SBMA achieves rare feat in ISO certification leading to banner year

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority attained its ISO 9001:2008 certification with absolutely "zero minor and major non-conformities" on its first audit, a rare feat that no other Philippine government agency has ever achieved.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia said that when the agency began working for its ISO certification, it began paving the way not only for sustained world-class quality management system, but also toward superior financial performance. The agency started working to meet the requirements for an ISO 9001:2008 certificate from AJA Registrars in October 2012.

“Quality management is one of the reasons why 2013 became a banner year for the SBMA,” Garcia revealed.

Garcia said that unknown to the various departments that toiled hard to meet the standards, they were also working on something that would soon yield a record-shattering net income of P1 billion in 2013, the biggest in SBMA’s 21-year history.

“On the surface, we were aiming for quality certification, but deep down in the core of the organization we were building something more significant—a better system, and a culture of excellence that helped us achieve something big,” Garcia added.

“Now, with the quality management system in place and the SBMA reporting a net profit of P1.2 billion last year, more investors are showing interest to invest in Subic,” the SBMA official added.

Meanwhile, SBMA Total Quality Management (TQM) manager John Aquino said that the “zero major non-conformity, zero minor non-conformity” findings by AJA Registrars on its first surveillance audit can be considered a legacy in the history of government offices.

“It is a very rare situation that a government agency could maintain this level of conformance,” said Aquino, who is also an assessor of the Philippine Quality Award, a presidential project to recognize public and private institutions committed to quality and excellence.

Aquino also explained that because the SBMA not only maintained the quality management system but also has shown improvement by resolving one observation recorded during the AJA audit on October 3 2012, AJA recommended that SBMA continue with its ISO certification program until 2016.

The ISO 9001:2008 certification specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

It aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

All departments of the SBMA completed the requirements in April 2013 in pursuance of the ISO 9001:2008 certification.

The scope of registration included the Internal Services Group with 10 offices or departments; Maritime, Business and Investment Group with seven offices/departments; Regulatory Group with six offices/departments; and the Chairman and Administrator-CEO Group, which has six offices and departments.

ISO certification and quality management in government institutions were required, respectively, through Executive Order 605 and Administrative Order 161, which were both signed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA posts new profit record of P1.2-billion

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has shattered its 2012 net profit record of P824 million when based on preliminary reports, it posted last year a net profit of P1.2 billion, the agency’s highest in its entire 21-year history. SBMA 2013 gross revenues of P2.09 billion and EBITDA of P992 million likewise posted the highest levels in the Agency's history.

Comparatively, the gross revenue of P2.1 billion that the agency generated in 2013 was 26.6 percent higher than the gross revenue of P1.6 billion in 2012. The growth in revenue came mainly from Seaport operations of P588 million an increase of 46% over 2013 and Regulatory operations of PP404 million which increased by a hefty 82% over the previous year.

While net income was buoyed by favorable exchange rates, Chairman Roberto Garcia noted that SBMA’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased significantly by 52.2 percent from P652 million in 2012 to P992 million in 2013. This is the true test of the Agency's effective strategic initiatives and the efficiency in the execution of such initiatives.

“This has made 2013 another banner year in succession for SBMA, and we are pleased to report that our financial performance continues to improve substantially while investments also significantly exceeded the 2012 level,” Garcia said. Approved investments in 2012 of P3 billion spurted to P24.7 billion in 2013 or an increase of 723%. This will provide over 10,000 jobs over the next few years as these projects get implemented.

Through the continuing austerity program and effective cost control measures, the Agency was also able to minimize the rise in operating expenses to 10%, thereby increasing its net income substantially.

To cap off 2013, SBMA was able to secure final approval of its USD27 million loan refinancing package. Garcia said that this will strengthen SBMA's balance sheet and will allow the Agency to invest in much needed capital expenditures to improve security and vital Freeport infrastructure. To this end, SBMA has programmed P617 million in capital spending for 2014.

Garcia is set to deliver the his State of the Freeport Address (SOFA) before the Freeport community and the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce Inc. (SBFCCI) on February 27 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC). (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA earned P1.07 billion in 2013

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), which manages the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, continues to improve its financial performance, keeping its financial books in the black for the second year straight, recording more than P1 billion in net income, and increasing the level of investments by eightfold last year.

In a preliminary accomplishment report released last week, the agency said that as of November 2013, it has raked in a total of P1.85 billion in revenue, which represents a 25-percent increase over the P1.48-billion total recorded in November 2012.

This, minus expenses and taxes, left the SBMA with P1.078 billion in net income, a 100-percent increase over the P538-million net income in November 2012 that came after a P1.2-billion loss in 2011.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said his administration delivered the financial turnaround beginning 2012 when it drastically reduced operating expenses that resulted in a 91-percent increase in earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation.

“2013 was another banner year for the SBMA—particularly as to financial performance, investment promotion and other key performance areas,” the SBMA report said.

“We are pleased to report that based on the numbers as of November 2013 and as projected, the financial performance of the SBMA continued to improve substantially and investments significantly exceeded 2012 levels,” the report added.

The SBMA added in its report that its actual 2013 revenue and net income broke the agency’s all-time record because figures posted as of November 2013 “are actually higher than levels for the entire year of 2012.”

The report said the administration’s sound fiscal management was further proven by the fact that the agency paid all three foreign loan amortizations for 2013 and managed to secure approval by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last December 16 for the restructuring of SBMA’s $27-million loan.

The restructuring is expected to reduce interest expense and allow the agency to invest in badly needed infrastructure, thus strengthening further the fiscal position of the Subic authority.

“These strides in the financial stability and viability of SBMA complements the substantial 8.9 percent increase in Bureau of Internal Revenue collections from roughly P1.278 billion in 2012 to approximately P1.392 billion in 2013, and the country-wide best Bureau of Customs collection of approximately P10.840 billion in 2013, a staggering 71-percent increase from roughly P6.329 billion in 2012,” the SBMA said.

Meanwhile, in terms of investment promotion the SBMA reported that its actual performance has exceeded 2013 projections.

“By the end of 2012, the agency predicted that investment promotion in 2013 would increase fivefold. The agency did not increase investments in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone fivefold in 2013—it increased investments eightfold,” the SBMA said in its report.

It added that from the P3-billion year-end record in 2012, fresh investment commitments in tourism, export industries and other businesses increased to more than P24 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2013.

To further enhance investment promotion and revenue generation in the Subic Bay Freeport, the SBMA also said it has negotiated for the expansion of the free port in neighboring communities.

The additional areas for development included 650 hectares in the municipality of Subic, which is ideal for shipbuilding and ship repair, and 10,000 hectares in San Antonio, Zambales, which is ideal for tourism and resort development. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/economy/26361-sbma-earned-p1-07-billion-in-2013

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Jessica Sanchez visits Subic

Filipino-American singing sensation Jessica Sanchez (middle) meets with SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia after visiting tourism attractions in the Subic Bay Freeport with her family over the weekend. Sanchez, who was runner-up on the 11th season of the reality show American Idol, traces her roots to nearby Samal, Bataan, the hometown of her mother Edita. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic community continues to extend Holiday cheers to needy children

Members of the Subic Freeport community, along with business investors and civic organizations, continue to extend holiday cheers to children from indigent families in neighboring villages, as well as those hit by recent calamities.

On New Year’s Day, students of the Special Education for the Gifted (SPED-G) and their parents coordinated with the San Roque Parish Church in the free port for the SPED-G Gift-Giving Project held at the parish ground.

The project provided toys and snacks to more than 300 children.

Parent and Olongapo City councilor Jong Cortez said that the activity endeavors to bring happiness to children amid hardship and calamities that they experienced last year.

“This is also an opportunity for the students of SPED-G to share the blessings that their families enjoy with less fortunate kids of their age,” said Cortez.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) had also earlier spearheaded gift-giving activities through its Public Relations Department, aside from initiating a collection drive for relief goods sent to victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas.

On December 20, the SBMA-PRD conducted a gift-giving activity that benefited 200 children in an Aeta tribal community at Sitio Timak, Morong, Bataan.

Seven days later, the SBMA-PRD conducted a similar project for 300 kids at Barangay Asinan Proper in Subic, Zambales.

Meanwhile, Grande Island Resort, one of the more popular tourist destinations in Subic Bay, and operated by GFTG Property Holdings Corporation, will be conducting a feeding and gift-giving project in one of the communities hardest-hit by Typhoon Yolanda.

Karisha Cinco, Grande Island Resort executive assistant, said that the firm’s management and staff will undertake a feeding project and distribute toys to children in Hernani, Eastern Samar on the second week of the month. The project will be done in coordination with the Our Lady of Sorrows Parish there.

Hernani, Cinco noted, was one of the hardest-hit areas, yet has not received enough assistance.

“It is part of our corporate social responsibility,” Cinco said about the project, adding that Grande Island Resort is still accepting donations in any form to be added to toys and other children’s items collected to aid in the relief and recovery of children-victims in Hernani. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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LandBank extends $27-M loan to SBMA

State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines recently approved a $27-million term loan for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

In a statement, the bank said that the loan will be used to refinance and take-out part of SBMA’s existing foreign loans.

“A top dollar depositor of the LandBank Subic Branch, the SBMA plays a major role in promoting tourism and enabling industrial, commercial and investment growth in the Subic-Clark region, which in turn generates employment and contributes significantly to the country’s economic growth,” it said.

Roberto Garcia, SBMA chairman and administrator, and Edward John Reye, LandBank senior vice president for Corporate Banking, signed the loan agreement.

LandBank recently reported that its loan portfolio grew to P280 billion in the first nine months of 2013, up by 16 percent from P241.9 billion in September 2012.

Loans to its priority sectors expanded to P221.7 billion, representing 79.2 percent of the bank’s total loan portfolio.

LandBank’s priority sectors comprise, among others, agri-aqua-related projects of local governments and government- owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), small farmers and fisher folk, microenterprises and small and medium enterprises, and socialized to medium-cost housing, and utilities. Loans to agri-aqua-related projects of local government and GOCCs reached P45.2 billion

Meanwhile, the bank registered a P10.4-billion net income for the third quarter of the year, a 36-percent increase from its year-ago level of P7.6 billion. Its nine-month net income translates to a return on equity of 17.44 percent. (Mayvelin U. Caraballo, Manila Times)

http://manilatimes.net/landbank-extends-27-m-loan-to-sbma/55892/

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SBMA gears up for ISO certification on environmental management

Preparations are now underway for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to be certified for ISO 14000, the international standard for environmental management.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said he has ordered the creation of a technical working group that will oversee the agency’s preparations for certification.

“We hope to have the SBMA certified within a year,” Garcia said, pointing out that the SBMA was granted early this year the ISO 9001:2008 certification, which is the international standard for quality management systems set by the International Organization for Standardization.

SBMA director Benjamin Antonio III recently announced the plan for the ISO certification to locators during the 2nd Environmental Awareness Forum held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

According to Antonio, the agency will specifically work for the ISO 14001:2004 certification, which sets out the criteria for an environmental management system and maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective environmental management system.

“Since the certification’s scope is geographic, it will include all SBMA offices. In fact, it’s going to include the entire fenced area of the Subic Bay Freeport,” Antonio explained.

“Everything under the control of the SBMA should be part of the scope of the environmental management system,” he added.

Antonio said that one of the requirements for the certification would involve the SBMA conducting environmental risk assessments. This would allow the Subic authority to identify environmental impacts, assess which ones are considered critical, and address the critical environmental aspects that exist within the agency.

“What’s going to happen is we are going to embed the environmental consciousness, awareness, and environmental stewardship in many, if not all of the positions in the SBMA,” he said.

The risk assessment will be done by the entire agency through the respective department managers, and the findings of which will be consolidated and implemented.

Antonio added that apart from the risk assessment, ISO 14000 would also require SBMA to have environmental emergency preparedness and response which will be tested regularly.

“Meaningful change like this one takes time, especially when it involves such a huge agency,” Antonio noted. “It’s not an easy task, but we’ll try our best to get it done in one year.” (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA cancels Christmas party; funds to go to typhoon victims instead

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has cancelled this year the traditional Christmas party for employees in sympathy with victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia made this announcement on Friday following the decision of the SBMA board of directors to cancel the scheduled party for the agency this year.

“It was a unanimous decision on the part of the board,” Garcia said. “We also ratified a resolution donating the amount intended for the Christmas party to the typhoon victims.”

“This is just a small contribution, we know, but we hope that this would somehow make some difference in the life of our kababayans who have suffered a lot,” Garcia added.

The re-channeling of the SBMA Christmas party budget to the Yolanda relief drive was the latest in the humanitarian response here for typhoon victims, as the SBMA rallied the Subic Freeport community last week following the devastation in the Visayas.

Garcia said that employees of the SBMA and locator-companies in this free port have been collecting donations and sending them to concerned agencies to help in the government’s relief efforts.

Garcia launched the relief drive here during the Monday flag-raising ceremony following the weekend disaster.

According to the SBMA Public Relations Department, which is coordinating the collection of donations here, the SBMA has already sent via LBC cartons of assorted food items, water and clothing weighing more than 2,000 kilos. The items were donated by individual SBMA employees, and various Freeport companies and organizations.

The SBMA Tourism Department, on the other hand, reported that it has already received more than P220,000 in cash and bags of in-kind donations from various locators and investors.

Early this week, Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation (HHIC)-Philippines, the Korean shipbuilder based in this free port, said it has delivered P4-million worth of rice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Pasay City.

Meanwhile, Theodore Huang, chairman of the Subic Bay Development and Management Corp., donated P4.5 million, while Moon Kang, another investor here, gave P200,000 worth of rice.

Garcia said that more donations from Subic Freeport workers and companies are forthcoming. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Gov’t, private firms give more typhoon aid - SBMA launches donation drive

Government agencies and private companies have sent more donations to victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas.

Last Monday, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia launched a campaign to gather donations from companies and employees in Subic.

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines, a South Korean shipbuilder based in Subic Bay, donated 2,041 sacks of rice worth P4 million and these were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Hanjin has responded to our call for donations to help our government in the relief efforts. Other locators here are also having their own way of collecting goods that they may send to the typhoon victims,” Garcia said.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has sent an initial 10,000 family emergency medical (FEM) kits to the typhoon victims in Leyte and Samar.

The FEM kits contain medicine for common illnesses such as fever, cough, colds and diarrhea.

Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, PCSO general manager, said the FEM kits will be distributed in evacuation centers where displaced families took refuge at the height of the typhoon.

PCSO chairman Margarita Juico said the PCSO Board of Directors also made it a policy to subsidize the hospital bills of patients directly affected by calamities who are being treated at government hospitals and healthcare facilities.

The policy was applied after Typhoons Sendong and Pablo, the monsoon floods in 2012, landslide in Compostela Valley and other natural calamities in the past.

Meanwhile, the Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (AMWSLAI), the second largest non-stock savings and loan association in the country, has started giving calamity loans at reduced interest rate to its members in calamity-stricken areas in the Visayas. It also devised a system that will speed up the processing and release of loans.

There are more than 207,000 AMWSLAI members all over the country, most of them soldiers and policemen and their families.

“To pay tribute to their unparalleled heroism and patriotism and to assist them rise above and rebuild their livelihood, AMWSLAI has started giving out calamity loans at reduced interest rate for its members who were adversely affected by the two recent calamities: the earthquake in Bohol and Super Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern, Central and Western Visayas,” AMWSLAI chairman Ricardo Nolasco Jr. said.

The Board of Trustees of AMWSLAI also gave donations in kind and in cash, including the budget for their Christmas party this year, and mobilized its personnel to help in rehabilitation efforts.

Maynilad Water Services, Inc., on the other hand, donated potable water, food and other relief items.

Its employees also helped in relief operations. They proceeded to the DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City to help load relief goods to delivery trucks that will transport the items to relief centers.

Samar group airs appeal

Convenors of a newly formed group of Samareños aired an urgent appeal to fellow Samareños here and abroad for help in rebuilding communities in two Samar provinces that have been devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Tindog SAMAR convenors, led by Omi Royandoyan, Rene Nachura and Charo Cabardo, said victims of the typhoon in both Eastern Samar and the main Samar province deserve more than solemn prayers. They need immediate relief for their survival.

“We urge big businesses, international aid agencies, non-government organizations, and Samarnon patronal organizations in Metro Manila and in the United States to help the towns of Basey and Marabut in Samar; and Lawaan, Balangiga, Giporlos, Quinapondan, Hernani, MacArthur, Salcedo, Mercedes and Guiuan in Eastern Samar,” Tindog SAMAR said in a statement.

Convened a week after Yolanda slammed into the country, Tindog SAMAR aims to help facilitate relief and rehabilitation operations in Samar.

Tindog SAMAR convenors saw the need to form the organization to help extend the reach of relief operations, especially for typhoon victims in both Samar provinces who have yet to get help.

Meanwhile, the local government of Legazpi, in partnership with Sunwest Group Holding Co. Inc. and other private firms, is deploying more aid to Central Visayas.

Team Bicol is sending additional dump trucks, a boom truck and fuel tanker together with a 19-man contingent of electricians, mechanics and cooks from Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. and Misibis Bay.

Other volunteers from private firms in Legazpi City were also mobilized to augment the first team of Sunwest volunteers who first arrived in Leyte on Nov. 12.

Team Bicol has deployed more than 20 dump trucks and earth moving machines courtesy of Sunwest Group. The team is currently helping in massive clearing operations in Palo, Leyte.

Container vans donated to Red Cross

Harbour Center Port Area Inc. donated 40-footer and 20-footer container vans with generator and air conditioner to the Philippine Red Cross. These vans will serve as blood bank and PRC office in Tacloban, replacing the temporary blood facility in Leyte Park Hotel.

Chairman Richard Gordon said the PRC has augmented blood supply in Leyte, particularly at the Divine Word Hospital and other areas in the Visayas hit by Yolanda, from the PRC headquarters blood bank in Manila and Cebu City chapter.

Cebu Pacific continues humanitarian flights

Cebu Pacific, for its part, continues to operate daily flights between Cebu and Tacloban and Manila and Tacloban.

The airline reserves seats for humanitarian purposes in its Tacloban flights.

Cebu Pacific has also transported 3,000 kilos of relief goods from the GMA Kapuso Foundation to Iloilo; another 3,000 kilos to Cebu and 9,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban earlier this week.

The airline will be transporting an additional 30,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban. (Perseus Echeminada, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rhodina Villanueva, Ric Sapnu, Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/11/22/1259499/govt-private-firms-give-more-typhoon-aid

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Hanjin Subic shipyard donates P4-M rice for “Yolanda” victims

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil), a South Korean shipbuilder based in Subic Bay, has donated 2,041 sacks of rice for the victims of typhoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas region.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the rice donation, with an estimated value of P4 million, was transported by Hanjin to Pasay City where it was formally turned over to representatives of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Last Monday, Garcia formally launched a campaign to gather donations from Subic-registered companies and their employees for typhoon victims in Tacloban and other areas devastated by Yolanda.

First to heed the call was the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team, which donated P10,000 of the cash award they recently received for winning the 2013 Kalasag Awards in the national level for urban search and rescue.

“Hanjin has responded to our call for donations to help our government in the relief efforts. Other locators here are also having their own way of collecting goods that they may send to the typhoon victims,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, HHIC-Phil managing director Joong Gyu Kim, on behalf of his company, commiserated with the Filipino people in the wake of the typhoon which killed thousands in the Visayas.

“We express our deepest sympathy to those affected by this great human tragedy,” Kim said in a statement.

“We join hands with the Filipino nation in this hour of need to at least ease the suffering of the people hit by such disasters of immeasurable proportions,” Kim added.

As a business locator here, HHIC-Philippines has been actively pursuing corporate social responsibility projects and initiatives which focus on the improvement of public infrastructure, education, health, disaster response, employee welfare, and human resource development.

On November 5, HHIC-Phils received a Certificate of Recognition and Plaque of Excellence from the Philippine Board of Investments (BoI) for its outstanding efforts in implementing various CSR programs in local communities. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA opens ID processing center at Hanjin shipyard

Thousands of workers employed by Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation (HHIC-Phil) will now benefit from extension services provided by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) after the agency opened on Monday an ID Processing Center (IDPC) right at the main gate of the South Korean shipbuilder’s shipyard.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the center will cater to nearly 20,000 personnel working 24/7 on three shifts at HHIC-Phil’s US$1.6-billion facility at the Redondo Peninsula here, which is now the fourth largest shipbuilding facility in the world.

“This project will provide workers of Hanjin and its affiliate companies added convenience when it’s time to renew their SBMA ID’s and gate passes. Now, they don’t have to cross the bay just to avail of SBMA services — we brought the processing center to their doorstep,” Garcia added.

The newly-opened IDPC located at the HHIC main gate is maintained by personnel from the SBMA Labor Department, Law Enforcement Department (LED), and Office Services Department (OSD), which are all tasked to facilitate the issuance of new SBMA IDs.

Atty. Ramon Agregado, who is SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations, said the IDPC project translates to more efficient service by the SBMA and less foot traffic at its main ID processing center.

“This cuts both ways,” Agregado noted. “On one hand you ease the difficulty for nearly 20,000 workers having to cross Subic Bay only for badging. On the other hand, we make it less chaotic at the SBMA badging office.”

OSD Manager Gerardo Hermoso said the center is expecting to process an average of 200 ID applications and renewals each day, prioritizing those that have already expired.

Hermoso said that to avail of badging services, the workers would have to visit the IDPC only once to have their photographs taken. Payment will then be made through salary deduction, and the new IDs will be released by the HHIC-Phil Human Resource Department.

He added that SBMA is also considering the possibility of extending IDPC operations for two more hours to accommodate workers whose shift ends at 5:00 p.m.

“This may seem to be a just a puny effort on the part of the SBMA, but with this scheme we eliminate the need for workers to be absent from work because they can have their photo taken right here at the shipyard. After work, they can drop by the IDPC, have their photos taken, then after just a few minutes, exit the gate and head for home,” Hermoso said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon Agregado (left) and HHIC-Phil Deputy Managing Director Kim Joong Gyu cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the satellite ID Processing Center for employees at the Hanjin shipyard in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The satellite office was established to provide convenience to nearly 20,000 workers of Hanjin and its affiliate companies.

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SBMA rescue team wins 2013 Gawad KALASAG

Emergency rescuers from Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will again receive the highest honor in the national disaster management recognition program after being chosen as first place in the Urban Search and Rescue (URBAN SAR) category for this year.

This will be their second award in the said category since 2009.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said this was announced by the office of Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and concurrent executive director of National Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

According to the announcement, the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team will receive award for Best Government Emergency Response Management (GEM) for Gawad Kalasag Private/Volunteer Organizations, Government Emergency Response Management.

The SBMA Fire and Rescue Team is headed by Ranny Magno, one of the country’s acknowledged experts in disaster and emergency operations, who is constantly invited by various rescue teams to give lectures and share experiences on disaster management.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) presents the annual Gawad KALASAG, an acronym for “KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan; SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan”, in recognition of individuals, groups or institutions that have shown extraordinary courage, heroism, self-sacrifice, and bravery against all odds in times of emergencies and disasters.

Other winners in the same category are: 2nd Place - Team Isulan Fire Fighters, Sultan Kudarat- Region XII; and 3rd Place - Special Operations Coast Guard Southern Tagalog- Region IV-A.

The SBMA Fire and Rescue Team, together with other winners for various categories, will receive the award on October 25 at Camp Crame in Quezon City. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Members of the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team, along with other civilian volunteers, carry the body of a landslide victim during a retrieval operation in Castillejos, Zambales on September 24.

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SBMA, Aytas, NCIP sign joint management agreement on ancestral land

The Ayta community inside this Freeport has more reason to be joyous in celebrating the Indigenous People’s Month this October, as the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the joint management agreement (JMA) covering the use by investors of tribal lands inside this free port has been signed on Thursday, October 10.

The signing of the JMA coincided with the celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples Month, which was declared in 2009 for the purpose of heightening peoples’ awareness and participation in celebration and preservation of indigenous people’s communities.

The agreement is designed to safeguard the rights of the Ayta Ambala tribe over parts of their ancestral land inside Subic Bay Freeport, while recognizing the management mandate of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) over the free port zone.

The JMA-IRR was signed by SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia, tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla of the Tribong Ayta Ambala sa Pastolan, and Region 3 director Ronaldo Daquioag of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).
The simple but historic ceremony was held at the SBMA Boardroom and witnessed by members of the Ayta tribal council, SBMA officials, and representatives of the NCIP.

Frenilla said that the JMA- IRR, which was written in Tagalog for easy understanding of the tribal members, will protect their rights and guarantee that all their benefits will be given the tribe for allowing investors in the Subic Bay Freeport to use their ancestral lands.

“Marami sa mga Ayta, lalo na iyong matatanda, ang naiyak dahil ngayon lamang magkakatotoo ang aming pangarap na magkaroon ng tunay na karapatan sa aming lupang ninuno,” Frenilla said.

The Aeta Ambala tribe of Subic Bay holds a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), representing ownership of more than 4,280 hectares of land. This covers parts of the Kalayaan and Binictican housing areas, and the tourism areas of Apaliin, Pamulaklakin and El Kabayo.

In September 2011, the SBMA and the Ayta tribal council signed the JMA, which authorized the SBMA to provide systematic management and development of the ancestral land to help uplift the economic, cultural and social life of the tribe based on programs implemented by the government.

With the signing of the JMA, the Subic Ayta tribe will collect 5 per cent of the gross income paid by investors for lands within their ancestral domain that have been leased starting May 12, 2009 when the CADT was registered. Above this, each qualified Ayta family will receive P20,000 a year in livelihood assistance.

Other benefits include priority hiring of able Aeta workers, implementation of community development assistance programs, construction of clinic and schoolrooms for the community high school, and an annual donation of P100,000 to the Pastolan village every fiesta time and Christmas.

Meanwhile, NCIP’s Daquioag said that the success story of Ayta Ambala in pursuance of their rights over their ancestral land will be used as template for other indigenous tribes all over the country.

“Ang agreement na nilagdaan ng SBMA at Tribong Ayta Ambala sa Pastolan ay magsisilbing template o pagkokopyahan ng mga kasunduan na isasagawa ng iba pang tribong katutubo kaugnay sa paggamit ng kanilang lupang ninuno,” Daquioag said.

For his part, Chairman Garcia thanked the Subic Ayta community for their support and assistance in formulating the joint management agreement.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo dahil ang IRR na matagal nating inaasam ay tinanggap na ng ating mga kapatid na katutubo upang lalong lumaki ang kanilang pakinabang sa lupain at mapabilis ang pag-unlad ng kanilang kabuhayan,” Garcia said (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia signs a joint management agreement covering parts of the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport with Pastolan Ayta chieftain Conrado Frenilla (right) and NCIP Region 3 director Ronaldo Daquioag.

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JICA officials in Subic to gauge funded projects

Officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other Japanese financial institutions visited this free port recently to assess the status and financial and economic potentials of projects funded by the financial institution.

The group, led by JICA chief representative Takahiro Sasaki, was welcomed by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Roberto Garcia, together with several officials from the SBMA seaport department.

Sasaki said the group’s visit to Subic was part of their two-day tour of the Philippines to understand the actual financial and economic potential of the country and also to introduce JICA’s projects and programs here.

During the meeting, Garcia and seaport officials briefed the visitors on the seaport facilities available within the free port, as well as the performance of the New Container Port Terminal.

The terminal project, along with the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway that connected the two former bases of Subic and Clark, was completed with funding from JICA’s Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Last month, a group composed of members of the House of Councilors from Japan also visited Subic and commented that the Philippines has a huge potential and that it needs to take advantage the growing manufacturing sector.

The group added that the Philippines and Japan have a lot in common and that continuous communication and information exchange is very important for mutual development.

The group also stressed the importance of Subic port in decongesting the port of Manila. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (right) confers with JICA chief representative Takahiro Sasaki during a consultation meeting regarding the status of projects funded through JICA-ODA in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

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SBMA rescue team shift action to flushing flood debris

After helping out in search, rescue and retrieval operations as floodwaters submerged a large part of the Subic Bay area, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Fire and Rescue Team have now shifted their operations to clearing and flushing mud and other debris left by the receding waters.

“Our job never stopped in rescuing and retrieving. After the flood, SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia has asked the SBMA Rescue Team to help fast-track the removal of debris, so we are now assisting in clearing activities,” SBMA Fire chief Ranny Magno said.

Using SBMA fire trucks, the agency’s volunteer operators continue to see action and are now working in Olongapo City—helping clear the mud from the public market, schools, churches, and streets.

“Everyone has volunteered to extend operations for several hours beyond their regular schedules,” Magno said.

Prior to this, the SBMA Rescue Team had been dispatched to flooded areas since Monday after rivers overflowed in Olongapo and the neighboring town of Subic, Zambales.

The job took them to the villages of Barretto, Sta. Rita, West Bajac-Bajac, and East Bajac-Bajac in Olongapo; Wawandue and Santa Monica in Subic town; Balaybay in Castillejos, Zambales; and in Dinalupihan, Bataan— rescuing residents who were stranded or trapped in flooded areas and bringing them to safety.

“It’s the worst flooding in local history, and in some areas the floodwater was ten feet deep,” Magno noted.

In Balaybay, Castillejos, and in Wawandue, Subic, the rescuers helped retrieve the bodies of landslide victims who were buried under tons of mud.

A total of 19 persons were killed in three separate landslides in Subic, while five perished in Castillejos.

The tragedy was caused by heavy monsoon rains, locally known as “Habagat,” which was enhanced by Typhoon “Odette.” The combination dumped a record volume of rain in the Subic Bay area, resulting in the flooding of low-lying barangays and coastal areas.

Despite the long hours of work, the SBMA rescuers remained in high spirit, Magno said. “Nobody complained, and all were willing to serve beyond the call of duty,” he added.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the agency’s rescue operators are acknowledged to be exemplars of malasakit and volunteerism, which are among the core values of the agency.

The SBMA Rescue Team was the recipient of the 2009 Gawad KALASAG Award: Special Citation and Special Recognition for Best Support Organization/Institution in the national level “for the extraordinary courage, heroism, self-sacrifice, and bravery against all odds in times of emergencies and disasters.”

The award was for the assistance provided by the SBMA team in recovering and retrieving trapped miners in Itogon, Benguet in September 2008.

In January 2011, Magno was conferred the 2010 KALASAG Award by President Aquino for being the best disaster manager in the country. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA firemen help clear mud left by the flood at Canda Street in Barangay East Bajac-Bajac, Olongapo City on Sunday. The SBMA Fire and Rescue Team also participated in the massive rescue effort to free residents trapped in their houses in Olongapo City during heavy flooding brought about by monsoon rains last week.

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SBMA rescue team assists habagat victims

SBMA rescue personnel, along with local volunteers, carry the body of a landslide victim in Barangay Balaybay, Castillejos, Zambales after a search and retrieval operation on Tuesday. The SBMA team also participated in the massive rescue effort to free residents trapped in their houses in Olongapo City during heavy flooding brought about by monsoon rains last Monday. (MPD-SBMA)

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Garcia cites employee contributions to SBMA’s much improved performance

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V. Garcia congratulated employees of the agency on Monday for their contribution in drawing out a much improved performance of the Subic Bay Freeport in the past several months.

In a special flag-raising ceremony here to start the month-long celebration of the 113th anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service, Garcia said that everything is going fine for the Subic agency, thanks in part to the good performance of its employees.

“SBMA is so lucky this year, because we are performing much better than at this time last year,” Garcia said.

He added that in terms of mandated business, the SBMA is also doing well as the Board of Directors has already approved more than $600 million worth of new committed foreign investment this month.

Garcia also announced that Subic’s tourism industry is enjoying increased growth, with the possible holding of the Ad Summit Pilipinas in Subic Bay this year, as well as the planned hosting of the Safeguard 5i50 triathlon here soon.

He also said that with the upcoming meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC), Subic Bay has also been chosen as among the strategic places to host one of the ministerial meetings where at least 1,000 delegates are expected to attend.

“Subic will be busy this part of the year. So please be with me in maintaining our environment to put SBMA in a status as model for all government agencies,” Garcia urged the employees.

The Civil Service Commission led other government agencies nationwide in marking the civil service day with programs hewing on the theme "Tatak Lingkod Bayani: Isabuhay, Ipagmalaki, Ipagbunyi!"

Here in Subic, Chairman Garcia led employees and officials in reciting the “Panunumpa ng Lingkod Bayan,” while 2012 SBMA employee of the year Marivic Seguiban recited the “Panunumpa ng Kawani ng SBMA.”

In the same ceremony, Garcia also read a message from President Aquino congratulating government employees for being with the administration’s thrust in providing the best public service anchored on transparency and professionalism.

A video-message from CSC Chairman Francisco Duque III also urged government employees to continue serving the public to the best of their best abilities.

As part of the civil service anniversary celebration, the SBMA has also launched several projects to acknowledge the best performance of employees.

These include free shuttle rides in the morning and afternoon, free review classes for employees planning to take the CSC eligibility examination this October, and a free “Zumba” physical fitness program every Friday just before the close of office hours.

“This is our little way of thanking our employees who work hard so that the SBMA meets what the government is expecting from it,” Garcia also said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (extreme right) joins employees in reciting the “Panunumpa ng Kawani ng SBMA” during a simple ceremony held Monday morning as part of the nationwide simultaneous celebration of the 113th anniversary of the Civil Service Commission.

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SBMA To Augment Harbor Patrol

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) plans to augment its harbor patrol by adding four new patrol boats to its security fleet.

This was bared by SBMA Chairman Robert Garcia in a recent interview, adding that the agency will also be repairing two patrol boats. He added that the SBMA wants to ensure the security of Subic Bay’s shorelines.

“We have already asked Malacañan to provide us with the proper funding for our new patrol boats. We are still waiting for their nod,” Garcia said.

The statement came amidst the drug bust that happened recently in the town of Subic which resulted in the seizure of P2 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu.”


Garcia said the agency is not claiming the honor of busting the drug syndicate but only said that it assisted the police. “We helped in staking out the syndicate,” he said.


Garcia reiterated that allegations made by Subic Mayor Jefferson Khonghun that the drugs passed through Subic Bay Freeport is unfounded, since the drugs might have come from foreign vessels and then possibly ferried via motorized bancas.

“The shoreline of Subic town is long (sic), motorized bancas could land anywhere in Subic town,” Garcia said.

“We have been adamant in keeping smuggling off of Subic Freeport. Items such as rice, oil and other smuggled items have been nil since we helped bust the biggest rice smuggling operation in the country,” Garcia said.

As for the SBMA officials who are connected in the drug operations, Garcia was mum on the subject. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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SBMA clears misinformation about Subic Freeport and P2-B drug bust

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia yesterday shed light on erroneous reports about the seizure of some 400 kilograms of shabu in this free port.

Newspaper reports dated August 12 indicated that anti-narcotics operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after a five-month surveillance arrested six suspects and seized of 400 kilos of shabu worth P2-B at the Sta. Monica Subdivision in Subic, Zambales.

Some accounts, however, placed the location of the drug bust as either the Subic Bay Freeport or the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, instead of the municipality of Subic in Zambales.

“I just want to make it clear, once and for all, because it has become a common mistake that Subic Bay Freeport and Subic, Zambales are one and the same. Well, they are not,” stressed Garcia in a statement..

‘Subic Bay Freeport is a 670-square kilometer area, which is formerly the .US. Naval Base, Subic Bay. By virtue of the Republic Act 7227, it is now being managed and developed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority into a self-sustaining growth center,” he added.

“Subic, Zambales, on the other hand, is one of the 13 municipalities of the province of Zambales, and one of the eight communities adjacent to the Subic Bay Freeport,” he continued.

In the case of the seizure of P2-billion shabu on August 11,Garcia emphasized that this happened at Sta. Monica Subdivision, which is located in the municipality of Subic, Zambales, and not in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, nor in the Subic Bay Freeport.

A report also mentioned the Subic Bay Freeport as a haven for drug smugglers, referring to the drug smuggling attempt here at the Subic Bay Freeport sometime in 2011.

Garcia likewise clarified that that smuggling attempt made news “precisely because it was foiled by the SBMA Law Enforcement Department, in cooperation with other agencies.”

According to Garcia, the SBMA and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have long been in close coordination to curb smuggling in the Port of Subic, which is in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Moreover, he gave the assurance that under his term, the SBMA will not allow smugglers to do any “monkey business” in the Subic Bay Freeport. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA to plant 25,000 trees this season

Employees and officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), along with members of the Subic Bay Freeport community, will be planting some 25,000 seedlings this rainy season as part of the agency’s environmental conservation program.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia said the month-long tree-planting activity will start on July 12, a Friday, and will be held three more Fridays hence.

The tree-planting program will supplement a similar project undertaken three years ago by SBMA employees and community volunteers.

“As with the first tree-planting program, we would need the help of community organizations and individuals to assist us and bring this worthy endeavor into another successful conclusion,” Garcia said.

“We need more volunteers to get this job done,” he added.

Angel Bagaloyos, manager of the SBMA Ecology Center, which is spearheading the activity, said the tree-planting project will be held again at Subic’s Mount Santa Rita area, the same locale where the SBMA planted 10,000 seedlings in 2010.

Different species of forest trees, mostly endemic to the region, and some fruit trees will be planted in the area, he added.

Bagaloyos also said that the trees planted three years ago are now “already grown and established” because part of the SBMA tree-planting program involved caring for the plants for a period of three years, or until the seedlings have become self-sustainable.

The remaining open patches of land in the largely grassy hillsides of Mount Santa Rita would be ideal planting sites for this year, he also said.

As manager of the Subic Bay Special Economic and Freeport Zone, the SBMA is mandated to care for the environment through the agency’s Ecology Center.

Garcia noted that under its environmental conservation program, the SBMA has established its own nursery to collect seeds and grow saplings for reforestation projects.

Through the Ecology Center, the agency has also donated seedlings to schools and community organizations for their own tree-planting projects, he said.

Garcia said that individuals and groups who would like to volunteer their help in the tree-planting project this year may get in touch with the SBMA Ecology Center at (047) 252-4656 to register their names. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

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