CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- Governor Dennis "Delta" Pineda praised San Miguel Corporation (SMC) for its clean-up program for Pampanga River in bid to mitigate flooding in several low-lying towns of the province.
The governor underscored SMC's initiative, which will greatly help in solving the flooding problem in Pampanga.
"Malaking tulong po ito para mabigyan ng solusyon ang baha sa probinsiya," Pineda said during a meeting with SMC officials on Monday.
The governor also thanked SMC Chairman Ramon S. Ang for sending modern desilting equipment used in the project which started in late August.
The project is part of SMC's ongoing "Better River Philippines" program, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative that has been running for over four years.
"SMC has previously undertaken similar efforts in the Tullahan River, Pasig River, San Juan River, and various rivers in Bulacan," SMC Operations Manager Jaime Lu said.
Pampanga River stretches about 26 kilometers from Manila Bay to NLEX.
SMC said it is focusing on the first 10 kilometers, particularly in the areas of Macabebe and Masantol, where some sections of the river are less than one meter deep.
By increasing the depth to at least four meters, SMC said it aims to improve the river's capacity to handle large volumes of water, mitigating flood risks during heavy rainfall.
Other officials present during the meeting were Special Assistant to the Governor at PDRRM Chief Angelina Blanco, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Arthur Punsalan, Provincial Assessor Manuel Mendoza Jr., and representatives of mula SMC and DPWH.