SMC TO WIDEN MAJOR BULACAN RIVERS

San Miguel Corp (SMC) will widen and dredge major rivers in Bulacan as part of solving the flooding problem especially in its low-lying areas as it prepares for the construction of its P734 billion Manila International Airport in Bulakan town, the biggest airport development in the country.

SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang said that set for river channel improvement, are the tributaries belonging to the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System (MMORS).

The plan, he said, is to dredge, widen, and deepen the Alipit or Taliptip River, Sta. Maria River, and the Meycauayan River, to address the risk of upstream flooding. For the Meycauayan River, the target bottom width is 80m; dredged depth, 4.5m MSL, and length of 4.46 km.

For the Alipit River, Ang said the target is to achieve a bottom width of 60 meters and a depth of 2.5 meters, mean sea level (MSL) throughout its 7.21-kilometer length. For the Sta. Maria River, target is a bottom width of 90m, dredged depth of 5.0m MSL, and length of 0.50 km.

To ensure the success of the flood mitigation efforts, Ang is in talks with local government officials and other stakeholders the past few weeks to outline SMC’s flood mitigation strategy.

“Cleaning up major rivers in Bulacan is really part of our plan. That is why many stakeholders, led by the provincial government and local government units, welcome the project. We have committed to help with this issue and show that this airport project will not only provide jobs and boost the economy, but will also provide a long-term solution to the perennial flooding in Bulacan,” Ang said.

Ang said the company has also studied future improvements to alleviate the potential risk of flooding, as continued urban development can increase surface runoff volumes. These include further dredging the rivers to increase their top width and dredged depth.