MMDA halts Pasig ferry ops due to ‘high volume’ of water hyacinths

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) suspended its operations starting Wednesday due to “high volume” of water hyacinths that makes it hard for the river transport vessels to navigate through the Pasig River waterway, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced.

“The MMDA has temporarily suspended the operations of the Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) starting today, October 14, due to navigability constraints caused by high volume of water hyacinths along the waterway,” the MMDA said in an advisory.

“For the safety of the riding public, the PRFS will resume normal operations as soon as the Pasig River becomes passable,” the MMDA added.

This is not the first time that the PRFS suspended operations due to the volume of water hyacinths that blocked portions of Pasig River.

The PRFS suspended operations for a few days, then resumed normal operations from Pinagbuhatan in Pasig to Escolta in Manila last Friday, Oct. 9.

The ferry service reopened on August 3 after its operations were temporarily suspended in March due to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

JPV