Ang gets Lifetime Contributor Award

MANILA, Philippines — Tycoon Ramon Ang, president and COO of San Miguel Corp., received the prestigious Lifetime Contributor Award at the 2020 Asia CEO Awards, touted to be the largest business awards in Asia.

Ang was recognized for “his visionary leadership, significant and long-term contributions to the country, and unprecedented response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award was also previously given to former president Fidel Ramos and the late SM founder Henry Sy Sr.

“His success in business is not only found in the Philippines but also globally. His company is instrumental in the various crucial infrastructure projects that (will) help our country not just recover but also leads us to soar even higher in terms of creating jobs, stimulating economic activities,” the board of judges said.

For his part, Ang said: “To be given the same Lifetime Contributor award that was given to titans such as former president Fidel Ramos and the late SM chairman Henry Sy Sr. is a distinction I will always be grateful for.”

“That it’s given at this very difficult and challenging time in our country’s history makes it even more meaningful,” he said, adding that the country is still in the midst of the worst crisis the world and current generations have seen.

SMC has been responding to the pandemic through different projects.

Its total COVID-19 response has reached P13.187 billion. This includes the largest-ever food donation drive in the country, massive donations of disinfectant alcohol from its reconfigured liquor plants; life-saving medical equipment and supplies such as RT-PCR machines and test kits, which have raised the Philippines’ overall testing capacity.

Ang also cited that all the work that the private sector has done to grow businesses and build industries would be for nothing if the people and our economy fail.

“So for us (in San Miguel), now is not the time to hold back. In fact, now is the time to go all out. Our country’s future depends on it,” he said.

Since the lifting of strict quarantine restrictions starting mid-May to June, SMC has pursued all its major investments.

Work on its major infrastructure projects such as the Skyway extension, Skyway 3 and MRT-7 have continued at an accelerated pace. In July, it delivered the entire stretch of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

Its largest project, the P740-billion Manila International Airport in Bulacan, is set to break ground by the end of the year. Once completed, it is estimated to generate up to 30 million tourism-related jobs nationwide.