Ramon Ang drops Pasig River Expressway project

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) said it will no longer pursue its proposed Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project.

“We are very sensitive to the opinion of the public, [so] the project will not push through,” SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang told a media briefing on Monday. 

The P95-billion elevated toll road project along Pasig River secured government approval in 2021.

Last year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it would study the project’s environmental impact.

The 19.37-kilometer PAREX has received criticisms from various groups, saying the project may compromise the waterway’s functionality, cause air pollution, and affect heritage structures and sites.

SMC has said that the project would be “safe, reliable, and sustainable.” — Ashley Erika O. Jose