PAMPANGA, Philippines – Nearly 7,000 tons of silt and waste have been removed from the Pampanga River in a cleanup initiative by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to help mitigate flooding throughout Luzon.
In a press release, SMC reported the removal of 694,372 cubic meters of silt and solid waste from 26.3 kilometers of the 260-kilometer Pampanga River as part of its Better Rivers PH initiative.
The Pampanga River, the second largest river in Luzon, flows through Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija. It serves as a major waterway in Central Luzon, with waters flowing downstream into Bulacan.
Launched in 2020, Better Rivers PH has now covered a total of 156.42 kilometers of waterways, removing a total of 8,348,440 metric tons of silt and solid wastes as of January 2.
SMC chair and chief executive officer Ramon Ang said the project was carried out at no cost to the government and taxpayers. It effectively deepened the river’s channels and improved water flow into Manila Bay, he said.
“Flooding is a major issue for our cities and provinces, with many contributing factors. For our part, we’re committed to do what we can to clean up our river systems and help the government and our communities,” Ang said.
“Since the river was already quite shallow due to siltation and pollution, during heavy rain, water would easily overflow in many areas, affecting farmlands and communities and even contributing to flooding in other areas. So, it was imperative for us to come here and help clean up the river,” he added.
Local officials react
Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda acknowledged SMC’s efforts and said the cleanup and deepening of the downstream Pampanga River, particularly around the towns of Macabebe and Masantol, will significantly help in reducing floodwaters faster.
“Bibilis na po ang paglabas ng tubig-baha sa Pampanga. Nalinis at napalalim na kasi ang downstream Pampanga River sa bandang Macabebe at Masantol. Halos 700,000 tonelada ng putik at basura ang tinanggal po ng SMC sa proyekto nitong Better Rivers PH. Ginawa po ito ng SMC ng libre, gaya ng aking pakiusap noong una kaming magkita ni Mr. Ramon S. Ang,” Pineda said in its Facebook post.
(The floodwaters in Pampanga will now be receding fast as the downstream of the Pampanga River around Macabebe and Masantol has been cleaned and deepened. Almost 700,000 tons of mud and garbage were removed by SMC through its Better Rivers PH project. SMC did it for free, as I requested when Ang and I met.)
Macabebe Vice Mayor Vince Flores said the dredging of the Pampanga River is not just a cleanup but also a boost to their local economy. He said that the extracted silt has been used to reinforce dikes, coastal roads, and elevate infrastructure including schools.
“It’s a lifeline for a town burdened by its role as a natural catch basin,” Flores said. “Floodwaters from Nueva Ecija and San Fernando end up here. Before this river cleanup, it took days, even weeks, for water to recede. Now, with deeper channels, the flood subsides faster.”
The Pampanga River cleanup adds to SMC’s list of completed river initiatives, following its cleanup of Bulacan River systems last year where over 4.31 million metric tons of silt and waste were removed from 74.5 kilometers of rivers. These include major waterways such as the Taliptip-Maycapiz-Bambang, Meycauayan, Marilao, Mailad-Sta. Maria, Guiguinto, Balagtas, Pamarawan, Kalero, and Labangan-Angat Rivers. – Rappler.com
