BULACAN, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is back cleaning rivers in Bulacan province, after completing a massive effort from October 2022 to September 2024, that removed over 4.15 million metric tons of flood-causing silt and waste from 74 kilometers of rivers, at no cost to government and with no commercial benefit to the company. This time, SMC is undertaking maintenance cleanups of major rivers draining out to Manila Bay that surround the country’s future largest and most modern international gateway. SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang said that over the last 10 months, the company’s Better Rivers PH cleanup crews have removed over 500,000 tons of silt and waste from a nine-kilometer stretch of the Maycapiz-Taliptip River and Bambang River. This has further deepened the river channels, which used to be mostly knee-deep prior to any dredging. Today the rivers are more than three meters deep, equivalent to the height of two persons, one standing on top of the other. Apart from this, SMC has also extended its river cleanup efforts to the Bagumbayan River within the town of Bulakan, Bulacan where it has so far removed over 91,000 tons of silt and waste from 3.3 kilometers of the river. Ang said that regular maintenance cleanups of these rivers are needed to ensure that gains made through the company’s years-long flood mitigation efforts — primarily, the increased flood-carrying capacities and improved flow of these rivers — are preserved.   “Rivers that surround theNew Manila International Airport project have a vital function — to drain waters from eastern Bulacan rivers, out to Manila Bay. That is why it’s critical that we continuously clean them, and even deepen and expand where needed, to ensure better flood protection and mitigation, not just for the airport, but for eastern Bulacan municipalities in the Bulacan sub-river basin,” Ang said. He explained that before SMC’s Bulacan rivers cleanup initiative, decades of accumulated silt and waste coming from upstream areas of Bulacan had significantly shallowed and clogged the Maycapiz-Taliptip River, Bambang River, and Meycauayan River in the low-lying coasts —resulting in increased flooding. The coastal area’s low elevation, at below sea level, had also made the municipalities inherently prone to flooding.   In fact, the NMIA project site, an island surrounded by the three rivers, was also submerged over time by shallow waters. Thus, for many decades, the site was used for commercial fish pond operations by previous land owners.   Apart from clearing the three major rivers, which yielded over 1.5 million tons of silt in 2024, SMC also cleaned upstream rivers and tributaries in Bulacan to help ensure efficient water flow towards the three rivers.   The effort has helped mitigate flooding for Guiguinto, Marilao, Balagtas, Bocaue, and Meycauayan. But while the initial cleanup of the three main rivers restored their natural depth of three meters, recent water level monitoring showed that the rivers were again being shallowed by siltation. This was brought about by numerous typhoons and heavy rainfall experienced last year, which necessitated the reactivation of clean-up operations.   “Keeping the rivers clean and flowing is our long-term commitment, and is integrated into the development and eventual operations of the NMIA. This means that continuous flood risk mitigation efforts for the airport will greatly benefit neighboring municipalities and the rest of eastern Bulacan,” Ang said. Meanwhile, in the western part of the Bulacan–in entirely separate and faraway river basins from the airport project in the east–towns like Hagonoy and Malolos remain prone to flooding whenever the Angat Dam overflows. For these municipalities, SMC had also previously cleaned up the downstream portions of Malolos Rivers, the Angat-Labangan River, and Pampanga River. However, these areas continue to be flood-prone when water overflows or is released from Angat Dam. SMC noted that flooding in Bulacan is a complex issue shaped by many factors, among them: the natural rise of sea levels, land subsidence caused by over-extraction of groundwater, inadequate drainage systems, and rapid urbanization in upstream areas. For a permanent and holistic flood solution to be successful, sustained cooperation among the national and local governments, private sector, and communities will be necessary.

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga, Philippines  — Employees of the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) traveled to Casiguran, Aurora on December 3, 2025 to extend critical assistance to an indigenous people (IP) community severely affected by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-wong). The “Bayanihan sa Casiguran” initiative, held in Sitio Dipontian, Barangay Cozo, aimed to support the Agta Tribe in rebuilding their homes and a school damaged by the typhoon. The activity exemplifies CIAC’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable communities, focusing on helping residents recover and rebuild after the disaster. The CSR effort provided essential construction materials, including paint, fiber cement boards, corrugated roof sheets, cement, gloves, paint brushes and rollers, hand saws, and claw hammers. In addition, 50 bags of rice were contributed by the CIAC Provident Fund Inc. (CPFI) and the CIAC Employees’ Association Inc. (CEAI). Support from the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport (APECO) ensured the smooth execution of the outreach. Super Typhoon Uwan inflicted widespread destruction across Aurora Province, damaging nearly 4,000 homes, particularly in the coastal towns of Dipaculao, Dinalungan, Casiguran, and Dilasag. Sitio Dipontian in Barangay Cozo was among the hardest-hit areas in Casiguran, with more than 1,100 houses and school facilities destroyed. The Agta of Casiguran, also known as the Casiguran Dumagat, are part of the broader Negrito communities residing in the eastern Sierra Madre mountains. Through the CSR team, the construction materials and rice were directly handed over to the beneficiaries via Agta tribal leaders and APECO Community Relations Officer Luzed Anne Jandoc. This activity reflects CIAC’s broader mission: while developing the Clark Aviation Capital, the corporation also seeks to uplift communities and create meaningful social impact, demonstrating that its role extends beyond aviation into philanthropy and disaster recovery.            

NAGA CITY, Philippines — Mayor Leni Robredo is calling for a meeting among the LGU’s Public Safety Office, the Naga City Police Office, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Naga, and the office of City Councilor Ramon Melvin Buenafe, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Transport, to address issues on e-trike registration and designated routes in the city. The proposed meeting aims to enable the LGU and national agencies to craft a unified policy on the operation and movement of e-trikes on city roads. This initiative comes after the LTO issued a directive prohibiting e-trikes from operating along highways and major roads—a provision that is now seen as necessary for inclusion in a pending city ordinance being endorsed by City Councilor Buenafe. “We just do not want a messy implementation of any directive from the government regarding e-trike mobility. We also need to establish clear regulations, such as determining what kind or type of e-trike shall be allowed on specific roads, because proper enforcement is necessary,” Robredo said during a press conference. Among the policy areas requiring clarification are the operation of e-trikes on barangay roads versus city roads, as well as applicable speed limits and the types of e-trikes permitted in particular areas. Currently, the LTO in Naga prohibits e-trikes from using the Maharlika Highway and warns that violators will be penalized. I via Jason Neola