The Philippine Star
August 31, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — A joint effort by New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), the personal operator of the Ninoy Aquino Worldwide Airport (NAIA), and San Miguel Corp. (SMC), by means of its Higher Rivers PH, to wash up rivers round NAIA has began to ease flooding in Paranaque, notably areas surrounding the airport.
That is particularly essential with the onset of the wet season as this addresses one of many main causes of city flooding.
NNIC reported that as of July 12, the initiative has efficiently eliminated roughly 225,000 metric tons of waste throughout 4.8 kilometers of river channels and clogged waterways within the metropolis.
The in depth cleanup has resulted in a bigger carrying capability and enhanced outflow to Manila Bay particularly in sections beforehand made shallow and restricted by years of collected waste and clogged outflows.
A considerable portion of the extracted waste, round 126,000 tons of silt and particles got here from a 3.3-km stretch of the Paranaque River. Massive volumes of waste and silt have been additionally faraway from different waterways together with Don Galo River (46,000 tons), Villanueva Creek (27,000 tons) and San Dionisio Creek (25,000 tons).
As well as, the on-going initiative additionally cleared clogged pure flood drains resulting in Airport Creek, Lower-Lower Creek, Multinational Creek and Libjo Creek. A complete of 17,800 tons of rubbish and silt have been faraway from round two kilometers of those particular waterways.
To additional enhance flood prevention efforts across the airport advanced, SMC and NNIC additionally de-clogged drainage programs alongside Home Street and NAIA Street.
“We’re very pleased with the outcomes to date. Now we have been receiving good suggestions from members of the neighborhood, that regardless of the current heavy rains, no main flooding had been noticed in close by areas of the airport. Similar with the airport. Passengers didn’t expertise any disruptions or delays attributable to flooding,” SMC chairman and CEO Ramon Ang stated.
“NNIC, for its half, has been working diligently to enhance passenger expertise at NAIA. Serving to be sure that roads resulting in the airport are flood-free and secure, as a part of its bigger dedication to serve passengers higher. We hope to additionally additional enhance the scenario in different elements of Paranaque as we proceed to wash up the rivers additional upstream,” he added.
Area people leaders have additionally expressed their appreciation. Councilman Jomar Trixie Valencia of Barangay Sto. Niño, Parañaque famous that earlier than the cleanup, floods would rise rapidly and subside slowly as a result of river beds have been basically rubbish dumps.
In the meantime, Barangay Captain Johnny Co expressed hope that individuals will cease improper disposal of wastes to finish river air pollution.
SMC’s Higher Rivers PH program, launched in 2020, has been instrumental in these efforts. It has already eliminated practically 8.5 million tons of rubbish and silt from 10 main river programs in and round Metro Manila — for free of charge to the federal government.
This system has coated 161 kilometers of waterways, amongst them the Tullahan, Pasig and San Juan Rivers, the Bulacan and Pampanga river programs and rivers in Paranaque and Laguna.
Applied in coordination with the Division of Atmosphere and Pure Sources, Division of Publics Works and Highways and native authorities models, Higher Rivers PH program is a part of SMC’s bigger sustainability agenda. Its efforts are geared towards lowering river air pollution, serving to mitigate flooding and lowering flooding dangers for the general public.
“As we proceed our river cleanup in rivers round NAIA and different elements of Luzon, we additionally ask the general public to do their half by preserving rubbish out of our waterways. Sustaining flood-free communities is at all times a shared effort,” Ang stated.
