“SMC’s rivers clean-up program is a testament the public and private sectors can work together to ensure the rehabilitation of the environment”
SAN Miguel Corporation has done it again – this time with the Pampanga River as beneficiary, under its Better Rivers PH initiative launched in 2020.
Our country is blessed with rich natural resources which include rivers that provide water for drinking, irrigation, livelihood, and industrial purposes. Rivers serve as channels for transporting water from land to the sea as well as habitats for diverse species of plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Central Luzon’s 260-km Pampanga River, a major waterway in Central Luzon, is the second longest river in Luzon after the 505-km Cagayan River, and the fifth longest in the Philippines, and drains into the Manila Bay and traverses Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Bulacan where SMC is building the New Manila International Airport.
With the completion of the Pampanga River clean-up, it now joins the list of desilted and rehabilitated rivers by SMC through the guidance and leadership of SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang, or RSA.
SMC removed some 694,372 cubic meters of silt and solid waste from the Pampanga River from mid-August to Dec. 2024.
In 2024, SMC’s clean-up of the Bulacan River systems resulted in the extraction of over 4.31 million metric tons of silt and waste from 74.5 kilometers of rivers that include the Taliptip-Maycapiz-Bambang, Meycauayan, Marilao, Mailad-Sta. Maria, Guiguinto, Balagtas, Pamarawan, Kalero, and Labangan-Angat Rivers.
The Pamarawan River in Barangay Pamarawan, Malolos, Bulacan is the site of SMC’s Saribuhay sa Dampalit, the country’s first and largest Biodiversity Offset Program site.
“Flooding is a major issue for our cities and provinces, with many contributing factors. For our part, we’re committed to do what we can to clean up our river systems and help government and our communities,” RSA said.
He added the Pampanga River was already shallow due to siltation and pollution and, during heavy rain, water would easily overflow in many areas, affecting farmlands and communities.
“It was imperative for us to come here and help clean up the river.”
The Pampanga River rehabilitation has lessened flooding. In Macabebe, Pampanga, a catch basin for flood water from Nueva Ecija and San Fernando, the silt extracted from the river has been used in dikes and coastal roads, and as paving materials for infrastructure.
The clean-up program is undertaken by SMC without cost to government. Expenses are shouldered solely by SMC including provision of dredging equipment. Not only are the rivers desilted but deepened to increase water carrying capacity and improve water flow into the Manila Bay.
The Better Rivers program has resulted in the extraction of 8,348,440 mt of silt and solid wastes, covering 156.42 km of waterways.
Aside from the clean-up of the Bulacan river system and the Pampanga River, SMC also desilted the Tullahan River with 1.12 mt silt and solid waste removed from 10.9 km; Pasig River, 1.18 mt from 26 km; San Juan River, 322,739 mt from 7.61 km; and San Pedro River, 417,044 mt from 5.3 km.
SMC’s commitment to cleaning up major rivers bears the company’s time-honored value of malasakit. It is proud of the hard work and dedication of its river cleanup teams. “It really makes us happy to continue providing this service to the Filipino people,” Ang said.
SMC’s river clean-up program, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways and local government units, is a testament the public and private sectors can work together to ensure the rehabilitation of the environment.
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LOSING FRIENDS. The Million Trees Foundation mourns the loss of Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor “DV” B. Savellano on Jan. 7. One of the champions of bamboo propagation in the country along with Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council Executive Director Butch Madarang, Savellano served as guest speaker at the Annual Million Trees Challenge Recognition and Pledging Session in 2024.
His dedication, leadership, and invaluable contributions to environmental conservation will forever be remembered. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Ms. Dina Bonnie-Savellano. his family, loved ones, and colleagues.
Another family friend/physician, Dr. Paul Tang, passed on last Jan. 8 in Dagupan City. Our prayers for his eternal repose and condolences to Angelie de Vera-Tang and children.
(MTV, book author/publisher, is president.chief executive officer of Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. and the president/executive director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc., a non-government outfit advocating tree-planting and environmental protection.)