PAL ends repatriation flights via Subic Freeport

After almost nine months of flying home overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other returning Filipinos via this free port, the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) landed its last “Bayanihan” repatriation flight here on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

The last flight into Subic consisted of 77 passengers from Koror City in Palau, an archipelago of islands southeast of the Philippines with a substantial population of Filipino contract workers.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the government’s repatriation flights to Subic Bay was stopped after aviation authorities increased the capacity of inbound international passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) when Covid-19 restrictions were eased.

“So, there’s no more need for PAL to reroute OFW flights via Subic. It is a bittersweet moment for us because PAL’s repatriation flights here somewhat revived our airport operations and brought much- needed income to Subic hotels during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Eisma said on Tuesday.

“Still, the lifting of passenger capacity limit at the NAIA is a sign that we are going back to normal and this is most welcome,” she added.

Eisma said that at the height of the government OFW repatriation program, Subic was connected to 10 cities and major destinations in the Indo-Pacific area. These are Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia; Bahrain; Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE; Doha in Qatar; Macau, Palau, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Diego Garcia.

She added that the use of Subic as an alternate port of since July last year has resulted in increased international aircraft and passenger movements, as well as improved income for the Subic airport.

According to Zharrex Santos, manager of the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA), PAL has made a total of 82 repatriation flights here since July when the SBIA was made an alternative hub under a government program to facilitate the return of OFWs during the Covid-19 pandemic. These did not include nine flights diverted to the nearby Clark Airport due to inclement weather.

With the 82 Bayanihan flights, a total of 20,522 passengers were processed through the Subic airport, then brought to Subic hotels for mandatory quarantine.

As of Feb. 6, the SBIA has generated more than P4.2 million in direct income from the PAL repatriation flights, Santos said.

Meanwhile, PAL consultant Charlie Yu expressed his gratitude to the SBMA, Bureau of Immigration (BOI), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard, Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA), and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) for handling the repatriation program via the Subic airport.

He also thanked quarantine hotels and other tourism stakeholders in the Subic Freeport for their support and service to the inbound OFWs and other returning Filipinos who flew home through Subic. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA now requires vaccination cards for Subic entry

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Monday began checking for vaccination cards among persons entering the Subic Bay Freeport to prevent further transmission of Covid-19 in the area and maintain the health and safety of stakeholders in this vital economic zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said this is just one of the stricter measures implemented by the Subic agency after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) placed Olongapo City, along with Zambales, Bataan and 11 other areas in the country, under Alert Level 3 late last week.

Under the new SBMA guidelines, interzonal travel and intrazonal movement are allowed in Subic upon presentation of vaccination certificate showing completed doses. Meanwhile, unvaccinated persons would have to show negative RT-PCR test results taken with 24 hours prior to arrival in Subic, Eisma said.

Subic, which boasted of zero Covid-19 cases among its residents until Christmas day, had reported a total of 36 active cases just after the holidays.

“The rate of increase—36 cases in just two weeks—is quite alarming, so in consonance with IATF resolutions, we have put in place stricter border controls and prohibited certain activities that could further spread the virus,” Eisma said on Monday.

“I have ordered our law enforcement officers to be thorough in checking for vaccination cards at the gates because we cannot afford another lockdown that would curtail business and industry in Subic. We have to be strict because we have to keep the local economy running, too,” she added.

Eisma said the SBMA has considered interzonal travel as high risk because eight of the recent Covid-19 cases in the Freeport involved residents who reported travel to Metro Manila, while five said having visited other areas outside of the Freeport.

She added that monitoring by the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department showed that these 13 travelers had, in turn, transmitted the virus to 12 close contacts. Still two others were infected after receiving visitors from outside Subic.

Eisma said that aside from requiring vaccination cards at the gates, the SBMA also limited the access of some public areas only to fully-vaccinated individuals. These include venues for meetings and social events, amusement parks and recreation venues, visitor or tourist attractions, venues for in-person religious gatherings, as well as restaurants, and gyms and personal care shops, which should all take in customers at 30% of their indoor capacity and 50% for outdoors.

Unvaccinated persons, however, may be allowed in supermarkets and groceries where 30% maximum capacity should be maintained, and inside malls but “only for the purpose of accessing essential goods and services,” the SBMA chief said.

At the same time, the SBMA allowed 70% maximum capacity for public transportation; 30% indoor capacity for face-to-face classes in higher schools; and 60% on-site capacity for government offices.

Meanwhile, the SBMA prohibited the operation of karaoke bars, indoor entertainment venues, kid amusement places, and venues for contact sports except in bubble-type setup.

Eisma said the Subic agency will enforce other measures that will arrest the current surge of Covid-19 cases in the greater Subic Bay area while encouraging stakeholders to get vaccinated for either basic doses or booster shots.

“We intend to contain this upsurge with vaccines and sound science behind basic safety protocols like masking, handwashing and social distancing,” Eisma added. (MPD-SBMA)

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Curfew, other restrictions back in Subic Bay Freeport

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Monday reimposed curfew in the Subic Bay Freeport and reverted to previous entry and mobility restrictions to help curb the resurge of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the curfew hours in the Subic Freeport will be from 12 midnight to 5:00 in the morning effective March 22 until April 4.

She added that personnel travelling to and from work in the Freeport during curfew hours would be required to show SBMA-issued gate passes and company ID cards to be allowed movement in the zone.

Cargo deliveries, on the other hand, will be unimpeded at all times in Subic, although their crew would be required to strictly observe health safety protocols like wearing of face mask and face shield.

Eisma also said the SBMA has determined that persons from the “NCR Plus bubble” will be allowed into Subic only for business purposes, and should show email confirmation of appointment in the Freeport.

“Those from NCR Plus who would stay in Subic for more than 24 hours will be required to show negative RT-PCR test results with a validity of 24 hours, while persons from MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) areas who would stay here for 4 days and 3 nights or beyond will also be required to undergo RT-PCR test,” Eisma also clarified.

The NCR Plus bubble includes the National Capital Region and the five neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite.

The SBMA chief likewise said they would strictly enforce restrictions set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) under Resolution No. 96 that those below 15 years and over 65 years of age, as well as those pregnant or with comorbidities, will not be allowed outside of their residences except for food, work, or exercise.

The SBMA also barred children below 3 years old from Subic beaches, prohibited consumption of alcoholic drinks in public areas, and temporarily banned picnicking at public spaces like the Waterfront, Boardwalk Park, Malawaan Park, and the San Bernardino Road.

In an announcement last Sunday, Eisma also reminded Subic stakeholders to stay home and suspend non-essential travel in view of the “alarming resurgence of the COVID-19 virus and the growing number of new positive cases in the country.”

The SBMA had recorded since last year 50 confirmed Covid-19 cases among Freeport residents, 32 among guests and transient workers, and 30 among SBMA employees, with just six active cases in the three groups as the moment.

“While the Subic Bay Freeport Zones remains to be one of the urban communities in the country with the least number of cases, we have to take more pro-active measures to protect our ourselves, our family, our livelihood, and the bigger community we live in. We cannot afford another lockdown, so we must do all we can to prevent it,” Eisma pointed out.

She said that to help minimize risks among SBMA employees while continuing to provide services to the public, the SBMA also reverted to alternating teams among its personnel who would man the offices during the two-week period.

“Prudence is always the better part of valor. And with prudence, we ensure our own protection and those of our loved ones and the Subic community. Just as important, we also guarantee that economic activities in Subic continue for all our sake,” Eisma also said. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA law enforcers checking for ID cards and permits among motorists (file photo)

[2] A security guard enforces social distancing among mall-goers in the Subic Bay Freeport (file photo)

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SBMA warns vs travel, exposure to visitors

 Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma warned against travel to other places and accepting visitors from areas with raging new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections, as authorities noted a new surge in positive cases here and in nearby communities.

Eisma said on Thursday (July 23) that the Subic agency is now strictly monitoring the entry of persons from Metro Manila and other Covid-19 hot spots after three Subic residents, as well as eight Freeport guests so far, tested positive of the virus recently. 

“Our sentries manning the Freeport gates are now asking for ID’s and documents that would indicate the residence of visitors, and if they were from Manila or any other area with high Covid incidence, then they would have to present health certificates,” Eisma said.

“We are also asking residents in the Freeport to be conscientious about accepting visitors, especially those from MECQ or GCQ areas, as we have traced the recent cases to exposure to visitors or travel to certain Covid hot spots,” she added.

Eisma pointed out that there has not been any community transmission recorded in the Subic Freeport, which has strictly restricted entry since the Luzon-wide quarantine was imposed last March. “So these new cases can only be attributed to outside contacts. These are imported infections,” she added.

According to the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department (SBMA-PHSD), a total of 11 confirmed cases have been recorded in the Subic Freeport just recently, after it was placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

Among Freeport residents, the first case was that of a 22-year old female, who received a visitor from Manila; the second, a 42-year old male, who had travelled to Laguna; and the third, a 38-year old male, who had no history of travel but is suspected to have been exposed to a visitor.

Meanwhile, a total of eight guests had tested positive while staying at a house in the Freeport. These included two visitors from Quezon City; three from Subic, Zambales; one from Palauig, Zambales; and two from Olongapo City. 

Two of these infected guests reportedly left the Freeport for Manila even before their test results came out. The rest, who are all asymptomatic, remained here on quarantine and under close monitoring by health workers, the SBMA-PHSD said.

The latest local cases traced to travel outside the Freeport were those of five members of the SBMA security force, who are suspected to have been exposed while in Manila.

Eisma said three of these personnel had remained under quarantine in Manila, while one was admitted into a local hospital last Tuesday (July 21), and the other into an SBMA care and isolation facility, along with three members of his family whose RT-PCR tests also turned positive. 

All of their significant contacts had been traced and have been scheduled for swabbing, Eisma said.

She added that the five security personnel are suspected to have been infected by a co-worker while eating together as a group in Manila.

“So this should be a lesson that we cannot be complacent and take the Covid-19 infections for granted, and that we could have a false sense of security when we are with friends or associates. The truth is, we can never tell who is infectious because a lot of positives are asymptomatic,” Eisma stressed.

Communities near the Subic Bay Freeport have also reported new Covid-19 cases following the easing of travel restrictions when they were placed under MGCQ. 

Zambales, which has recorded a total of 45 confirmed cases, reported five new ones on Thursday, July 23. Three had history of travel to Manila, one to Bulacan, and another to Quezon City.

Olongapo City, which has reported a total of 23 confirmed cases, announced three more on Wednesday, July 22 — all related to a person with a history of travel to Manila. (MPD-SBMA) 

PHOTO:

A traffic enforcer checks motorists coming into the Subic Bay Freeport as part of border controls during the community quarantine.

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SBMA to restrict Freeport entry to check COVID threat

Officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have ordered temporary restrictions in the entry of persons to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) within the zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the order was unanimously approved by the members of the SBMA board of directors late Saturday in response to an immediate need to protect the safety and well-being of stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport in face of increased COVID-19 infection in nearby areas.

She said the entry restrictions will be effective for about a month, starting 12:00 a.m. on Monday, March 16, until 12:00 a.m. of April 14, or while the State of Public Health Emergency declared by Malacañang is in force.

“I know that this is a bitter pill to swallow, as it would hugely impact on business operations in the greater Subic Bay area. But the welfare of everyone in the community should always be our primary consideration,” Eisma stressed.

“The entry restrictions serve as a safety and preventive measure to check the spread of COVID-19 and minimize the danger of infection that each of us face today,” she added.

While the SBMA order temporarily restricts the entry of individuals into the Freeport, Eisma said the agency had identified exceptions who would be allowed to get in, among them Subic Bay Freeport residents.

Eisma said the SBMA ruled, however, that SBF residents who come from Metro Manila and other areas with local COVID-19 transmission should undergo mandatory self-quarantine for 14 days under the supervision of the agency’s Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD).

She said that SBF locators, employees, and students will be allowed entry provided they exhibit no signs or symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection and that they shall exit the Freeport on the same day of their entry.

This guideline applies as well to accredited service providers, logistics enterprises delivering or picking up goods or supplies, port users, employees of government agencies operating within the SBFZ, suppliers, manpower and logistics providers of ongoing SBMA projects, and emergency service personnel.

Eisma said the SBMA began enforcing health safety measures early last month when the coronavirus outbreak was spreading from China into other countries. These measures included a temporary ban on the entry of persons, vessels and aircraft coming directly from COVID-hit countries and thermal scanning and screening at Freeport gates.

Last week, the SBMA began disinfection protocols and enforced a one-door policy in SBMA offices after local transmission of COVID-19 was reported in Manila.

Meanwhile, Eisma urged all Subic business locators to conduct business with non-SBF enterprises via videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and encouraged SBMA clients to submit documents online to minimize personal contacts.

“These measures, like frequent handwashing and maintaining proper hygiene, may seem puny at first, but these actually enable us to keep safe and to be strong for others,” Eisma pointed out.

“Our system might be deficient and we might be ill-prepared for an emergency like this, but if we cooperate and support each other and exercise malasakit for our community, then we can survive this ordeal,” she added. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Advisory posted in Subic Bay Freeport's facebook page restricting pass through vehicles on all SBFZ gates.

[2] Thermal scanning is undertaken at the gates and building entrances in the Subic Bay Freeport where restricted entry will be imposed on Monday to keep COVID-19 infection at bay.

[3] Members of the SBMA management team headed by Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma conduct an outdoor meeting on Friday in a wooded park near the SBMA office to drive home the need for social distancing as a health safety measure in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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