SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) on Wednesday said it has stepped up its support for the government’s “Oplan Kontra-Baha” program via the removal of over 330,000 metric tons of silt and waste from the Parañaque river system since September 2024.
The cleanup covers 8 kilometers (km) of river channels, part of the conglomerate’s long-running Better Rivers PH advocacy. Its crews have been working nonstop over the last 16 months to desilt, clean and rehabilitate waterways around the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and neighboring communities, SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon Ang said. “Our goal is to improve the flow of water from Laguna through Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Parañaque to help address long-standing flooding problems,” Ang pointed out. “Since the launch of Oplan Kontra-Baha in Parañaque last November, we continue to make steady progress and solid gains.” The river cleanup, carried out in coordination with the city government of Parañaque under Mayor Edwin Olivarez, is part of a broader, multiagency effort led by the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and other government partners to enhance flood management and drainage systems. Over 21,918 tons of silt and waste from 1.57 km of waterways in the Balihatar-San Dionisio Creek have been removed, SMC said. Meanwhile, along the main Parañaque River, operations have reached Pasay, where 152,365 tons of silt and waste have been cleared from a 3.65-km stretch. Critical junctions like the Don Galo River, and the San Dionisio and Villanueva creeks are being deepened to increase water-carrying capacity and outflow to Manila Bay. The Better Rivers PH initiative has cleaned major waterways in and around Metro Manila, including the Pasig, Tullahan and San Juan Rivers, as well as rivers in Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna and Navotas, SMC noted. To date, over 8.7 million tons of silt and waste across 176.44 km of rivers have been removed, the largest private river cleanup effort in the country, SMC said. “The support of SMC and its Better Rivers PH program demonstrates how private-public collaboration can make a real difference in mitigating flooding and protecting communities,” Ang said. SMC shares on Wednesday were unchanged at P82.70 apiece.