SMC removes nearly 88,000 tons of silt and waste in Biñan River cleanup

San Miguel Corp. (SMC), through its Better Rivers PH initiative, has removed nearly 88,000 tons of silt and solid waste from the Biñan River in Laguna, after completing the cleanup of the 2.3-kilometer river that stretches from the Laguna Lake and Barangay Poblacion.

According to SMC, the project was completed on February 28, with 87,899 tons of silt and garbage removed from the river, with the bulk of the volume coming from the mouth of the river in Laguna Lake that was blocking the natural river channel.

“I am very happy that our river cleanup initiative marked another achievement in Laguna, through the help and cooperation of the local government and our other partners,” SMC chairman and chief executive officer Ramon Ang said.

“I ask all our kababayans (countrymen) to please help take care of our rivers because they are critical to our health and the health of our environment, economy, and communities. The job of making our rivers better is not just the government’s or the private sector’s responsibility. What happens to our rivers affects us all, so we all have a role to play,” he added.

The project reached the Biñan River in August 2024, in a bid to restore the natural depth and breadth of river channels in Metro Manila and Luzon by clearing silt and garbage to help mitigate flooding, ease water flow, and improve water quality at zero cost to the government.

The program’s first stop in Laguna was at the San Isidro River in San Pedro, which yielded the extraction of 417,044 tons of silt and waster after it was concluded in August 2024.

SMC said its Better Rivers PH initiative has already covered a total of 157.29 kilometers of waterways, removing some 1.248 million metric tons of silt and solid waste as of March 12, 2025.

This includes 1.12 tons from the Tullahan River; 1.18 tons from the Pasig River; 322,739 tons from the San Juan River; 649,372 tons from the Pampanga River; and 4.13 tons from the Bulacan River System. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News