A busy commercial district in Metro Manila with the Pasig River running through its center. Home to the Ortigas business district and the historic Pasig Cathedral.
Start your visit to Pasig in Ortigas Center, where high-rise offices and shopping malls like Robinson’s Galleria stand. Walk to the 18th-century Pasig Cathedral near Plaza Rizal, built with volcanic tuff during Spanish rule. Take the Pasig River Ferry between stations like Pinagbuhatan and San Joaquin to avoid crowded streets. Look for urban gardens maintained by residents in barangays like Kapasigan and Santolan, part of the city’s waste reduction efforts. Stop at Dimas-alang Bakery on R. Jabson Street, where bakers use a wood-fired oven from 1919 to make pan de sal twice daily.
Key Areas to Visit in Pasig
Ortigas Center holds corporate towers like the Asian Development Bank headquarters and shopping centers such as SM Megamall. San Miguel Avenue connects to restaurants serving quick lunches for office workers, from Japanese ramen to Filipino tapsilog. The Pasig City Museum on Gen. A. Mendoza Street displays pre-colonial tools, Spanish-era documents, and photographs of 20th-century street scenes. Five minutes east, Plaza Rizal has benches under acacia trees facing the cathedral’s coral stone facade. Note that Bahay na Tisa on F. Soriano Street allows exterior viewing only – this 1850s house remains privately owned.
Environmental Programs and Transport Options
City workers collect segregated trash daily except Sundays, with 52 community gardens using compost from food waste. Bike lanes painted blue along Ortigas Avenue and C. Raymundo Avenue link to Mandaluyong and Marikina, with rental stations near Rosario Flyover. Solar panels on Pasig City Hall generate 15% of its electricity, supplemented by rooftop installations at three public schools. Flood control projects since 2020 have added 12 pumping stations and widened the Manggahan Floodway. For transport, jeepneys with "Pasig-Rosario" signs stop at SM Hypermart, while tricycles charge ₱15 per ride within one kilometer.
Food Spots and Shopping Locations
Order pancit canton at Ado’s Panciteria near City Hall, open since 1953 with checkered tablecloths and wall-mounted fans. Cafe Juanita in Kapitolyo serves pork sisig on sizzling plates, with interiors decorated with capiz lamps and 1970s movie posters. At Tiendesitas, vendors sell handwoven baskets from Palawan and grilled tuna belly at the weekend night market. Arrive before 7 AM at Pasig Public Market to buy newly harvested rice from Nueva Ecija or freshly made kakanin wrapped in banana leaves.
Sports Facilities and Event Venues
Watch track meets at PhilSports Complex, which has a 20,000-seat stadium and Olympic-sized pool open weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM. The Ynares Sports Arena hosts PBA basketball games – buy tickets online for weekend matches against Ginebra or Magnolia. Locals play pickup games at Pasig City Sports Center’s outdoor courts, accessible for ₱50 per hour. Students at Rizal High School’s 11-hectare campus use 14 science labs and a library with 30,000 titles.
Travel Tips and Emergency Contacts
Download the PasigPass QR code scanner app before entering malls or government offices. Avoid Ortigas Avenue between 7:30-9:30 AM and 5-8 PM when traffic slows near EDSA. From NAIA Terminal 3, take the NAIA Loop bus to SM Megamall for ₱150, then transfer to a jeepney. Keep the Pasig City Command Center’s number (+632-8643-0000) saved – operators speak English and Tagalog. Check pasigcity.gov.ph for real-time flood alerts during monsoon season (June to September).
