San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is collaborating with various government bodies to clean and rehabilitate three major rivers and waterways in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cavite, and Bulacan.
SMC’s “Adopt-A-River program” is the country’s biggest corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, and is set to be accomplished through partnerships with stakeholders in the local, provincial and national levels.
SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang signed memoranda of agreement with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manual Bonoan for the initiative.
Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor Remulla, Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, and Navotas City Mayor John Ray Tiangco also pledged their commitment to join the project.
SMC’s initiative aims to rehabilitate the waterways in Bulacan (Meycauayan, Maycapiz-Taliptip, and Mailad Rivers, the Bambang Creek, Marilao River, Sta. Maria River, Guiguinto River, Pamarawan River, Labangon-Angat River, Malolos River, and Hagonoy River), Pampanga River, Maragondon River and other tributaries in Cavite, San Pedro River in Laguna, San Juan River, and water systems in Navotas City (Muzon River, Batasan River, and the Navotas River).
SMC President Ang said the “Adopt-A-River program” is 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. It is important to understand that cleaning up rivers is not a quick fix. It is a very important step in the river restoration process. It paves the way for polluted waterways to heal,” Ang added.
Ang noted that the program can be extended to cover projects for other rivers and waterways upon request.
SMC’s river advocacy, which began three years prior from their P3-billion project to remove three million metric tons of oil and waste from the Pasig River, Tullahan River and San Juan River, has enabled the company to gain more advanced knowledge on rehabilitating rivers.
The company has begun conducting bathymetric studies on the rivers, and identified shallow areas worn by decades of silt and garbage.
Its personnel have gained experience and skills that are up to government standards, and the company has also acquired specialized heavy equipment for river clean-up operations. In cooperation with the DENR, it has also developed dredging plans for the rivers.
Yulo-Loyzaga and Bonoan commended SMC’s initiative to help the government fulfill its 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,” Loyzaga said.
“The initiative not only reflects commitment to environment stewardship, but also signifies dedication to preserving our rivers that have suffered the brunt of pollution and neglect and human activities,” added Bonoan.
For the affected localities, local government officials expressed their support for the program.
“What they plan to do is solve the problem in Noveleta, Rosario, General Trias, and Imus, which comprise maybe 10 percent of the land area, but 90 percent of flooding. With JICA and San Miguel, we expect to solve flooding in Cavite 100 percent,” said Gov. Remulla.
Meanwhile, Gov. Pineda thanked the SMC for helping the province resolve the flooding issue in Pampanga.
“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 San Miguel Corporation’s Adopt-A-River program and its noble endeavor to clean up and rejuvenate bodies of water,” added Mayor Tiangco.