San Miguel donates P3.9M worth of fuel to gov’t’s shuttle services for frontliners

San Miguel Corporation said Thursday it has donated P3.9 million worth of fuel to support the government’s free shuttle services for health workers and other frontliners battling the COVID-19 threat.

In a statement, San Miguel said the fuel donation, done through its Petron Corporation and SMC Infrastructure, will be used by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) in “mobilizing shuttle services that regularly bring medical and other front liners to and from various hospitals and locations in Metro Manila during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.”

The DOTr has commissioned 60 shuttle services to transport medical workers on 19 routes daily following the declaration and subsequent two-week extension of the enhanced community quarantine.

To fuel the vehicles, SMC Infrastructure has allotted a total of 54,000 liters of fuel, or 50 liters per day for each of the 60 buses.

The fuel may be availed through the use of Petron e-fuel cards that SMC Infrastructure donated.

“We are amazed at how everybody is pulling together to fight this battle. For our part, we will not stop looking for opportunities to help. In times like this, we should look out for each other even more,” San Miguel president and COO Ramon Ang said.

Sand Miguel earlier announced a P500-million fund to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE).

The company has already committed to purchase the first 10,000 sets of medical-grade PPEs to be produced by a local manufacturer under the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP), through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

San Miguel, through SMC Tollways, has also provided P1.8 million worth of free toll to date for over 2,000 medical frontliners who use the South Luzon Expressway (SLEc), Skyway, STAR Tollway, NAIAx and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx).

The company has also repurposed its Ginebra San Miguel, Inc (GSMI) facilities to produce 70% ethyl alcohol and has distributed approximately 518,340 liters or P38.9 million worth of ethyl alcohol to various hospitals, local government units, and government agencies.

San Miguel also donated P199.4 million worth of canned goods, meat products, biscuits, bread, coffee, and milk as well as donations to PNP and AFP personnel stationed at SLEx, Skyway, and Star Tollway checkpoints. — Ted Cordero/BM, GMA News