#MagnificentManila: Pasig River Esplanade

A section of the Pasig River Esplanade,
just beside the Manila Central
Post Office Building. Facing west.

 

(Updated 10 February 2024)

#MagnificentManila

As a person born and raised in Manila, I am truly proud of what the city has rapidly become in the recent years. That hashtag, I can now agree with because of the many changes that sprang out of my hometown almost overnight!

One of the major changes in the Most Noble and Ever Loyal City is the newly opened Pasig River Esplanade.

Who would have thought that peeple will gather and find enjoyment along the river that was (and sometimes, still is) highly notable for all the wrong reasons: trash, water lilies, trash, foul smell, and trash.

If national hero Jose Rizal were to be brought to modern Manila and see Pasig River in that state, he would surely curse us in upper-class Spanish and even beg to be transported back to his period. He might leave a stern warning to disturb him no more from his eternal rest.

But the developments on this particular waterway can make Rizal retract his words and may convince him to stay a little longer to witness more improvements coming his and our way.

An esplanade anywhere in Metro Manila is unheard of months ago, just look at the image I took in September of 2023. There was no sign that a linear riverside park will be built beside the historic Manila Central Post Office building that was gutted by fire in May that same year.

My girlfriend and I with the Manila Post Office
Building at the background, September 2023.

Not long after, I saw construction equipment stationed there; I thought they were to work for rehabilitating the doomed building. I did not know it was for something else.

In December when I had my casual nighttime bike rides at the riverbank opposite the building, I noticed several lamp posts that were clumped in one place, it should be a no-brainer, something is up in that area. The next month, however, caught me, a Manileño, by surprise: the Pasig River Esplanade is born!

After the positive hype collectively made by both the mainstream media and social media influencers, the place is now teeming with peeple, especially during sunset and nighttime. Most of them were patiently waiting for the horizon at dusk to complete its course, and cellphone cameras were seen more once the night sky falls. You can easily search photos and images of the new attraction on Facebook and just marvel at the wonderful angles produced by that short yet lively stretch.

Per media reports, the section that was recently opened to the public is just the "showcase area," as this project seeks to improve the banks along the entire length of Pasig River from Port Area to eastern Metro Manila (see Manila Bulletin's article here). Very ambitious but doable!

HOW TO GET THERE? Jeepney and e-trikes are the best and cheapest. You can take the following as these routes ply very near the place:

• Baclaran-Divisoria jeepney route. If northbound (going Divisoria), alight at the foot of Jones Bridge before crossing the Pasig River. You will find the Manila Post Office building, head in that direction and the esplanade will be waiting for you. If southbound (going Baclaran), alight at Jones Bridge just after the jeep crossed the river. Take the bridge stairs and you will be near the western end of the esplanade.
• Quirino/Pedro Gil-Divisoria e-trike route. Same instructions as above. The definition of southbound this time would be going in the direction of Quirino Avenue or Pedro Gil Street.
• Retiro-Pier South jeepney route. Southward jeeps (going Pier South) will be the closest as you can alight right beside the esplanade, make sure to alight at the Riverside Drive before the jeep passes through the south tunnel of Jones Bridge. Northbound (going Retiro) is very different because Riverside Drive is one-way street. The nearest location you can get off from a Retiro-bound jeep is at Plaza Lawton or Liwasang Bonifacio and walk towards the Manila Post Office building, you will find the esplanade behind it.
• Malanday-Pier South 15 jeepney route. Same instructions as above, with definition of northbound being Malanday-bound traffic.

The two light rail stations near the Pasig River Esplanade are LRT 1's Carriedo Station and Central Terminal Station. Some peeple might go technical and say Carriedo Station is the nearest in terms of geographical distance. That is true, but Carriedo is located north of Pasig River, walking from there will require crossing the MacArthur Bridge, which is not a totally pleasant experience because the immediate surrounding is not clean and the bridge itself is not well-illuminated (like fairly bright) at night. On the other hand, alighting at Central Terminal Station is friendly for those peeps who are afraid of crossing bridges (MacArthur Bridge is longer than Jones Bridge and has low side barriers) as it is already located at the south bank of the river.

Taking the Pasig River Ferry service would be convenient also. Just alight at the west terminus Escolta Station and cross the magnificent Jones Bridge to get there! But... one downside is that the ferry service only operates in daytime.

Walking routes from LRT 1 Carriedo Station (left frame) and Central Terminal Station (right).
The arrows show you the most lawful way (jaywalking discouraged) of getting to the Pasig River Esplanade.
(Map screen grabs from OpenStreetMap. Click or tap on photo to enlarge.)

To give further guidance, alighting at Carriedo Station and walking over the MacArthur Bridge at night will give you a wide view of the esplanade with the lights on. While alighting at Central Terminal Station can entice you to tour another famed Manila natural park, the Arroceros Forest Park, which is open until 5PM. That can definitely make an intermediate stop before proceeding to see the nighttime view at the esplanade.

Sunset view taken from MacArthur Bridge with Pasig River Esplanade (Manila Post Office Building area) on the left and Plaza Yuchengco (the linear park at the opposite riverbank) on the right.

As for the peeps who have their own means of transportation, based on the initial videos, some are parking their motorcycles, e-bikes and e-trikes on the Riverside Drive (the narrow section between the esplanade and Manila Post Office Building). Four wheels can fit, but I do not recommend them passing through that segment of Riverside Drive due to parked motorcycles. Let's not be surprised though if the authorities would choose to restrict all kinds of vehicles in that area and allocate parking spaces instead at the other side of the building facing Liwasang Bonifacio because the place is getting more and more crowded.

SECURITY OF THE PLACE. Let me first leave a remark here that safety is not a one-man solution. While the authorities around the place can provide protection, we should also arm ourselves with vigilance and wisdom (not giving away obvious chances of being victimized).

The esplanade is fairly safe during the day, nighttime security is a different story. There are security guards in the park round the clock and police presence is supplied via a nearby outpost at Liwasang Bonifacio, but because some areas near the esplanade are not fully illuminated because they are still under construction, beware of bad elements who may visit the area to do harm. Police mobile cars, and in some instances, Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels, also round the general vicinity at times to help deter crime.

No untoward incidents have been recorded so far. But if I were you, treat the esplanade as if you're in a crowded Divisoria or Ongpin. Be your own guard and don't forget to be a good neighbor to those peeple who might suddenly call for help.

RECOMMENDED ITINERARIES. Possibilities are endless when it comes to planning your trip involving the Pasig River Esplanade and nearby areas. First, you have to think about which time of the day you want to visit: at daytime when it is quiet with few tourists around, or at sunset to nighttime when it is crowded but festive.

For those who might want to visit the esplanade in the morning, you can choose to take some vitamin D there first, then you can either proceed to cross Jones Bridge, tour Escolta, Ongpin and other parts of Binondo (there's Chinese food in your area!), or go west, pass under Jones Bridge towards the likewise iconic Binondo Intramuros Bridge (the "arched" bridge), and finish your tour inside Intramuros.

Now if you want nighttime esplanade feels, then reverse the above itineraries and end your day beside the Pasig River. One more plan you can consider is that you can spend some time in SM City Manila or inside the coffee shop at the Manila City Hall clock tower while the sun is still up, record videos of the dancing fountain at the Kartilya ng Katipunan which starts at 7PM, stroll towards Mehan Garden (lucky you if it's open for special occasions such as Valentine and Yuletide seasons), then walk some more (please use the pedestrian underpass!) until you reach the Hidden Garden and Liwasang Bonifacio, the esplanade is right behind the post office building.

Purely nighttime itinerary? Well I think you can start with Plaza Yuchengco which is right at the opposite of Pasig River Esplanade. Plaza Yuchengco is also a linear riverside park but with more plants and trees. Once you notice peeple are starting to disperse at the other side of the river, get up, cross the Jones Bridge and enjoy the place with fewer people around. Of course, you can do the reverse if you want, you do you!

Ten thousand steps can be achieved by starting at the Rizal Monument at Luneta, visit nearby historical places such as the National Museum and Manila City Hall, then relax your tired legs on the benches along the Pasig River Esplanade. The detailed itinerary is in the comment section or you may refer to the map below.

Map showing the suggested plan for a ten-thousand-steps walking tour
from Rizal Park to Pasig River Esplanade near Jones Bridge.
(Map screen grab from OpenStreetMap. Click or tap on photo to enlarge.)

DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME PHOTOS. I went there in two separate occasions (5 February Monday morning and 10 February Saturday dusk to evening) and these are some of the best shots I had:

So there we have it, the first of many esplanades that adorn the banks of the Pasig River, which is now gaining back its lost glory. I am excited for the next plans to come to fruition as these concerted environmental and tourism revival efforts will not concern us the peeple of today, but also the peeple of the future.

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MINI BLOG PLUG.

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