that will link establishments across the city's business district. It will be built under a public-private par ...
in 2019 and a
coal-fired power station A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide, there are about 8,500 coal-fired power stations totaling over 2,000 gigawatts Nameplate capacity, capacity. They ...
expansion project in
Misamis Oriental Misamis Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Misamis; tl, Silangang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Oriental, is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital, largest city and provincial center is t ...
in 2017, and the project components section of the
Cavite–Laguna Expressway The Cavite–Laguna Expressway (CALAX or CALAEX), signed as E3 of the Philippine expressway network, is a partially operational controlled-access toll expressway in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, Philippines. The construction of the exp ...
. In response, advocates have petitioned the Environmental Management Bureau to investigate RHR Consulting Services, the company responsible for the preparation of the report, for any findings of misconduct and irregular practice present in the drafting of the EIA report.


Response

The issues with the expressway were responded to by San Miguel Corporation President
Ramon Ang Ramon See Ang (born January 14, 1954), also known by his initials RSA, is a Filipino businessman. He is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Inc., the largest shareholder of San Miguel Corporation. ...
, who emphasized the fact that the project would be at no cost to the government, dispelled misinformation suggesting that the expressway would cover the whole Pasig River instead of being built along it, and mentioned parallel plans to rehabilitate the river by widening and
dredging Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing d ...
the river at certain points. In response to concerns of induced demand, Ang responded that the project would not be exclusive to private car owners as it would also have a
bus rapid transit system Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
, bike lanes, and
pedestrian infrastructure A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...
Advocates indicated, however, that whether or not the project would be built along or above the river is irrelevant as the project itself would be inviting air pollution into a corridor that previously did not have any. Mobility advocates also questioned Ang's mention of including a bus rapid transit system, bike lanes, and pedestrian infrastructure in response to criticism as these features were not mentioned in detail in the project's EIA report. Environmental architect Paulo Alcazaren also weighed in that the elevated nature of the proposed bus rapid transit system, bike lanes, and pedestrian infrastructure would pose accessibility and connectivity issues. The project's "unusually fast" approval process was also criticized given the approval of the STOA despite the lack of an
environmental compliance Environmental compliance means conforming to environmental laws, regulations, standards and other requirements such as site permits to operate. In recent years, environmental concerns have led to a significant increase in the number and scope ...
certificate from the DENR, which is needed before any construction can start. Green architect Jun Palafox, who initially denied involvement with the project in September 2021, has since been onboarded with the project, committing to develop it according to "his own vision of Pasig River development". Palafox has also responded to criticism, as he denied that the expressway would only cause additional congestion if built, believing that there is an "unmet demand" for an east-west transportation corridor. Palafox's involvement with the project has also been seen as a complete reversal of his long-standing principles for revitalizing decades of
urban decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban deca ...
in Metro Manila with sustainable practices.


Exits


See also

*
Pasig River Ferry Service The Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) is a public water bus service based in Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is currently the only water-based transportation service in Metro Manila that cruises the length of the Pasig River and Marikina River ...
* Pasig river rehabilitation


References

{{Major roads in Rizal Proposed roads in the Philippines Roads in Metro Manila Roads in Rizal Expressway Toll roads in the Philippines