San Miguel Corp. president and COO Ramon Ang and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. Screengrab from YouTube video.
MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has impressed San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang as a public official.
Ang said Tugade is the type of person who will go the extra mile to deliver what is needed by the public from the government, especially at this time of the pandemic.
According to Ang, without the effective partnership between SMC and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) under the leadership of Tugade, needed projects to alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 such as the free transportation for frontliners, free use of the Skyway Stage 3 and free fuel for frontliners, would not have been possible.
“I will tell you, I have dealt with many people, Secretary Tugade is very honest, very hardworking and very intelligent. Alam mo, bihira ka makakita ng public official na tapat at mahusay. Ito po [Sec. Tugade] tapat at mahusay na tao… Talagang sobrang higpit sa rules and regulations,” said Ang.
(You know, it is very seldom to see an honest and excellent public official. Sec. Tugade is honest and excellent at people…He’s very strict with the rules and regulations.)
“Pero kita n’yo, because of him, during the pandemic, nagbigay kami ng free tollway sa lahat ng frontliners. Because of him, we supported free fuel to frontliners and yung mga bus na ginamit ng DOTr sa pag-transport ng mga kababayan natin. Because of him, sinabi niya ‘wag ka muna sumingil nung in-open yung Stage 3, ilang buwan po itong libre, diba ang nawala po doon sa atin ay bilyon-bilyon, pero ‘di bale hindi naman po tayo mukhang pera,” Ang added.
(But as you can see, because of him, during the pandemic, we’ve been able to provide free toll to all of the frontliners and the buses used by the DOTr in transporting our fellow Filipinos. Because of him, he said don’t charge just yet in the newly opened Stage 3 Skyway, a few months this had been free, we lost billions there but it is OK we’re not greedy for money.)
Ang made the remarks at the groundbreaking of the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project.
Ang said that what struck him the most about Tugade is his palpable concern for the ordinary Filipino who is struggling to survive the pandemic.
The SMC COO was impressed when Tugade requested him to postpone the imposition of toll hikes amid the pandemic, and to strike a careful balance between business and the public’s needs.
“Si Secretary Tugade sinabi niya sakin, ‘Ramon kailangan ng mga kababayan natin ang suporta, ‘wag tayo mag-judge at ‘wag manghingi ng kung anong increases sa inyong mga tollway. Ipakita natin sa ating mga kababayan na ginagawa natin ang lahat para makatulong makaginhawa sa mga kababayan natin,” he said.
(Secretary Tugade said to me, Ramon our people needed our support, let’s not judge and impose hike in your tollway. Let’s show our people that we are doing what we can to help in providing good life for them.)
With this, Ang said Tugade will always have his support
“Kaya saan ka nakakita ng tao na ganyan, kaya with that nakita mo suporta ko? 100% din,” Ang said
(So where else can you see a person like that, so on that note, can you see how much my support would be? Also 100 percent.)