SBMA to build ₱1B residential complex for its employees

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is set to build a ₱1-billion residential complex featuring four condominium buildings, which will be constructed within this premier Freeport zone, offering affordable housing for its employees.

 

To be called Subic Bay Residencias, the housing project was made official during the signing of the lease agreement between the SBMA and the Philippine Community Housing Corporation. (PCHC) CSE Builders Joint Venture Company Ltd. held at the administration building on June 4, 2025.

 

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño and PCHC General Manager Mary Grace Ocampo signed the lease before top government officials, including Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Undersecretaries Emmanuel D. Pineda and Eduardo P. Robles Jr., the SBMA Board of Directors, and officials from PAG-IBIG Fund led by Finance and Utilities Department Manager Brenda T. Cao.

 

According to Chairman Aliño, Subic Bay Residencias will be built at Lot 70-B, Rizal Highway Extension, Central Business District, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, with a total of 20,762 square meters.

 

“The development and construction of Subic Bay Residencias will consist of four condominium buildings and other auxiliary uses such as parks, a swimming pool, a clubhouse, a tennis court, a daycare center, and retail area/commercial areas,” Aliño said.

 

He said that the four buildings will have a total of 1,600 to 1,920 units, with a selling price of ₱1.8 million per unit, which may be reduced to ₱1.6 million, depending on the availability and area preference, and the financial capability of the beneficiary.

 

He added that the total minimum development commitment is ₱1 billion, within a maximum period of five years from the commencement of the LA, citing that this is just the first phase of the many housing projects inside the Freeport.

 

A thrust under the Marcos administration’s 4PH Program, the socialized housing for workers inside the SBFZ like the Subic Bay Residencias is geared towards providing housing for the employees of the agency.

 

Back in May 2024, SBMA signed a memorandum of understanding with the DHSUD to construct socialized housing under the 4PH Program within the SBFZ. The housing project aims to provide affordable yet sustainable houses to Freeport zone workers who fall under the low-income bracket.

“Its advantage is that it is close to their workplace. Because what we want to happen is that after you work, we want you to be able to just walk from your work to home to save time and save money,” Aliño said. (MPD-SBMA) 

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P1.1B dormitory complex to open in Subic Freeport

 A P1.1-billion dormitory complex is set to be constructed soon to become the site for a "home away from home" for some 6,000 employees working here. 

 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño on March 19, 2025 led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a five-storey building.

 

"This is why I cannot hide how overjoyed I am today,"  SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said about the realization of his dreams for SBF workers. 

 

The chairman was elated over the start of the realization of his dream of providing housing facilities to the workers of this premier Freeport. 

 

“To me, this is the first step towards the realization of a strong, comfortable and peaceful way of life for our Freeport workers, the same as the dream of our dear President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for every Filipino in the country,” he added.

 

“In fact, this dormitory project is in response to the President’s instructions in connection with his Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino, or 4PH program,” he continued.

 

Isuzu Gencars Inc. General Manager Edgard Cabangon said that the collaboration between his company, the SBMA, and RDBT Construction Corporation has identified several worker dormitories as priority projects that recognize the need for affordable, accessible, and decent housing within the Freeport.

 

He said that by building these dormitories close to factories, industrial areas, and technoparks, it not only improves the workers' efficiency, but also helps companies and employees reduce the cost of living.

He also cited that this initiative will also ease traffic congestion by reducing the number of vehicles and commuters on the road, contributing to a greener and more sustainable environment. 

 

According to Cabangon, this proposal is the first of its kind in the Freeport zone, which offers large-scale accommodations catering to workers, employees, and even students of nearby schools and colleges. 

 

RDBT Construction Corporation will be constructing the five buildings, which includes four dormitory blocks and an administrative building, all of which are rising at five storeys, on a one-hectare parcel of land. 

Architect Rafael Demacio Tecson, RDBT Construction Corp. CEO said that each dormitory block will have 188 units, with an approximate bed capacity of 1,500, which is 6,000 beds in total. 

 

Tecson said that the common areas will be designed to allow natural ventilation, which is key for the green structure development. This does not only improve indoor air quality, but also promotes the health and well-being of everyone using the space. 

 

Each dormitory is designed for eight occupants, shared by four people at a time. The layout shows smooth traffic flow, allowing residents to take turns using the shared bath, toilet and lavatories without overcrowding.

 

The ground floor will be used as commercial spaces including laundry services, 24/7 convenience store, a cafeteria, coffee shops, and restaurants, providing essential services for the workers throughout their stay. 

 

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Group Renato Lee III said that the dormitory complex is a testament of both investor confidence in the SBMA and our readiness for the influx of jobs in the zone. 

“We are very optimistic in the investment attractiveness of the country because of the benefits of CREATE MORE or RA 12066, the government's efficiency and accountability brought about by the strict implementation of the EASE of Doing Business Act or RA 11032 and the overall reduction in the cost of doing business here in the Philippines,” Lee said.

 

“I have no doubt that we will be able to generate more investments in the coming years. When you generate investments, you generate jobs. But what is crucial here is not just Subic Freeport being investment-ready, but employment-ready as well,” he added.

 

Lee added that it is where the project plays a crucial role in the overall direction of the SBMA by making sure that the Freeport workers are also taken care of. (MPD-SBMA)

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‘Fright night’ sells in Subic Bay Freeport

All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween, a tradition widely believed to have originated from the Gaelic pagan festival Samhain, may have conjured images of ghosts, witches, and wandering spirits, but what started out as a scary commemoration is now as festive as every other modern celebration.

In the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the practice is as commercial as it can get. Hotels, restaurants, bistros, shopping malls, business offices, as well as residential areas are all dressed up in pumpkins, cobwebs and bats, and flying broomsticks. And almost everybody is preparing for some themed Halloween party.

Business establishments such as the Segara Hotel and the Lighthouse Marina Resort are holding their own family-oriented Halloween party, and also encouraging visitors here to stay overnight for the special Halloween entertainment treat.

Liberty Sports Bar, a more mature-oriented establishment, even has a costume contest that is open to the public, with goodies and cash prizes to be given to winners.

With these kinds of parties expected to be held in most parts of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, it’s no wonder that Royal Duty Free Store, SM City Olongapo, and Harbor Point Ayala Mall are displaying Halloween merchandise to make each child (and parent) keep up with the Halloween crowd.

What parent would allow his child to dress down and be left out in a Halloween party? Fortunately, toy shops are selling faux bloody murder weapons, masks, and full-body costumes for little fairies, and witches, and skeleton ghosts.

Of course, stores have also stocked up on candies, chocolates, and ghoulish cupcakes, cookies and other food that visiting trick-or-treaters would later expect each time they knocked on doors.

Meanwhile, the residential areas of Kalayaan and Binictican here have transformed into virtual Halloween Land adorned in spooky decorations. One could find here various versions of lawn cemeteries, decapitated dolls hanging from trees, ghouls popping out of the bushes, chairs that rock by themselves, SUVs that look like the Ghostbusters’ Ecto 1, and other creepy offerings.

In the past few years, these areas in Subic have been swamped during Halloween with children attired as fairies, witches, zombies, vampires, mummies, or superheroes that the SBMA police had to close down some inner roads to vehicular traffic.

While the neighborhood associations have not announced any Halloween party this year, a fair number of neighborhood children are expected to go trick-or-treating.

Residents said some houses here actually vie for the coveted title of the “scariest residence” in the community. And some of them, of course, look forward to winning the “scariest costume” during private Halloween parties among friends.

Yes, despite the fun and festive air, scary still sells in Subic. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

Costumed ghosts and other monsters join the Halloween celebration in the Subic Bay Freeport (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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​Pag-IBIG now nearer to Subic Freeport workers​

Some 100,000 Pag-IBIG member​s will now have easier access to national savings program and affordable shelter financing as the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), more popularly known as the Pag-IBIG Fund, made this premier Freeport its new home.

The new office is located along Manila Avenue, just a block away from the Subic Freeport’s Rizal Gate.

According to Branch Manager Roman G. Infante, the Subic office is ready to accommodate Pag-IBIG members working in Subic Freeport ​, as well those​ in ​Olongapo City and ​the province of Zambales.

He added that the need to put up an office here is great that the current workload has increased by almost 50 percent.

Infante said that the number of members coming to their office in Dinalupihan, Bataan was around 250 per day. However, ever since the Pag-IBIG office started to operate in the Subic Freeport on September 1, they have been getting more than 300 members every day.

With a total of 90,425 employees working inside this Freeport, a need to update their membership is necessary.

Infante said that his office is coordinating with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to ensure that all the members here are accounted for.

“We have already talked to Attorney Severo Pastor of the Labor Department of SBMA, and he is willing to help us out in that endeavor,” Infante said.

The SBMA’s response, according to Infante, ​was more than friendly as Chairman Roberto Garcia himself welcomed the creation of the office here.

“The biggest hurdle is the transition of our workers, since most of our workers come from Bataan. I, myself, am a resident of Pampanga. Usually it takes me 45 minutes to get home; now it takes almost an hour and a half,” Infante said.

But Infante assured that their work comes first, as he and his staff are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the Freeport workers.

The HDMF was established to provide a national savings program and affordable shelter financing for the Filipino worker. The Fund offers short-term loans and access to housing programs.

It is mandatory for all SSS- and GSIS-covered employees, uniformed members of the AFP, BFP, BJMP and PNP, as well as Filipinos employed by foreign-based employers.

Housing programs such as the Fiesta Communities and the Hanjin Employee Housing program are but some that have made houses affordable to the common working Filipino here. (JR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
[1] Pag-IBIG members from Olongapo City and Zambales transact business at the new Pag-IBIG office in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone

[4] The Formosa Tower along Manila Avenue houses the new Pag-IBIG office at the Subic Bay Freeport.

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