SMC extends help to dairy farmers
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is set to distribute some 5,000 liters of excess pasteurized carabao’s milk to six cities and provinces in Luzon as part of its efforts to help struggling dairy farmers mitigate financial losses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said limited access to markets following the quarantine period resulted in the spoilage of their products.
SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said with the help of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in Nueva Ecija, the company is buying the excess milk from farmers of the Nueva Ecija Federation of Dairy Carabao Cooperative (NEFEDCCO).
SMC, PCC and NEFEDCCO, will then jointly implement a feeding program to distribute the milk to some 5,000 beneficiaries primarily vulnerable children, the elderly, and front-liners across Pampanga, Bulacan, Navotas, Manila, Malabon, Cavite, Quezon, City, San Juan and Mandaluyong.
SMC has brought into the project its packaging arm, San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp. (SMYPC), to utilize its technical expertise to provide research and development assistance to PCC, to develop ways to extend the shelf-life of their carabao milk to three to six months, way beyond the current seven days.
Airspeed moves goods in times of crisis
Airspeed continues to move goods by air freight via chartered flights (domestic and international) and sea freight (import-export, and domestic sea cargo), to bring in essential goods and cargo for clients. Airspeed has assisted and brought in critical items such as personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the SM Foundation via air charter, and assisted City of Dreams in transporting relief goods to families and frontliners affected by COVID-19.
The Airspeed Team also helped purchase, sort and deliver 1700 packs donated by Aristocrat Technologies, an Australian based company, to the City of Dreams.
The company has also introduced SpeedFood, an online delivery service platform which aims to help enterprises address different logistics gaps commission-free.
Apart from getting their own brand website, food merchants also get an order management system where customers can order online. They also get their own online booking platform and dashboards, their own online payment gateway and a dedicated delivery team to move customers’ orders. SpeedFood is initially available in SM Megamall and SM North EDSA and will soon be servicing the Podium and Mall of Asia. Plans are also afoot to cover food hubs in SM Fairview, SM Masinag and SM Southmall.
The Airspeed Team has also been relentlessly making contributions to food drives for front liners. Their contributions, thus far, have reached different hospitals, such as UERM Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, among others.
MVP Group video showcases efforts for national healing
The MVP Group of Companies has released a two-minute video that showcases the everyday courage and heroism of Frontliners: the ‘real MVPs’ in the battle against COVID-19.
Simultaneously shared across the social media accounts of 32 companies, subsidiaries, and affiliates of the MVP Group, the video dubbed “Kaagapay N’yo sa Bagong Ngayon” expresses the companies’ commitment to work as one in helping the country ease into the ‘new normal’ and rise again from the pandemic.
The Group’s own frontliners are in companies such as: PLDT-Smart, Metro Pacific Hospitals, Metro Pacific Tollways, Maynilad, Meralco, PayMaya, and TV5, among others.
One of the group’s biggest undertakings is its participation in the transformation of the massive Philippine Arena in Santa Maria, Bulacan, into a 300-bed mega-quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients.
Companies like Roxol Bionergy Corp., Metro Pacific Investments Corp. , Metropac Movers Inc., One Meralco Foundation, Alagang Kapatid Foundation, MVP Rewards, and the Metro Pacific Tollways Group have also provided assistance to various medical institutions by donating sanitary products, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies, relief goods, and other necessities.
PLDT and Smart Communications has also provided connectivity to government agencies at the front lines, via free installations of WiFi Internet and donating SIM cards, wireless devices, and electronic load for the use of frontliners.
Meralco and Maynilad have enhanced their services to ensure unhampered electricity and water supplies. TV5 and Cignal have been crucial in delivering fast and reliable news and information.
Private, public schools in forum to push crisis-resilient education
Private and public schools and those within the Alternative Learning System (ALS) that have adopted Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) will share best practices in a web forum entitled “No Learner Left Behind: Education for All in the New Normal.”
The forum will be held June 17 to 19 and will be streamed live via the DLP Facebook page.
PLDT and its subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. and the PLDT-Smart Foundation have been supporting DLP since 2010.
The CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program or DLP is a disaster-resilient, innovative, and low-budget teaching strategy. The program is timely as education goes digital.
“The DLP provides tried and tested simple yet highly-effective solutions that can help teachers, students, and parents hurdle the challenges posed by the pandemic and even smoothly transition to an in-classroom set-up in the future,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Public Affairs Group of Smart.
AboitizLand supports Balik Probinsya
Real estate developer AboitizLand supports the national government’s Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa Program which encourages Filipinos to return to their home provinces.
AboitizLand’s industrial zones in Batangas and Cebu have been proven as catalysts for countryside development in terms of jobs generation from the expansion of strategic economic sectors in those regions.
The demand for an integrated township like LIMA Estate in Lipa-Malvar, Batangas is now more apparent than ever before.
Its manufacturing and warehousing operations generate more than 50,000 jobs .
LIMA is complemented by a commercial area, The Outlets at Lipa and LIMA Exchange. The expected increase in demand for housing is also accounted for with the ongoing construction of the first of its residential enclaves, The Villages at Lipa.
LIMA offers commercial lots in its PEZA- accredited commercial district, which will soon house commercial and BPO buildings, further enhancing job-generation prospects for Batangas.
AboitizLand has worked on a number of nation-building projects that transformed the VisMin region, partnering with Mactan Cebu International Airport and PEZA.
The 63-hectare Mactan Economic Zone II MEZII) in Lapu-Lapu City currently employs 14,000 skilled workers.
Within MEZ II is the five-story iMEZ, a commercial corporate building that complements the retail and recreational lifestyle elements of the Pueblo Verde shopping complex, which has over 70 retail stores, services and restaurants, as well as a transit hub.
Locators in West Cebu Industrial Park in Balamban employs 14,000 employees.
Phoenix extends fuel subsidy
Phoenix Petroleum Philippines is extending until end of the month the fuel subsidy for private bus companies participating in the government’s free ride for health workers.
Phoenix guaranteed to provide 30 liters of fuel a day or 1,800 liters total daily allocation to 60 private bus companies that provide free ride service for health workers, until June 30, 2020.
“This fuel subsidy will enable us to help with the transportation needs of our health workers, especially now that the National Capital Region and its neighboring regions are under GCQ,” said Artemio Tuazon Jr. Department of Transportation undersecretary for administrative service.
Aside from Pheonix Petroleum Philippines, oil companies Petron Corp., CleanFuel, Seaoil Philippines and Total Philippines have also partnered with the DOTr in providing fuel subsidies for vehicles participating.
As of end May this year, DOTr free ride for Health Workers program breached the one-million total ridership mark nationwide.