More than P1 Million worth of support via free use of tollways from San Miguel Corporation (SMC) have already been extended to the health workers.

Earlier, the free use on SMC tollways— namely the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Skyway, NAIAx, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX)—for medical doctors and nurses has already reached P1.1 million as of April 4.

Some 2,000 medical practitioners had availed of the privilege as of the moment.

That is apart from the other efforts under the various arm of SMC to help combat the global pandemic Coronavirus in the country.

Overall, the company's donation has reached PhP 877.8 million, including a personal donation of P100 million from its president, Ramon Ang.

“We are reporting on our progress so that people will be assured that help is on the way, that many organizations are mobilizing and working together to support the government and our fellow Filipinos. Together, we will win this battle,” Ang said.

On the third week of the enhanced community quarantine, they have started to operationalize its commitment to donate P500 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for medical front-liners. The move was made in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to tap local suppliers.

Sourcing of PPEs through its network of global suppliers is also ongoing.

Some PhP 199.4 million worth of canned goods, meat products, biscuits, bread, coffee, are being donated to vulnerable communities through the LGUs, non-profit organizations, charitable institutions, church-based groups and through direct donations and deliveries are still ongoing.

Further, SMC company has also more than doubled its initial commitment to donate 500,000 kilos of rice to vulnerable communities. To date, it has sourced P1.1 million kilos of rice worth over P38 million. Deliveries to beneficiary communities and families are ongoing.

Ang and his family also donated P100 million to “Project Ugnayan”, a broad coalition of private companies working together to assist government in the fight against Covid-19.

Its Ginebra San Miguel Inc. has completed retooling its facilities nationwide to produce 70 percent ethyl alcohol for disinfection.

With this, it is now able to produce 100,000 liters of rubbing alcohol daily.

As of April 4, SMC’s alcohol donations to hospitals, the Department of Health (DoH), LGUS, PNP checkpoints, and other vital institutions, has reached 518,340 liters, or roughly P38.9 million.

SMC Infrastructure has also provided support to the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines for the checkpoints set up along its expressways which includes providing portalets, motorcycles and riders, passenger vehicles, generator sets, tower lights, traffic cones, barriers, tents, water, and disinfectant teams.

“We are working with a broad and diverse base of partners—from the national government, to the LGUS; our hospitals and doctors, the non-profit groups and charitable institutions; church groups, the PNP and AFP—because we want to make sure that help gets to as many Filipinos as possible,” Ang explained.

Further, Ang assured that their efforts would continue throughout the crisis and that vital operations—food production, power and fuel generation, and the operation of infrastructure—would likewise continue.

Also read:

NLEX, SMC Aid Frontliners in Expressways