About twenty-five kilometers long, the Pasig River stretches from Manila Bay in the west to Laguna de Bay in the east. It is the critical lifeline for the ecological health of these two bodies of water, which are the sources of livelihood to thousands of fishermen in Manila.

With the growth of Manila, the river?s use for transport slowly declined and the Pasig became a convenient dumping ground for the growing population of the metropolis. The Pasig River became biologically dead and too polluted for leisure activities. In the past 7 years, rehabilitation efforts have been partially successful, but much remains to be done.

An important part of the rehabilitation programme is the formation of CLEAN RIVER ZONES. These are riverside areas, where it is possible to mobilize the local community - residents, local government, schools, businesses, etc. in a joint effort to ?Clean and Green? the river and its tributaries. CRZs are planned all along the river.

Rotary Club of Manila is supporting the Clean River Zone in the 5th and 6th Districts of Manila. This area contains, in addition to RCM?s home, the Presidential Palace, and many government offices. So what happens in this zone will have a much wider influence.