SMC’s Better Rivers PH expands to Cebu, launches Butuanon River cleanup

MANDAUE CITY – San Miguel Corporation (SMC) expanded its “Better Rivers PH initiative to Cebu as it launched the cleanup work on the Butuanon River on June 18 at the San Miguel Eco Park/Eco Learning Center in Barangay Umapad in Mandaue City, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Mandaue City government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other local partners in support to the government’s Oplan Kontra Baha program. 

The initiative aims to increase water holding capacity and mitigate flooding, with plans to study and clean other rivers in provinces where SMC operates, at no government costs. The Buatuanon River cleanup is SMC’s initiative to support Mandaue City’s own flood mitigation program.

“San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has been actively involved in river cleanup and dredging since 2020, covering over 190 kilometers of rivers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, removing 90 million cubic meters of silt. They are now expanding to Cebu, starting with the Butuanon River, which was heavily impacted by Typhoon Tino.  Mandaue City is the first city in the Visayas where SMC implements such river cleanup,” Jimmy Lu, SMB Dredging Head shared with media at the site event.

Lu said, that SMC has deployed six excavators and modular barges to facilitate the cleanup, targeting a four-kilometer stretch from the river’s mouth, which is heavily silted and wastes that restrict the outflow to the Mactan Channel.  The cleanup is targeted until April 2027.

“This initiative also reminds us that protecting our environment is a shared responsibility, government cannot do it alone. It takes committed partners like SMC, our national government, our barangays and every Mandauehanon to make a lasting difference,” said Mandaue City Mayor, Thadeo Jonkie Ouano.

                           Scope of the Butuanon River cleanup initiative

The area covered is some four km stretch of the Butuanon River from the river mouth upstream, from the mouth toward Mactan Channel up to around M.C. Briones St corner U.N. Avenue in Brgy Ibabao Estancia.

This stretch has been filled with years of silt and waste buildup narrowed and shallowed the river, reducing water flow to Mactan Channel. The river mouth is currently partially blocked, restricting outflow.

 Butuanon River overflowed during Typhoon Tino in November 2025, causing severe flooding in Mandaue City.  DPWH and local engineers identified heavy siltation at the river mouth as a major factor that worsened flooding.

“Mandaue has long been home to San Miguel and to generations of our employees, and we are glad to support the government in this effort to help reduce flooding and protect communities, we knew we had the ability to help,” said SMC Chairman, Ramon Ang, in his Facebook post.

According to Lu that SMC’s approach mirrors what they did in Luzon: restore river depth, widen/ deepen channels, remove hidden buildup so rivers can carry large volumes during rainfall.  For Cebu, SMC committed to help rehabilitate eight waterways across Cebu City, Mandaue, Talisay, Liloan, Consolacion under Oplan Kontra Baha.  Butuanon River is the first SMC project launched in Cebu under the Better Rivers PH.

Better Rivers PH started in 2020 and as of June 2026, SMC has removed 9.2 million metric tons of debris from 190+ km of river channels across Luzon - Pasig, Tullahan, Pampanga, Meycauayan rivers. SMC does regular maintenance to keep waterways functional, Lu added.

Related efforts to cleanup Butuanon River

 Mandaue City Government is also doing its own flood work and through its City administrator, Atty. Gonzalo Malig-on, Jr. coordinates with the SMC for this CSR arrangement to cleanup Butuanon River.

“The goal is to continue cleaning, desilting, and dredging to improve water flow and drainage capacity to lessen flood risk in nearby communities during heavy rains,” Malig-on said.

Some P100M has been allocated for flood control in Sitio Talong, Brgy Paknaan - dike/riprap where river overflows, and another P4.07M to fence 3-meter river easement along Butuanon for safety and legal compliance.

Beyond borders 4.0 is a joint plan between Cebu and Mandaue City that includes Butuanon River dredging, gabion dams upstream, early warning systems and trash traps.  City officials said the dredging project could take around one year to complete once fully implemented and equipment mobilization was targeted for June 2026.

“Flood control cannot be solved by dredging alone. It requires continuous maintenance, proper waste disposal, better drainage, and cooperation of every Mandauehanon,” noted Mayor Ouano during the launching event.