RSA, Mayor Joy Work on Metro Flood Problem

San Miguel Corp. (SMC) chairman and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte have agreed to work together to tackle the flood problem that continues to cripple Metro Manila during heavy downpours.

- MARIANNE GO

SMC, represented by no less than RSA, signed a memorandum of agreement with the Quezon City government, led by Mayor Belmonte, at the SMC head office in Mandaluyong City last Tuesday, witnessed by QC city engineer Mark Dale Diamond Perral, QC administrator Michael Victor Alimurung, Cynthia de Castro—SMC assistant vice president for government affairs and Jimmy O. Lu—VP and overall project manager of SMC's Better Rivers PH initiative.

SMC and the QC government have agreed to jointly work together to clean and rehabilitate major rivers in the city, expanding SMC's Better Rivers PH initiative that aims to reduce flooding in Metro Manila.

Under the agreement, SMC will deepen and widen key sections of the San Juan River and extend its cleanup of the Tullahan River to La Mesa Dam, building on its 2020-2022 pilot effort that cleared 1.1 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from 10.9 kilometers of the waterway.

The RSA-led company will also clean up other tributaries identified by the QC government to remove silt and garbage, increase rainwater carrying capacity, and improve outflow to Manila Bay, which will help reduce flooding in low-lying areas.

The partnership between SMC and the QC government includes the deployment of dredging equipment, barges, and trucks, as well as the development of improved systems for collecting debris and other obstructions to restore the natural flow of water.

The dredging and removal of garbage and debris projects will form part of SMC's Better Rivers PH program which was launched in 2020. This program has already removed more than 8.5 million metric tons of silt and waste from 163 kilometers of rivers and tributaries in and around Metro Manila at no cost to the government or taxpayers.