Petron pledges P200M in rehab of Marikina River

MANILA, Philippines -  Petron Corp. chairman Ramon Ang pledged yesterday up to P200 million to help the government rehabilitate the Marikina River under the Adopt-an-Estero program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

During yesterday’s signing of a partnership agreement, Ang raised Petron’s initial commitment of P5 million to P100 million plus an additional P20 million per year for the next five years for the river clean-up and rehabilitation program.

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed yesterday by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, Ang, Petron president Eric Recto, Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman and witnessed by Presidential Adviser on Environment Neric Acosta at the San Miguel Corp. head office in Mandaluyong City.

The P200 million pledged by Ang would be used to immediately purchase barges, long-hand backhoes and other equipment.

An additional P20 million per year for the next five years, Ang said, would also be allocated by Petron for the diesel requirement as well as operating expenses for the estero clean up and rehabilitation.

Paje is hoping that aside from Petron, other subsidiaries of SMC, such as SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., could also help in the estero program.

Under the agreement, Petron will undertake environmental improvement through dredging of creeks in the upstream portion of Marikina River.

Information and education campaigns, community mobilization activities, and trainings for concerned stakeholders in the area will be conducted to ensure the sustainability of the program.

For its part, the DENR through its EMB-National Capital Region and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) will intensify the water quality monitoring of industrial/commercial establishments, and provide technical assistance to concerned leaders and stakeholder groups in the area.

The DENR and Petron have also agreed to do a further study on additional dredging and desilting of the creek, introduction of interventions such as phyto-remediation through constructed wetlands, planting of bamboo and other plant species along the river banks, rip-rapping or coco-matting, construction, and greening of linear parks.

Launched in 2010 by the DENR, the Adopt-an-Estero/River Program is a collaborative undertaking between and among communities residing along esteros and rivers, donor-partners, local government units, and other government agencies.