After the Skyway Stage 3 project, COO and President of San Miguel Corporations (SMC) Ramon Ang announced his company’s plans to team up with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and other agencies in restoring the beauty Pasig River by removing 50,000 tons of trash using advance equipment every month starting on April.
The SMC president released a press statement stating, “Through the years, Pasig River has become narrower and shallower because of accumulated silt and waste. By cleaning and widening it, we will be able to increase its capacity to keep water flowing within its banks especially during heavy rains.”
According to the company’s research, the depth of some of the river’s parts must be about ten meters to allow water from flowing into Manila Bay, however, it currently has one meter depth.
In 2020, SMC launched a billion-peso initiative which aims to clean Tullahan-Tinajeros River System in areas in NCR to solve flooding issues in Malabon and Navotas. Their efforts spared these communities from being flooded during the typhoons later that year due to excellent pump stations. The company included the rehabilitation of Pasig River to expand their initiative’s goal of improving rivers below Skyway 3.
Key figures of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and Million Trees Foundation, Inc commended Ramon Ang for implementing measures that address growing environmental concerns.
The river rehabilitation efforts is set to last until 2026.