SMC allots P1 billion to revive Pasig River
SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) has earmarked P1 billion to rehabilitate Pasig River, and has scheduled to begin clean-up operations before the month ends, the firm said in a press release on Wednesday.
SMC said that it will embark on the project with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), citing the initiative as the “boldest attempt” to revive the biologically inactive river.
The company aims to extract some 50,000 metric tons of silt and waste every month, or a total of 600,000 metric tons per year from Pasig River.
Last year, SMC began a P1-billion initiative to clean up the 27-kilometer Tullahan-Tinajeros River system, which runs from La Mesa Dam through Quezon City, Malabon, and Navotas, three flood-prone localities in the capital.
The company has also announced plans to dredge the Meycauayan river system to better mitigate floods in Bulacan province, where it is building a P740-billion airport project.
“We are taking decisive action to clean up our major river systems to balance the needs of our economy and the environment towards a viable and sustainable path forward,” SMC President Ramon S. Ang was quoted as saying. — Angelica Y. Yang
