A JOINT effort by New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), the private operator of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and San Miguel Corporation (SMC), through its Better Rivers PH, to clean up rivers around NAIA has started to ease flooding in Paranaque City, particularly areas surrounding the airport.
This is especially crucial with the onset of the rainy season as this addresses one of the major causes of urban flooding.
NNIC reported that as of July 12, the initiative has successfully removed approximately 225,000 metric tons of waste across 4.8 kilometers of river channels and clogged waterways in the city.
The extensive cleanup has resulted in a larger carrying capacity and enhanced outflow to Manila Bay especially in sections previously made shallow and restricted by years of accumulated waste and clogged outflows.
A substantial portion of the extracted waste, around 126,000 tons of silt and debris came from a 3.3-km stretch of the Paranaque River. Large volumes of waste and silt were also removed from other waterways including Don Galo River (46,000 tons), Villanueva Creek (27,000 tons) and San Dionisio Creek (25,000 tons).
In addition, the on-going initiative also cleared clogged natural flood drains leading to Airport Creek, Cut-Cut Creek, Multinational Creek, and Libjo Creek. A total of 17,800 tons of garbage and silt were removed from around 2 kilometers of these specific waterways.
To further boost flood prevention efforts around the airport complex, SMC and NNIC also de-clogged drainage systems along Domestic Road and NAIA Road.
“We’re very happy with the results so far. We have been receiving good feedback from members of the community, that despite the recent heavy rains, no major flooding had been observed in nearby areas of the airport. Same with the airport. Passengers did not experience any disruptions or delays caused by flooding,” said SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang.
He added: “NNIC, for its part, has been working diligently to improve passenger experience at NAIA. Helping ensure that roads leading to the airport are flood-free and safe, as part of its larger commitment to serve passengers better. We hope to also further improve the situation in other parts of Paranaque as we continue to clean up the rivers further upstream.”
Local community leaders have also expressed their appreciation. Councilman Jomar Trixie Valencia of Barangay Sto. Niño, Parañaque noted that before the cleanup, floods would rise quickly, and subside slowly because river best were essentially garbage dumps impeding water flow.
Meanwhile, Barangay Captain Johnny Co expressed hope that people would stop improper disposal of wastes to end river pollution.
SMC’s Better Rivers PH program, launched in 2020, has been instrumental in these efforts. It has already removed nearly 8.5 million tons of garbage and silt from 10 major river systems in and around Metro Manila — at no cost to government.
The program has covered 161 kilometers of waterways, among them the Tullahan, Pasig, and San Juan Rivers, the Bulacan and Pampanga river systems, and rivers in Paranaque and Laguna.
Implemented in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Publics Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units, Better Rivers PH program is part of SMC’s larger sustainability agenda. Its efforts are geared towards reducing river pollution, helping mitigate flooding, and reducing flooding risks for the public.
“As we continue our river cleanup in rivers around NAIA and other parts of Luzon, we also ask the public to do their part by keeping garbage out of our waterways. Maintaining flood-free communities is always a shared effort,” Ang said.
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