The (Pasig) River of Our Dreams

A shot above of the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge taken last Sunday when we headed out for an afternoon bicycle ride near the Pasig River. 

Our route (see map to the right) took us from our Legaspi Village residence via Salcedo Village and past our old apartment building on Tordesillas Street where I lived in 2011-12 while Saburo was in Aparri and our Grand Tower apartment where we dwelled ten years earlier. We then made our way onto Kalayaan Avenue where we checked out the ongoing development of the Trump Tower at Century City (The map shown to the right is not strictly accurate as the blue line in Google Maps was uncooperative during our last meeting, but we did turn off Makati Avenue). Lots of new shops in the area but the tower is not quite looking like the artist's mock up simulation yet (see link). I am quite fascinated by Donald's choice of site for his premiere project in the Philippines and I am continually drawn to the vicinity to see if any further progress in the works has revealed some hereto hidden charm.

We kept cycling until we reached the Pasig River where we crossed over the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge, took some small streets which led us to Boni Avenue where we then travelled towards Makati via Edsa highway (a very scary downhill stretch) and returned along the riverside J.P. Rizal Street before we turned into Barangay Guadalupe Viejo (for a definition of barangay, see link) and unexpectedly found the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church, more commonly known as the Guadalupe Church. It was fortunate we found the church as it was the kind of territory where you needed a reason to be. We could tell when we had entered a dead-end street because people's eyes would look suspiciously at us questioning what we were doing in their neighbourhood. We took care not to stray too far from the beaten path.

The bright yellow sign in the photo to the left is referring to the new-looking section of the revetment wall behind it which was completed in 2013 as part of Phase II of the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project. My Engineer is currently working both further upstream and further downstream along the river on Phase III of the same project. I am not sure why there is a completed section in the middle, it may be that previous sections were damaged by the weather or the design was modified (i.e. improved) over time, but the Phase III works are scheduled to be completed in June 2017. Phase IV is planned for additional improvement works.

In writing this blog post I realised there were gaps in my understanding regarding the scope of the project (remembering that I am neither engineer nor lawyer), I conducted a quick internet search which uncovered several documents that helped to fill these in a little. The first document I found was a supplemental environmental impact statement which described the works and their location in fairly easy-to-read terms (see link). It was prepared in 2011 by the Asian Environmental Compliance Network whose members are national and sub-national agencies (see link).

As per my own limited comprehension, the project has been requested by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) (see link) i.e. they are the Client. Funding is being provided by an Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the Japanese government. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (see link) appears to act as the implementor of the loan and monitors the design of the project etc. The construction company is the Contractor (a.ka. the company that employs my engineer), and lastly (but most definitely, not the least) the Consultant acts as the umpire to make sure the project is being administered in accordance with the contract documents.

I also came across this detailed document circa 2011 prepared by DPWH which outlines a resettlement action plan (see link) for the people affected by the project. It included the questions asked during information meetings with the people which were particularly interesting to read.

The riverside footpath in the above photograph looks very attractive. Behind this spot, and closer to the bridge we had just traversed, small groups of young men had congregated to fish. It was a rather sleepy three-o'clock in the afternoon scene with very few people around.

We completed our big loop and were back on the Makati side of the bridge when we were startled by the presence of the magnificent Guadalupe Church in the middle of a regular suburban neighbourhood. In the photograph above I can be seen racing to retrieve my camera and start taking photographs. Yes, it has been located on this site for hundreds of years since 1601 but it is a little out of the way and while it is prominently perched on  the top of a hill, it is not on a  modern day major thoroughfare. Or at least, it is not a place that I often have cause to pass by.

The church was founded by a Spanish Augustinian order a mere seventy years after an apparition of Mary (mother of Jesus) was believed in 1531 to have appeared in front of a man at Tepeyac hill (later this area would become part of Villa de Guadalupe, a suburb of Mexico city). This vision was said to have been a deciding factor in encouraging the reluctant Aztecs to join the church (see link) which would certainly make it a powerful symbol for the Spanish in the newly colonised Philippines. Its pleasing geography meant that for a time, it was designated as the sole recreation house for the religious living in Manila. 

The historical marker shown to the left was attached to the church in 1937 prior to its use as a garrison and headquarters by the Japanese army during WW2. For full details about the history of this building  (see link). Seventy years ago this area witnessed many bloody battles but these days, it serves as a peaceful oasis in the city and has become a popular wedding photography venue (see link).

This final photograph on the right was taken in a vain attempt to convey the surroundings of the proximity of the church. There is a mix of industrial and commercial buildings while the inner section of the barangay is mostly residential. Aside from the church, the other claim to fame for Guadalupe Viejo is that it also is home to the largest wet market in Makati City. 

I wished I could have captured a few more shots but unlike Billy Joel who is stuck on the shore of his River of Dreams (listen to it here) , we had already crossed the river and it was time to move on. I am not sure what we are looking for these days but I do know that we cannot stand still. Even if by accident we end up near a church, at least we will be evolving in some direction. In the meantime, we trucked home, saddle-sore but happy.