CONVERGENCE The Key to Successful River Restoration and Management (Case of the Pasig River, Philippines) BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY History has witnessed that great civilizations around the world started along the banks of famous rivers such as the Nile in Egypt, the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesapotamia, the Indus River of South Asia, and the Huang He (Yellow River) in China, among many others.   In the Philippines, a 27-kilometer river named the Pasig River became the cradle of life for the early settlements in Manila. Situated in the heart of Metro Manila traversing several of its cities, the Pasig River serves as the only outlet that drains excess water from two great bodies of water on both its end i.e. the Manila Bay on the west and the Laguna de Bai on the east, as well as a vanishing network of creeks and canals, and four major tributaries connected into it. In the past, the Pasig River used to be likened to the Grand Canal of Venice. It used to be the center for economic growth and development. However, the development and increase of population and industries along the Pasig River resulted to the decay of the Pasig River until it was declared biologically dead in the 1990s. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 54, as amended by Executive Order No. 65, to ensure that the Pasig River System is rehabilitated to its historically pristine condition that is able to support and sustain aquatic life and resources and is conducive for transport, recreation, and tourism. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY To save the Pasig River, the PRRC relies on the power of CONVERGENCE.   Convergence is the merging of two or more ideas, groups, industries, technologies, advocacies, and/or resources that bridges the gaps and leads to the formation of a unified whole. PRRC is convergence itself because it is organized into technical working committees comprised of representatives from the national government, local government, non-government organizations, and the private sector. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY Convergence has played a major role in the lengthy process towards our river restoration and management efforts and has allowed us to conduct the following for the Pasig River:   Easement Recovery - Convergence with the Local Inter-agency Committee allows PRRC to recover the 3-meter or 10-meter easements from informal settlements or private structure which dump waste on the river’s waterways. Housing and Resettlement - Through convergence with our partners, PRRC is able to save lives from the dangers of living along the riverbanks by relocating informal settler families to decent socialized housing units. Convincing these people to give up their homes has been hard but not enough for us to give in because our partners are there to aid us show these people the light and once they see it, there will be nothing else to say but yes – yes to our bigger purpose, our purpose of saving the Pasig River. Riverbanks Development - With the help of its partner agencies, PRRC is able to transform recovered easements into environmental preservation areas in the form of linear parks, walkways, and greenbelts. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY Water Quality Improvement - With the help of allied environmental agencies and the support of groups and/or companies, PRRC is able to implement water quality improvement technologies such as bioremediation and phytoremediation. Solid Waste Management - PRRC’s River Warriors and River Patrols collect solid waste daily in the different waterways of the Pasig River system. However, with the participation of our partner agencies, the clean-up efforts and results become much more significant. Multilevel Public Awareness - PRRC partners with the media and other advocacy groups to effectively create multilevel public awareness to transform the communities into environmentally-aware and responsible citizens who will contribute to the success of PRRC’s projects, programs, and activities. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY Livelihood Programs and Opportunities - It is also important that livelihood opportunities are provided to our communities so that they would further develop a sense of responsibility in the environment. Waste materials such as water hyacinths are converted into raw materials for livelihood products. Thankfully, PRRC has partners that help us provide livelihood programs that enable our people to augment their daily needs. Community Engagement - PRRC also believes that the participation of the communities is critical in the maintenance and sustainability of our projects, programs, and activities. As such, we converge with the local government to ensure that communities are engaged in this continuing advocacy to save our Pasig River and its environs through volunteerism and active participation in clean-up drives and alike. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY Convergence has taught us the following:   First, one agency cannot do it alone. But when you find others who were just waiting for you and who have been walking that same road long before you, you will realize that you have walked that road far easier than you thought it would be because those others have given you strength, courage and will to go on and move forward. Next, we can effectively utilize our resources if we share them equitably and commit to one common goal. Thus, we are able to deliver more significant outputs with greater impact. Also, through convergence, we are able to change lives positively and we are now beginning to bring life back to a once dying and ailing river. At the beginning, we may have been doing it because “It’s part of our job,” but along the way, we realize that we already have devoted our heart and soul into the cause. It already became part of our purpose as individuals who have merged with other who also share the same purpose. It may be long, it might be hard, but we all know deep in our hearts it’s worth it. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH CONVERGENCE, WE ARE ABLE TO ONE RIVER AT A TIME. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY

A NEW PASIG RIVER CLEAN AND ALIVE THANK YOU! BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA | 18 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 MANAGED BY