Pasig River Ferry, Metro Manila
The Pasig River Ferry was launched by President Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday 14, 2007. Five of the ten terminals are already build and are connected by twin-hulled catamarans 24.5 meters long by 7 meters wide. Each vessel has a capacity of 152 passengers and runs at an average speed of 10 knots.
The service operates from 6 am to 9 am and from 5 pm to 8 pm on weekdays and from 6 am till 12 noon on Saturday and Sunday. Two ferry boats will be in service. One starting in Guadalupe, the other in Escolta. Till February 22 all the rides are FREE! After February 22 the ferryboat operator will charge a minimum rate of 25 pesos per short route and for longer routes the rate will be 35 to 45 pesos.
By the end of February, two more boats will be into service. At the end of March another two boats will be available.
The government has provided the infrastructure and will be responsible for the security and safety of the navigation. Nautical Transport Service Inc. will operate the ferryboats.
When the project is completed later this year, in addition to the 10 terminals stretching from Plaza Mexico at the Pasig River’s mouth , there will be four more stations along the Marikina River all the way to Santa Elena.
Ferry Stations:
- Plaza Mexico
- Escolta (operational)
- Quezon Bridge
- PUP
- Sta. Ana (operational)
- Lambingan (operational)
- Valenzuela
- Hulo (operational)
- Guadalupe (operational)
- San Joaquin
- Napindan
- Marcos Bridge
- Riverbanks Mall
- Sta. Elena
Where: Pasig River. (Escolta, Sta. Ana, Lambingan, Hulo, Guadalupe)
When: From 6 am till 9 am and from 5 pm till 8 pm weekdays
From 6 am till 12 noon on weekend.
Check possible change of schedule after February 22.
My rate: 9/10 World class (nice architecture) and strategically located ferry stations. Modern air-conditioned vessels, courteous and friendly crew members. High security.
The trip is very comfortable, relaxing and quiet. You can hardly hear any noise from the city. It enables you to see the city from another point of view. Visually the riverbank is less ugly than I feared. Although you pass some squatter areas and a lot of old factories (in different stages of decay), the general landscape/view isn’t that bad. Over time the situation is expected to improve with the relocation of squatters from the river banks who are one cause of the river’s pollution.
Alas I have to remove some “pogi” points at this stage. I arrived in Guadalupe at 6.55 am and I just missed the ferry boat. There was no schedule posted and even the people in charge of the ferry station couldn’t tell me at what time the next ferry boat would depart. I decided to wait and was able to board the next ferry at 8 am. To my surprise we didn’t stopped at the other ferry stations that are operational. So without a stop we arrived at Escolta at 9 am. Since the ferry boat stops to operate at 9 am I was stuck in Escolta and couldn’t do the return trip to Guadalupe by boat.
Every trip is done with the escort of a heavy armed soldier and as a rule you are not allowed to take pictures outside the glass enclosure of the boat. A press/media pass and heavy pleading with the captain of the ship and the soldier in charge of the security might give you access to the outside part of the ship. Ten kilometres before we passed Malacañang I had to go inside the ferry with a strict order to stop taking pictures. It seems that the security people of Malacañang never heard about Google Earth…
To be successful the Nautical Transport Service should clearly display the departure and arrival times of the ferry boats. They should also quickly add more boats and embark/disembark at the other two operational ferry terminals.
Info from: My Sarisari Store
Popularity: 19% [?]
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wysgal » February 17th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Wow this actually looks very nice. I’d like to take a ride on it while it’s new and not so crowded. =)
LAR » February 17th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Hey Sidney! Very nice pictures. Do you know that HULO station in one of your pictures is just a 10-mins walk from our house? And the factory picture is just opposite our street?
he he he!
Culture Shiok » February 18th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Pasig River looks good in the pictures! Is it already clean? Hope the government can relocate the squatters properly and permanently.
I’m an OFW here in Singapore. The SG government just bared plans on several projects regarding making their waterways more accessible and useful to the people.
Was surprised to see this post about the Pasig River Ferry!
Hope they can maintain the project and continue cleaning the river!
Cheers!
Migo » February 21st, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I hope this will not be another project that will be gone soon. I remember the same project that have gone down at the bottom of the pasig river. Money have been lost!
Let us not be a “ningas cogon”
Alex Etcuban » February 25th, 2007 at 6:00 am
Thanks Sid for featuring the new Pasig ferry.I was actually looking for pictures in the net eversince this ferry started.Yes,i do hope too that this will be the start of a true revival of Manila and it’s suburbs.Remember,we as a people got our name from this body of water that surrounded us (Tagalogs:from Taga-ilog,meaning from the river)Salamat Sidney.
tochs » March 11th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Pasig Ferry went commercial 10 March 2007. I wrote about the start of commercial operations of the Pasig River ferry at the peyups.com site without the fotos and details. Hope it is ok for me to point to this link for the readers’ better appreciation of the new transport service. Ang ganda ng quality ng fotos niyo.
Sylvie rodriguez » March 12th, 2007 at 5:59 am
Always nice pictures and each time I learn a lot more about the Philippines.
I’ll try the Pasig river ferry, for sure, soon!
Arriving from France in a week, I ‘m going diving to Pandan, Dauin, Calibao…trying to take photos of alive shells.
Most of the shells exposed in my blog are filipinos !
Bisous
INDAY MYRNA » March 14th, 2007 at 7:45 am
wow!!!! manila is having a river ferry now. i jst find out today. i will spread the news to my workmates here in aussie.
hi sylvie,
how to find your blog. there are lots of diving places in cebu too. you might want to add it to your itenirary. cheers
agido » March 15th, 2007 at 11:55 am
wow! what about floating restaurants?
nowit » March 15th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
wow! this is great. i hope they do a good job in maintaining and operating this.
i also hope that it’s a secure ride. i don’t want to get stuck in the middle of the river. have you guys been to that portion of the pasig river with a very long stretch of shanties? man, it’s a far cry from how the marikina portion of the river is right now. i hope the pasig mayor has the political will to clean-up that place.
Ruben Pacquing » April 9th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Very informative, it is a big changed in Pasig river from the “basura” floating towards Manila Bay to a more descent ferry boat, the only thing i’ve noticed is the still chocolate color of the water it should be light green or bluish to reflect the cleanliness of the water, those squatters and factories “must” be replace by our native trees and flowers it will probably create more jobs for the residences in the area beacause of tourism influx.
biboy » April 11th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
As you go along the Pasig River, you will see the side of the metropolis that will surprise or intrigue you.
SUPERPASYAL » April 18th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
I think it really is stupid not to allow photos to be taken of government offices, most especially Malacañan Palace. We cant even enter the palace, at least we can take photos of it, right?
Anyway, i did have the chance to take photos of the Palace Museum.
Off-Vespa: A Pasig River Ferry ride! « Who rides a Vespa? » May 12th, 2007 at 6:29 am
[...] By the way, for nice pictures of the ferry, the stations, and more details about the service, head on to Pinoy Travel Blog. [...]
neches » July 2nd, 2007 at 10:54 am
wow………comment………very nice…….sasakay din kami dyan..wehehehehe…
assertion » July 2nd, 2007 at 10:55 am
ferry boat….what a word
fatima =D » July 7th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
HEY!!nice blog..haha.. we went through pasig river last thursday,in our trip,and we will be writing s0me article about the pasig river..uhm but when i was searching f0r some article,i saw your blog about pasig river,and it was nice..hehe from what school are you??and how old??
happen to catch a glimpse of your article » July 18th, 2007 at 8:17 am
quote from original article “The Pasig River Ferry was launched by President Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday 14, 2007.” As much as I would like to move on the next article, this quote just haunts my miserably bedazzled mind-a question lingers: “When did “Wednesday” became a month?”, “Have I undergone time travel that Wednesday was added on the usual twelve months?”. “Wednesday 14, 2007″ should be changed to something like “February 14, 2007″. People should concur on this argument.
cronous77 » July 18th, 2007 at 9:22 am
I believe the author wanted to write “Wednesday, February 14, 2007″. S/he might just have forgotten to correct it. Anyway, it is insignificant.
Seeing and knowing about the ferry service is very heart warming.
Thanks Sidney for this Post.
joseph Ubas » July 19th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Oh..A new project which I know will contribute a lot Filipinos especially those people who find difficulties in transportation. i know it will also help a lot in preventing pollution in our country. I hope this project will not give any problem , instead will be a door to success
joseph Ubas » July 19th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
How much is the ticket?? Does it also depends on the distance you are going to travel??
Andrea » July 21st, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Fare ranges from Php25.00 to Php45.00 depending on the distance of travel. I hope the company will put up a website to we can get more information, like the ferry schedule. I would like to try this service soon.
Andrea » July 21st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Fare ranges from Php25.00 to Php45.00 depending on the distance of travel. I hope the company will put up a website so we can get more information, like the ferry schedule. I would like to try this service soon.
keira » August 2nd, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Ei, thank you for posting this , sydney.^_^
Actually, this is our report in Environmental Engineering.
Thanks for the info.
^_^
Nuno » September 20th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
We’ll be there next week. Thanks for the info!
roland » October 4th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
what are the historic places
john salamon » March 9th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
hello, i read you piece on the ferry service in manila, i am interested in employment as a ferryman, can you provide an address or email.
heart-2-heart-online.com » Blog Archive » Carlos Celdran Tour » March 11th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
[...] tours meet at the Polland Hopia Cafe in frontof the Pasig River Ferry ESCOLTA stop on Escolta St.Santa [...]
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[...] I want to go to Guadalupe for this ride going to [...]
clive evans » April 8th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
do you have any jobs for boat drivers?
please reply
thanks
clive
antonio tan » April 10th, 2008 at 4:21 am
will definitely try this ferry. thanks for posting pics
melin y. doria » April 18th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
i have students dong a ppaper on the effectiveness of the pasig ferry system to increasing the awareness of passengers about pasig river — they are excited about it — hoep they make a good paper — ill send you a copy so you could read about it.
gamemaster » May 9th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
are all the stations in operation na?
Cooter Davenport » May 11th, 2008 at 9:21 am
I have ridden on the ferry twice already and hae plans to go from Intramurous to Guadaloupe today. It it a great service. My last trip was from Guadaloupe to Intramurouse on the last run just after dark. It was a really nice trip.
Roilan Tan » May 31st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Sir/madam:
Your ferry is really a big help, no traffic, comfortable, fast, affordable, etc. I have only one problem. Your daily trip Schedule. I am from Kapitolyo pasig, there’s a time that I waited for an hour in Pineda station before the ferry arrived. I will really appreciate it if you could give me your daily trip schedule so I could maximize my time and effort of going to the office and coming home early.Thank you very much and more power, God Bless
Roilan Tan
Cover and Pages Corp.
2763 Silang St., Sta. Ana
Manila, Philippines
Tel. No. 5610363-5610366(67)
jnnywllms » August 12th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
he trip is very comfortable, relaxing and quiet. You can hardly hear any noise from the city. It enables you to see the city from another point of view.the general landscape/view isn’t that bad. Over time the situation is expected to improve with the relocation of squatters from the river banks who are one cause of the river’s pollution
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jnnywllms
REL=”DO FOLLOW” ferry to france