Cancel the Pasig River Expressway

THIS past Tuesday, sustainable transportation, environment and climate advocates convened at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to commemorate the International Day of Climate Action and to protest the Pasig River Expressway (PAREx) project of SMC Infrastructure. The event, entitled "Atin Ang Ilog Pasig!," reminded decision-makers that the Pasig River belongs to all Filipinos and should not be turned over to a private firm for narrow and self-serving purposes, to the detriment of the larger society.

The proposed project is a 19.3-kilometer, six-lane elevated expressway to be built above the Pasig River at an estimated cost of about P95 billion. An environmental compliance certificate (ECC) is being sought from the DENR's Environmental Management Bureau. Fortunately, the ECC remains pending. We hope the ECC will be denied because the project has many significant negative impacts that outweigh its minimal benefits, if any.