Pasig River ferry ridership on the rise in 2023

March 13, 2023

By Alexander Cardenas

Despite economic declines ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Pasig River ferry service garnered 22,925 ridership as of February 2022, an MMDA official said.

Pasig River Ferry Station (PRFS) central admin officer Irene Navera said that the ridership of the ferry service could attain improved services from the increase of boat captains. The ferry ridership remained on the rise hitherto compared to last year’s whopping 170,902 ridership from January to December 2021.

“Itong mga boat captains kasi, sila ang nagpapatakbo sa ating mga vessel kung saan nakasalalay dito ang magiging experience ng ating mga rider,” Navera told NEO.

“Kapag ito ay na-improve, panigurado tataas din ang count ng mga sasakay sa ating ferry stations araw-araw hanggang sa katapusan ng taon,” she added.

The Guadalupe ferry station had a 5,641 passenger count as of February 2022, followed by Escolta and Quinta’s 3,900 and 3,176 headcounts, respectively.

There are nine ferry boats in operation; six 50-seater boats and three 36-seaters. These boats can be occupied by an average of around 1,000 passengers per day, Navera said.

The Guadalupe ferry station is also the central station where MMDA officials stay to follow and guide operations.

The MMDA sees a proposal to extend the stretch of ferry stations, Navera added, which may add to both the ridership and utility of the public commuting service. There are 11 total stations in the Pasig River ferry route traversing 20.58 kilometers of the Pasig River: Escolta, Lawton, Pureza Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Ana, Lambingan, Valenzuela, Hulo, Guadalupe, San Joaquin, and Pinagbuhatan.

However, the proposal remains experimental, as the MMDA continuously conducts a feasibility study based on the additional covered destinations for commuters.

Commuters are also urged to adhere to minimum health standards such as wearing face masks. Valid identification cards for students and casual passengers are mandated upon registering online or over the counter.

“We want to maximize the experiences of our commuters but at the same time, guarantee their safety onboard.”

On Riders

The Guadalupe station specifically is unique in that it is close to the MRT Guadalupe station. Because of its position close to the MRT line, commuters may opt to instead drop at that station and ride the ferry upstream towards the Escolta station or downstream towards Pinagbuhatan station.

This way, commuters are able to reach places that are close to the river. The PUP ferry station for example, is inside the campus of the university.

“Malapit lang ako sa Sta. Ana station, so imbis na mag commute pa ako gamit MRT, Bus, or (mga) tatlong jeep, sasakay nalang ako sa porte” said Bryant Salvador, 22, a Polytechnic University of the Philippines student.

Other than being used to travel to a specific station, another popular use of the ferry service is to get across the Pasig River itself. Allowing one to get to the other side without using the bridge. Fares also mattered for people on a tight budget as they took advantage of the free ride to save a fraction of their daily budget.

“I use the Guadalupe ferry service to travel to the Hulo station because I found it the cheapest option to travel from this part of Makati to Mandaluyong in under an hour. Mabilis na, tapos makakatipid pa ako kasi libre lang siya,” Albert Lopez, 28, said.

An anonymous student who rides the ferry from Guadalupe to PUP said that it is somewhat convenient for her to take the ferry rather than the usual bus routes for ease of transportation.

“Medyo mas madali po sakin mag ferry kesa sa mag bus kasi minsan po sobrang hassle na magjeep, lalo na po sa gantong traffic sa Maynila,” she said.

She added that with the usual route for the buses the congested traffic along Boni Avenue made things hard for her when it comes to time as she was late to school even if she leaves early in the morning to avoid heavier traffic.

New proposed design

The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) recently proposed a sustainable model for carbon footprint reduction. It increased passenger capacity crafted for the Pasig River on March 8 as covered by the Manila Times.

WSFA executive director Roberta Weisbrod said that the Pasig River hues with environmental factors such as strong current and low bridges that rile passenger experiences.

The new model, dubbed CAT|abao, boasts a 100-seater capacity, rechargeable batteries, and storage capacities for passenger bicycles, luggage, and strollers aside from MMDA’s currently operational ferry boats.

The vessel is also barrier-free and abled-friendly due to its large and protected decks equipped with safety measures to prevent electrocution and abrupt power failures.

As of December 2022, Congress granted the Pasig River ferry 76.96 million pesos in funding. However, the cost and logistics of CAT|abao remain unknown for the MMDA, as the model is set to be unveiled this April.

The MMDA retained the Pasig River free-ride policy for passengers since 2019 and would only resort to fares upon “bankruptcy.”

In January and February of 2023, there were a total of 21,239 and 22,925 ridership. Guadalupe station recorded the highest number of ridership with above 5,000 passengers in both months.