San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has extended its coastal clean-up drive to Calatagan and Balayan in Batangas, even as it prepares to start cleaning up the heavily-polluted Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando river system (MMORS) in Bulacan.
A total of 1,340 bags full of garbage were initially collected from the coastal areas of the two towns during the five-day cleanup effort supported by both SMC and the government through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Apart from mobilizing volunteers, SMC provides cleaning supplies, protective gear, and food for the participants. SMC is also raising awareness among coastal communities about proper waste disposal.
Meanwhile, SMC has also committed to helping set up a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for five barangays in Calatagan to recover recyclable materials and significantly reduce the amount of waste that end up in the waterways of the province.
SMC also holds weekly clean-up activities in Isla Pulo in Navotas together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Isla Pulo is home to the Tanza Marine Tree Park, a 26-hectare mangrove strip of an island with a 3.5-kilometer shoreline, which also serves as a natural barrier that protects nearby cities from storm surges and coastline erosion.
