Marcos forms inter-agency council for Pasig River rehabilitation

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order establishing an inter-agency council for the Pasig River urban development.

EO 35 created the inter-agency body that will be chaired by the housing and urban development secretary, according to a copy of the document released by Malacañang on Sunday.

The new council has the general function and responsibility of “facilitating and ensuring the full rehabilitation of the banks along the Pasig River water system and nearby water systems in order to provide alternative transportation, propel economic opportunities, and boost tourism activities,” Marcos said in the EO.

He explained there is “an urgent need” to rehabilitate the areas around the Pasig River, which “holds immense historical and cultural significance” and for being a “vital waterway”.

The initial funding requirements of the council will be charged against the budgets of the members of the inter-agency body.

In 1999, the Estrada administration created the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, which was later abolished in 2019 by former President Rodrigo Duterte as the bloated government pursued a right-sizing policy at the time.