SM Supermalls adopts San Juan River

MANILA, Philippines - SM Prime Holdings Inc., led by its president Hans Sy, partnered and recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for a five-year rehabilitation program to save the San Juan River under the “Adopt an Estero Program.” The MOA signing coincided with the 25th anniversary of the DENR, and was held at Malacañang in the presence of President Aquino.

The Adopt an Estero program was launched in 2010 as a flagship program, led by DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, and is a collaborative undertaking among the estero community, private entities, and local government units.

SM Supermalls strives to be a key player in uniting these various sectors under one common goal, to rehabilitate our urban ecosystems and promote sustainable lifestyle choices. The program also intends to provide an integrated undertaking in the light of the recent major floods in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. In effect, various aspects of climate change adaptation, proper solid waste management and the participation of the private sector were fused into one program.

The river spans some 10.5 kilometers and covers San Juan, Manila and Quezon City.

Together with the DENR, MMDA, and other local governments, SM Supermalls, through its SM Cares Program on the Environment, planned a comprehensive strategy to improve the health of the estero across this entire length. These efforts include the introduction of intervention methods such as installing trash traps, planting trees and other plant species along the riverbanks and donating material recovery facilities to the barangays.

SM Supermalls’ major focal point is to provide information and education campaigns to communicate to the public, particularly with the residents along the river, various environmental concerns and how community members can do their share to keep rivers clean.

Moreover, SM has partnered with the DENR in training community leaders about solid waste management and mobilizing their fellow residents to implement the San Juan River Environmental Improvement Program. It is SM’s goal that, through this community-based education and action plan, the San Juan River can begin its road to recovery that will not only provide a positive impact on the river and communities themselves, but also on the Manila Bay and the entire Metro Manila.