Malasakit sa Panahon ng Trahedya

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and San Miguel Foods, Inc. (SMFI) have launched their first nationwide public-private partnership (PPP) in agriculture designed to improve Filipino farmers’ incomes, boost food security, and bring quality food to more Filipinos.

What began as a simple garden plot at the SMC Head Office Complex has now expanded into three Backyard Bukid sites across the Philippines. Initially launched to encourage urban gardening and healthy eating habits among SMC employees, the initiative has since evolved into a comprehensive program aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing food security nationwide.

San Miguel Foods supported DSWD MIMAROPA's regional search for exemplary 4Ps children on August 30, 2024, recognizing top finalists for their advocacy, talents, and achievements.

San Miguel Foods (SMF) recently held a company-wide virtual town hall designed to engage, inform, and inspire employees across all business units and locations nationwide. The event was a vibrant showcase of SMF’s commitment to transparency, collaboration, and forward momentum.

San Miguel Foods’ long-running regenerative agriculture program, also aimed at supporting local farmers, has yielded over 90,000 metric tons of cassava in the first half of the year, 44% higher than in the same period last year, boosting incomes for its extensive network of farmers nationwide. San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang said that the company’s Cassava Assemblers Program, ongoing for many years now and in place in more than half of all the provinces in the country, has steadily grown, resulting in higher yields. “Through our Cassava Assemblers Program, we offer a guaranteed market with purchase agreements, a fixed floor price, and comprehensive technical assistance. We continue to engage with, and encourage farmers to organize themselves and form small businesses, to assemble a minimum of 20 hectares of cassava plantation,” Ang said. Ang explained that assemblers purchase produce directly from small farm holdings. This is particularly helpful for farmers with insufficient funds to pay for transport costs to sell their goods. It also solves the problem of economies of scale in production, lowering the unit cost of harvesting or transport, to a point where it is profitable for both the farmer and the assembler. For its part, San Miguel is assured a steady supply of an essential raw material.

San Miguel Foods (SMF) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) have partnered to standardize the NutriBunformulation used in government feeding programs for underprivileged children to help address malnutrition and prevent stunting among vulnerable communities. The agreement, formalized through the signing of a memorandum of agreement, is seen to enhance the effectiveness of government efforts to improve child nutrition and health nationwide. The premixes will be used by DOST-FNRI’s nationwide network of “adaptors”--makers of enhanced NutriBuns distributed to children beneficiaries of the program. The program aims to ensure that sufficient, standardized nutritional values go into every NutriBun so all children get the full nutritional benefits intended. At the same time, it will also allow for cost-effectiveness for the program’s adaptors. 

What was once a seemingly barren stretch of sand in 2022 is now a developing mini ecosystem teeming with color and marine life, thanks to San Miguel Foods’ Coral Rescue program.

Eighteen employees from B-MEG Plant Bataan and 43 employees from B-MEG Plant 1 Iloilo planted 1,200 mangrove propagules and 500 mangrove seedlings respectively as part of their efforts to help preserve and enrich the coastal environment of their respective provinces. Through the program, the teams aim to provide environmental and economic benefits to the residents of Barangay Bantan in Bataan and Barangay Gua-an in Ioilo. From an environmental perspective, mangroves act like a shield, minimizing the impact of storms and tidal waves, reducing soil erosion, and combating climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide in their biomass and soil. These essential ecosystems also serve as nurseries for marine life, offering community members a sustainable source of livelihood.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of San Miguel Foods' Magnolia Poultry Farm in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur- the country's largest poultry facility and the first of 12 mega farms the company will build across the country. The poultry farm, which can produce up to 80 million birds per year, equivalent to 200 million kilos live weight, is set to revolutionize poultry production in the Philippines ensuring a more stable and cost-competitive chicken supply. It will complement San Miguel Foods' existing nationwide contract growing program and provide additional livelihood and business opportunities for local farmers. It is a significant stride towards bolstering the country's food security. San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang said: "Food security is one of the most important issues of our time. Today, we reinforce our support for the Marcos administration in ensuring a food-secure Philippines. Our goal is to provide every Filipino with access to high-quality food at prices within their means. Poultry, one of the most economical source of protein, is vital to achieving this."