San Miguel removes 88,000 tons of waste in Biñan River cleanup, eases flood risk

San Miguel Corp. has successfully completed the cleanup of Biñan River in Laguna, removing nearly 88,000 tons of silt and solid waste in under seven months, the country’s largest conglomerate said on Friday.

In a statement on March 14, 2025, San Miguel said the effort — part of its Better Rivers PH initiative — aims to mitigate flooding and restore the natural flow of rivers in Metro Manila and Luzon.

• 87,899 tons of silt and waste cleared from Biñan River.
• 3.2-kilometer stretch of river restored.
• Flood mitigation in Barangay Poblacion, Laguna.
• San Miguel’s river cleanup now extends to other areas in Laguna.

Flood reduction, environmental impact

Before the cleanup, Biñan River was clogged with waste, worsening flooding during typhoons. Now, residents report significant improvements.

“Dati po matagal bago humupa ang baha. Nitong Pasko (December 2024), may malakas na ulan pero hindi na umakyat ang tubig dito,” said  Herminigildo Aguilar, a local councilman.

(Floodwater used to linger for days. But after a heavy downpour last Christmas, water from the river did not swell into the coastal village and drained faster.)

To clear the debris, San Miguel deployed four teams with backhoes and barges. According to Jeorge Total, San Miguel’s team leader for the project, the river was heavily polluted: “Grabe ang basura nung dumating kami dito. Nagpulo-pulo na. Hindi kami makakain sa tabi kasi talagang mabaho. Ngayon wala ka nang maamoy.”

(When we arrived, the garbage was unimaginable – mounds of them above water. We could not eat our meals because of the stink. Now, you won’t smell anything.)

Commitment to river rehabilitation

Since launching Better Rivers PH in 2020, San Miguel has cleared multiple river systems at zero cost to the government.

• San Isidro River, San Pedro: 417,044 tons of waste removed.
• Tullahan and Pasig Rivers: 2.3 million tons extracted.
• Pampanga and Bulacan Rivers: Over 5 million tons cleared.
• Ongoing projects: Tunasan and Landayan Rivers in San Pedro, Laguna.

San Miguel also conducted aerial, topographic, and bathymetric surveys to ensure an environmentally sound cleanup process.

Call for public participation

Despite these efforts, San Miguel chair and CEO Ramon Ang emphasized the need for public cooperation: “I ask all our kababayans to please help take care of our rivers because they are critical to our health and the health of our environment, economy, and communities.”

Ramon Ang

The San Miguel chief has made cleaning up the country’s rivers a top priority for the conglomerate.

He urged Filipinos to follow proper waste disposal practices to sustain the improvements.

San Miguel’s cleanup efforts continue to expand, with the company now focusing on drainage clearing in Parañaque City and flood-prone areas near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

With over 8.2 million tons of waste already removed from various Philippine rivers, San Miguel said it remains committed to restoring waterways and reducing flood risks nationwide.