Alyssandra Reyes Business Ethics

12 – FORTITUDE

“Aid from Philippine Companies during Corona Virus Pandemic”

Some companies donate medical supplies and various products, while others pledge financial
assistance to employees affected by the lockdown. Amid the rising number of novel coronavirus
cases in the country, some of the biggest businesses have provided aid to frontline workers and
employees affected by the pandemic. Some donated personal protective equipment (PPE) and
medical supplies to health workers and hospitals, while others pledged financial assistance to
employees affected by the Luzon lockdown, which has since been extended to April 30.Coca-
Cola Philippines
On March 20, Coca-Cola Philippines announced that its commercial advertising budget worth
P150 million will be redirected toward relief operations, including provision of protective
equipment and beverages for health workers, and delivery of food packs to the most vulnerable
families.
“Ginebra San Miguel produces disinfectant alcohol for Philippine hospitals and communities
under quarantine”

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) subsidiary Ginebra San Miguel (GSM) has just delivered
its donation of the first batch of disinfectant alcohol to Quirino Memorial Medical Center in
Quezon City. Ginebra San Miguel social media announced the delivery on March 19, 2020, days
after SMC President and COO Ramon Ang announced its intent to distribute the 70% ethyl
alcohol produced in a GSM plant over the weekend for donation to the Philippine hospitals and
communities under quarantine.
“Good news, mga Kabarangay: Ang mga ethyl alcohol na mula sa isang planta ng
Ginebra San Miguel, dumating na. At ang unang stop ay sa Quirino Memorial Medical Center sa
Quezon City,” GSM posted on Facebook as it shared the CNN Philippines report.
The SMC initiative is another example of Filipino Bayanihan spirit shining through in the
midst of the coronavirus disease pandemic. San Miguel Corporation, a homegrown multinational
company, is the biggest and most diversified conglomerate in the country. SMC first announced
on March 16 their desire to pitch in and help ease the ongoing shortage of disinfectant alcohol.
Ramon Ang said he wanted to use one of their facility to produce disinfectant 70% ethyl
alcohol and plan to distribute them for free to communities through LGUs in their effort to help
fight the spread of COVID 19, saying, “We have the means and capability to produce this, and
make it available for free to LGUs and public hospitals. We are working on getting the necessary
clearance from the relevant government agencies, to produce this for public use.”
 San Miguel Corporation planned to donate the disinfectant alcohol in bulk, in 20-liter
containers and 1,000-liter tanks.
Ang added that aside from the ethyl alcohol, the company is also donating to local
government units its own brand of disinfectant powder, which is safe for humans and can easily
be deployed as extra protection against the virus. San Miguel Corporation had earlier enhanced
its COVID-19 safety measures for all its employees. San Miguel Corporation also mobilized
resources for relief efforts after Taal Volcano erupted in January 2020.

“SM Group donates P100M worth of medical supplies to RITM, PGH”

The SM Group has announced that they will be allocating P100 M to support government
hospitals including the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and Research Institute for Tropical
Medicine (RITM). PGH has recently called for donations of PPEs or personal protective
equipment and other medical supplies such as surgical masks and 70% ethyl alcohol. “To ensure
the safety of medical front liners, SM is bringing in personal protective equipment – face masks,
gowns, visors, hoods, gloves, and shoe covers, as well as urgent medical supplies to help
government hospitals who badly need them,” said SM Prime’s Hans Sy. Assistance has also been
extended to PGH and RITM for their urgent needs and for improving their laboratory testing
capacity. SM has also allocated PPEs and medical supplies to the UP Medical Foundation, Inc. to
reach a wider network of hospitals. The UP Medical Foundation, Inc. is also on the frontlines in
developing COVID-19 detection kits. While the UP-developed detection kits are yet to be rolled
out, SM is also aiming to improve the availability of tests. They have reached out to Manila
Healthtek Inc. to distribute 20,000 tests for free to government hospitals, once approved for use.

“Ayala Group to waive mall rental fees, allocates P2.4B for COVID-19-affected
workers”

The Ayala Group has allocated P2.4 billion to an emergency response package for its
workforce affected by the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a Facebook
post on Tuesday, company chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said the amount
will be primarily used to finance the wages of its workforce. "The Ayala group as a whole, has
decided to adopt a COVID-19 emergency response package of P2.4B consisting of wages,
bonuses, leave conversions and loan deferments primarily for the extended workforce of our
partner employers so they may continue to be paid for the duration of the quarantine period," he
said.
From 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17, the entirety of Luzon was placed over enhanced
community quarantine, restricting travel within the region in efforts to contain the spread of
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to Zobel de Ayala, P600 million of the
amount will be used for salary continuance for displaced workers from construction sites,
shuttered malls, and retail spaces of Makati Development Corp. and the Ayala Malls group.
It also allocated P270 million for its retail store support staff and vendor partners, while other
companies under the group will reserve another P130 million in personnel-related financial
support. The Ayala Group earlier announced that all its malls in Metro Manila will be
temporarily closed starting March 16. In the same statement, Zobel de Ayala said Ayala
Corporation will waive rental fees for malls that are not allowed to operate from March 16 to
April 14.
"The total package will be worth around P1.4B in rent condonation to provide the
merchants of these malls financial relief so they can in turn provide the much-needed financial
support for their employees during this period," he said. Zobel de Ayala said the company will
also release mid-year bonuses earlier than scheduled. "For its own employees, Ayala will
continue to provide salary continuance and financial support where possible as most of these
employees will be getting their mid-year bonuses normally paid in April starting today through
the end of March," he said. "Ayala has also postponed or delayed employee loan payments due
to the Ayala Multi-Purpose Cooperative and have introduced special financial assistance
programs at subsidized rates," he elaborated. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News

“Jollibee donates P100M worth of food to health workers, front liners”

Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) said Thursday it is donating P100-million worth of food
products from its brands to health workers and on-ground checkpoint personnel. The move is “in
support of health workers and other front liners who are responding to the COVID-19
pandemic.” The front liners will be receiving food packs from Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal,
Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Burger King, Panda Express, and PHO24.
JFC, through the Jollibee Group Foundation’s FoodAID Program, said it has been closely
coordinating with public and private organizations for an efficient distribution system of the food
products to the front liners.
“Our front liners are our real modern-day heroes during this time of a pandemic, and it is
unfortunate that many of them have little time to rest. The Jollibee Group is one with them in this
fight and we hope that through our food, we can fuel their heroic efforts,” JFC CEO Ernesto
Tanmantiong said.