San Miguel Corp Drops PAREX Project After Bid By Environmentalists

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has officially withdrawn its plan to construct the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX), citing environmental concerns raised by civil society groups. The P81.53-billion project, which aimed to create a 19.37-kilometer elevated toll road spanning from Radial Road 10 in Manila to the proposed South East Metro Manila Expressway at Circumferential Road 6, has been shelved after the consideration of the public’s sentiments.

According to Chief Executive Officer of SMC Ramon Ang, the decision emphasizes the company’s sensitivity to public opinion. 

“We are very sensitive to the opinion of the public,” he said. “If the public thinks that it is not good for public welfare, we will not do it anymore.”

San Miguel Corp Drops PAREX Project After Bid By Environmentalists

The move comes after concerns were raised by various environmental groups and science organizations such as the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People, which warned SMC that the expressway would disrupt the natural ecosystem of the Pasig River by blocking sunlight and disrupting the river’s natural food chain.

To formalize the project’s cancellation, the Ilog Pasiglahin movement has also demanded that SMC revoke the project’s Supplemental Toll Operation Agreement (STOA) with the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and withdraw its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) application with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). They also called for the scrapping of permit applications and resolutions with local governments.

In addition, environmental and energy groups urged SMC to discontinue its liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, echoing concerns about environmental degradation.

“If Ramon Ang is indeed ‘very sensitive to the opinion of the public’, we urge him to heed the call of the people and stop funding the destruction of the Verde Island Passage (VIP) and the lives and livelihood that depend on it,” Protect VIP coalition said in a statement. 

Apart from these projects, they also called for the cancellation of some parts of the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX) around the Manila Bay Port Area and Intramuros. A portion of SALEX will be built around the Manila Bay Port Area, Intramuros, and the Hospicio de San Jose in Manila near the Pasig River, which many activists are fighting for the preservation of, citing that it can cause the same destruction as the PAREX project would have created. 

“Whatever happens to the Pasig River also affects its connected bodies of water—Manila Bay, Laguna de Bay, Marikina River, San Juan River, Taguig River, and many others And any destructive activity in those areas–reclamation, deforestation, and expressway construction–will also affect the Pasig River,” Ilog Pasiglahin said. “SMC must withdraw all PAREX permits and immediately stop all their environmentally destructive projects within the Manila Bay-Laguna de Bay area and beyond to truly protect nature.”

Other SMC Projects 

While SMC has abandoned the PAREX project, it remains committed to other ongoing road projects including the recently awarded NAIA privatization concession bid they won last month. Collaborating with Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC), SMC is actively working on the Cavite-Batangas Expressway and Nasugbu-Bauan Expressway, set to traverse various towns in Cavite and link motorists to destinations in Batangas.

Looking ahead, SMC and MPIC are eyeing a joint venture for a mega tollway company, with additional projects such as the Northern Access Link Expressway (NALEX) and the expansion of the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 5.

The abandonment of the PAREX project underscores the growing influence of public opinion and environmental concerns in shaping large-scale infrastructure projects. SMC’s decision reflects a shift towards greater accountability and sensitivity to ecological impacts in the pursuit of development initiatives. 

References:

Cabico, K. (2024, March 18). SMC urged to withdraw permit applications for PAREX, halt other expressway plans. Philippine Star. Retrieved March 21, 2024, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/climate-and-environment/2024/03/18/2341518/smc-urged-withdraw-permit-applications-PAREX-halt-other-expressway-plans

Jasper, T. (2024, March 18). San Miguel drops PAREX project. Inquirer Business. Retrieved March 21, 2024, from https://business.inquirer.net/450871/san-miguel-drops-PAREX-project

Philstar. (n.d.). Green groups to SMC: Stop gas projects after PAREX scrapped. Philstar. Retrieved March 21, 2024, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/climate-and-environment/2024/03/19/2341703/green-groups-smc-stop-gas-projects-after-PAREX-scrapped