Pasig River cleanup unites top business leaders

I think its about time that the businessmen in PI and others that can help in keeping our country up to speed with the rest of the world.  We should be proud and love the country we were born in.  ALL of us who were lucky enough to get an education from abroad, should try to bring back some of that knowledge to the Philippines and help the people who were not lucky enough.  Just as the letter said from a “foreigner” who saw it first hand – we need to love our country and our neighbors!  Thanks to Good News Pilipinas for this story.

The country’s top business tycoons got together for a key meeting to help lead the effort to save Pasig River through the Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig project.

The movers and shakers in the Philippine business community make up the Advisory Board of Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig, the newest project of ABS-CBN Foundation in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.

Among the members who attended the key meeting were Ayala Corp. president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel, San Miguel Corp. president and COO Ramon Ang, Aboitiz Transport System president and chief executive officer Endika Aboitiz, ABS-CBN president and COO Charo Santos-Concio, SM Investments vice chairman Tessie Coson-Sy represented by SM Foundation executive director Debbie Sy, Philippine Daily Inquirer president and CEO Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Philippine STAR editor-in-chief Isaac Belmonte, Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee, Herma Group of Co. president and CEO Hermie Esguerra, Manila Water president Rene Almendraz, and Maynilad president Babes Singson.

Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig aims to rehabilitate the Pasig River and its tributaries, and for its initial salvo will focus its efforts on Estero de Paco this year.

“Cleaning of Estero de Paco is very important,” said Gina Lopez, managing director of ABS-CBN Foundation. “If we do it in Paco, we will show it can be done. That success will snowball and pave the way for other possibilities.”

The KBPIP has declared the whole 2.9-kilometer stretch of Estero de Paco as a Clean River Zone.

The KBPIP has already begun the voluntary relocation of the informal settlers living along the banks of Estero de Paco. The families have been moved to “Bayanijuan sa Calauan,” the official resettlement site of KBPIP in Laguna.

The National Housing Authority and ABS-CBN Foundation signed a memorandum of agreement to co-manage the 107-hectare Calauan site.

“I am glad that ABS-CBN Foundation has invaluable partners,” declared Lopez. “Working together really renders significant results. This meeting is really about presenting the Pasig project to the Board and have everyone own it so it will really be a kapit-bisig project.”

“The role of media is key in raising the consciousness of people, in awakening hope,” said Lopez. “With such strong backing from the private sector and media, I have no doubt that we will be able to clean this river.”