The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday expressed its appreciation to the outstanding contributions of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang in the country’s ongoing fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

AFP chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay presented the plaque of appreciation to Ang, who was represented by retired Col. Ariel Querubin, his vice president and special assistant, during a ceremony held at General Headquarters Building, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

He was recognized for his unwavering support and proactive action in response to the state of public health emergency and their contributions to the National Action Plan to address the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“When Covid-19 hit our country hard, the San Miguel Corporation was fully aware of the uncertainty of the situation and was among the industry leaders who quickly responded and supported government efforts in mitigating the effects of this global pandemic,” Gapay said in a statement.

SMC previously donated to the Department of National Defense and the AFP construction materials and amenities intended for the installation of emergency quarantine facilities (EQF) in military camps nationwide.

“These facilities will be very beneficial for our soldiers, civilian human resource, and their dependents who are affected by Covid-19. This would also help us keep the levels of infection in our organization to a minimum. Rest assured that we will reciprocate your efforts by ensuring that we continue to perform our mandate,” Gapay said.

A total of 10 EQFs were built by the San Miguel Corporation together with the AFP in May.

Each quarantine facility has 15 beds to accommodate Covid-19 patients with mild to no symptoms.

It seeks to ease the strain on local hospitals and health facilities that cater to other medical cases in their respective areas.

“Our pledge to serve and accomplishing our mission will not be impeded by this pandemic. Our main thrust during these challenging times is very clear, and that is to preserve our force and help the national government and our people,” Gapay said. (PNA)