~manila, you're not that ugly

The Pasig River tourism potential

Ambeth Ocampo recently wrote about his love for the Pasig River in Hidden history of the Pasig River, in which he waxes romantic about how the river was once integrated into the Filipino’s daily life.

A Filipino in pre-Spanish times, he says, would describe the Philippines as a group of islands connected by water (as opposed to separated by it):

River and sea were not obstacles to the pre-Spanish Filipino. For them water connected rather than separated islands.

 He also touches on the Pasig’s tourism potential:

The Pasig could be an alternative tourist attraction, except that our bridges are not as old or as pretty as those along the Seine. There are 13 bridges that cross the Pasig from end to end: Bambang Bridge (a.k.a Napindan), C-5 Road Bridge, Guadalupe Bridge, Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge, Sevilla Bridge, Lambingan Bridge (which Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim wants to rename Corazon Aquino Bridge), Pandacan Bridge (a.k.a. P. Zamora), Mabini Bridge (formerly Nagtahan), Ayala Bridge, Quezon Bridge, McArthur Bridge, Jones Bridge, and Roxas Bridge (formerly Del Pan). All these bridges were given a face-lift in the centennial years leading to 1998, but only Mabini remains. Huge brass profiles of Mabini ornament the sides and at night the bridge has lights that change colors

Operative word: Potential.

So much potential going about… how do we harness it?

I prepared a guide for cruising the Pasig right when the River Cruise was opened to the public (about 2 years ago). It’s very informal,and was made for personal consumption (no references to sources, sorry) but quite comprehensive with 24 pages.  Routes and schedules need updating though. Email me if you want a copy.

On another note, read another article on the Inquirer, A creative hub vision for the Philippines, which mentions the phenomenon of forced demand (think field of dreams: if we build it, they will come) to encourage (and sustain!) creative industries, particularly the fine arts. An example would be to include museums in tour packages to “force” people to include them in itineraries.. We Pinoys invest in our culture without even intending to, it’s time we do it mindfully, with a sumptuous harvest in mind!