UAE charity donates $20M for Pasig River
The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday signed two agreements on the rehabilitation of the Pasig River and the improvement of the institutional capacities of both governments.
The two memoranda of understanding (MOU)—including the UAE’s donation of $20 million for the Pasig River rehabilitation effort—were inked on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the Philippine delegation to the summit and spoke about the country’s experience in collaborating with the private sector in protecting the environment and improving Filipinos’ access to health care.
It was during her eight-minute speech at the WGS in Dubai that the First Lady announced the signing of the MOU between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Clean Rivers, a nonprofit organization under the patronage of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In sharing the progress of the Pasig River Urban Development project, she initially admitted that the Pasig River was uncared for until it became the “polluted, dirty and stinky” 27-kilometer river that runs through Metro Manila.
“Two years ago, my husband formed an interagency committee whereby various government agencies would regularly meet with the sole purpose of finding ways and means to bring our river back to life. Slowly but surely, we were able to construct an esplanade where everyone from all walks of life could bike, stroll and break bread along the river,” she said.
Restoration
Araneta-Marcos was referring to President Marcos’ Executive Order No. 35 issued in July 2023, in which he ordered the rehabilitation of the Pasig River to restore it to its “historically pristine condition conducive to transport, recreation and tourism.”
“Thanks to the assistance provided by the UAE, especially Clean Rivers, which is an Erth Zayed initiative, thank you very much again—we just signed the MOU earlier. We would be able to clean our river and hopefully make it a showcase much like Chao Phraya River in Bangkok or the Seine in Paris,” she said.
Based in the UAE, Clean Rivers works with governments, the private sector and civil society groups to combat the problem of plastic pollution in river systems around the world.
In a Facebook post, Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, the President’s special envoy, also announced the signing of the MOU between Clean Rivers and the Philippines, represented by DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.
“Our First Lady Liza Marcos witnessed the signing of MOU between Clean Rivers (Erth Zayed Philanthropies) and DENR. UAE donated $20 million for the rehabilitation of our Pasig River,” she said on Wednesday.
Concluding her speech, Araneta-Marcos said she hoped that the improvements along the Pasig River will be completed in time for the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summits in 2026.
On Thursday, she took to Instagram to express her gratitude to the Philippines’ partners in the UAE for helping the Philippines address the problem of plastic pollution in its rivers and seas.
“So proud to witness the Memorandum of Understanding on Reducing Plastic Waste Leakage in our oceans! Grateful to our partners in the UAE for helping us cut marine plastic litter by 50 percent by 2030 and for sharing their expertise on building better waste management systems,” Araneta-Marcos said.
