San Miguel Corp. said it is donating P1 billion to the government to build new drug rehabilitation facilities in areas to be determined by concerned agencies.
The conglomerate said the donation was in response to calls for the private sector to help President Rodrigo Duterte’s government in the ongoing war against illegal drugs.
It is the second time the company is allocating a significant amount for a social cause, following the P1 billion it spent from 2012 to 2014 to build new houses for typhoon victims. The amount is considered the largest donation by a Philippine company to a social cause.
“Peace and order is key to our country’s progress and development,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.
“More significantly, our human capital is key. By supporting government in this endeavor, we are helping create an environment that will enable various sectors of our society to participate in and contribute to our country’s growth,” he said.
“In the fight against illegal drugs, rehabilitation is crucial to providing drug dependents a chance at restoring their lives and becoming part of the solution to a better Philippines,” Ang said, adding that this way, “we save lives, protect families and build better communities”.
The company said it already conducted initial talks with Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa to discuss the initiative.
San Miguel has diversified from its traditional food, beverage and packaging businesses to industries key to national development. These include infrastructure, power generation and oil refining and marketing.
The company said the private sector could have a huge impact on government’s efforts when corporate social responsibility objectives were aligned with government initiatives.