San Miguel river cleanup boosts flood resilience amid garbage woes

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• San Miguel Corp. said rivers under its Better Rivers PH program helped reduce river overflows during two weeks of heavy rains, with only portions of the San Juan River exceeding critical levels.
• The company has removed more than 9.387 million metric tons of silt and waste from over 204 kilometers of waterways since 2020 under its privately funded cleanup initiative.
• San Miguel said improper garbage disposal continues to drive localized flooding by clogging drains, canals and smaller waterways despite improvements in major rivers.

San Miguel Corp. said its long-running river rehabilitation program helped mitigate flooding across several Metro Manila and nearby waterways during sustained heavy rains over the past two weeks, although improperly disposed garbage continues to undermine flood-control efforts.

The company said rivers covered by its Better Rivers PH initiative continued to carry large volumes of stormwater without major overflows in most locations, even as intense rainfall battered parts of Luzon. The main exception occurred along portions of the San Juan River on Aug. 17, when exceptionally heavy rainfall pushed water levels beyond critical levels.

Why it matters

San Miguel said its cleanup work has increased the carrying capacity of key rivers by removing accumulated silt, waste and other obstructions while deepening, widening and regularly maintaining waterways. The initiative has been aligned with the government's Oplan Kontra Baha flood mitigation program.

According to the press release, DOST-PAGASA's Science Garden station in Quezon City recorded 201.7 millimeters of rainfall within five hours on Aug. 17, including 138.7 millimeters in just two hours, highlighting the intensity of the weather event.

San Miguel chair and CEO Ramon Ang said rivers maintained under the program performed better because of improved water flow and expanded capacity.

“Cleaning up our rivers is a big help in mitigating floods, but it is not enough by itself. It is part of a bigger set of solutions,” he said in a statement on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026.

The big picture

The company said no major river-related flooding was recorded along the Tullahan River, in Laguna waterways, around Ninoy Aquino International Airport, or along the Zapote and Las Piñas rivers despite heavy rains. Flooding that occurred in some upstream communities and localized areas was attributed largely to overwhelmed or blocked drainage systems rather than river overflows.

San Miguel added that maintenance dredging has removed more than 442,700 metric tons of silt and waste from the San Juan River since 2022 and more than 1.3 million metric tons from the Tullahan River. Overall, Better Rivers PH has removed more than 9.387 million metric tons of silt and waste from over 204 kilometers of waterways across Metro Manila, Bulacan and Laguna, with the program recently expanding to Cebu.

Ang emphasized that public cooperation remains essential.

“We also have a role to play. Better-flowing rivers can move floodwaters out more quickly, but water still has to reach those rivers. We need to keep garbage out of our drains and waterways,” he added.

— Edited by Daxim L. Lucas