San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will build a P50-million sports center in Balayan, Batangas as part of its commitment to help develop homegrown athletes who can compete in local and international sports competitions, as well as promote health and wellness in the town and throughout the province of Batangas.
This was announced recently by SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang, during the formal opening of the new Balayan municipal building and government complex, where he was also declared an adopted son of Balayan.
Ang said that the commitment to build a sports facility lines up with the local government’s post-pandemic recovery plans, which includes promoting health and wellness through a public sports facility within its sprawling government complex. “With a growing majority of Filipinos getting protected against COVID-19 through vaccination, there should be greater emphasis on health and fitness for the public in the coming years. Through this sports center, which will be part of our company’s overall support for sports development, we hope to get more Balayan residents involved in sports,” Ang said.
Ang pointed out that a number of the country’s more prominent athletes are from the province. Among them are Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ LA Tenorio and former Ateneo volleyball star Alyssa Valdez are from Nasugbu and San Juan in Batangas, respectively.
Throughout the pandemic, the company invested significantly to put up its own RT-PCR testing laboratory to provide free testing for its employees. The company also launched a nationwide employee vaccination program, dubbed Ligtas Lahat, to protect it 70,000-strong nationwide workforce.
Balayan Mayor Emmanuel Salvador Fronda II declared Ang an adopted son of Balayan, highlighting the businessman-philathropist’s significant role in the socio-economic growth and progress of the town.
A longtime sports patron, Ang gave a total of P22 million in incentives to the Philippines’ Tokyo Olympics medal winners, including P10 million for the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.
San Miguel backed the Philippine team that won 149 gold medals, 117 silvers, and 121 bronzes in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. During the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, SMC also supported the Philippine team that also won the overall championship with 112 golds, 85 silvers, and 93 bronzes.
