SMC rolls out bike program for employees

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corp. has launched a program to provide SMC employees bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.

The program is part of SMC’s continuing efforts to ensure safety at workplaces and provide employees convenience amid travel restrictions due to the pandemic.

SMC employees can avail themselves of bicycles and safety helmets at almost giveaway prices.

A bicycle ranges from P2,000 to P3,000 for high quality, feature-laden bicycles, which they can pay for 12 months with no interest. The bulk of the cost of the bicycles will be shouldered by the company.

SMC president Ramon Ang said the program was prompted by a surge in demand for bicycles among employees as the company continues to safely bring its employees back to work to continue essential operations.

“While we continuously do mass RT-PCR testing of 70,000 employees and extended workforce to ensure safety in our facilities and offices nationwide, and even as we observe safety and health protocols, we understand there’s also a need to provide convenience to our workers when they go to work,” Ang said.

“Our public transportation remains limited and we see that more of our employees are biking to work. So we decided to provide them new bicycles,” he added.

The company bought an initial 1,500 bicycles for SMC employees in different locations.

The SMC has also launched a special COVID-19 transportation loan for employees to expand their options for alternative modes of transport.

“With more cities putting up bike lanes and devoting space for cyclists, biking to work is now a more viable option for many Filipinos. It lessens the risks of exposure to COVID-19 and promotes good health,” Ang said.