SBMA grants another 30-day extension for business permits

Another 30-day extension has been granted by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to business locators here whose company registration had expired since the imposition of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in March.

According to SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business Kenneth Lemuel Rementilla, the SBMA will extend the validity of the Certificate of Registration (CR) and Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption (CRTE) until July 13 to give business locators enough time to renew their permits.

The extension has been approved by SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma upon the recommendation of Senior Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Renato W. Lee.

Rementilla said the latest extension from the SBMA effectively granted a 120-day validity extension for business registrations since the Subic Bay Freeport operated under quarantine rules starting March 17.

He said that during a referendum on March 20, the SBMA board of directors initially approved to grant a 30-day reprieve to Subic Bay Freeport enterprises whose registration would have expired within the ECQ period, or from March 17 to May 13, as well as to those whose CR or CRTE expired prior to the ECQ but had already applied for renewal before March 17.

This extension also applied to sub-lessees whose sublease would have expired during the said ECQ period, provided that no protest was received from the sub-lessor during the extended period, Rementilla added.

Following the initial extension, Chairman Eisma, who was authorized by the SBMA board to further extend the validity as needed and pursuant to national government directives, first granted an extension until June 13.

“In view of the continuing community quarantine imposed in the Subic Bay Freeport, Chairman Eisma further extended the validity of the CRs and CRTEs of Subic Bay Freeport locators until July 13, 2020,” Rementilla said.

Prior to this, the SBMA also further suspended the collection of penalties and other fees from business locators and residents until the end of June to help ease economic difficulties during the pandemic.

The extension covered penalties on late payment of billings, fees on deferment of deposit for maturing post-dated checks, and due dates covering payment schemes with deed of undertaking, which were all initially suspended from March to May 2020.

The SBMA had similarly granted a validity extension for the IDs and access passes of SBF workers until June 30 and allowed the renewal until July 31 of vehicle decals with one-year validity issued in 2019. (MPD-SBMA)

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Bio-molecular labs in Subic, Clark to open this week

Philippine Red Cross Chairman and CEO Senator Richard Gordon on Sunday said two bio-molecular laboratories in Subic and Clark will open within the week to boost the PRC’s testing capacity amid the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

In a statement, Gordon said the two laboratories passed the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine’s proficiency test on Friday and were accredited as certified COVID-19 testing centers.

The Subic laboratory, which is located at the PRC Logistics and Training Center inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Clark laboratory, which is located at Clark Freeport Zone, are capable of running up to 2,000 tests per day.

“This is a very welcome development. We can do a total of 4,000 tests per day in the two new facilities, which will enable us to run an overall total of 16,000 tests a day. And with the hotel capabilities of both Subic and Clark, repatriation flights for overseas Filipino workers can now be directed to the airports in the two cities,” Gordon said.

Aside from the facilities in Subic and Clark, he said the PRC will open up eight other testing centers in Batangas, Laguna, Mandaue City, Isabela, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga City, Bacolod City, and Surigao.

The PRC will also add ten more PCRs in the Port Area molecular lab, which will enable the agency to conduct a total of 46,000 tests per day.

“According to the WHO (World Health Organization), we have to test 13 percent of the population so we can determine the disease’s positivity rate. For Metro Manila, alone, that would be 1.7-million and it would take ten months or 308 days to test 13 percent of its population at 46,000 tests a day. So we really have to ramp up testing to ensure victory over COVID,” Gordon said.

So far, the Philippines recorded 25,392 cases of COVID-19, including 1,074 deaths and 5,706 recoveries. (Ma. Angelica Garcia, DVM, GMA News)

PHOTO:

The Subic laboratory is located at the PRC Logistics and Training Center inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/742575/bio-molecular-labs-in-subic-clark-to-open-this-week/story/

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Subic firms retrench workers due to Covid-19 losses

At least 20 companies in this Freeport have implemented retrenchment measures that affected workers because of financial difficulties brought about by the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

A report from the Labor Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) indicated that the affected companies applied cost-cutting measures like forced leave, compressed workweek schedules, or outright termination of workers since February when the Covid-19 outbreak began to hurt business activities worldwide.

The report showed that as of June 2, a total of 2,435 workers underwent forced leave while 124 others were bumped off by compressed workweek schedules because of low demand for company products, or due to lack of materials and supplies for production.

On the other hand, around 700 workers have been terminated from employment since mid-February due to financial losses suffered by their companies.

The companies with most number of terminated employees were computer device manufacturer Wistron Infocomm (Philippines) Corp., with 551 affected workers; theme park operator Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium, Inc., with 110; and importer Simon & Stanley International Trading & Development Co., with 74.

Wistron also placed hundreds of workers on forced leave in February and March before finally separating 551 employees last April.

Meanwhile, ship repair firm Subic Drydock Corporation (SDC) is scheduled to separate 52 employees on June 25 after implementing mandatory leave for 149 workers on May 1 to 15, the SBMA report showed.

Subic Drydock administrative manager Diana Ross Mazo said in a statement that the imposition of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) last March “forced the business to shut down for two months without revenue.”

Mazo said that despite the cancellation of project bookings, the SDC has recalled back to work 40 percent of its employees as the company reopened in a staggered fashion starting May 18.

“Over the next few weeks, SDC will gradually increase capacity in support of the ‘new norm’. However, based on careful review of our operation, we need to reduce manpower by separating some of our employees effective June 25,” she added.

Mazo said the company will abide by laws and regulations regarding the separation of workers and will provide the applicable 13th month and service incentive leave pay, as well as half month pay per year of service. Payment for the affected employees will be given in two separate checks: one dated June 26 and the other dated July 26, she added.

Mazo also said that SDC officials, along with representatives from the SBMA Labor Department and the Department of Labor and Employment’s satellite office in Olongapo City, met with the affected workers in six batches until June11 to process the termination.

SBMA Labor Department manager Melvin Varias said the SBMA Labor Department is closely monitoring the implementation by Subic companies of their retrenchment measures to ensure compliance with labor laws.

Prior to the Covid-19 crisis, various locators in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone employed a total of 138,940 workers, with close to 70 percent in the services sector and more than 15 percent in manufacturing, Varias said.

The terminated workers comprise about 0.6 percent of this total. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Computer device manufacturer Wistron Infocomm (Philippines) Corp. is among Subic locators that have retrenched workers due to financial difficulties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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SBMA extends suspension of business fines, fees

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has further suspended the collection of penalties and other fees from Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) business locators and residents to help ease economic difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a memorandum issued last Friday, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency has extended the suspension of penalty payments until the end of June to further assist companies and other stakeholders in recovering from the lockdown.

The extension covered penalties on late payment of billings, fees on deferment of deposit for maturing post-dated checks, and due dates covering payment schemes with deed of undertaking, which were all initially suspended from March to May 2020.

“Following the imposition of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) beginning March 16, we have ordered the majority of Subic locators to stop their day-to-day operations and the residents to stay at home,” Eisma noted.

“Given the status that we are right now where some companies are still closed or operating on scaled-down capacity, we find it necessary to further assist our locators and residents by suspending the collection of these fees until June 30,” she added.

Prior to this, the SBMA board of directors approved the suspension of penalties and other fees as economic relief assistance to companies and other payers in support of RA 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

The measures ratified by the SBMA board by way of referendum were the following: Certification No. 20-087, which suspended the imposition of penalty on late payment of billings from March to May 2020; Certification No. 20-088, which suspended fees on deferment of deposit of the maturing post-dated checks of locators and residents with written request for deferment from March to May 2020; and Certification No. 20-089, which extended March to May 2020 due dates covering payment scheme agreements with deed of undertaking.

Eisma said the same resolutions authorized the SBMA chairman and administrator to extend the said measures for another 30 days, as needed.

“Taking note that the SBF further complied with the extension of the ECQ from April 16 to May 15, the modified ECQ from May 16 to 31, and the general community quarantine (GCQ) from June 1 to 15, local businesses really deserve some boost for them to recover,” she added.

Eisma also pointed out that the SBMA had extended the validity of expired IDs and access passes for SBF workers until June 30 and allowed the renewal until July 31 of vehicle decals with one-year validity issued last 2019.

The SBMA announced earlier that close to 900 companies are now operating in the Subic Bay Freeport under GCQ rules, which is about half of all the registered enterprises in the Freeport.

Under the IATF guidelines, some companies were allowed to reopen at either 100% operational capacity; 50% up to full operational capacity; or 50% work-on-site arrangements, work-from-home, and other alternative work arrangement. Still, others, mostly from the leisure sector, were not yet allowed to operate.

Eisma said the SBMA is expecting more reopening in the coming weeks, as more qualified companies comply with minimum safety protocols specified under government guidelines. (MPD-SBMA)

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50% of Subic Freeport firms now operational

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has approved the operation of close to 900 companies doing core business activities and providing essential services following the shift to general community quarantine (GCQ) on Monday, June 1. 

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency lately gave the green light to 14 companies under GCQ rules, thus bringing the total number of open businesses here to 868. 

Most of those allowed to operate under various levels of quarantine are manufacturers of export products, producers and suppliers of food and medicine, those involved in logistics operation, and utility operators, Eisma added. 

Prior to this, the SBMA allowed 568 firms to remain open when the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) took effect on March 16, and then approved the reopening of 286 more companies after Subic transitioned to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) on May 16. 

“The total number of locators that are now allowed to operate is just half of the 1,648 enterprises registered in Subic, but we are expecting more reopening in the coming weeks, as more qualified companies comply with minimum safety protocols specified under government guidelines,” Eisma said.  

“But we have to remind everybody that we don’t allow companies to just open—even if they are qualified to open under Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines—without first passing compliance assessment by the SBMA,” the Subic Freeport chief added. 

Eisma explained the assessment entails an ocular inspection by SBMA health and safety officials, as well as the Incident Management Team, which coordinates the agency’s Covid-19 response program, and is based on guidelines on workplace prevention and control of Covid-19 issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). 

Among the requirements for submission is the company’s Personnel Deployment Plan (PDP), which takes into consideration social distancing in the workplace. 

Meanwhile, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business Kenneth Rementilla said that IATF guidelines categorized industries into four groups: 100% or full operational capacity; 50% up to full operational capacity; 50% work-on-site arrangements, work-from-home, and other alternative work arrangement; and not allowed to operate. 

All applications for reopening by Freeport companies is checked against the SBMA Business and Investment Group’s consolidated list of locators that listed the firms under the four categories, Rementilla added. 

The industries that broadly fall under Category I, which allowed full operational capacity, are: agriculture, forestry, and fisheries; manufacturing and processing plants; hospitals, medical clinics, and health clinics; retail establishments; laundry shops; food preparation establishments and water-refilling stations; logistics service providers; delivery services; power, energy, water, information technology and telecommunications supplies and facilities; electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply services.

Also allowed for full operation are those engaged in water collection, treatment and supply; waste collection, treatment and disposal activities, and materials recovery; sewerage, pest control, garbage collection and disposal, sewer maintenance and treatment; repair and installation of machinery and equipment; real estate activities; telecommunications; energy companies, and contractors and service providers; gasoline stations; construction work accredited by the Department of Public Works and Highways; manufacturing companies and supplies of equipment or products necessary to perform construction works; and media establishments. 

Meanwhile, those in Category IV which are not allowed to operate include: gyms, fitness studios and sports facilities; entertainment and amusement industries; libraries, museums, and other cultural centers; tourist destinations; travel agencies, tour operators, reservation service; gambling and betting stations; personal care services; and any other leisure establishments that promote mass gathering. 

Under GCQ, the SBMA relaxed access to the Freeport as more business locators resumed operation, but Chairman Eisma said strict health and safety measures against the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will remain in force. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Bird's-eye view of SBFZ's port and industrial areas. Close to 900 companies doing core business activities and providing essential services are now operating in the Freeport, following the shift to general community quarantine (GCQ) on Monday, June 1. (MPD-SBMA)

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Firm tampering with product expiry faces cancellation of permit

A company found to be tampering with the expiration dates of food products kept in its warehouse here is facing revocation of its permit to operate, and may eventually lose its certificate of registration as a Freeport enterprise.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said she has ordered the suspension of the certificate of registration and tax exemption (CRTE) of Phil-Em Enterprise Incorporated after the firm’s employees were caught red-handed in a raid by law enforcers last Monday.

“It saddens me to know that some unscrupulous people are taking advantage of others especially in this time of a pandemic,” Eisma said.

She said that the consent to sublease given to Phil-Em Enterprise for the use of a warehouse at the Global Industrial Park here may also be withdrawn if warranted.

“We will not tolerate any activity that violates the law and besmirches the solid reputation of the Subic Bay Freeport as the leading economic center in the part of the country,” Eisma added.

According to a report from the SBMA Intelligence and Investigation Office (SBMA-IIO), elements of the National Bureau of Investigation and the SBMA-IIO raided the Phil-Em warehouse early Monday on the strength of a search warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court in Olongapo City.

During the operation, law enforcement agents caught Phil-Em employees in the act of erasing the expiry dates on packs of Clover Chips and replacing the same with new dates using printing machines, said SBMA-IIO officer in charge Rodel del Rosario.

Subsequently, the operatives confiscated four Citronex printers with conveyors, 150 reams of label stickers, 50 reams of various printed label stickers, and two cans of eraser fluid.

The agents also seized several boxes of food items like Clover Chips, Ligo sardines, Nissin Cup Noodles, Century Tuna, Milo energy Drink, Sky Flakes crackers, Star margarine, Magnolia cheese, Royal and Fiesta pasta, Lily’s peanut butter, and food seasoning.

Phil-Em owner Philip Velasco was arrested along with employees during the raid, Del Rosario also reported. They were brought to the NBI office in Olongapo for further investigation.

Velasco’s business partner Amanda Pathak, who was also named in the search warrant, will also be charged by the NBI, said Del Rosario.

The suspects will be charged with violation of RA 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, RA 9711 of the Food and Drugs Administration Act of 2009, and RA 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA frontliners negative in rapid antibody tests

Close to a thousand frontline workers of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) tested negative in a rapid antibody test undertaken here on Saturday under a mass testing project sponsored by a business locator here in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the result of the medical examination using rapid test kits (RTKs) for Covid-19 “was a huge relief to the SBMA workers who have been risking their health in keeping the Subic Bay Freeport safe and secure since the start of the quarantine.”

“All the 910 SBMA workers, mostly frontliners, who subjected themselves to the rapid test came out okay, and this is a huge relief to everybody in the agency as well as the Subic Freeport community,” Eisma said.

“They have been working with all these health hazards for almost three months now and still face a few more weeks of risks, so we are glad that they can continue their work with confidence that they have remained clean,” she added.

Those who were tested were comprised mostly of health workers, police and security personnel, firemen and sanitation technicians, maintenance workers, as well as some employees doing administrative work during the quarantine period.

SBMA employees with health risks and comorbidities also received priority in testing, Eisma also said.

“We are glad that there is this opportunity to test our frontliners now because our polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mass testing project with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is not yet operational,” Eisma explained.

She said all the machines and equipment at the PRC molecular laboratory in Subic’s naval magazine area, as well as the swabbing centers the SBMA has put up near the Main Gate, are ready.

However, there is still the need for the medical technicians who will man the facilities to be trained under the supervision of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

According to Ronnie Yambao, SBMA deputy administrator for health and safety, the SBMA launched the antibody testing activity in cooperation with Premium Technical Training and Facilities Inc. (PTTFI), a Freeport locator, at the badminton court of the Subic Bay Sports Complex.

“It’s actually a CSR (corporate social responsibility) project of Premium Technical that they sponsored the rapid tests for SBMA frontliners in exchange for their free use of the badminton court as venue for testing of their own employees,” Yambao said.

Rapid testing can cost as high as P1,650, but still inexpensive compared to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that cost from P3,500 to as much as P9,000 when administered in private hospitals.

Yambao said that according to the Department of Health’s algorithm, “if the result was IgM reactive but IgG non-reactive, we isolate for 14 days then repeat the test. If within the 14 days the person tested develops symptoms, then we will go for admission.”

“According to our health authorities here, test validation is essential. That is why if any SBMA employee gets a positive result from the rapid test, we would automatically go for a PCR test,” he added.

Yambao also said the SBMA has adopted the DOH T3 strategy, which is to test, trace and treat persons suspected of having been infected with Covid-19. (MPD-SBMA)   

PHOTOS: 

[1] An SBMA frontline worker undergoes rapid antibody testing on Saturday at the Subic Bay Sports Complex under the agency’s program to test, trace and treat high-risk workers. 

[2] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma checks on the implementation of a rapid testing program for SBMA frontline workers on Saturday at the Subic Bay Sports Complex.

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PN’s first missile-capable warship arrives in Subic

The Philippine Navy greatly boosted its current fleet with the low-key arrival of its first missile capable frigate, to be named BRP Jose Rizal (FF150), in Subic, Zambales, on Saturday.

From a five-day maiden voyage in Ulsan, South Korea, the frigate was accorded the traditional passing honors with BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17) and three multipurpose assault craft (MPACs).

The event was documented during a fly-by of two anti-submarine helicopters, the Agusta Westland (AW) 159, and AW109. Prior to this, a meeting procedure was held between the frigate and BRP Andres Bonifacio with AW109 in the vicinity of Sta. Cruz, Zambales, before it was finally escorted to its designated anchorage area.

While at anchor, the sailing crew will undergo two-week quarantine in adherence to strict health protocols to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID19). The Technical Inspection and Acceptance of the frigate will commence after the quarantine period.

Breakthrough in Navy’s transformation 

The arrival of the country’s first missile-capable frigate is a “testament” to the government’s resolve to modernize the military as well as a “breakthrough” in the Philippine Navy’s transformation journey, Malacañang said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque affirmed that the government remains committed in building a strong and credible maritime force to protect the country’s seas from threats.

The 2,600-ton ship, named after the country’s national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, is the latest addition in the Philippine Navy’s fleet that can fire guided missiles and torpedoes.

“We are pleased to announce the historic arrival to the Philippines of BRP Jose Rizal, our country’s first ever guided-missile frigate. The arrival of the country’s most advanced warship, delivered during this administration, is a testament to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s commitment to modernize our armed forces,” Roque said.

“This forms part of the national leadership’s initiative to enhance the country’s defense capabilities to secure our seas against current threats,” he added.

Roque said they consider the arival of the new ship “a breakthrough in the Philippine Navy’s transformation journey in our goal of building a strong and credible maritime force.”

BRP Jose Rizal 

The frigate will tentatively be commissioned into service on June 19, Rizal’s birthday. The 351 by 46-feet warship weighs 2,600 tons.

It is capable of “fighting the four dimensions of warfare” namely anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and electronic warfare (EW) operations, and is equipped with surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes, and launchers.

It will also be equipped with a Hanwha Systems’ Naval Shield combat management system (CMS), regarded as the “brain” of military warship, which integrates all shipboard sensors and weapons.

This means that the ships will be able to detect and track air, surface and sub-surface targets. The same type of CMS was used by the Korean, Malaysian and Indonesian navies.

The frigate is the lead ship of its class and was built together with its sister ship, BRP Antonio Luna (FF151), which is set to be delivered in September this year The two missile frigates are part of an ₱18-billion contract between the Philippines and South Korea through shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in October 2016.

Each frigate costs ₱8 billion, with some ₱2 billion allotted for their systems and munition. (Martin Sadongdong and Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin)  

READ MORE --> https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/05/24/pns-first-missile-capable-warship-arrives-at-subic/

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SBMA shifts to modified ECQ status

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will be allowing more business operations in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) but will retain border controls and restrictions on non-essential activities as it joins neighboring communities in implementing modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of this month.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency will abide by the May 15, 2020 resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) which placed transitioning high-risk areas under MECQ from May 16 to May 31.

 “This shift to MECQ will definitely not involve any major relaxation of our existing quarantine rules. We still have to wear mask, do disinfection, practice social distancing and observe curfew hours,” Eisma stressed. “The only significant difference is that we’d be allowing more business operations so that the local economy may start its rebound,” she added.

According to the IATF’s Resolution No. 37, the MECQ areas included the provinces of Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija, as well as Angeles City. These places were previously classified as moderate-risk areas and qualified for general community quarantine (GCQ).

However, Bataan, Zambales and Bulacan had filed for extension of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), while Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Angeles City filed for modified ECQ.

Eisma said the SBMA had similarly appealed to the IATF-EID as early as April 28 to extend ECQ status over the Subic Bay Freeport due to the lack of adequate health facilities needed to contain a possible surge in Covid-19 cases in the greater Subic Bay area.

“Despite having a daytime population of around 155,000 people, the SBFZ has only one functioning hospital with only 8 ICU beds and 13 hospital rooms,” Eisma pointed out.

She also stressed that while the SBMA has put up Community Isolation Units composed of 32 beds and 45 rooms, the same are not yet fully operational. Moreover, only a small portion of the local population has been tested for Covid-19 infection, Eisma added.

The SBMA chief said that pending a separate quarantine classification by the IATF for the Subic Bay Freeport, the SBMA will adopt the MECQ status placed over Bataan and Zambales, since 65.25% of the total land area of the Freeport is located in Bataan and 24.48% is located in Zambales.

“As of now, the SBMA has started issuing guidelines and protocols to various Freeport stakeholders so that we can effectively transition from ECQ to MECQ,” Eisma added. 

The Subic Bay Freeport Zone had so far remained free of Covid-19 infection, but the SBMA has prepared care and isolation facilities open to residents of nearby communities in case of a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Eisma has also urged neighboring local government units to join a mass testing program to be implemented jointly by the Philippine Red Cross and the SBMA to detect Covid-19 infections in the locality.

The adjoining province of Bataan and Zambales have so far reported a total of 22 and 119 confirmed Covid-19 cases, respectively, while nearby Olongapo City, which has opted to remain under GCQ, has tallied 12 positive cases as of May 15.

Both Zambales and Bataan had earlier opted for an extension of ECQ, citing the continuing local transmission and the possibility of a second wave of Covid-19 infection in their areas. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, shown here inspecting a swabbing center, has opted to retain quarantine controls and health measures in the Subic Bay Freeport, which is a major economic center in Central Luzon

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LGUs urged to join SBMA-Red Cross mass testing program

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has urged local government units (LGUs) adjacent to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) to join its mass testing program to detect new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections in the locality.

In a letter sent to LGU executives on Tuesday, April 28, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency has partnered with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to provide Covid-19 mass testing services at minimal cost to residents and stakeholders of SBFZ and its surrounding communities.

The letter was sent to the eight LGUs contiguous to the SBFZ: Olongapo City; Subic, Castillejos, San Marcelino and San Antonio in Zambales; and Morong, Hermosa and Dinalupihan in Bataan.

Eisma said the SBMA-PRC mass testing program will be open to the public, although priority will be given to suspected and probable Covid-19 cases, as well as frontliners in the SBFZ, SBMA employees, and SBFZ residents.

“In this regard, SBMA is offering to partner with (LGUs) for the Covid-19 mass testing of (their) constituents at a cost of P3,500 per test, inclusive of test kits,” Eisma said. Similar polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests cost from P8,000 to P9,000 when administered at private hospitals in Manila, it was learned.

Eisma said that for this project, the SBMA has retrofitted two buildings at the Subic Bay Freeport main gate to house at least six telephone booth-type swabbing centers where trained health workers will take swab samples from patients. The collected samples will then be validated and taken to the PRC Molecular Laboratory at Subic’s Naval Magazine Area for testing.

The Red Cross testing facility in the Freeport will be equipped with an automated RNA extraction machine that can run 90 samples per hour, and two PCR machines that can each process 1,000 samples a day for a daily turnout of 2,000 tests.

The mass testing project here is the brainchild of Senator Richard Gordon, who is chairman of Philippine Red Cross. Gordon had designated Subic and the nearby Clark Freeport as PRC Covid-19 testing centers for the Central Luzon region.

Gordon had earlier stressed the exclusive use of the PCR testing method because it is more reliable and accurate than the rapid testing method, which still requires a confirmatory test.

In her letter to LGUs, Eisma said that while the PRC will require an advance of P5 million that would cover an initial 1,420 tests, the LGUs can recoup their expenses, as the same will be covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. in line with Philhealth Circular No. 2020-10.

She added that the SBMA is willing to explore a scheme whereby LGUs could advance the cost required by PRC from the 2% LGU shares to be collected by the SBMA from taxes paid by Subic Freeport locators. The SBMA has been releasing LGU shares twice a year since 2011, with an average release of P116.68 million each semester for the eight communities adjacent to the Subic Bay Freeport.

Eisma said the SBMA won’t impose any fee on top of the P3,500 cost that the Red Cross will charge to defray the costs of equipment, manpower and supplies needed for the mass testing program.

She added that at the moment, applications for Covid-19 mass testing will be screened through the Red Cross hotline 1158, although the SBMA may put up a similar hotline to help hasten processing.

Under Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, which declared a state of national emergency in face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippine Red Cross was identified as the primary humanitarian agency that is auxiliary to the government in the fight against the virus outbreak.

Eisma said the SBMA-PRC Covid-19 mass testing program will help authorities in the Greater Subic Bay-Bataan-Olongapo-Zambales area “get accurate data on the exact prevalence of Covid-19, and identify with specificity the individuals that we must treat and isolate, and the areas we have to more intensely quarantine.”

“In the same manner, this accurate and exact data will help us decide on whether we can safely ease up restrictions and implement the ‘new normal’ guidelines and protocols in order to get our local economy running again,” Eisma added. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

Workers prepare the SBMA swabbing centers at the Subic Bay Freeport main gate for the Covid-19 mass testing program in the greater Subic Bay area

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Worker found dead in barracks

A man who worked as maintenance staff at the Subic Bay Freeport Grain Terminal here was found dead beside his bed at the company barracks on Friday.

Jimmy Gonzaga Ocaña Jr., 40 years old, was found lifeless by his co-workers around 5:45 a.m. on May 1, according to initial reports by the Intelligence and Investigation Office (IIO) of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

The victim was a resident of Marikina City, who worked for the company operating a grain terminal at the Cubi Point here.

Ocaña was staying in the barracks, as he was caught in the lockdown under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and could not go back to his hometown, it was learned.

The SBMA has required companies authorized to operate under the ECQ to provide accommodations inside the Freeport for their workers.

The SBMA Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD), meanwhile, ruled out that it was Covid-19 related since he did not show any symptom like fever or cough, and had no history of travel or exposure.

Ocaña had reportedly consulted a doctor about some pain in his leg, and was prescribed some pain killer before being sent home.

Co-workers said he again complained about leg pain while having dinner Thursday night and later asked for help in going up the short flight of stairs to their barracks.

They added that when they woke up the next day, they saw Ocaña lying face down beside his bed. When they tried to wake him up, the victim was no longer responding.

His co-workers then called the attention of company officials who called the SBMA Law Enforcement Department for help.

Personnel from the SBMA PHSD also arrived and checked on the victim, but the attending physician declared that Ocaña was already dead.

The Philippine National Police in Morong, Bataan has said there was no apparent foul play in the death of the victim. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

The workers’ barracks is cordoned off during an investigation into Ocaña’s death

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Ocean Adventure launches donation drive to keep animals alive

Ocean Adventure, the biggest tourism operator in this Freeport, is launching a donation drive to keep its animals alive and well amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.

Robert Ianne Gonzaga, president and chief executive officer of Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc. (SBMEI), operator of Ocean Adventure, Adventure Beach Waterpark and Camayan Resort Hotel here, said in a statement Tuesday that the fund drive for the animals is an unprecedented but necessary step for them to do.

Gonzaga said that since the implementation of ECQ last March, their revenues have gone down to zero and will remain so for the short-term while the costs and expenses remain high due to the caring and feeding of animals and maintenance of the facilities.

“We rely only on our revenues to deliver the best of care for our animals and to ensure that they are in a safe and secure environment, with expert support available from our vets and caretakers," he said.

Ocean Adventure, which is responsible for attracting hundreds of thousands of guests and visitors to Subic Freeport every year, has been grappling with the negative impacts of the lockdown.

Last month, it retrenched more than 200 of its employees and placed the remaining 300 on forced leave.

"The disruption this pandemic has caused is unprecedented and likely to last for quite some time into the future, even after the quarantine is lifted. Our attendance numbers started plummeting in late January as concern for Covid-19 began to spread, and it got worse in February, which forced us to retrench workers in March -- days before the entire Luzon was put under lockdown. Now, all our businesses have shut down, aside from the hotel which is operating with a skeletal force. There is a lot of pain being felt across the entire tourism industry,” Gonzaga said.

SBMA chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma had earlier required manufacturing firms which continue to operate according to the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to house their employees inside the Subic Freeport.

This enabled some hotels here to remain operational with a skeletal crew, catering to guests in essential industries -- the only source of income for the duration of the lockdown.

In a statement posted on its official website, the SBMEI said the donations that the fund drive will generate will be used to purchase animal food, medicine, and vitamins, help support the animal caretakers, divers and volunteers who maintain their enclosures, veterinarians and lab technicians who provide for the health care of the animals, and pay for utilities for pumps, freezers and other equipment for the care of the animals.

"We currently have enough food for our animals to last to the beginning of June, however, since we do not expect to generate any revenue anytime soon, we are trying to raise funds to feed and support our animals for the rest of the year 2020,” Gonzaga said.

“The path to recovery is going to be long and hard, not just for our company but for everyone else in the tourism industry. That said, our animals at Ocean Adventure cannot make it through without external support in the months ahead. But we believe that with your help, nothing is impossible,” he added. (Mahatma Datu,PNA)

PHOTO:

Dolphins and their trainer at the Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay Freeport.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1101329

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Covid-19 mass testing in Subic Freeport begins early May

A mass testing program to detect new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections in the greater Subic Bay Freeport area is expected to begin here early next month under a partnership between the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the PRC is putting up a laboratory at the Naval Magazine area in this Freeport and expects to receive testing equipment by April 29 and accreditation by the Department of Health (DOH) thereafter.

“Under this schedule we expect to begin mass testing here in the first week of May at the earliest,” Eisma said.

On Sunday, Eisma and PRC Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla inspected the PRC Molecular Laboratory at the Naval Magazine area here, a project approved by PRC Chairman and Senator Richard Gordon at the behest of the SBMA chief.

According to Zavalla, the equipment for the state of the art laboratory will include an automated RNA extraction machine that can run 90 samples per hour, as well as two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines that can each process 1,000 samples a day for a daily turnout of 2,000 tests.

Zavalla said the Red Cross is only using the PCR testing method because it is more reliable and accurate.

She added that the DOH’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM, the government’s lead agency in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, would have to inspect the facility prior to operation.

Eisma said the mass testing program will be open to the public, but suspected and probable cases (previously known respectively as persons under monitoring, or PUMs, and persons under investigation, or PUIs) will be the priority.

“Frontline workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, SBMA employees, as well as Freeport residents will also be prioritized, but we will also reach out to local government units (LGUs) in the neighboring communities of Olongapo City, Zambales and Bataan so that their constituents can benefit from the program,” she added.

Eisma also pointed out that the SBMA is working out a scheme with the PRC so that the public can also use the Red Cross hotline 1158 in making appointments for testing.

To facilitate the mass testing program, the SBMA will put up swabbing centers at Freeport main gate area for the collection of samples for testing.

“Once the samples are collected, these will be validated and sent to the Red Cross laboratory for testing, and the results could be obtained in about two days,” Eisma said.

The SBMA pushed for the mass testing program the other week as the call for mass testing resounded widely.
Eisma said earlier that mass testing would provide “a good reading of the prevalence of the outbreak with the end-view of safely lifting the ECQ in order to get the Subic businesses running again.”

“If we don’t undertake mass-testing, we’d be fighting Covid-19 blindly. We have to get a better grasp of the situation so that we can act accordingly,” Eisma added.

The SBMA has been initiating solutions to protect the local community from the virus threat. Aside from the mass testing program, the Subic agency also established two care and isolation facilities at the Subic Gym and the former Leciel Hotel for use in case of a surge in Covid-19 cases. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] The Philippine Red Cross Molecular Laboratory will house the equipment for Covid-19 mass testing in the Subic Bay Freeport.

[2] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and PRC Secretary-General Elizabeth Zavalla inspect the Philippine Red Cross Molecular Laboratory in the Subic Bay Freeport on Sunday.

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Subic firm ramps up production of ventilator parts

A Japanese company in this premier free port zone is trying to cope with great demand for cooling fans used in mechanical ventilators, which are critical medical equipment used in caring for patients infected by the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Sanyo Denki Philippines, Inc. (SDPI), a locator at the Subic Techno Park (STEP) here, also used to manufacture uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units, servo amplifiers and stepping motors, but has now devoted its operations to producing cooling fans, said company president Koichi Uchibori.

Uchibori and SDPI design manager Ted Yamazaki, who met with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma on Monday when the SBMA official visited the company’s factory, said there is growing demand for cooling fans these days because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yamazaki said that the company’s cooling fans are used by companies like Siemens, Inogen and Hitachi for various medical equipment, including mechanical ventilators that move breathable air into and out of the lungs of patients who are physically unable to breathe.

But due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) rules that required export-oriented businesses to house their staff within the Freeport zone, Uchibori said that company operations have been drastically reduced to 10 percent of the previous capacity.

“The number of cooling fans we produced monthly used to reach 80,000, but we can only produce from 6,000 to 10,000 units now,” Uchibori lamented.

As of last February when the ECQ was not yet in place, Sanyo Denki had a total of 4,273 as workers, including those under contract with manpower services. Uchibori said the company now operates with only 600 workers who are housed in various hotels inside the Subic Bay Freeport.

“It is expensive keeping them in hotels, and also paying them double,” Uchibori noted. “Still we are ready to take in more, but the problem now is where to house them,” he added.

Uchibori also said that despite the huge overhead for the company’s current operations, SDPI is not charging their customers any extra amount for their in-demand products.

Aside from ventilators, the firm’s cooling fans are also used in X-ray and MRI machines, virus DNA analyzers, blood analyzers, and portable oxygen concentrators.

With this, Chairman Eisma assured Sanyo Denki officials that the SBMA will help in easing up the supply chain for the company because of its vital role in the fight against Covid-19.

She also expressed gratitude to the company and its workers for continuing to produce the vital components needed for ventilators and other medical equipment.

“We will help you find ways so that shipment of your raw materials won’t be delayed, and so that you can employ more workers to step up production of this very important product,” Eisma told Uchibori and Yamazaki.

“Subic salutes you for your important role in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic,” she added. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

Workers inspect component parts before installation in cooling fans produced by Subic firm Sanyo Denki for various medical equipment like ventilators and virus DNA analyzers.

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