Following strong public clamor to put off the project, diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp., or SMC, has canceled its plan to build the 19.37-kilometer Pasig River Expressway, or PAREX.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang confirmed the decision after listening to public sentiments on the project.  

“I am the kind of businessman that when I see that my fellow Filipinos don’t like a project, I won’t continue it,” Ang said.

“For instance, I proposed the Pasig River Expressway but many people did not like it. So we are not pushing it because we are sensitive to public opinion,” he added. 

The P95-billion PAREX project received several criticisms from multi-sectoral groups due to its projected adverse impact on traffic and the environment.

Many critics also pointed out that the project could be an eyesore to heritage structures along the banks of the Pasig River.

Palafox master plan

In 2021, the government greenlighted SMC’s proposal to ease the gridlock from east to west of Metro Manila by reviving water transportation through the PAREX.

SMC tapped urban planner Felino Palafox Jr. to help develop the master plan for the project.

PAREX — the supposed first privately-funded road network in the country — was envisioned to be a six-lane elevated expressway along the banks of the Pasig River.