Fig. 2 View of Pasig River (Flying Ketchup, 2018

the city, such as slum creation or habitat loss, traffic congestion, environmental degradation, shortage of natural resources, all kinds of pollution, and inadequate infrastructure. One may notice that all of these comes from the “centralized” characteristic of Manila.

The city, or better yet the National Capital Region, has most of the government agencies, famous institutions, and significant private infrastructures, therefore, people migrate to the NCR in order to find jobs and live near it, or visit frequently when arranging something with the government.

This study focuses on two urban effects of overpopulation namely, environmental degradation and traffic congestion. These two particular problems can be tackled at the same time using the Pasig River (Fig. 2). The Pasig River is one of the two prominent bodies of water in Manila, the other one is the Manila Bay. It bisects the whole of Manila and connects the Manila Bay to the Laguna de Bay.

The Pasig River, like all other rivers, is a supplier of water, an agent of commerce, and a great alternative route of transportation. Back then, it was a significant part of the development of Manila in terms of food, commerce, trade, and transportation. It was the center of different variety of activities, trading activities, ferry services, culture and traditions, etc. After World War II, there was a huge population growth in the city. Industrial buildings sprouted here and there, and the urban sprawl grew. The river was fully neglected and basically became a dumping site for different industrial and domestic wastes. The domestic waste came from the river’s tributaries wherein it was overpopulated by informal settlement.

The only activity left there was industrial shipping, an acitivity where the unpleasant smell and sight is not important. With the river neglected, ferry services were stopped for a long time and more bridges were built over the river to fill in. Also, losing our water transportation resulted to great traffic in Manila that we can’t seem to solve.

Restoration efforts for the Pasig River were executed side by side, their strategies were reducing waste flows and flood risks. They were successful, but the only problem is that the results are only short-term. In January 1999, the administration created the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) in order to transform the river and its environs back to its glory and showcase a new quality of urban life.

The PRRC believes that “within Metro Manila, riverbased transport and recreational benefits are not fully realized” (PRRC & UP PLANADES, 2018).

Fig. 2 View of Pasig River (Flying Ketchup, 2018)