Remember when the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) revived the ‘Nutribun’ at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? Well, the company is now giving the bread free of charge to Metro Manila’s urban poor, distributing it at 30 Petron gas stations across the nation’s capital.
According to the company, one Nutribun packs calories equivalent to a little over one cup of rice. SMC has already begun procuring ovens and kiosks for select Petron stations that will serve as nutribun distribution centers. Eventually, these centers, located near poor communities, will also offer other meals to go along with the bread, the company says.
“These are difficult times for all of us. Even businesses, big and small, including San Miguel, are not spared of the economic impact of COVID-19. Many families are struggling to cope. What more the most disadvantaged among us—those who rely on daily paid work, or those who have no means of income at all?” SMC chairman and chief operating office Ramon Ang said in a statement.
“We hope this feeding program will help sustain many of our countrymen who are struggling through these difficult times. As a company that has food as one of its main line of businesses, we believe no Filipino should go hungry despite the hardships we’re facing today. We are committed to doing our part to making sure this goal is achieved, however way we can.”
Aside from the Nutribun, SMC has already donated other food products such as canned goods and processed meats, and even set up a COVID-19 testing laboratory. In total, the company has spent more than P13 billion helping Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of June 2020, SMC’s food donation drive has reached P516 million—the largest amount in the company’s history. Currently, target areas for the program include Payatas, Caloocan, Malolos, and Tondo. Hopefully, it expands to other communities as well.
