SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) is building a food bank and community center in Tondo, Manila as part of efforts to ramp up its sustainability programs.
The diversified conglomerate said in a statement that the 1,000-square meter facility called Better World Community will be located in Barangay 101 in Tondo, across relocation sites Aromaland and Happyland. The facility will stand on what used to be a beer warehouse and distribution center for the company.
“This is just the first. By building more sustainable communities in the country we hope to empower those in reduced circumstances to be able to transform their lives,” SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said in a statement.
The facility will serve as a food bank, soup kitchen, and livelihood training center for low-income families. SMC has partnered with the local chapter of international organization Rise Against Hunger for its operations.
“The target is to feed more than 5,000 people every day. Rise Against Hunger will help in recovering surplus food from San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc. (SMFB), its food service arm Great Food Solutions, as well as the Manila Diamond Hotel and Makati Diamond Residences,” Mr. Ang said.
Aside from the food bank, SMC will also be providing after-school learning to children in the community with partner A-HA! Learning Center. It will also tap other organizations to set up livelihood training and other capacity-building programs.
The conglomerate earlier said it will spend P1 billion to clean up the Tullahan River, whose water flows to Manila Bay.
SMC has also committed to cut its group-wide water use by 50% by 2025. In 2018, the company already recorded a 25% reduction in its water use, equivalent to about 8.8 billion liters of water. — Arra B. Francia
