SMC builds own lab, tests employees

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has started testing its employees for COVID-19 as part of an extensive plan to reopen its workplaces safely and continue providing essential services to the public.

In a statement, the diversified conglomerate said swabbing is currently ongoing in key facilities of the company while work to build a dedicated testing lab is ongoing. Construction is already 60 percent complete.

SMC will also strictly implement workplace safety measures – from physical distancing, wearing of protective equipment, frequent hand washing to conducting temperature checks, among others – to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of its employees.

“We are prioritizing, first, our security and other maintenance staff, as they are the ones who take care of our workplace. After them, we test our colleagues whose duties require them to report to the office,” SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang said.

He added that, “Initially we are looking at only 20 percent of our head office population to report for work. Majority will still continue to work-from home.”

Ang said that testing at its other facilities, particularly its food manufacturing plants in Cavite, is also set to start. Throughout the enhanced community quarantine period, teams of stay-in workers have been working around the clock at San Miguel’s food facilities to continue essential food production.

“We will also test close to 8,000 manufacturing and operations and management front line staff. We are also lining up testing at our Visayas facilities simultaneously,” he said.

Visayas and Davao testing will be on stream toward the end of May or early June.

Ang said that once its dedicated PCR testing laboratory is up and running, the company would be able to test even more employees and help ensure their safe return to work.

PCR testing is the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19, because it is highly reliable and accurate.

“We are doing this in phases. The success with which we can quickly test a large percentage of our employee population over the next few weeks will be a key consideration in the timelines of our overall return-to-work plan.