MANILA, Philippines -- San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will build a P50-million sports center in Balayan, Batangas as part of its commitment to help develop homegrown athletes, it was announced on Monday.

The venture is not only aimed towards developing athletes who can compete in local and international sports competitions, but also to promote health and wellness in the town and throughout the province of Batangas.

"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," SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang, during the formal opening of the new Balayan municipal building and government complex on Monday.

"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," he added.

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.

Ang also pointed out that a significant number of the country's most prominent athletes are from Batangas, including Barangay Ginebra's LA Tenorio (Nasugbu) and Creamline's Alyssa Valdez (San Juan).

"With our country moving towards recovery from the pandemic, San Miguel is investing in many regions all over the Philippines, to help build public infrastructure and economic growth centers," Ang said.

"We hope to do this in Balayan to help support the growth of your local economy and provide opportunities not just for people here, but also from all over Batangas."

Recently, SMC completed construction on its new sports facility in Pasig, the SMC Sports Complex, designed for use by the company and its professional basketball teams in the PBA: the San Miguel Beermen, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings, and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok.

The SMC Sports Complex has three air-conditioned main basketball courts covering a total of 5,013 square meters. It is currently being utilized for SMC's COVID-19 employee vaccination activities.