SMC’s ‘Better Rivers’ Program Gives Flood Relief to Metro Manila Residents

SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang

SMC’s ‘Better Rivers’ Program Gives Flood Relief to Metro Manila Residents

By Bing Jabadan – TheNationWeek.Com | October 1, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – While allegations of widespread corruption plague the government’s flood control projects, the country’s major conglomerate is offering a glimmer of hope for Metro Manila residents.

San Miguel Corp. (SMC), led by President and CEO Ramon S. Ang, has resumed its “Better Rivers PH” program through its cleanup of the Tullahan River.

The river is a vital waterway crucial to mitigating chronic flooding that affects millions of residents in Metro Manila.

The company’s commitment follows its initial P1-billion cleanup in 2022.

Silt and waste have rapidly accumulated in Tullahan, hindering the river’s capacity to channel floodwaters into Manila Bay.

The 27-kilometer waterway, which traverses Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon, and Navotas, served as the pilot project for SMC’s “Better Rivers PH” program, launched in 2020.

The initial phase removed 1.12 million metric tons of waste and silt from a 10.9-kilometer stretch near the North Luzon Expressway.

“It is not unexpected that silt and garbage have re-accumulated,” Ang said.

“Heavy rains have brought more erosion, and waste dumping continues. That’s why we really need to go back,” he added.

Since its inception, Better Rivers PH has removed a staggering 8.6 million metric tons of silt and waste from 165 kilometers of waterways, entirely at SMC’s expense.

Beyond Tullahan, the program has expanded to the Pasig, San Juan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Parañaque, and Laguna river systems, with the recent addition of the Alabang and Las Piñas rivers.

SMC’s commitment extends beyond a mere cleanup.

In Quezon City, the company is collaborating with the local government to remove obstructions along the river’s easements and restore its natural width.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte lauded the initiative as a complementary effort to the city’s existing flood control and wastes management programs.

Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian and Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco have also requested SMC to extend the cleanup to their respective sections of Tullahan and its tributaries.

Initial work has begun at the river’s mouth in Manila Bay and in shallow channels in Valenzuela and Malabon.

Plans include extending the cleanup upstream to La Mesa Dam and widening the sections of the San Juan River and its tributaries.

“For five years now, we have been cleaning rivers because flooding disrupts lives and the economy,” Ang explained.

“This is our way of contributing to long-term solutions that affect millions of Filipinos,” he said.

SMC’s ongoing commitment to cleaning the Tullahan River coincides with World Rivers Day, a global celebration dedicated to promoting the protection of natural waterways.

The initiative underscores the vital role the private sector plays in addressing critical environmental challenges.

SMC’s river cleanup program highlights the potential for corporate philanthropy to deliver tangible benefits to communities and contribute to a more sustainable future.