SMC adds 500K kilos of rice to donated goods

MANILA, Philippines — Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is donating rice to vulnerable families in efforts to cushion the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.

“Starting this week, we will also be adding rice to our food donations. We have been able to source 560,000 kilos of rice. We plan to give 10 kilos per family and through this, we hope to be able to continue to help the most vulnerable among us – people who are out of work and families struggling to eat,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said in a statement.

He said SMC has so far, provided food to some 126,000 families through various channels including local government units (LGUs), charitable groups and church organizations.

These donations include 1.1 million pieces of canned goods, 695,000 sachets of coffee, 288,000 packs of biscuits, 21,630 servings of its version of “nutribun” and 24,338 servings of pandesal.

SMC has also donated spreads, dairy milk drinks and water.

“What we want is for food to be one less worry of vulnerable families, health workers and frontliners against COVID-19,” Ang said.

Among the beneficiaries are families under the care of SMC’s Better World Tondo, a food bank and learning facility established last year.

LGUs given food donations by SMC include Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Malabon, Pateros, Mandaluyong, Navotas, Marikina, Parañaque, Makati, Pasay, Muntinlupa, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig and Valenzuela.

SMC has also given donations directly to hospitals and communities in Luzon.

Hospital beneficiaries include the Philippine General Hospital, Medical City, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Las Piñas General Hospital, and the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center.

Ang said SMC, through the San Miguel Foods business,  would continue providing food donations to those who need it the most.

He also said the company has the capacity to produce enough food supply for the country for the next six months.

Earlier, SMC said it is utilizing its manufacturing facilities to produce 70 percent ethyl alcohol to address the shortage of hand sanitizers and disinfectants.

In addition, SMC is donating 13,000 units of its own Protect Plus Gold powdered disinfectant for the sanitation of hospitals and government and public facilities.