Since 2013,
in the aftermath of typhoons Sendong and
Yolanda, San Miguel
Corporation (SMC) has
been at the forefront of
building resilient housing
communities nationwide.
Partnering with
several organizations including Gawad Kalinga
and Habitat for Humanity,
SMC has invested P3.05
billion in the last decade
to build or help provide
new homes for families
impacted by natural disasters, and various development projects.
SMC President and CEO Ramon
S. Ang, acclaimed as a
“Hero of Philanthropy”
by Forbes Asia, emphasizes that providing secure
housing is the first step in
empowering families for
nation-building.
“Housing is a
basic need. To enable Filipinos to participate in nation-building, we must first
support the family unit.
Providing safe homes for
those affected by calamities or without a home
has been our first step to
transforming their lives,”
he said.
SMC has built
homes and communities
in various areas nationwide, including Iligan City,
Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Negros Oriental,
Davao, Surigao, and Bohol, among others.
By the time the
pandemic happened in
2020, SMC’s program had
evolved from simply building houses to advancing
holistic community development.
Its latest housing community in Sariaya,
Quezon serves as a model. It features disaster-resilient and eco-friendly
homes and amenities that
include a multi-purpose
center, covered court,
livelihood center, e-library,
as well as a fishermen’s
wharf and a public market
ran by the residents themselves.
Training programs on entrepreneurship, personal finance,
food processing, farming,
and other income-generating activities have also
been provided to residents.
In partnership
with the Technical Skills
Development Authority
(TESDA), SMC has extended this skills and livelihood training program
nationwide, while assisting informal settlers in various locations secure titled
properties and build permanent homes in various
locations.
“Wherever San
Miguel operates, progress
follows. Our aim is to
sure that those we help
are equipped for long-term
success,” Ang said.
“But just as important as housing and
jobs is having a sense of
community. Being part of a
supportive network is essential for their long-term
success,” Ang said.
This is what
brought the company to
its current flagship social
development program, the
SMC Better World Community Centers.
The project utilizes SMC’s unused properties as well as other
resources, to scale up
the capabilities of partner
organizations, to address
pressing issues at the
community level.
SMC currently has four Better World
Community Centers: Better World Tondo, a food
bank, feeding, learning,
and health center; Better World Diliman, a
ready market for excess
farm produce to support
local farmers; Better
World Cubao, a center
for women’s health and
issues that also has a
clinic and livelihood training facilities, and Better
World Smokey Mountain, a learning center for
adults and children living
in the former Smokey
Mountain landfill. PR
