Three years after it launched its landmark river cleanup and flood mitigation initiative—which has led to the removal of over 3 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from the Pasig, Tullahan, and San Juan Rivers—San Miguel Corp (SMC) is setting its sights on a more ambitious goal: Cleaning up and rehabilitating three major river systems as well as other tributaries and waterways throughout Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cavite, and Bulacan.
Dubbed as SMC’s “Adopt-A-River program,” this initiative is possibly the country’s biggest and most impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) effort in collaboration with the national and local governments.
The initiative has gained broad-based support from various stakeholders, including national, provincial and city governments, whose localities stand to benefit from the massive undertaking.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manual Bonoan led national government support for the program at the formal signing of the memoranda of agreement. Also present at the signing and joining the effort were Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda, and Navotas City Mayor John Ray Tiangco.
“This initiative is unlike anything we have seen before. It is perhaps the most extensive environmental effort involving both government and the private sector. In one decisive move, we are cleaning up many major rivers and waterways. We are doing this as a public service, at no cost to the government or taxpayers,” SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang said.
He added: “It’s important to understand that cleaning up rivers is not a quick fix. It’s a very important step in the river restoration process. It paves the way for polluted waterways to heal.”
SMC began its river advocacy three years ago, spending over P3 billion and removing over three million metric tons of oil and waste from the Pasig, Tullahan, and San Juan rivers.
This time, the massive initiative will cover the following rivers: River systems in Bulacan including the Meycauayan, Maycapiz-Taliptip, and Mailad rivers, the Bambang Creek, the Marilao, Sta. Maria, Guiguinto, Pamarawan, Labangon-Angat, Malolos, and Hagonoy rivers; the Pampanga River; the Maragondon River and other related tributaries in Cavite; waterways in Navotas City, including the Muzon, Batasan, and Navotas rivers; San Pedro River in Laguna, and; the San Juan River.
Yulo-Loyzaga lauded the company for its continuous efforts to clean up major river systems and the expansion of the program, aligned with government’s environmental objectives. “This partnership enables DENR to achieve three main mandates by investing and allowing water to flow and impound it correctly where it is needed. Most of all, we are able to fulfill a new role assigned to us by our President when he created the Water Resources Management Office.”
For his part, DPWH Secretary Bonoan said: “We commend SMC for taking this noble initiative, for using your own resources and manpower to rehabilitate rivers that will benefit numerous communities and residents of various provinces. The initiative not only reflects the commitment to environment stewardship, but also signifies dedication to preserving our rivers that have suffered the brunt of pollution and neglect and human activities.”
The local government partners also extolled the efforts of SMC to clean up waterways in their areas.
Solving flooding in Cavite
“What they plan to do is solve the problem in Noveleta, Rosario, General Trias, and Imus, which comprise maybe 10% of the land area, but 90% of flooding. With JICA and San Miguel, we expect to solve flooding in Cavite 100%,” said Remulla. “What affects Bulacan affects Navotas, affects Manila, affects Cavite,” he continued.
Pineda said, in Filipino: “During the past calamity, it was really a problem for us how to solve the flooding in the province. That’s why Kapampangans thank Ang and SMC. I know that you will spend billions, but you expect nothing in return. We will not forget the help that you provided.”
Tiangco, who lauded SMC’s cleanup of the Tullahan River in support of the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, said: “Our ultimate goal is to restore the waters surrounding Navotas to a classification fit for fishing, aquaculture, and other recreational water activities. Hence, we fully support SMC’s Adopt-A-River program and its noble endeavor to clean up and rejuvenate bodies of water.”
Ang said that while the expanded project already covers the major rivers and waterways that significantly contribute to flooding, the initiative may still be expanded as needed, should government request the coverage of more rivers.
He added that SMC has already started conducting bathymetric studies on the rivers, to determine problem areas that have become shallow due to decades of accumulated silt and garbage. DENR and the company will then develop the appropriate dredging plans.
Gaining skills, equipment the past 3 years
Over the last three years, as it implemented its ambitious P3-billion cleanup effort, SMC has acquired various specialized heavy equipment that enable it to conduct river cleanup efforts in various conditions more efficiently.
Ang said that its cleanup personnel have also gained significant experience and skill in conducting cleanups efficiently and according to government standards.
SMC’s efforts have been credited with lesser incidences of flooding throughout Metro Manila, despite the yearly succession of typhoons, as the removal of millions of tons of solid waste have deepened and widened once shallow and heavily polluted rivers.
This has complemented government’s continuing flood mitigation efforts, including the installation of pumping stations in critical areas. (Story and photo courtesy of SMC Media Affairs)