SMC to build 300 houses for Tullahan River folk

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Corp. (SMC) committed to build more than 300 homes at the Disiplina Village housing project in Valenzuela City for informal settlers living along the banks of the Tullahan River, a city official said yesterday.

City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian said in a statement that he, SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang, and Dakilang Handog Foundation Inc. chairperson Dee Hua Gatchalian signed a memorandum of agreement signed at the company’s headquarters in Pasig City.

SMC tapped its social development arm, San Miguel Foundation, Inc. (SMF) to spearhead its mission in providing shelter for victims of the flood brought by tropical storm “Ondoy,” who are priority beneficiaries at the “Disiplina Village,” Gatchalian said.

Other signatories were SMF board of trustees chairman and SMC vice president for corporate affairs Ramon Santiago and San Miguel Brewery Inc. (SMB) president Roberto Huang.

Top officials led by Huang, SMC executive vice president Keisuke Nishimura, and SMF executive director Camille Buenaventura visited Disiplina Village to check on the area where the cluster buildings are to be built.

Gatchalian showed the sponsors the scope of work to be done and the resources the community needs for their dream homes.

Disiplina Village is a 1.9-hectare community in Barangay Ugong that is expected to accommodate 900 families in 56 16-unit cluster buildings.

The Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation constructed the first three-cluster buildings that were recently turned over to the first 46 priority family beneficiaries, said Gatchalian.

SMC also operates the San Miguel Polo Brewery (formerly called Balintawak Beer Brewery) along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Marulas, the oldest among the five breweries owned and operated by the company in the Philippines.