San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has resumed dredging and cleanup operations at the Tullahan River to restore its depth and improve its capacity to carry floodwaters into Manila Bay.
The initiative comes three years after SMC completed its initial ₱1-billion river rehabilitation project, which cleared 1.12 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from a 10.9-kilometer stretch near the North Luzon Expressway.
According to SMC, regular LIDAR monitoring—which uses laser mapping technology to measure river depth—showed that siltation and garbage have once again accumulated, limiting the river’s ability to prevent flooding in surrounding communities.
The 27-kilometer Tullahan River cuts across Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon, and Navotas. It was the pilot site of Better Rivers PH, SMC’s nationwide river rehabilitation program launched in 2020.
Long-term commitment to flood mitigation
SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang said the company’s return to the Tullahan underscores its long-term commitment to mitigating floods through sustained river cleanups.
“It is not unexpected that silt and garbage have re-accumulated. Heavy rains bring more erosion, and waste dumping continues. That’s why we really need to go back,” Ang explained.
Since its launch, Better Rivers PH has removed 8.6 million metric tons of waste and silt from 165 kilometers of waterways at no cost to the government. The program has expanded to cover the Pasig, San Juan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Parañaque, and Laguna river systems, with recent efforts in the Alabang and Las Piñas rivers.
Local government partnerships
In Quezon City, SMC is working with the local government under a memorandum of agreement to clear obstructions and restore the Tullahan’s natural width. Mayor Joy Belmonte said the effort complements the city’s flood-control and waste-management programs.
Elsewhere, Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian and Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco have requested SMC to extend its cleanup operations to their sections of the Tullahan and its tributaries.
Initial work has already started at the river’s mouth in Manila Bay, as well as in shallow channels in Valenzuela and Malabon. SMC also plans to expand cleanup operations upstream toward La Mesa Dam and widen parts of the San Juan River and its tributaries.
A broader environmental goal
“For five years now, we have been cleaning rivers because flooding disrupts lives and the economy,” Ang said. “This is our way of contributing to long-term solutions that affect millions of Filipinos.”
The renewed efforts also coincided with World Rivers Day, marked by more than 100 countries to highlight the importance of protecting and restoring the world’s waterways.