San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is making good on its commitment to support government’s “Oplan Kontra-Baha” program, as its long-running Better Rivers PH river rehabilitation advocacy continued to expand its cleanup of the Parañaque river system—reporting the removal of over 330,000 metric tons of silt and waste from a total of 8 kilometers of river channels since September 2024.
Sustained cleanup around critical areas
SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang said that for the last 16 months, its river cleanup crews have been working nonstop to desilt, clean, and rehabilitate waterways around the airport and other critical areas of the river system.
The program, undertaken in coordination with the city government under Mayor Edwin Olivarez, aims to improve the drainage of floodwaters from Parañaque out to Manila Bay. This is expected to mitigate flooding not only at the country’s primary international gateway but also in neighboring communities.
Aligned with Oplan Kontra-Baha
The initiative also aligns with and supports the government’s Oplan Kontra-Baha, led by the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Metro Manila Development Authority, together with local government units and other agencies.
“We’re determined to continue delivering on our promise to our kababayans in southern Metro Manila—from Laguna to Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, and Parañaque—that we will improve water flow in their rivers to help address long-standing flooding problems. Since the launch of the government’s Oplan Kontra-Baha program last November in Parañaque, we continue to make steady progress and solid gains,” Ang said.
Progress across key waterways
At Balihatar–San Dionisio Creek, where the multi-agency initiative was launched, Ang said the company has removed more than 21,918 tons of silt and waste from 1.57 kilometers of the waterway.
Work is progressing simultaneously downstream toward Parañaque and upstream toward Las Piñas.
Along the main channel of the Parañaque River, SMC’s cleanup operations have already reached the Pasay area, removing a total of 152,365 tons of silt and waste from a 3.65-kilometer stretch.
SMC also continues cleanup operations at the critical junction of the Don Galo River and the San Dionisio and Villanueva creeks, aimed at deepening the channel to increase carrying capacity and outflow to Manila Bay.
Part of a wider river rehabilitation effort
These efforts form part of SMC’s broader Better Rivers PH initiative, which has been ongoing for six years. During this period, SMC has been working to clean up major river systems in and around Metro Manila at no cost to government and taxpayers.
To date, SMC has removed more than 8.7 million tons of silt and waste from the Pasig, Tullahan, and San Juan rivers; waterways across Bulacan province; the Pampanga River; and rivers in Alabang, Laguna, and Navotas.
The total river length covered now stands at 176.44 kilometers, making SMC’s initiative the largest river cleanup effort of its kind in the country.
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