The San Miguel Corporation, the country's biggest conglomerate, has been badly affected by the pandemic. But the president of the company, Ramon Ang, has been very responsive to this health crisis that is going on around the world.
The company has been very visible and active in helping the government to combat the virus through donations and other social responsibilities towards their employees.
Mr. Ramon Ang decided to convert their gin factories to produce ethyl alcohol and distribute it to hospitals without asking for a fee or payment. The company has donated almost 40 Million pesos worth of ethyl alcohol.
The company also started making Nutri-bun and distribute it to communities in need of food for free. So far, they have donated and distributed 1.1 million kilos of rice to poor families which costs almost 40 Million pesos, too.
They donated 10 Million dollars, or 500 Million pesos, worth of personal protective equipment- protective masks, gloves, surgical gowns- to our brave frontliners, the doctors, nurses, and other health care workers who desperately need them to continue saving lives.
They also donated almost 200 Million pesos worth of canned goods, meat products, biscuits, loaves of bread, coffee, and milk.
The President of the San Miguel Corporation decided to give full salary to all their employees that are greatly impacted by this pandemic. San Miguel Corporation has so far spent more than ₱3 billion for the full compensation with benefits of all its 66,557 employees, contract workers, and consultants.
San Miguel Corporation has also set aside ₱11.67 billion in tax, concession, and contractual payments to help the administration in addressing the needs of the country amid the Corona Virus crisis.
The Ramon Ang-led company has now donated over ₱1 billion in various forms, including cash, food, flour packs, disinfectant alcohol, fuel, free toll, and personal protective equipment (PPEs). It has also put up some quarantine facilities with the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in an effort to aid healthcare frontliners in hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients due to the pandemic.
During an interview, Ramon Ang was asked if he was concern that is why he has been giving away too much of the company's money. And in response to this question, he said:
"We can make money again but life, once you lose it, it's gone forever. So between money and life, I'd choose life".
San Miguel Corporation is one of the companies that has been donating and helping to fight this pandemic. It proves that when a company leader has a great sense of social responsibility, who has the heart to help and to serve his employees and its community, without thinking of the money that will be lost from their pockets, and when everyone is working together to combat this virus, so whatever disaster or calamity that will rise again, I have faith that we will all survive as one.
Amazing