MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) announced Wednesday that it will increase its production of 70% ethyl alcohol to 100,000 liters per day as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to threaten the country.
SMC President and COO Ramon S. Ang said that they have activated all the facilities of its liquor arm Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI) to produce alcohol “round-the-clock nationwide” in a move to help frontliners as well as local government units.
“So far, we have donated 29,300 liters of 70% ethyl alcohol to 77 hospitals throughout Metro Manila, as well as the Department of Health, crisis centers, local government units, law enforcement agencies, and other vital institutions,” Ang said in a statement.
“This is our way of thanking and supporting all our brave doctors, nurses, policemen, military, security personnel, delivery workers, employees of vital industries and so many others who are on the frontlines of this battle, saving lives and making sure the system is in order,” he added.
Ang said that a bulk of the alcohol production is currently being done at GSMI’s plant in Cabuyao in Laguna.
This is expected to expand as other GSMI facilities move to produce ethyl alcohol as well, such as those in Mandaue, Cebu; Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan; Destileria Bago, Negros Occidental; Cauayan, Isabela; and Ligao, Albay.
“Right now we are only able to serve NCR, but we have already mobilized our other facilities to produce alcohol as well for nationwide delivery,” Ang added.
As of posting time, there are 552 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that first emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019.
The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.
The virus causes mild symptoms such as fever and cough for most people but can cause serious illness such as pneumonia for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.
Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have a crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surfaces.