Wednesday, October 15, 2008 [ manilatimes.net ]
The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and two private groups signed Tuesday an agreement to establish the first privately built, owned and operated ferry station along the Pasig-Marikina River Channel that will be located at Eastwood City.
“This passenger terminal project facing Marikina River will provide Eastwood City’s workers and residents access to ferry transportation,” said Pasig commission Executive Director Deogracias Tablan, Jr. after signing the agreement with Antonio Tan, president of Eastwood City Estates Association Inc. and Nautical Transport Services Inc. President Eduardo Bondad.
The commission is under Department of Environment and Natural Resources and is tasked to rehabilitate the Pasig River. It oversees the ferry service operations in the Pasig River.
Eastwood City Estates will build, maintain and operate the ferry station using its own funds and following guidelines from Department of Transportation and Communications.
Nautical Transport will extend the operations of its existing Pasig River ferry services, where six vessels are currently deployed. Each vessel can carry 150 passengers.
“This project is a good example of public-private cooperation to help address our transport problems,” Bondad said.
Tan said Eastwood City Estates aims to finish the project’s plans and costing within the next 60 days for the Pasig commission’s approval, so construction works can be started next year.
“We plan to convert Eastwood City into a transport hub,” he said.
Tan said his group decided to push with the project because Eastwood City ‘s present daytime population of 10,000 to 15,000 people will increase by three to four times in the next few years.
Tablan said the project will bring to 15 number of ferry stations along the Pasig River-Marikina Channel system. The government built the existing 14 facilities.
“This ferry service accommodates an average of about 2,000 passengers everyday only, but it can transport around 10,000 people daily so the public must try this alternative transport mode,” he said.
-- James Konstantin Galvez
