TO what lengths would you go to save the Pasig River? And how much time do we really have?

Well, if you think you?re up to it, you could go for the full 42-kilometer stretch from SM Marikina to SM Mall of Asia in Pasay. But running the 10-km (Ayala-Makati Avenue to MOA), 5-km (CCP to MOA) or 3-km (around the MOA) leg of the marathon counts for just as much.

The marathon is actually ?A Run for the Pasig River 10-10-10,? that?s scheduled this Sunday, October 10. It hopes to gather 120,000 runners to chalk up a Guinness World Record for the Philippines for the most number of participants in a foot race.

But how much time is left in the real race to save the Pasig River?

Not very much, unless more of us realize that although the river is choked up and dying, there?s something we can do to reverse its decline and rehabilitate what used to be a source of life and livelihood.

?The ?Run for the Pasig River? is not really a race; it?s an advocacy marathon,? explains Gina Lopez, managing director of ABS-CBN Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig, the main organizer of the marathon.

?But it?s so right to say that it?s a race to save the river ? and everyone needs to be part of it,? she adds. ?We?re hoping this event will drum up enough attention to get the government and the corporate sector more deeply involved in supporting our efforts to save the Pasig.?

Of utmost urgency, says Lopez, is to show that it can be done ? and how it can be done. And that is what the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig has initiated. ?We?re doing it in phases, starting from the esteros (tributaries). We want to show that the only way to clean up the river is to start with the esteros ? stop the pollution from there.?

The 27-kilometer Pasig River is fed by about 48 tributaries, five of which are major branches, which the Kapit Bisig has targetted for the clean-up: Paco, San Miguel, San Juan, Marikina and Pasay.

The root of the problem is that, until very recently, Metro Manilans had been relating to the river in very much the same way that their ancestors did: as a source of food and as a receptacle for their waste. As the dumping of waste continued unabated, the river lost its value as a source of food. With continued pollution, it has even become a hazard to life.

Most of Metro Manila?s households have no proper waste disposal system, studies conducted for the project have found. Add to this the fact that over the years, congestion in the metropolis has resulted in estero embankments being occupied by informal settlers. This explains why pollutants in the Pasig River are composed of 15 percent solid waste, 45 percent household waste water and 40 percent industrial waste.

The rehabilitation of an estero begins with the relocation of informal settlers along the riverbanks. In the case of the Estero de Paco, the pilot area, some 1,200 families were relocated in June 2009 to Calauan, Laguna, in a barangay that the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig has dubbed ?Bayan ni Juan.? A series of 17 clean-up activities has been lined up, drawing in the participation of various government agencies such as the DPWH, the DENR, MMDA and other corporate supporters.

The next phase is the introduction of physical improvements such as easements, sewage treatment plants and the establishment of a ?Clean River Zone.? In the language of river rehabilitation, this means ?zero toxic output, no domestic waste and no solid waste.? To ensure this, the Kabisig group has trained and deployed ?River Warriors,? local residents who act as marshalls to ensure that the parameters of the ?Clean River Zone? are observed.

The Estero de San Miguel, which runs through the district of Malacanang Palace, is next on the agenda. ?This is symbolic ? and the idea behind it is to clear the seat of government of everything that is foul and polluted and dirty, so that the leader can think and govern clearly,? shares Lopez.

The date of the ?Run for the Pasig? is similarly auspicious, she adds. October 10, 2010 marks the 100th day of the Aquino presidency. ?This new administration has been talking about change. We want to show what change in our mindset regarding the Pasig River can bring about ? even after only 100 days.?

With the hundred days over, one estero already cleaned up and the embankments currently being physically restored, how much more time is there left to save the Pasig?

Richard Peñaflor, an engineer who does the river studies for Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig, gives statistics on the coliform levels (measure of e.coli or microorganisms in fecal waste present in water) in the Pasig River as of 2008.

With a target standard of 5,000 parts per million for clean water, the measures at five points in the Pasig River are the following: San Juan River ? 1.5 billion; Outflow at Manila Bay ? 4.2 million; Marikina ? 2.4 million, Estero de Paco ? 3.6 million, Marikina River outflow ? 0.45 million.

Apparently, we have a long way to go. So just do the math ? and jump into the race! ?

For online registration, please visit www.101010runforpasigriver.com