SMC assures food facilities will continue operating; outlines efforts to help fight COVID-19

March 16, 2020

San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang Monday assured the public the company’s supply chain is stable and that it has more than enough inventory to feed Filipinos nationwide for the next several months.

Ang made the statement to underscore that there is no need to panic amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As far as food supply is concerned, we have the capability to produce enough for everybody and deliver to supermarkets,” he said, adding the company is already working on distributing food donations to poor communities where daily paid workers have been especially hard hit.

San Miguel will also supply food to public hospitals and select government centers.

The most important thing, Ang stressed, is that Filipinos stand together and help one another.  “It is our sense of duty and obligation, pagkakaisa and malasakit that will see us through these difficult times.”

“Panic has no purpose at this time. Follow the directives of our government; cooperate in every way. This is the best way we can all help in fighting the Covid-19 virus, while the quarantine is in effect” he added.

Despite widespread implementation of flexible work-from-home schemes—which San Miguel has adopted for its offices throughout Metro Manila—Ang assured the public that the company will maintain operations of its food manufacturing facilities, with heightened precautionary measures.

“We will operate our food facilities 24/7. This isn’t about making profits. We have a responsibility to make sure that food is made available to as many people as possible,”Ang said, adding that he was given assurance that government, through its Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), will lend assistance in securing its food facilities to allow for continuous operation and supply of raw materials to produce food for the country.

He added that other vital SMC businesses, such as fuels, through Petron Corp., and power generation, through SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., and SMC Infrastructure, will also continue to operate.

“We will provide essential services such as food, water, power, petrol products and beverages to everyone,” he said.

Ang said all employees of SMC would continue to get paid despite the quarantine and any form of work discontinuation.

Amid the shortage in alcohol sanitizers, Ang also said that SMC is looking to produce 70 percent ethyl alcohol at one of its facilities and distribute this for free to communities through their local government units.

The company is also donating to LGUs its own brand of disinfectant powder, which is safe for humans and can easily be deployed as extra protection against the virus.

"While hand-washing is still the best defense, hand sanitizers wilth 70 percent alcohol can be your next best option where soap and water are not available,"  Ang said.

Ang added that SMC spirits subsidiary Ginebra San Miguel Inc. had begun initial production of the alcohol over the weekend, for use in its facilities and for thousands of employees, initially. DMS