MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said over 90,000 metric tons of silt and solid waste had been extracted as part of its cleanup of the 15-kilometer San Juan River.
In a statement, SMC president and CEO Ramon Ang said the company has removed waste that have been choking different sections of the river spanning the cities of Manila, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Quezon city.
Since work commenced last October, SMC’s crews have cleaned up a total of 3.1 kilometers, covering sections of the river from Sta. Mesa to Sta. Ana, San Juan to Mandaluyong, and from Dona Imelda to Tatalon in Quezon City.
The San Juan River cleanup is being undertaken with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and local government units (LGUs).
In 2021, SMC also extracted some 11,850 tons of waste from the mouth of the San Juan River, when its Pasig River rehab effort reached the San Juan junction.
The initiative is part of SMC’s ongoing effort to clean up the Pasig River, in partnership with the national and local governments, to help mitigate flooding in major Metro Manila cities and improve the water quality and navigability of the historic but long-polluted river.
Ang said that from July 2021 to February 2023 SMC has already removed over one million metric tons of silt and waste from various sections of the Pasig River that have become too shallow, following years of silt and solid waste buildup.