SMC starts massive campaign to distribute free alcohol amid hoarding

Two days after saying it would help boost the supply of disinfectants in the market, San Miguel Corp. on Thursday (March 19) said it had started delivering free rubbing alcohol to health workers on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 in Metro Manila through the Department of Health, hospitals, crisis centers and local government units.

In a statement, San Miguel president Ramon Ang said a subsidiary of the country’s largest conglomerate was able to produce the alcohol with the help of the Food and Drug Administration.

The company earlier announced that its Ginebra San Miguel Inc. unit would produce 70 percent ethyl alcohol, following a shortage of the product used as a disinfectant and sanitizer because of hoarding.

“This alcohol is ready-to-use, gentle on skin and is as effective as any regular rubbing alcohol,” he said. “They also come in containers that can be returned and refilled, so that we minimize plastic waste.”

“We hope this will go a long way in helping our doctors, nurses, and everyone on the frontlines of this fight against the virus,” Ang added.

While bulk of the supply will be channeled through the DOH, San Miguel said it also delivered free alcohol and powdered disinfectants to hospitals across the National Capitol Region to address their immediate needs.

The recipients included Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke’s Global City, East Avenue Medical Center, National Kidney Transplant Institute, Philippine Heart Center, Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Las Pinas General Hospital, San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital, Valenzuela Medical Hospital, Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital and Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital.

San Miguel also provided free alcohol to the National Center for Mental Health, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Rizal Medical Center, San Lorenzo Hospital, Tondo Medical Center, Capitol Medical Center, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, Makati Medical Center, Asian Hospital, UST Hospital and Ospital ng Maynila.

The company also provided alcohol to 12 checkpoints manned by the Philippine National Police whose personnel are enforcing the government’s enhanced community quarantine measures.

“We have just started implementation of this initiative, but we assure you, we will continue to provide this service to the government so we can help more hospitals and communities,” Ang said.

Apart from providing free alcohol, SMC is also delivering food donations to local government units in Metro Manila, to help address the needs of vulnerable families and communities throughout the community quarantine period.

It has also started production of nutrient-packed “Nutribun”-inspired bread to help charitable institutions and communities with their feeding programs.

Edited by TSB