Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) — Tons of debris were removed from the Tullahan River as part of a cleanup project headed by San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
A statement from one of the country’s largest and most diversified conglomerates released on Thursday said as of June 28, a total of 301,695 metric tons of silt and solid waste have been removed from the first 11.5-kilometer section of the river from Manila Bay in Navotas to Potrero in Malabon and Valenzuela cities. For this section, the target dredging output is 1 million metric tons.
In February, the company said it would extend the project to further support current flood mitigation measures.
It has also deployed more equipment for the cleanup efforts.
According to SMC, following completion of sections that include Barangay Bangkulasi and Tanong in Navotas City, the cleanup team is currently operating in Barangay Longos in Malabon City.
SMC president Ramon S. Ang said despite the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not paused the clean up operations and are now working on deepening and widening parts of the river to complement government’s flood mitigation measures.
“Even during the rainy season, our dredging teams will continue their operations to ensure that the Tullahan river will have greater capacity to receive flood waters from adjacent areas, particularly during typhoon season,” Ang added.
