Manila, not Bangkok in Thailand nor the village of Zhujiajiao in China, was in the past called the “Venice of the East.” This was less than a century ago when most of the more than 50 esteros and estuaries in Metro Manila were the main thoroughfare carrying passengers and cargo up to the plains of what is now Quezon City and Rizal province. As these were connected to the bay, the esteros would bring in tidal salt water, bringing with them an abundance of sea life that fishing nets would capture at that time.
Mansions side by side with commercial houses lined up these waterways, like those along Estero de Reina, Estero de Bilibid, Estero de Aviles, Estero de Binondo, Estero de Magdalena, some of which we could still see today. For the Filipinos at that time, the esteros provided much of life’s needs—transport, food and flood control. People near esteros would do laundry in these waterways, and teach children how to swim.
Those esteros are a far cry from today’s esteros. Polluted and filthy, our esteros and waterways today contribute to the blight of our cities. Along their easements are informal settlers, mostly migrants into the big city who have nowhere else to go. These communities are virtually no man’s land to authorities and bill collectors. In some areas, unscrupulous businessmen, in connivance with local authorities, managed to put up structures that practically reclaimed these esteros. All these, plus the shallowing of the waterways due to unmonitored dumping of waste materials, have contributed to the worsening floods in Metro Manila in recent years. In 2019 alone, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) collected almost 4,000 tons of garbage from our esteros and waterways. And for a many of us, we turn a blind eye to their existence, quickly holding our breath when crossing them because of their stench.
However, bringing back life to these waterways is a necessity that is primordial to all Metro Manilans. And for many reasons, aside from our historical responsibility to preserve our heritage that is intertwined with these waterways. These esteros are our natural floodways, carrying excess water to Manila Bay. They can provide a viable alternative transport system similar to what we see in other countries. Transport of passengers and cargoes may be accomplished more efficiently in some areas given the congestion we have right now. Our tourism industry will benefit from this, as well. Imagine, other countries create similar waterways as a tourist attraction while we already have them here, complete with their unique and rich history.
Thankfully, our government has, in recent years, started to give needed attention to these esteros. The late Gina Lopez initiated the waterway renewal and brought it back to our consciousness some years ago. Recently, the World Bank granted a $200 million loan package to the MMDA and the Department of Public Works and Highways for flood control management, of which a portion of the funds will be for the cleanup of the waterways, as well as the rehabilitation of our decades old floodgates. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on its own has been giving due notice and penalties to pollutant establishments along the riverbanks. The National Housing Authority, together with the concerned local government units, has been resettling a good number of the informal settlers along esteros. And the Department of the Interior and Local Government together with the Metro Manila mayors have started clearing the waterways more aggressively than in the past.
There is more work to be done. And, this can be accomplished successfully with a participative private sector, ever conscious of preserving not just our heritage but to restore them for future generations. We cannot anymore afford to turn a blind eye to the state of our waterways every time we pass by them even in our air-conditioned cars. The private sector must do its part and not just demand that government will do this alone. Generations will come after us to benefit from the work that we do now for our waterways. These waterways are our city’s lifeblood, and it is our responsibility to bring them back to life.
Thomas “Tim” Orbos was former DOTr undersecretary for roads and general manager of the MMDA. He is currently undertaking further studies at the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University. He can be reached via e-mail at thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu