Pasig River project: 10,000 families to live in container vans temporarily

A section of the Pasig River in  Guadalupe, Makati City. (Niño Jesus Orbeta, Inquirer File Photo)

MANILA, Philippines–Approximately 10,000 informal settler families (ISFs) living along the Pasig River may be temporarily housed in container vans to facilitate an P18-billion river development project, according to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Romando Artes on Friday.

The figure comes from Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar in a previous interview, who said that the number of ISFs affected by the Pasig River development ranged from 5,000 to 10,000 families.

“Informal settler families will be temporarily relocated to a staging area made of container vans in their current locations. They will live there temporarily while the permanent housing facilities are being built,” Artes said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

First Lady Liza Marcos is a main proponent of the Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli (PBBM), a project which aims to transform the riverbanks into an economic hub.

Artes said that the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development typically prefers constructing high-rise buildings as permanent homes close to the communities of the relocated families.

He also noted that the agency is coordinating with Metro Manila mayors to find open spaces for these temporary shelters.

Acuzar has said that the completion of both the PBBM project and the resettlement process could take as long as three years.