Taiwanese firm to manufacture face mask, PPEs in Subic

A newly-formed Taiwanese company in the Subic Bay Freeport will be manufacturing face masks and other personal protection equipment (PPEs) to help address a continuing demand for health safety gears, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the SBMA management has recently green-lighted the operation of Mask Secure King Inc. (MSK) to help increase the country’s production capacity for PPEs and other medical consumables.

Mask Secure King Inc., which is under the umbrella of Taiwanese construction and engineering giant MSK Group Work Inc., will set up a manufacturing facility here at the Subic Bay Gateway Park II where it has leased a 1,860-square meter building space from the Taiwanese real estate developer Xantheng Subic International Corp.

Eisma said the MSK has committed US$500,000 for the manufacturing project and will employ 35 workers during its first year of operation.

The firm will do business under the trade name “Secure Masks and Protective Gears.”

According to the SBMA Business and Investment Department for Manufacturing and Maritime (BID-MM), the Subic agency approved MSK’s proposal early this month after it filed for a Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption (CRTE).

The firm’s registered business activity focused on the manufacture of medical devices, medical tools and equipment, medical consumable products, and personal protective gears and equipment.

Among the PPEs MSK will produce are medical disposable masks, gloves, foot and eye protection devices, protective hearing devices like earplugs and muffs, hard hats, respirators, and full body suits.

BID-MM manager Karen Magno said the SBMA has already endorsed to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) the purchase by MSK of mask machines from Taiwan, as well as the importation of non-woven mask materials for its Subic manufacturing operations.

MSK will be the first Subic-registered company to engage in the manufacture of health and safety products and personal protective gears, Magno said.

Another firm, which had since relocated to Bataan, previously produced in Subic only hospital textiles and garments.

Eisma said the operation of MSK will boost local production of N95 medical masks, PPE coveralls, as well as ventilators which had no known local producer prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the same time, she said it will bolster the growing confidence of Taiwanese manufacturers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and further enlarge MSK’s development footprint here. 

The SBMA chief noted that the MSK Group had begun a P2-billion luxury residential project here in 2017 while Xantheng followed it up with a P15-billion green industrial park development project last year.

“Taiwanese investors, particularly the MSK Group, have been thriving here and continuously supporting and contributing to the development of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. This manufacturing project by MSK will be another welcome addition to our list of timely business projects here in Subic,” Eisma added. (MPD-SBMA)

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Mask Secure King Inc., which will manufacture face masks and PPEs will be located at Phase 2 of the Subic Bay Gateway Park

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SBMA: ‘Let’s make fight vs Covid-19 personal’

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has called on workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to take a personal stand against Covid-19 in order to develop a culture of safety and thus enable the revival of the local economy.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma issued this appeal on Wednesday, as the Subic agency promoted the “Subic Bay Freeport Health and Safety Pledge and Promise to Humanity”, which seeks to inspire personal commitment among workers to imbibe and practice health and safety protocols both at home and in the workplace.

“So much is at stake in this fight against Covid-19—our personal safety, our livelihood, our family’s welfare, and the growth of the economy. So, we really need to take this fight to a personal level,” Eisma pointed out.

“We need healthy people to build a healthy economy, and it takes a personal commitment to safety in order to remain healthy in these very challenging times,” she added.

The safety pledge has been approved last month by the SBMA Board of Directors for implementation on a voluntary basis among SBMA employees and other Subic stakeholders.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said that more than instilling awareness of individual and collective roles in the fight against Covid-19, the pledge recognizes the severity of the health crisis and the need for individual commitments to slow down the spread of the virus around the world.

The pledge extracts a commitment to follow all health and safety protocols and maintain safety in workplaces at all times; to encourage other people to follow safety measures in order to save lives; and to be a good role model for co-workers, friends, and family on and off the job. 

Yambao added that the pledge “makes following protocols meaningful, rather than mechanical.”

He said the SBMA had since circulated the pledge among SBMA employees, asked celebrities to endorse and popularize the project, and encouraged business locators and their employees to do the same.

Eisma said that to further strengthen workplace response to Covid-19, the SBMA recently rolled out a series of web seminars to guide Subic Freeport companies in re-tooling and boosting their capacity to respond to challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In one instance, the SBMA Business Group gathered more than 250 company officials and employees for a discussion on the “Operational Framework of COVID-19 Response in Workplace,” which originated from the Department of Health (DOH).

During the webinar, which ran for a little over an hour, SBMA fire chief Ranny Magno also oriented the participants on techniques in workplace and public transport cleaning and disinfection.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business Renato Lee said this particular orientation was important, as business locators here sought best practices to adopt in order to keep the Covid-19 virus at bay.

More firms had requested for similar capacity-building seminars to help them become self-reliant in their Covid-19 response, Lee added.

“Subic stakeholders should realize what’s at stake,” Eisma noted. “The fact is that under the new normal, everything should be safe in order to be sustainable. This applies to corporate and even personal businesses.” (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Celebrity endorsers of the Safety Pledge and Promise to Humanity include movie stars Tonton Gutierrez, Cherry Pie Picache, and Ronnie Lazaro, and Subic Customs Collector Marites Martin

[2] Safety Culture: Employees of Subic business locators undergo temperature scanning and listing before boarding a bus that would take them to work

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SBMA launches online clinic for employees

In an effort to continue delivering medical and dental care to its employees during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) came up with another innovation— “Click-nika”, its own online health clinic.

Like the previous process at the SBMA Dispensary where employees consult with doctors who prescribe medications and provide advice on health care, SBMA’s “Click-nika” also dispenses patient care but through videoconferencing.

“This is clinic at one click—a marriage of modern technology and classic doctor’s advice,” said SBMA Chairman Wilma T. Eisma, who witnessed the launch of the telemedicine project by the SBMA Public Health and Safety Group on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

“This is really important because most of those in the health industry are now focused on the fight against Covid-19, and most people are apprehensive about visiting hospitals and clinics because of the risks of virus transmission,” Eisma said.

“Still, there is a need to take care of the health of our employees, and much more so amidst this pandemic. The SBMA Click-nika project not only provides essential health care, but also allows for peace of mind among patients and even medical staff,” she added.

The online clinic is already operational since its launch, said Ronnie Yambao, who is SBMA deputy administrator for health and safety and proponent of the project.

Yambao said the concept has been hatched months ago in the middle of the community quarantine imposed all over the country.

He said the program runs on a simple system, as employees only have to make an appointment through email to sbmaclicknika@gmail.com, and state the preferred date of consultation and indicate their Facebook account name.

PHSD personnel will then respond to the email within 24 hours, sending a consent form to be filled out by the patient and sent back through email.

Thereafter, consultation will be done through video call, Yambao explained.

In some demonstration during the project launch, a patient was seen taking his own vital signs and reporting the data to the consulting doctor. Another patient, meanwhile, showed photos of his teeth that need the services of a dentist.

Eisma said that the SBMA Click-nika would especially be useful to employees who have had to work from home either because they are among the elderly age or because they have comorbidities. “These ones are those who require regular check-ups,” she pointed out.

Yambao also said that with this project, the SBMA may yet be the first government agency in Central Luzon to have adopted telemedicine for its employees.

He added that the project may yet expand to encompass other stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport once additional manpower and other resources have been set up. (30)

PHOTO:

SBMA deputy administrator for health Ronnie Yambao, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, and Dr. Joane Sorvik discuss telemedicine procedures as a patient seeks medical advice online during the launch of the SBMA “Click-nika” online clinic last Wednesday

 

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SBMA statement on imported wastes discovered at Subic Bay Freeport

Last Saturday, October 17, 2020, the Bureau of Customs at the Port of Subic raised an alert over two shipments consisting of 30 container vans declared to be containing old corrugated cartons for re-pulping. The shipments were transported from the United States via the container ship Ever Lyric and consigned to Bataan 2020, Inc., a paper manufacturer with a mill in Samal, Bataan.

The alert was based on information from the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that said shipments are suspected to be in violation of R.A. 10863, or An Act Modernizing the Customs and Tariff Administration, in relation to DERNR Administrative Order 2013-22 (Revised Procedures and Standards for the Management of Hazardous Wastes).

After initial examination of five container vans, BOC-Subic declared that “the shipment revealed prohibited waste materials which were illegally imported.” BOC-Subic said it will undertake further inventory “to ascertain the volume and actual contents of the shipment.”

As manager of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) vehemently denounces this apparent attempt to smuggle waste materials into the country and likewise deplores the use of the Subic Bay Freeport as a transit point for this illegal trade.  

It was just last year — on May 31, 2019 — that we successfully banished from our shores 69 garbage-laden containers from Canada, of which 67 had stayed here in Subic in their putrid condition for several years. We don’t want that sordid chapter in our history to happen again.

We join all concerned government agencies in vigilance against illegal importations and urge that those found involved in this unlawful activity be properly prosecuted.

We cannot, and should not, condone the dumping of wastes from any country into our shores.

WILMA T. EISMA

SBMA Chairman and Administrator

October 22, 2020

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SBMA sees further drop in Chinese workers at Subic

 As government officials expressed dismay over the rising number of Chinese retirees in the country, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) positively announced further decline in the number of Chinese workers in this premier free port, particularly those working in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) industry.

According to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, Chinese workers employed by POGO firms here number less than five hundred today , compared to more than 1,500 just four months ago.

“This is because the POGO operators cannot do business after the declaration of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine last March, and thus were losing money,” Eisma explained.

“In fact one of the four POGO operators here, the Great Empire Gaming and Amusement Corp., has closed shop after losing P106 million, so it sent its workers back home to China,” she said.

“As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect POGO establishments, we can expect more Chinese workers here to be repatriated,” she added.

Eisma revealed this situation in Subic after public officials, among them senators Richard Gordon and Nancy Binay, noted during the recent Department of Tourism (DOT) budget hearing that a total of 27,678 foreigners from mainland China had availed of the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV).

Pointing out that the youngest Chinese retiree in the country was just 35 years old, Gordon reportedly described the situation as “dangerous” for national security.

Eisma, however, said the situation in Subic “is nothing to be alarmed about, because the number of Chinese POGO workers is trending downwards, not upwards.”

According to figures from the SBMA Business Group, about 85% of the Chinese workers hired by POGO firms here have been retrenched since March when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the global economy hard.

The first casualty here was Great Empire Gaming and Amusement Corp., which ceased operations in June and retrenched all its 374 personnel, including 368 Chinese nationals and six Filipinos.

The company used to pay the SBMA an annual share of P533,700 on top of its monthly sublease fee of P84,000. However, the firm reportedly lost P106 million in revenue, hence its closure in June.

The remaining three POGO companies likewise reported cutbacks in employment: The Teleempire, Inc., which occupies an office building and two living quarters in this Freeport, reported a total of 409 Chinese workers last July, but this has gone down to 242 as of Sept. 28.

Another firm the Northfolk Information Technologies, Inc., which provides backroom services to a POGO operator based in Olongapo City, listed 225 Chinese employees last July, but has whittled down the number to 100 as of Sept. 28.

Ekxinum. Inc., which used to occupy four buildings at the Cubi area here, has now left three buildings vacant and reduced its Chinese worker complement from 231 active visa holders, with 169 on process last July, to 42 active visa holders, with 14 on process as of Sept. 28.

The three POGO firms maintain a total of 170 Filipino workers as of Sept. 28, SBMA records indicated.

Eisma said the POGO operators in Subic are not expected to resume operations anytime soon, as even some online gaming operators in Manila that cater to the Chinese market have recently exited the Philippines. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] The former office of the Great Empire Gaming and Amusement Corp. in the Subic Bay Freeport remains empty

[2] A sign at the Gateway Hub building that used to house the Great Empire Gaming and Amusement Corp. says it is now open to new tenants

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Eisma confirms SBMA, Olongapo ‘on the same page’

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma confirmed that the neighboring communities of Olongapo City and Subic Bay Freeport continue working together to promote progress and development for their common stakeholders.

“We’re on the same page,” Eisma said on Friday, stressing that friendship and cooperation had long been the cornerstone of Subic-Olongapo relations.

“I believe that we have a shared mission, that we have to get our acts together despite some friction that crop up in the minutiae of operations, which is but normal between two separate entities that work in close proximity,” she added.

Eisma asserted this a day after Olongapo City Mayor Rolen “Len J” Paulino Jr., in an interview with Press Secretary Martin Andanar over Radyo Pilipinas, described a “symbiotic” relationship between Subic and Olongapo.

The mayor’s pronouncement belied charges made recently on social media that the SBMA lacked coordination with city officials on matters like Covid-19 control measures and that it was building a “wall” between the two communities.

In the said interview, Mayor Paulino stressed that the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and Olongapo City have a mutually beneficial relationship and that coordination between the two entities has boosted the local economy.

“Actually, the relationship is very symbiotic; it’s mutual. Olongapo supplies manpower (to) the Subic Bay Freeport, and on the other hand, the Freeport is, of course, a major source of employment for Olongapo residents,” Paulino explained.

“It’s a big help, in addition to the business establishments here in Olongapo,” he added.

Paulino also told Andanar that the city government and SBMA had coordinated with each other in establishing health safety measures after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

“We continue to coordinate with each other to ensure the control of Covid transmission, so that we can also prevent business disruption. And, of course, when we ensure the continuity of business operations, we also ensure the financial security of our people,” he added.

Following this, Eisma said the SBMA will further initiate cooperation projects with Olongapo and other local government units near the Subic Bay Freeport to improve local response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is another common ground where we can pool our resources and contribute best practices so that we can balance health and economy, and together beat Covid-19,” Eisma said. “In fact, we have already agreed to regularly meet to discuss Covid-19 strategies.”

She also confirmed that the neighboring city is the biggest provider of workers in the Freeport, with a total of 58,957 as of June this year, or almost 43 percent of the Subic workforce. Because of this, Olongapo consistently receives the biggest revenue share from the SBMA among the eight beneficiary local government units contiguous to the Freeport, she added.

Eisma also put to rest the issue that the SBMA is building a wall to separate the Freeport from Olongapo, whose original Spanish-era settlement now comprises the Freeport’s central business district. She clarified that the agency is simply replacing the US Navy-era cyclone wire fence with concrete to avoid costly repairs.

“We are not building a wall to divide the Subic-Olongapo community. What we are actually doing is protecting the single biggest local asset that Olongapeños and other stakeholders in Zambales and Bataan have built and nurtured all through these years,” Eisma said.

“This is our legacy and it is our common task to protect it,” she added. (30)

PHOTO: 

File photo show SBMA Chairman Wilma T. Eisma and Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. during SBMA-LGU meetings before the Covid-19 pandemic

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SBMA approves cashless public buses for Subic Freeport

To further promote public health safety in face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has approved a cashless public transportation system in this premier Freeport.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency has recently given its go-signal for Autokid Truck Solutions to create a line of public utility buses that will utilize an automated fare collection system (AFCS) and be compliant with social-distancing rules as well.

“This is an innovative concept that fulfills a felt need in this time of the pandemic, so we’re going for it,” Eisma said.

“With this, we can minimize the dangers of virus transmission, thus creating a better environment for workers, residents and visitors in the Subic Freeport,” she added.

According to Autokid Subic Trading Corporation CEO Kevin McHale Yao, the proposed project would provide an efficient, environment-friendly, and safe and comfortable transportation for the public.

“Public transportation services (PTS) is a vital part of modern urban economies. An efficient PTS encourages passengers to use public services instead of private vehicles,” Yao said.

“This preference reduces traffic, air and noise pollution, and accident rate in cities,” he added.

Foremost among the features of the new system is the use of loadable payment cards that would preclude the need for passengers to carry cash for their bus fare.

Yao also stressed the added advantage of predictable travel time, as the firm would regularly deploy vehicles at a certain time period so that the public would know exactly when to expect the buses.

The company has proposed three bus routes in Subic’s Central Business District. One will be from Kalaklan Terminal to Main Gate Terminal and vice versa, another from Main Gate Terminal to Royal Duty Free and vice versa, and the third from Main Gate Terminal to Kalaklan to Royal Duty Free to Main Gate.

The proposed fares will be P25 per person for the first two routes, and P30 per person for the third route, which is longer.

The SBMA and the company are already discussing a dry-run of the routes for which the buses will be fielded to see how the plans would actually work out.

Yao also pointed out that Autokid will field environment-friendly buses that are Euro IV-compliant, using Yuchai engines. He added that the units will be equipped with comfortable seats, air-conditioning, a global positioning system (GPS), and closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) to ensure the safety of the riding public.

Following the approval of Autokid’s proposal last month, the SBMA had required the firm to register its fleet of motor vehicles and have its drivers accredited by the agency.

The SBMA and the company are already discussing a dry-run of the routes for which the buses will be fielded to see how the plans would actually work out. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Autokid public utility buses using an automated fare collection system will soon see operation in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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SBMA frontliners get P22.73-M hazard pay for ECQ work

Workers in the frontline and essential services of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) received a total of P22.73 million in hazard pay for physically reporting for work assignments here during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the compensation was released under Administrative Order No. 26 dated March 23, 2020, which granted hazard pay to government employees and contract workers during the public health emergency at the amount of P500 per day per person.

The SBMA board of directors duly approved the release of the hazard pay based on recommendations of the management last August, Eisma added.

“Most of those who received significant amounts are security officers and firefighters, who were on field assignments at a time when most of our departments worked from home,” Eisma pointed out.

“The security officers enforced border controls, while the firefighters disinfected offices, facilities and public places to keep the Subic community safe,” she added.

According to the SBMA Finance Group, a total of 1,739 employees benefited from the release. These included 1,074 employees in plantilla positions, 550 workers engaged through contract of service, 101 personnel under government contracting, and 14 casual hires.

SBMA data indicated that plantilla employees received an average of P13,438 hazard pay, while contract workers got an average of P12,912.

Finance Group head Antonietta Sanqui said that under guidance from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the SBMA computed the hazard pay at P62.50 per hour from the P500 per-day government ceiling and applied this pro-rata to actual number of work hours based on daily time records.

The biggest amount went to two security officers, who each received P61,500. They logged in a total of 984 man-hours each since March 17 when the ECQ came into effect, and until May 31.

On the other hand, the smallest pay amounting to P131.25 went to 16 mostly office workers, who logged in just 2.1 hours at their workplaces during the ECQ.

Prior to the release of hazard pay, the SBMA Accounting Department reviewed the number of hours logged in by each personnel in the ECQ, computed the difference between Covid 19 hazard pay and the magna carta hazard pay received by public health workers, and deducted corresponding withholding taxes.

Under DBM guidelines, government employees such as public health workers and uniformed personnel who are already entitled to hazardous duty pay or hazard allowance may also receive the Covid-19 hazard pay, whichever is higher. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:  

Frontline service workers received the biggest hazard pay released by the SBMA for work during the ECQ

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59 hired on-the-spot in 1st SBMA virtual job fair

A total of 59 job applicants were hired right there and then by business locators during the first online job fair conducted by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) last week.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said that more workers are expected to join the Subic Bay Freeport workforce, as business locators here continue interviewing prospective employees and processing job application of those who joined the recent three-day job fair.

According to data from the SBMA Labor Department, 50 of the 59 workers hired on the spot were taken in by Philippines Easepal Technology Corp., a manufacturer of sports and athletic goods, outdoor bags, and waterproof backpacks. The firm hired 25 female and 25 male workers on the spot.

The rest were hired by Strategic Channel for Career Development (SCCD) Corp., a manpower placement firm, which accepted seven applicants; and Sam’s Group of Companies, a food service business, which hired two.

As of now, 174 other applicants have been scheduled for interview by various companies, said Rommel Aquino, head of the SBMA Labor Department’s Manpower Services Division.

These include 20 applicants set for interview by Sam’s Group of Companies; five by SBDMC, Inc.; 53 by SCCD Corp.; 35 by Subic Bay Freeport Grain Terminal Services, Inc.; and 11 by FFP Concept Planning Solutions Corp.

Chairman Eisma said a total of 695 jobs were offered by 16 Subic Bay Freeport locators and 18 other companies.

Meanwhile, a total of 2,609 jobseekers were served during the three-day event, out of a total of 4,605 applicants who pre-registered for the job fair.

The three-day online job fair, which was conducted via video conferencing, was hailed as a game-changer in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic when face-to-face interaction is considered risky.

“Thank you for building this site. It's super easy to access and very helpful to applicants, while lessening the chance of spreading virus,” said Xyreile T. Gonzaga, an applicant from Olongapo City.

Marie Carilanda Francel Pamintuan, an applicant from Zambales, meanwhile observed that company representatives who received her virtual application during the job fair were very accommodating.  

“Congratulations for this initiative. In these times of crisis, putting up a job fair provides great hope to the unemployed,” Pamintuan added.

The virtual job fair was part of the National Tourism Week celebration here that was organized to promote Subic Bay in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and NLEX Corporation.

Other online activities during the weeklong program were a free web seminar on the “Filipino Brand of Excellence” and the “Subic Bay Got Talent” online singing competition. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO: 

SBMA Labor Department staff monitor the conduct of the online job fair

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SBMA retains ISO seal for environment management

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has maintained its status as a duly-certified organization adhering to international standards in environmental management after hurdling an audit of operational systems early this month.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the SBMA retained its ISO 14001:2015 EMS certification after fulfilling all the environmental management system actions recommended by DQS Certification Phils., a third party certifying body.

“We have envisioned Subic Bay to be a leading eco-urban free port that is why we have consistently raised the bar in managing the environment, which is the core asset of Subic,” Eisma pointed out.

She said that an effective EMS is necessary to achieve enhanced environmental performance, meet compliance obligations, and fulfill environmental objectives.

“Getting more investments, and thus more job opportunities for the community, is always anchored on the fact that Subic is attractive as a location both for business and leisure. This is why an effective EMS is a necessary management tool for the SBMA,” Eisma added.

The ISO 14001:2015, which is the international standard for an effective environmental management system (EMS), specifies the requirements that an organization can use to enhance its environmental performance and manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner to attain sustainability.

SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana, who is also officer in charge of the SBMA Regulatory Group, said the ISO 14001:2015 is tied up with other management systems standards, such as ISO 9001:2015 or the Quality Management System, which the SBMA received in October 2018.

She said that in compliance with government health protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19, DQS conducted the surveillance audit remotely using on-line meet applications.

Dela Llana also noted that during the first surveillance audit in 2019, SBMA received two yellow ratings or commendable actions that exceeded requirements for compliance. In the second surveillance, SBMA got four yellow ratings.

She attributed one of the yellow ratings to the support of the top management for allocating budget and resources for the construction of the SBMA Hazardous Waste Facility.

She added that the SBMA management has fully supported efforts by the agency’s Total Quality Management (TQM) and Environment Management System- Technical Working Group (EMS-TWG) to achieve the ISO certification.

Aside from establishing EMS practices in all its offices, the SBMA has also spearheaded several environment-promotion programs like the semi-annual Recyclables Collecting Event wherein companies or individuals sell or donate recyclable items.

Other SBMA-initiated environment projects include the annual SBMA Arbor Day tree-planting, banning of single-use plastics and Styrofoam in work places, and anti-smoking campaign. (MPD-SBMA)

 PHOTO: 

Waste collection and recycling are part of the established environment management system in the Subic Bay Freeport

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SBMA virtual job fair keeps job-hunting safe under pandemic

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) launched on Monday a three-day virtual job fair to provide employment opportunities to job-seekers via video conferencing.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma the project is a game-changer as applicants can meet potential employers, fill up forms, and file application letters without leaving the safety of their homes.

A total of 16 Subic Bay Freeport locators, as well as 18 other companies, and two government agencies—the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Zambales—have joined the event to roll out a total of 695 jobs.

On the other hand, at least 3,670 job applicants have pre-registered as of last Saturday for the job fair scheduled via Google Meet on Sept. 21 to 23, at 8 am to 5 pm.

“This online jobs fair is an answer to the prayers of our people,” Eisma said in her message during the virtual opening program on Monday morning. “This is the first online jobs fair in Subic, and under the present circumstances, it will not be the last.”

“The pandemic also affects us here in Subic, but we are proud to say that we try to find solutions, to look for ways by which we can continue providing for our loved ones in these abnormal times,” she added.

Among the firms that offered jobs are: Tokiwa Subic Corp.; Subic Xin Hong Corp.; Sam's Group of Companies; Juan Fong Industrial Corp.; PA Support Subic Ltd. Inc./Play-Asia; Pactec Subic Bay Inc.; Materion Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Philippine Branch); Toyota Subic Inc.; Strategic Channel for Career Development (SCCD) Corporation; Subic Asia Pacific Marine Resources Inc.; Subic Bay Freeport Grain Terminal Services, Inc.; Uptimised Corporation; SBDMC, Inc.; Philippines Easepal Tech. Ltd Corp.; and FFP Concept Planning Solutions Corp.

Among the positions offered were: Quality control staff, warehouseman, loading clerk, nurse, accounting staff, chef, cook, kitchen staff, restaurant manager, marketing staff, sewer, pattern maker, customer service staff, sales representative, credit and collection staff, audit staff, mechanic/ welder, production operators and helpers, mechanical technician, painter, fabrication helper, human resources assistant, office aide, utility worker, finance manager, mason, architect, civil engineer, and driver.

The virtual job fair was part of the National Tourism Week celebration here that was organized  to promote Subic Bay in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and NLEX Corporation.

Other online activities during the weeklong program were a free web seminar on the “Filipino Brand of Excellence” to be conducted by DOT Region 3 office on Sept. 21-23; and the “Subic Bay Got Talent” online singing competition with elimination rounds on Sept. 22 and 23 and finals on Sept. 25. (MPD-SBMA)

 PHOTO: 

SBMA Labor Department personnel monitor the virtual job fair platform on Monday, as job applicants browse for job openings offered by Subic Bay Freeport locators and other project participants.

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SBMA to conduct virtual job fair Sept. 21-23

In keeping with safety protocols in these times of a pandemic, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will be conducting for the first time a virtual job fair wherein jobseekers would meet potential employers via videoconferencing.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the virtual job fair will be held on Monday until Wednesday (Sept. 21 – 23), 8 am to 5 pm, by means of Google Meet.

She said that 16 Subic Bay Freeport locators, as well as 18 other companies, and two government agencies—the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Zambales—have joined the event to roll out a total of 695 jobs.

Among the firms that will open up positions are: Tokiwa Subic Corp.; Subic Xin Hong Corp.; Sam's Group of Companies; Juan Fong Industrial Corp.; PA Support Subic Ltd. Inc./Play-Asia; Pactec Subic Bay Inc.; Materion Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Philippine Branch); Toyota Subic Inc.; Strategic Channel for Career Development (SCCD) Corporation; Subic Asia Pacific Marine Resources Inc.; Subic Bay Freeport Grain Terminal Services, Inc.; Uptimised Corporation; SBDMC, Inc.; Philippines Easepal Tech. Ltd Corp.; and FFP Concept Planning Solutions Corp.

On the other hand, a total of 3,670 job applicants have already pre-registered for the virtual job fair as of Saturday.

“This is something new for everybody, but we are encouraged by the huge number of participants who have stepped up either to fill or avail of a need—jobs that are necessary to sustain our economy ,” Eisma said.

“Like in face-to-face job fairs, applicants must also prepare copies of their resume, recent 2”x2” pictures, PSA birth certificate, diploma or transcript of records, NBI and police clearances, and other certificates—only this time, these documents must be in digital form,” she added.

The SBMA Labor Department said that applicants must first register online at https://forms.gle/nWZ3Myy13vL63vgW9 in order to receive the link for the virtual job fair platform.

The links will only be accessible at 8 am to 5 pm during the three days of the virtual job fair.

“We have resorted to this novel job-hunting scheme to do away with mass gathering and face-to-face interaction, while allowing prospective employees to meet up with recruiters, fill up forms, and file application letters,” Eisma said.

According to the SBMA Tourism Department, the virtual job fair is part of the National Tourism Week celebration that was organized  to promote Subic Bay in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT), NLEX Corporation, and 89.5 FM Subic Bay Radio.

Other online activities during the weeklong program are a free web seminar on the “Filipino Brand of Excellence” to be conducted by DOT Region 3 office on Sept. 21-23, 9:30 am to 11:30 am. This will be open to frontline workers among stakeholders in Subic Bay, said SBMA tourism head Jem Camba.

On Sept. 25, meanwhile, the “Subic Bay Got Talent” online singing competition will be launched at 2 pm, with elimination rounds on Sept. 22 and 23 at 2 pm to 5 pm.

Camba said the contest will take in contestants in two categories: employees of the SBMA or Subic locator-company, and students. Winners will get prizes that include P15,000 for first prize; P10,000 for first runner-up; and P5,000 for second runner-up. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA resumes P122.7-M perimeter fencing and road rehab projects

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has resumed the implementation of perimeter fencing and perimeter road rehabilitation projects designed to improve the security in this premier free port zone following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in construction works.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the projects were disrupted by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last March, but “are now back in full force.”

Eisma said the P69.7-million perimeter fencing project will cover the entire stretch from the Kalaklan Gate up to the Kalayaan Gate of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, while the P53-million perimeter road rehabilitation project will run from the 14^th Street Gate to the Kalayaan Gate.

“The two projects are complementary,” Eisma said. “The fencing project will improve the security at the Freeport perimeter, while the road rehabilitation project will improve management of access along the perimeter areas,” she added.

According to the SBMA Engineering Department, the seven-kilometer long perimeter fence project, which started on January 2 of this year, is now 53 percent completed.

It was previously scheduled to be finished by October 28 this year, but the delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has moved project completion to April 2021.

The project involves the installation of special load-bearing concrete blocks with the strength of 2,500 psi, SBMA project engineers said.  It also includes clearing and excavation works, column and tie beam installation, block laying, and plastering works.

Meanwhile, the perimeter road rehabilitation project is now 11 percent completed.

Project engineers said it will address the deteriorating condition of the old perimeter road that separates the Subic Bay Freeport Zone from communities in the adjacent city of Olongapo, and improve drainage along the perimeter road as well.

Both the perimeter fence and the perimeter road are remnants of the security network erected by the U.S. Navy around the fenced-in portion of the former military base.

The road rehabilitation project likewise started in January this year, and was previously slated to be finished last August. The new completion date has been set for February 2021.

The project involves the concreting of an area measuring 6,614 square meters with Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP). The PCCP is specifically used to yield a strong and durable, yet cost effective and workable structure that can take heavy loads like trucks that usually utilized the perimeter road.

Aside from paving works, the project includes clearing and grubbing, levelling and compaction, and installation of forms. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO: 

Workers install load-bearing concrete blocks to maximize the integrity of the perimeter fence project at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone 

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SBMA releases P154.87-million LGU shares

Despite the global economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) still gave out revenue shares amounting to more than P154 million for the first semester to eight neighboring communities.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma handed over the checks to officials from the beneficiary local government units (LGUs) who arrived at the SBMA office in succession to observe social distancing on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Olongapo City remains to be the recipient of the biggest share with P36,020,102.98; followed by Subic, Zambales with P23,677,221.95; Dinalupihan, Bataan P19,262,853.00; San Marcelino, Zambales P18,561,184.24; Hermosa, Bataan P16,125,939.80; Castillejos, Zambales P14,496,222.41; Morong, Bataan P13,458,376.24; and San Antonio, Zambales P13,271,704.95.

The latest LGU release was taken from the agency’s revenue collections from January to June this year.

The LGU share is determined according to population (50 per cent), land area (25 per cent), and equal sharing (25 per cent).  Olongapo, which is a highly urbanized city, always received the biggest chunk of the shares.

The shares are given to LGUs twice a year and are derived from two percent of the five-percent gross income taxes collected from business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.  Shares for the January to June period are released in August, while shares for July to December are given out in February the next year.

Eisma stressed that the LGU shares were meant to augment local resources and enable stakeholder communities to carry out development projects in health, education, peace and order, and livelihood generation.

She also pointed out that the total LGU shares given out this semester decreased a bit from the P175.7 million given out for the July to December period last year because of the slowdown in local business because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Mayor Elvis Soria of San Marcelino, Zambales said the LGU shares would be a big boost to local communities as they grapple with the effects of the pandemic.

“While the LGU shares are usually budgeted for development projects, we hope it can be realigned for use in our Covid-19 response, too,” Soria said.  

The LGU of Morong, Bataan had requested for another schedule for the release of its share. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

SBMA Chairman Wilma Eisma hands over LGU shares to local officials representing Olongapo City; the municipalities of Subic, Castillejos, San Marcelino, and San Antonio in Zambales; and Dinalupihan, Morong, and Hermosa in Bataan.

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