San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) has extended its free toll privilege and fuel subsidy for medical front liners facing an uphill battle against COVID-19 that continues to surge across the country.
SMC’s free toll program for medical front liners which began at the height of the ECQ in March has reached P53.49 million in waived fees to date.SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said the program will continue indefinitely, in support of the medical community.
Some 9,260 medical front liners have availed of free toll RFID stickers, which can be used at all SMC Infrastructure-operated expressways, namely STAR Tollway, South Luzon Expressway, the Skyway system, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.
The initiative started in March, when the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was first implemented in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Apart from the free toll program, SMC, through subsidiaries SMC Infrastructure and Petron Corp., has also provided free fuel to the Libreng Sakay programs of both the Department of Transportation (DoTR) and the Metro Manila Development Autohority.
Recently, SMC extended its free fuel program for the DoTR’s free shuttle program for medical workers. Since April 7, SMC Infrastructure has provided fuel subsidy of 3,000 liters per day for 60 DoTR shuttle buses utilized to ferry health workers to various hospitals and critical health facilities. The most recent extension is until the end of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) on August 18.
“Our health workers continue to face so many challenges in the fight against Covid-19 and we in the private sector should continue helping them. As Filipinos, we can start by following the quarantine guidelines set by the government. We cannot let our guard down until we find a cure that will end this pandemic,” Ang added.
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