SMC gives meals anew to stranded passengers

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has provided free meals to 274 passengers who were stranded at the Manila North Harbor due to travel restrictions under the modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said the company mobilized volunteers from the nearby Better World Tondo feeding center and food bank, which delivered lunch and dinner to the passengers.

Since the coronavirus pandemic struck, the SMC has been helping locally-stranded individuals (LSIs) by giving them food and financial assistance.

Stranded passengers at the port are waiting for the resumption of travel schedules to the provinces. They are bound for Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Coron in Palawan, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Ozamiz and Zamboanga.

“It’s unfortunate that they cannot get home right away, especially since many of them are overseas Filipino workers who can’t wait to see their families. But as we all have to abide by the MECQ guidelines for safety reasons, we felt we should do what we can to help the LSIs,” Ang said.

The SMC has delivered some 8,000 nutribun breads to LSIs at the Rizal Memorial Stadium who availed themselves of the government’s “Balik Probinsya” program.

The company also provided a total of 14,640 meals to LSIs at the Philippine Ports Authority passenger terminal arrival areas and Manila North Harbor from June 29 to July 16.