Recyclable boats set sail in Subic

Boats made out of recycled materials set sail in the waters of Subic Bay last Saturday at the Lighthouse Marina Resort for the International Coastal Cleanup Zambales Recyclable Regatta challenge.

Teams from different companies, local government units and non-government organizations built their own boats made out of 80 percent recycled materials and raced 100 meters to shore to prove that even trash can be used wisely.

Argee Gomez, Marketing Manager of Harbor Point Mall said that “The purpose of this event is to heighten awareness about plastic pollution and integrate creative outlets that will further educate the public that we can turn our trash as useful tools.”

Most of the boats were made out of plastic bottles, gallons, used styrofoam and wood or bamboo. Makeshift paddles were also made to stir the boats while racing.

Teams braved the waves and strong winds with their make shift boats as the fastest tandem finished the 100-meter course in just under seven minutes, and the last came in 15 minutes later.

“The hardest part of the race is going up to the mark because of the waves and strong winds. After that it was fairly easy because we were just riding the waves back to the shore like surfers,” said Jeric Ejanda from Team Lighthouse.

The team of Ejercito Estrada and Jeric Ejanda from Lighthouse Marina Resort finished first, followed by Brothers Anthony and David Bayarong of Batang Gapo News TV and on third was Marion Baldueza and Michelle Rillon of Red Cross Olongapo.

All teams were winners, since the top three finishers were given major prizes courtesy of Harbor Point Mall, while all other participants went home with consolation prizes provided by Lighthouse Marina Resort Legacy Foundation.

This event is in line with the International Coastal Cleanup-Zambales (ICCZ) on September 20, 2014. The data collected during the cleanup are used for science-based solutions to tackle challenges like ocean trash, and according to cleanup data, plastic items are in the top 10 pollutants which mostly end up in our waterways.

By applying the principles of “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle”, all can make a difference in protecting the environment, the organizers said. (David Bayarong, Sun Star Pampanga)

PHOTO: (courtesy of Lighthouse Marina)

[1] The SBMA Fire Department team rows for the homestretch with their boat made out of recycled materials

[2] Watercrafts made out of recycled materials all lined up at the waterfront beach of Subic Bay Freeport


http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/09/09/recyclable-boats-set-sail-subic-364437

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OPM Hitmen in Subic

OPM crooners Richard Reynoso, Chad Borja (front), Renz Verano, and Rannie Raymundo (back) motorcade around Subic Bay Freeport as part of their concert-for-a-cause, "An Evening With The OPM Hitmen sa Subic," staged at the Subic Bay Exhibition & Convention Center on Sunday, May 24. Proceeds went to the volunteer sweepers of the freeport and the Philippine Red Cross.

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Grand Reunion of former Subic Naval Base Workers

[1] Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino (3rd from left), assisted by Architect Antonio Balde, inserts some memorabilia into a time capsule for a commemorative marker honoring former employees in the defunct Subic Bay Naval Base. Witnessing the event are SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia, (2nd from left), SBMA Director Cynthia Paulino, and Roberto Flores, co-chairman of the base workers’ grand reunion committee.

[2] SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia leads the ground-breaking ceremony for a commemorative marker honoring former employees in the defunct Subic Bay Naval Base, now the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The ceremony kicked off a week-long grand reunion of former base workers in Subic, which marked the first commemoration of the “Former US Naval Base Workers’ Week” set by the Olongapo City council for the third week of March.

(photos by Jun Dumaguing)

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Parade of classic cars in Subic Bay

[1] A vintage 1938 MG TA Tourer wows tourists along the Waterfront Road at the Subic Bay Freeport during a parade of classic cars held as part of the Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference.

[2] Miss Tourism International Angeli Dione Gomez waves while passing by the historic Spanish Gate landmark in the Subic Bay Freeport during a parade of classic cars held as part of the Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference.


 (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic tourism prospects for 2014 ‘very positive’

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is expecting another “record-breaking year” in tourism this year, as it intends to ride on last year’s accomplishments and whip up greater momentum with bigger events and more attractions this year.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto Garcia said in a recent report to tourism stakeholders here that Subic faces a “very positive” period this year because of increasing tourist arrivals brought about by the hosting of more sports events, as well as meetings and conventions, in the free port.

“We have been gaining much ground in tourism in the past three years, and in 2014 we intend to do better as we host several major events here in Subic,” Garcia said.

“We have the product—the Subic Bay Freeport, and we just need to get it out there so that we can maintain, if not surpass, the big numbers we attained in 2013,” he added.

According to figures released by the SBMA last week, there was a 20-percent increase in sports-oriented events staged in the Subic Bay Freeport in 2013.

These major events included the Subic Bay to Boracay Race on February 16, the Commodore’s Cup Regatta from April 2 to 6, the Asian Triathlon Championship and the TRAP National Triathlon Championship from April 26 to 29, the Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon on June 23, the Safeguard 5i50 Triathlon on October 6 and the Subic Duathlon Open Championships on December 1.

Garcia said the unprecedented 134-percent increase in the number of participants joining sports events here has made Subic Bay “arguably the sports tourism capital of the Philippines.”

He added that Subic also hosted several meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) events in 2013, leading to a 52-percent increase in participants as of September, compared to the level of participation as of September 2012.

“Visitor, tourist and hotel guest arrivals have all increased respectively by 8.3 percent, 0.86 percent and 0.89 percent as of October 2013, as compared to levels as of October 2012,” Garcia also said in his report.

Garcia also said aside from aggressively promoting Subic Bay as a must-see tourist destination, the SBMA had undertaken regular projects to protect and enhance the natural environment of the free port, which is Subic’s core tourism product.

Among the measures SBMA had taken for the environment in 2013 was the full implementation of a “no plastics” policy in January, regular beach and river clean-up projects in coordination with neighbor-communities, and the holding of a water summit to ensure adequate clean water supply in the area.

To provide more momentum to SBMA’s tourism initiative for 2014, the agency had booked major events like the 1st Asia-Pacific Drive Tourism Conference, Auto and Travel Show, which opened here on Tuesday.

Subic will also be the venue of the Ad Summit Pilipinas 2014 scheduled from May 7 to 11, and is eyeing to host the International Table Tennis World Championships this year, Garcia said.

The “Drive Tourism” event, which will last until Sunday, February 2, is a joint project of the Department of Tourism and the Automobile Association Philippines.

The Ad Summit Pilipinas, which is touted to rock the core of the country’s advertising industry, is organized by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines. (Henry Empeno, Business Mirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/economy/26699-subic-tourism-prospects-for-2014-very-positive

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Subic to host ‘Drive Tourism’ conference

Consistent with Subic’s image as a popular drive-in destination for tourists, this free port will be the venue for the Asia-Pacific Drive Tourism Conference, Auto and Travel Show slated on January 29 to February 2 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

The five-day conference will feature discussions and presentations on the latest innovations in the automobile industry, road safety, mobility, motorsports, as well as travel and tourism from both local and international specialists.

Capping the event are the Auto and Travel Show, which will begin on January 31, and the International Kite Festival on February 2.

For this project, the Automobile Association Philippines, the country’s largest auto club with over 50,000 members, and the National Auto Club have teamed up with the Department of Tourism and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Organizers said the event will be graced by Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) president Jean Todt and Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr.

Drive tourism, where people take leisure trips in their own vehicles or hired vehicles, is a rapidly growing sector of the tourism market both here and abroad.

The event supports the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 with the objective to save five million lives and prevent 50 million road injuries through the theme, "Saving Lives, Saving Costs, and Saving the Planet."

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the “Drive Tourism” conference will be the first major conference to be held in this free port this year.

Another big event slated this year is the Ad Summit Pilipinas 2014, which will be held on May 7-11. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Country’s biggest literary fest set in Subic Freeport

Top literary writers from all over the country will converge in this free port on February 24-26 for “Taboan 2014,” the biggest literary festival in the country that will be held in line with the celebration of the National Arts Month (NAM).

Billed as “Wind and Waves, Wars and Words,” the three-day festival is a landmark project of the National Committee on Literary Arts of the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA).

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia expressed gratitude to the NCCA for bringing to Subic Bay the biggest literary event in the country.

“This will not only showcase the beauty of Filipino literary arts, but also the well-preserved natural beauty of Subic Bay for all Filipino and foreign visitors to see,” Garcia said.

Festival director Dr. Juliet Mallari said that top literary writers and enthusiasts, as well as teachers and students from various regions, are expected to join forums, lectures, book fairs, literary readings, performances, arts and crafts exhibits, and cultural tours during the event.

Mallari noted that the festival will also serve as a venue to encourage local writers in Zambales to group themselves together and revive literature in the province.

“We can help them to form a group with the objective to revive literature in Zambales. And soon they could present stage plays, Zambaleña dances in events like this,” she said.

Meanwhile, NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr. said that also in celebration of the NAM, the Philippine Arts Festival has taken the theme “Art on the Edge” to focus on the healing capacity of the arts.

He explained that art is some kind of power that heals the suffering of those affected by calamities—be they man-made or natural—such as those in the coastal communities in the Visayas that were recently hit by typhoon Yolanda.

“In Tacloban and other areas in Visayas, people have received very little help to survive each day. But by using art, like singing, dancing and others, as tool, we can help people ‘on the edge’ to recover from crises or calamities,” De Leon said.

He also noted that when arts of various forms were to be put in the same “boat” and nurtured, they could contribute to economic development by influencing the tourism industry in the area.

He noted that Zambales, for one, has much artistic and creative assets that can be turned into income- generating projects, boost the tourism industry and create jobs.

Among the products of creative arts here are the bows and arrows that native Aytas are selling, and the famous jungle survival demonstrations of the Aytas in the Subic Freeport Zone.

“PAF 2014 promises to be an exhilarating celebration of the arts with workshops, exhibitions, forums, performances, and many other events participated in by numerous artists,” de Leon said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Ad land enters “Age of Enlightenment” with Ad Summit Pilipinas

The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As) has just revealed the theme and overall look of the much-anticipated first-ever Ad Summit Pilipinas 2014 scheduled this May in Subic Bay Freeport.

A colorful rendition of the All-Seeing Eye, an ancient symbol for secret knowledge, made by creative AOR DDB Philippines serves as the logo for the summit with the theme “Age of Enlightenment.”

In much the same way with the intellectual revolution in Europe in the 1700s, Ad Summit Chair and Publicis CEO Matec Villanueva said that the advertising industry is craving for fresh, bold and socially-relevant ideas – a hunger that only the industry’s most respected gurus can satisfy.

The 4As is currently finalizing the speakers for the five-day event to be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center from 7 – 11 May. Asked who are on the list, Villanueva shared with Marketing that experts from digital and big global media networks were invited.

Ad Summit Pilipinas will also now become the new home of the Creative Guild’s Kidlat Awards, which is currently being pushed as the country’s most prestigious creative advertising competition.

The event is believed to be the successor to the AdCongress of the Advertising Board of the Philippines. The 23rd Ad Congress was originally set for November 2013 in Davao City.

AdBoard chair Bienvenido Niles Jr. cancelled the event last July, citing lack of internal support primarily from the exit of its biggest members. KBP has left the Adboard in 2005 which PANA and the 4As followed in November 2012 and February 2013, respectively.

Before 2013 ended, the Media Specialists Association of the Philippines (MSAP) and the the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association (IMMAP) also followed suit.

Registration forms for delagates are available at the official Ad Summit website, official Facebook fanpage and through the 4As secretariat at 8134397 and 8931205 or 4asp@pldtdsl.net. (Oliver Bayani, marketing-interactive.com)

PHOTO:
SBMA deputy administrator for business, investment and tourism Reuel John Kabigting (3rd from left) join officers of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As) during the press launch of Ad Summit Pilipinas 2014, which shall be staged on May 7 to 11, 2014 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center. With him are (from left) 4As chairman Alex Syfu, Ad Summit chair Matec Villanueva, and 4As president Norman Agatep.

http://www.marketing-interactive.com/ad-land-enters-age-enlightenment-ad-summit-pilipinas/

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Taboan 2014 to take place at Subic Freeport Zone

Top writers will once again gather in the country’s biggest literary festival, “Taboan,” at the Subic Freeport Zone on February 24-26 in line with the National Arts Month (NAM). This is organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Billed “Winds and Waves, Wars and Words,” the 2014 Taboan (a Visayan word meaning “marketplace”) is the landmark project of the National Committee on Literary Arts of NCCA's Subcommission on the Arts headed by Priscilla Macansantos for the Philippine Arts Festival (PAF). The festival director is Juliet Mallari.

This will gather writers, teachers and students for forums, lectures, a book fair, literary reading, performances, arts and crafts exhibits, cultural tours, other satellite projects, and an awards ceremony for outstanding writers from the regions.

The Philippines celebrates NAM during February since the signing of Presidential Proclamation 683 in 1991. As the country’s main agency for the arts and culture, the NCCA, headed by its chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr., leads in celebrating NAM with the Philippine Arts Festival.

For 2014, PAF has taken the theme "Art on the Edge,” highlighting the advancements achieved in different art forms, the innovations, the modern evolution of art, and the artistic creations in the peripheries.

Spearheaded by the NCCA’s Subcommission on the Arts, PAF consists of the flagship projects of the seven committees of the subcommission—architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theater, and the visual arts. It aims to highlight the artistic talent and brilliance of the Filipino people. Initially centering around the National Capital Region, PAF activities will be held all over the country in order to reach as many people as possible.

With private and government agencies as partners, PAF 2014 promises to be an exhilarating celebration of the arts with workshops, exhibitions, forums, performances, and many other events participated in by numerous artists. (NCCA-PAIO)

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Tourism confab set

EXPLORE THE Philippines' countryside charm and cultural gems through driving at the first Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference, Auto and Travel Show scheduled at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center on Jan. 29 to Feb. 2.

A first of its kind in the country, the five-day confab and expo is presented by the Department of Tourism (DoT) and Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the National Auto Club and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Keynoting the event are Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. and Jean Todt, president of the Paris-based Federation Internationale d'Automobile (FIA), the world's largest group of car clubs and motorsports associations with over 200 member organizations in 132 countries.

Other invited speakers are the transport ministers of Sri Lanka, Malaysia and New Zealand, and the tourism ministers of Nepal, Maldives, Palau, Bhutan and Thailand, Automobile Association of Upper India President TK Malhotra and flA Region 2 President Ross Heron, as well as representatives from the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The conference will serve as the market launch of the DoT's Drive Tourism program in coordination with AAP which aims to consolidate the components of all tourism-oriented road and driving activities.

"Drive Tourism is where participants move through a tourism highway or road network that allows them to see diverse attractions on the road and experience the local way of life," says Secretary Jimenez.

He added that the pioneering event will include presentations on the latest innovations in the automobile industry, road safety, mobility, motorsports, travel and tourism from both local and international specialists during the conference and exhibition.

He said that AAP has been undertaking caravans in various provinces to boost domestic tourism and provide income opportunities in the countryside.

Unlike seat-in-coach tours; allows participants to tailor fit itineraries based on their preferences, such as culture and heritage, water sports or culinary adventure for a complete travel experience.

The conference will also see the groundbreaking of the Subic Children's Road Safety Park, which will serve as an educational stage to teach the culture of road safety and discipline among children.

The first of its kind in the country, it will serve as the model of similar projects envisioned to be set up in every region.

With the theme, "Saving Lives, Saving Costs, and Saving the Planet," the event supports the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 with the objective to save five million lives and prevent 50 million road injuries.

After the conference proper, the Auto and Travel Show runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 which will feature super deals in automobiles, accessories, tour packages, travel essentials, Filipino regional cuisine and recreational activities at the Children's Fun plaza rides.

For more information, visit www.aaptraveI.com/drivetourism or call 5510025, 5510014. (BusinessWorld)

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