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Pasig River - The Tragic Story

October 31, 2008

From the arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in the islands, he had heard of an important trading center on the island of Luzon. For the conquest of this region, he sent his general, Martin de Goiti, with Salcedo and a force of Spanish and native Visayan allies.

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(Pasig River - Old Photo)

This expedition found in the trading center, Manila, a crudely fortified town on the bank of the Pasig River near its entrance into Manila Bay, was the stronghold of the native chieftain, Rajah Soliman. On the opposite bank of the river, was the town of Tondo, under control of the chieftain Rajah Lacandula.

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(Pasig River and the Manila Bay - Old Photo)

Gradually expanding from its original confines, the city now includes many districts on both sides of the Pasig River. The residential and business sections of the city are connected by several large modern bridges.

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(Buffaloes Washing in Pasig River)

The Pasig river, which runs through the center of the city presents a fascinating scene, it is a striking panorama of native life, as here shops from all points of the northern and southern islands, load and unload their many products.

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There are also many canals or esteros emptying into this river. The strange and brilliantly colored “cascos” and the long and narrow “bancas” move slowly up and down the canals.

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The “casco” is a barge about 50 feet long and 18 feet wide. Its cargo is protected by large woven nipa covers.

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The old shore line, on the south side of the Pasig River, formerly close to the Walled City, has been extended by process of reclamation. Today this is known as the Port Area. Here one finds the docks, which is one the longest and most modern piers in the world during that time.

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(View From the Walled City)

North of Pasig river is the Escolta, which is Manila’s former broadway, and the wholesale and retail district. The Tondo and Binondo districts are also north of the Pasig and in these sections one finds the homes of the native and Chines tradesmen.

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(American Swimming)

Some of the more wealthy Spanish and Filipinos and a few Europeans still live in the once preferred residential section close to the Governor General’s Palace, popularly known as the Malacanan Palace.

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(Malacanan Palace - 1898 Photo)

Northeast of the Pasig river is the suburb of Sta Mesa, devoted almost entirely to the homes of Americans and Europians during those days.

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(Escolta and Pasig River - Oct 2008 Photo)

The increasing pollution in the river was first noticed in the 1930s when it was observed that fish migration from Laguna de Bay diminished.

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(Old Buildings in Binondo - Oct 2008 Photo)

People ceased using the river’s water for laundry in the 1960s and ferry transport declined. By the 1970s, the river started to give offensive smells and in the 1980s, fishing in the river became nonviable.

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(Jones Bridge - Oct 2008 Photo)

Pasig River has become very polluted and was considered biologically dead in the 1990s by ecologists due to the negligence and industrial development.

Posted by manilahub at 2:06 pm | permalink

Previous Comments

my pasig river….why oh why? this could probably the gush of jose rizal. the pasig river he saw in his lifetime would be the beautiful,lively and breezing air that feel one soul. its just so sad and sudden what pasig river is today!

Posted by ronald liongson at April 9, 2010, 1:25 am

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