Residents near Pasig River go fishing for tilapia

Above and below: Residents catch and cook tilapia and kanduli from the Pasig River, despite authorities' warnings about the river's pollution levels. Photos: Mav Gonzales

Last week, a video of someone fishing for tilapia on the Pasig River—which was once declared biologically dead—went viral online.

This Sunday afternoon, dozens of Sta. Ana, Manila residents trooped to the riverbank and lined up with fishing rods once more to catch fish—not just for eating, but also for the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission’s lab tests.

“Sasangguni kami sa partner agencies like DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] and BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources] to check kung talaga nga bang safe nang kainin ito," said PRRC public information head George Dela Rama.

"Kami naman sa PRRC ay natutuwa sa senyales na ito na bumalik na nga ang buhay sa Pasig River. Ang mga nahuhuling isda ay nagsi-signify na nag-improve na 'yung water quality," he added.

According to PRRC, the river's fecal coliform level went down from 1.2 trillion in 2009 to 82 million last year.

This improvement in water quality helped restore some of the biodiversity in Pasig River. And it’s not just fish, but aquatic plants and birds that have returned.

Residents remember fishing in the river back in the '60s and '70s, and they attest that they have always eaten fish from the river.

“Wala naman nangyayari sa amin. Healthy naman kami,” laughed resident Vicente Herrera.

He has been eating fish from Pasig River since 1977.

“Dati mas malinaw pa 'yan. Talagang marami pang isdang maganda. Ayungin, biya, talangka, hipon mas marami,” he added.

In the 1990s, however, the Pasig River turned into a giant oil basin and its aquatic life died.

“Naglasang langis eh, dahil sa mga oil depot nagtatapon ng langis tsaka 'yung mga kumpanya rin. Mga refinery ng mga mantika sa tabing ilog,” recalled resident Emmanuel Torres.

But Torres said he has been able to catch decent fish in the river again.

“Tinikman ko ulit nanghuli ako ulit. Ayos na bumalik na yung dating lasa,” he said.

But even before the testinh for chemical traces, the residents grilled and ate the fish they caught in Pasig River. They said that they have been eating fish from the river for decades and they haven’t gotten ill from it. They described the tilapia as “masarap at manamis-namis.” pic.twitter.com/TrMlkr55wX

— Mav Gonzales (@mavgonzales) February 3, 2019

To prove his point, Torres and the other residents grilled the tilapia they caught. Even children ate with them, all chiming “masarap” and “manamis-namis” after tasting the fish.

But authorities warned residents to be cautious when eating fish from Pasig River until they get the results of the lab testing.

“Marami kasing nagsasabi na eksperto na hindi pa naman ito yung ideal water quality na hinahabol natin, baka may mga traces of chemical content pa 'yung mga isdang nahuhuli dito,” explained PRRC’s Dela Rama.

“So maaring di man ito makaapekto agad pagkakain natin peroin the near future pag naipon na 'yung chemicals sa katawan natin, baka dun magkaroon ng adverse effects sa katawan natin.”

But even officials of the PRRC couldn’t contain their excitement seeing the families fishing and relaxing along the riverbank. Once dead, Pasig River is slowly springing back to life. — BM, GMA News