Wading through waste: SMC's river rescue mission

Better Rivers PH, San Miguel Corp. (SMC)'s initiative to clean up river systems in Luzon, marked its fifth year last month with great strides in reducing river pollution and mitigating floods.

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As of end-June, SMC has removed around 8.5 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from 10 key waterways in and around Metro Manila.

Launched in 2020, the initiative, dubbed Better Rivers PH, aims to reduce river pollution and help prevent flooding by restoring and dredging rivers and improving their flow.

According to SMC chairman and CEO Ramon Ang, the company has already cleared over 161 kilometers of river channels, and the work is far from over.

The waste and silt—removed from the Tullahan, Pasig and San Juan rivers; rivers in Bulacan and Pampanga; the San Isidro, Biñan and Tunasan rivers in Laguna; and waterways in Navotas and Parañaque—have significantly increased the carrying capacity of these river systems.