San Miguel completes Pampanga River cleanup, removes 700,000 tons of waste

San Miguel Corp. said on Tuesday that it has achieved a key milestone in its mission to combat flooding in Luzon by completing a massive cleanup of the Pampanga River.

In a statement on Jan. 7, 2025, the conglomerate said this initiative, conducted under its “Better Rivers PH” program, removed nearly 700,000 tons of silt and waste from the river, spanning 26.3 kilometers.

The project, led by San Miguel chair and CEO Ramon Ang, ran from mid-August to December 2024. 

San Miguel cleared 694,372 cubic meters of silt and debris, deepening the river’s channels and improving water flow to Manila Bay.

This initiative was carried out without any cost to the government or taxpayers.

“Flooding is a major issue for our cities and provinces, with many contributing factors,” Ang said. “For our part, we’re committed to do what we can to clean up our river systems and help government and our communities.”

Ramon Ang

The San Miguel chair and CEO said the initiative will help alleviate flooding.

Local impact in Pampanga

The cleanup has been particularly impactful for Macabebe, a fishing town prone to flooding. Vice Mayor Vince Flores highlighted how the dredging has improved flood management, with waters receding faster after heavy rains.

“Floodwaters from Nueva Ecija and San Fernando end up here. Before this cleanup, it took days, even weeks, for water to recede,” he explained. “Now, with deeper channels, the flood subsides faster.”

Flores also noted the economic benefits of the initiative. Silt extracted from the river is being repurposed to fortify dikes, coastal roads, and elevate key infrastructure, such as schools.

San Miguel's broader cleanup efforts

The Pampanga River cleanup is the latest in a series of environmental efforts under San Miguel’s “Better Rivers PH” program. Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has cleaned 156.42 kilometers of waterways, removing over 8.34 million metric tons of silt and waste. These include significant projects such as:

• Bulacan rivers: Over 4.31 million tons of silt extracted from 74.5 kilometers of waterways.
• Pasig River: 1.18 million tons removed across 26 kilometers.
• Tullahan River: 1.12 million tons cleared from 10.9 kilometers.

These efforts are designed to reduce flooding, improve water quality, and restore marine ecosystems. According to Ang, the initiative reflects San Miguel’s core value of malasakit (compassion), helping protect coastal communities from economic and safety risks.

“As an added benefit, our Better Rivers PH cleanup enables safer operations of water ferries, improves water quality, and restores marine ecosystems,” said Ang. “It makes us happy to continue providing this service to the Filipino people.”

Key highlights:

• San Miguel removed 694,372 cubic meters of waste from 26.3 km of Pampanga River.
• Cleanup improved flood mitigation in Pampanga, especially in Macabebe town.
• “Better Rivers PH” has removed over 8.34 million tons of waste since 2020.
• Previous projects include extensive cleanups in Bulacan, Pasig, and Tullahan Rivers.
• San Miguel’s initiative reflects its commitment to flood control and environmental stewardship.