9-year-old boy drowns while playing in Pasig River 

A nine-year-old boy drowned while swimming with friends in the Mandaluyong City portion of the Pasig River during rainy weather.

According to EJ Gomez’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, teams from the Philippine Coast Guard and Mandaluyong CDRRMO Fire and Rescue, as well as residents, helped in the search of the missing victim.

“Eksena ng ilog na ‘yun, medyo maitim, maburak, mahina ‘yung current o daloy. Mababaw sa una yung mga bato, pero siguro mga dalawang hakbang biglang lalim na siya, hanggang dibdib na,” said Barangay Itaas Kagawad Bobby Tendencia.

(The condition of the river there is a bit dark and murky, and the current or flow is weak. It’s shallow at first where the rocks are, but after maybe two steps, it suddenly gets deep, with the water reaching up to chest level.)

It took more than half an hour before the boy was found. After bringing him to shore, rescuers tried to revive him.

“Bloated na po yung tiyan na tapos yung bibig niya po medyo maputla na talaga…Wala na po siyang breathing, wala na pong pulse po,” said Barangay Itaas deputy fire chief Raymundo Macario, noting that CPR was continuously done until they arrived at the Mandaluyong Hospital.

(His stomach was already bloated and his mouth was really quite pale… He was notbreathing, and he no longer had a pulse.)

However, the victim was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

The child's parents declined to appear on camera. But they recalled that their son, a Grade 3 pupil, had just come from school when he and three of his friends went out to play in the rain and swim in the river.

They only learned that their child had drowned when local residents rushed to alert them.

Barangay officials said that numerous drowning incidents have been recorded in the area.

However, they noted that this tragic incident marks the first recorded fatality for 2026.

Local authorities are strongly advising residents to avoid swimming in the river, particularly now during the rainy season. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News