As community quarantine measures are maintained in many parts of the country, including the entire Batangas province, communities continue to endure mobility restrictions that make access to basic necessities still a challenge.

Aware of these difficulties, JG Summit Petrochemicals Group rolled out on August 25, 2020 the distribution of a fifth tranche of food aid for the company’s host barangays, and likewise to groups who are at the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 in the province.

The aid was distributed to the four communities of Barangays Simlong, Pinamucan Ibaba, PInamucan Proper and Mabacong, and were good for 3,300 families. These contained essential items such as rice, instant noodles and coffee.

Barangay Pinamucan Proper, again one of the recipients for this fifth batch of aid, expressed its appreciation through a message that was posted in its social media account, saying “Ang pamunuan po ng Barangay Pinamucan Proper sa pangunguna ng ating mahal na Punong Barangay Thony Ilagan ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa bigay na ayuda ng JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation. Maraming maraming salamat po sa bigay na ayuda.”

This latest round of food assistance also included donations to Batangas City and Batangas Provincial Government offices, namely the Provincial Government Environmental & Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO), the local Philippine National Police (PNP) unit, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO).

To date, JGSPG’s COVID-19 aid program for Batangas, which began in March during the height of strict lockdown measures, has benefitted a total of 91 communities, with essential food items distributed to a total of 8,980 families, and 600 sacks of rice (30,000 kilos) to host and neighboring communities.