Artists revive interest in historic but polluted Manila river through art

Record ID: 944090

  • Title: Artists revive interest in historic but polluted Manila river through art
  • Date: 22nd December 2017
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (FILE - JULY 8, 2017) (REUTERS) VOLUNTEERS PAINTING ON WALL OF PUMPING STATION WITH TUGBOAT CRUISING ALONG PASIG RIVER IN THE BACKGROUND VOLUNTEER APPLYING MASKING TAPE ON MURAL SKETCH ON WALL OF PUMPING STATION
  • Embargoed: 5th January 2018 03:06
  • Keywords: art Manila pumping stations pollution Pasig River culture the Philippines history murals
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
  • Reuters ID: LVA0047CZWWNT
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Colourful murals on the walls of pumping stations are seen along the historic but polluted Pasig river in Manila.
    The artwork is part of a government initiative to try to raise awareness of the river's importance.
    A dozen artists, commissioned by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), joined the "Art for Urban Change" project in July this year and have painted massive murals on pumping stations along the 25-kilometre river.
    Passengers onboard a river cruise viewed the works on the public launch of the project on Dec. 13.
    The project aimed to increase public access to the river and revive interest in its history since it used to be a rich fishing ground and an important transportation route during Spanish colonial era in the 18th and 19th century.
    Moreover, the project wants the public to pay attention to pumping stations, which are often overlooked but vital to a city like Manila where flooding is a recurring issue.
    Artist Julius Sebastian said art can attract local residents to rehabilitate the river if there's a sharp contrast between the beautiful works on pumping stations and the dirty state of the waterway.
    The Pasig, one of Manila's longest rivers, cuts through several of the city's residential, cultural, business and industrial districts. However, the river has been polluted since the second World War after factories and informal settlements were built along its banks.
    The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Ecologists considered it as "biologically dead" due to its highly polluted water content and the state-run Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission announced in August that 13,674 tonnes of garbage were collected from the river in the first half of 2017.
    The MMDA has advertised the murals on nine pumping stations in its ferry service along the river to encourage citizens to take a trip and learn from them, as well as boost tourism.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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