SAN Miguel Corp. will build a P50-million sports center in Balayan, Batangas as part of its commitment to help develop homegrown athletes who can compete in local and international sports competitions and to promote health and wellness in the town and throughout the province of Batangas.
This was announced recently by SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang during the formal opening of the new Balayan municipal building and government complex, where he was also declared an adopted son of Balayan.
Ang said the commitment to build a sports facility lines up with the local government’s post-pandemic recovery plans, which includes promoting health and wellness through a public sports facility within its sprawling government complex.
“With a growing majority of Filipinos getting protected against COVID-19 through vaccination, there should be greater emphasis on health and fitness for the public in the coming years. Through this sports center, which will be part of our company’s overall support for sports development, we hope to get more Balayan residents involved in sports,” Ang said.
Ang said a number of the country’s more prominent athletes are from the province. Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ LA Tenorio and former Ateneo volleyball star Alyssa Valdez are from Nasugbu and San Juan, Batangas, respectively.
Balayan Mayor Emmanuel Salvador Fronda II declared Ang an adopted son of Balayan, highlighting the businessman-philanthropist’s significant role in the socio-economic growth and progress of the town.
“Mr. Ang has been extending enormous support to the various socio-economic development projects of the local government, which address social challenges and champion environmental stewardship, community and enterprise development, education, health, disaster management, and volunteerism, for the benefit and well-being of Balayenos,” Fronda said.
Recently, SMC completed construction on its new sports facility in Pasig, the SMC Sports Complex, designed for use by the company and its professional basketball teams in the PBA — San Miguel Beermen, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings, and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok.
A longtime sports patron, Ang gave a total of P22 million in incentives to the Philippines’ Tokyo Olympics medal winners, including P10 million for the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.
