Hundreds of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) employee-volunteers are set to participate in coastal cleanup drives at 15 sites across the country today in observance of International Coastal Cleanup Day. The activity is part of the company’s continuing environmental efforts and also marks its 135th anniversary.
The cleanups are under the banner of Team Malasakit, SMC’s employee-volunteer program, which aims to complete 55 coastal cleanup activities this year. This follows the company’s 2023 effort, which saw 36.3 metric tons of mostly plastic waste collected across 23 coastal locations, up from 29 tons the previous year.
This weekend’s largest cleanup will take place at Manila Bay, where around 800 volunteers are expected to begin work at 6:00 a.m. Simultaneous activities will also be held at several other locations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Luzon sites include Sual and Lingayen in Pangasinan, Sta. Rosa in Laguna, Mariveles in Bataan, and Masinloc in Zambales. In the Visayas, volunteers will mobilize in Cordon (Iloilo), Bacolod (Negros Occidental), Tabango (Leyte), and Mandaue (Cebu). Meanwhile, cleanup activities in Mindanao will take place in Pitogo (Zamboanga del Sur), Tagoloan (Misamis Oriental), and Malita (Davao Occidental).
As part of an early start to this year’s campaign, SMC already conducted cleanup drives on September 13 in ten locations, including riverside and coastal areas in Bataan, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Camarines Sur, and Davao.
Volunteers will collect and document a wide range of waste, from plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets to cigarette butts, rubber, and even household appliances. The debris will be sorted, weighed, and recorded to contribute to the country’s ongoing assessment of its ecological footprint.
“Protecting our bodies of water has long been a major advocacy of San Miguel,” said SMC chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang. “I’m glad this has become ingrained in our company culture that our employees nationwide are volunteering by the thousands, and getting personally involved.”
With 17 more sites scheduled for future cleanups, SMC’s efforts aim to encourage community participation and raise awareness about marine pollution and responsible waste management.
The initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action)and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). It also complements SMC’s Better Rivers PH program, which has cleared over 8.6 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from 164 kilometers of river systems in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. This has significantly helped improve drainage and reduce flooding in surrounding communities.
