P1-BILLION CSR PROGRAM CONTINUES IN TIME OF PANDEMIC: SMC’S TULLAHAN DREDGING YIELDS 2,150 TRUCKLOADS OF SILT, GARBAGE AS OF AUG; REMOVES 600 TONS OF SOLID WASTE DAILY

AMIDST the pandemic, San Miguel Corporation (SMC)’s P1-B initiative to dredge the Tullahan-Tinajeros river system, has yielded 2,150 truckloads of silt and garbage as of August 25.

The initiative, part of a wide-ranging plan to address flooding in Bulacan and many parts of Central Luzon, was launched in February together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) but only fully commenced in June after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was eased.

“In just over two months, we have extracted close to 20,000 cubic meters of silt and garbage. That is equivalent to 2,150 truckloads of debris. We thank the DENR for its commitment to the initiative and for making this possible,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang.

And said the company has been removing 600 tons of solid waste on a daily basis that go to disposal sites designated and approved by the DENR.

“We’re just starting with phase one of the project, covering a 5.25 km. stretch of river system from  Navotas to Malabon City. We have a long way to go, but we are fully committed to this long-term project that will benefit so many people and our environment,” he added.

He said other government units that continue to provide invaluable support to the initiative include the Department of Public Works and Highways (PDWH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the local governments of Malabon and Navotas.

Larger objective

While the project aims to clean Tullahan as part the Manila Bay rehabilitation project, Ang said its larger objective is to form part of a much-larger initiative to solve perennial flooding problem in low-lying provinces, including, but not limited to, Bulacan.

The province is where SMC is set to build the country’s largest and most modern world-class international airport, with groundbreaking set for October this year.

“We committed to the people of Bulacan that we would help solve flooding in their area. Dredging the Tullahan is a major component of our flood mitigation strategies. Essentially, it will clean up and deepen the river system, increasing its capacity to handle heavy rains and allowing for floodwaters to flow more freely and drain into to the Manila Bay,” Ang said.

Ang explained that the Tullahan River is also a spillway for water coming from Angat and Ipo Dams going to the Manila Bay, hence the need to maintain its depth.

The first phase of the dredging is divided into five (5) sectors: Sector 1 from Manila Bay to Tonsuya Bridge; Sector 2 from Tonsuya Bridge to Lambingan Bridge; Sector 3 from Lambingan Bridge to Tinajeros Bridge; Sector 4 from Tinajeros Bridge to Tullahan Bridge, and Sector 5 from Tullahan Bridge up to Potrero.