The San Miguel Corporation or SMC took helping frontliners to the next level. Six (6) solid months after the beginning of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), their assistance to frontliners already touched the P72.4 million mark. In addition to that, they were able to help more than 10,000 medical frontlinrs in and around the Metro; as well as adjacent provinces.
In case you're not aware, San Miguel Corporation's assistance to frontliners is effective in the following thoroughfares:
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- South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)
- Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Expressway
- Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway
- STAR Tollway; and the
- Skyway System
Aid and Assistance to Frontliners
On a regular basis, this aid is felt by frontliners. They're not just the usual and the regular frontliners; they are the medical frontliners and they are:
- Medical and Laboratory Technicians
- Nurses
- Doctors
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The best thing about SMC's aid to these medical frontliners is the fact that it will continue on until the time that the pandemic passes. All frontliners who availed and were able to be a part of the program can benefit from it.
Ramon Ang, the President of the SMC, said that he is happy that he's able to help and assist frontliners. In spite of all the happenings and situations in the country, the SMC will do more than what it has been bid for.
It has been six months since we started the free toll program for medical front liners. Despite the worst and longest health and economic crisis we have experienced as a country, there is still much we have to be grateful for, thanks to the continued service, dedication, and sacrifices of our medical front liners."
Continued Gratitude to Frontliners
Furthermore, Ang said that this program was meant for medical frontliners. Their goal is to make frontliners feel that the SMC is continually grateful for their help and their assistance. Adding the fact that the SMC was able to cover almost all critical medical facilities in the country.
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Through this program, and others we’ve implemented in the last six months, I hope we are able to show our continuing gratitude and support for the medical sector. We have covered almost all critical medical facilities. We will continue to provide them free toll indefinitely at all our expressways, and come up with other ways to extend assistance to our brave front liners nationwide."
Ang said that the most crucial and the most exposed frontliners are all covered by the SMC privilege. However, the SMC Infrastructure, a subsidiary company of the SMC already ended the processing of new applications for the free toll to give to medical frontliners.
The ending of the applications is not because of the fact that they were able to assist tens of thousands of frontliners already; but because the qualified applicants applying for the program already saw a significant decrease.
What the SMC is Doing Now
Due to this, the SMC is now focused on processing increased new applications for free RFID toll collection stickers from regular motorists. They're doing it before November 2, 2020, which is the schedule for the transition to the 100% cashless and electronic toll collection at all expressways in the country.
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The transition to cashless and electronic processing is a requirement from the Philippine government; and the goal is to limit the interaction between people.
Ever since the infamous COVID-19 pandemic started, San Miguel Corporation's aid and assistance worth P500 million allotted to medical frontliners also had donations to hospitals and clinics across the entire country. It's for increasing the capacity of buildings and facilities as well as the provision of life-saving equipment.
What Equipment Did the Funds Buy?
In case you're asking, the protective equipment that the SMC was able to provide through their funds included:
- PCR Test Kits
- Fully-Automated RNA Extraction Machines
- RT-PCR Test Machines
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Because of this, the country's testing capacity increased to about 15,000 tests per day, building and constructing of quarantine facilities nationwide, as well as the addition of 55 adult nasal high-flow machines. These aren't the only enhancements and developments, there are a lot more!
The SMC's aid and assistance to frontliners wasn't just limited to the waiving of toll fees alone. As a matter of fact, for many months since the blowup of the pandemic, they did not stop to donate free fuels and gas for the free shuttle service for medical workers of the Philippine government, among others.
What do you think about the SMC's assistance to frontliners? Do you think that it's enough to help the groups of people who keep our country safe from the virus?
Source: Manila Standard
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