Philippines' Homegrown Electric Ferry Marks a Milestone on the Pasig River

The Philippines can now point to a working example of locally engineered clean transport. The M/B Dalaray, the country’s first electric passenger ferry designed and assembled on Philippine soil, has quietly transitioned from a showcase experiment into a regular service carrying riders along Metro Manila’s Pasig River. Thousands of passengers have already made the crossing since the vessel entered operation.

Behind the project is a team from the University of the Philippines Diliman, which handled the engineering work with financial backing secured for the effort. Rather than importing a finished boat from abroad, the initiative kept the design and construction within the country, giving local engineers hands-on experience with electric marine propulsion.

The shift from pilot program to everyday transport matters for a waterway like the Pasig, where road congestion pushes commuters to look for alternatives. A ferry that runs on electricity instead of diesel offers a cleaner option for short urban trips while demonstrating that homegrown technical capacity can deliver real-world results.

For the broader electric mobility sector, the ferry is a reminder that electrification is not limited to cars and buses. Waterborne transit represents another front where battery power can cut emissions, and the Philippine example shows how university-led research can mature into public-facing infrastructure.