SBMA extends payment period for Subic locators

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has given business locators in this premier free port more time to pay for their overdue accounts to help them weather the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Willma T. Eisma said the Subic agency has recently approved the Economic Relief Assistance (ERA) Payment Scheme that would allow longer amortization period for bills that had remained unpaid since the pandemic hit in March last  year.

“With this ERA scheme, Subic locators can amortize their bills for up to 24 months, or ever more than 36 months, at a fraction of the usual interest and at diminishing rates,” Eisma said.

“This is actually just the latest in a series of SBMA board approvals that gave our business community, as well as residents, grace periods and other forms of economic relief to help ease their difficulties during these trying times,” she added.

Under the ERA Payment Scheme, companies without arrears before March 2020 could avail of longer payment amortization for unpaid billings from March 2020 onward under three options: up to 24 months amortization, with just one-fourth of 1% interest and at 3% diminishing rate; over 24 to 26 months amortization, with one-half of 1% interest and at 6% diminishing rate; or over 36 months amortization, with three-fourths of 1% interest and at 9% diminishing rate.

On the other hand, those with arrears before March 2020 could avail of a longer amortization period at the following terms: up to 24 months, with one-half of 1% interest and at 6% diminishing rate; over 24 to 36 months, with three-fourth of 1% interest and at 9% diminishing rate; or over 36 months, with 1% interest and at 12% diminishing rate.

Eisma also said the SBMA further sweetened the deal by offering 10% upfront payment instead of 20%, with 90% payable through equal amortization and with the first month amortization due the following month after the upfront payment.

The scheduled repayments should be covered by post-dated checks or deed of undertaking to be submitted on or before January 31.

Guidelines issued by the SBMA for the ERA Payment Scheme also required locators to submit promissory letters to the Office of the Deputy Administrator (ODA) for Finance, along with their application for the amortization program.

The statement of account (SOA) as of December 31, 2020 shall be considered for application under the ERA Payment Scheme. The SBMA Accounting Department shall provide the SOA balances as of December 31, 2020 of the locators who applied, and identify those who are with or without arrears before March 2020.

Locators who applied under the ERA Payment Scheme shall be allowed to pay only their current January 2021 billings while their request for ERA Payment Scheme is being processed.

Eisma said that aside from the ERA scheme, the SBMA has also temporarily suspended from March to June last year the collection of penalties and other fees from business locators and residents to help ease economic difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This 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.

In June last year, Subic locators received yet another economic relief when the SBMA board of directors passed a resolution giving a 119-day grace period for the collection of all due accounts that included lease rentals, common use services area fees, port charges, garbage collection fees, sublease shares, and gross revenue shares since March 2020. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA to release P123.1-M LGU revenue shares

Staying true to its mandate of spurring development among the eight local government units (LGUs) near the Subic Bay Freeport, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) continues to provide revenue shares to neighboring communities despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency will release next week a total of P123.1 million, which came from revenue collections between July and December 2020 and the retained amount from the 2018 second semester LGU share.

“The release for this period is 29.9 percent lower than the shares for the same period last year, which was P175.7 million. And this goes to show how much the Covid-19 health crisis has impacted—and continues to impact—Freeport operations,” Eisma said.

“But it also goes to show that despite Covid-19, the SBMA and business locators in the Freeport have sustained economic growth and that Subic Bay will continue to be a catalyst for development in this part of the country,” she added.

For this period, Olongapo City will receive P28,631,819.10 in LGU share; followed by Subic, Zambales with P18,820,655.14; Dinalupihan, Bataan P15,311,741.98; San Marcelino, Zambales P14,753,996.41; Hermosa, Bataan P12,818,258.50; Castillejos, Zambales P11,522,821.52; Morong, Bataan P10,697,853.76; and San Antonio, Zambales P10,549,471.67.

The SBMA will release the shares to LGU officials in staggered schedules beginning next week.

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 constitute 2% of the 5% gross corporate income taxes paid by business enterprises in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and were intended to augment LGU funds for tourism, infrastructure, education, peace and order, health, and livelihood generation.

With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, some LGUs said they have rechanneled part of the shares to health and safety programs to combat Covid-19.

The LGU shares are released to LGUs twice a year, with tax collections from January to June released in August, and collections from July to December released in February the following year.

For the entire 2020, the SBMA has released a total of P277.98 million in revenue shares to seven municipalities and one city near the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (MPD-SBMA)

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4 cops, 1 civilian held in Subic shabu lab bust

Four members of the police force in Olongapo City were arrested here early this morning along with a civilian suspect in connection with the discovery and dismantling of a clandestine laboratory used in the manufacture of illegal drugs.

A report from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police in the National Capitol Region (PNP CIDG-NCR) identified the policemen as PLt Reynato Basa Jr., PCpl Gino dela Cruz, PCpl Edesyr Victor Alipio, and PCpl Godfrey Duclayan Parentela. All were assigned at Station 2 of the Olongapo City Police Office.

The lone civilian arrested in the operation was Jericho Dabu, a resident of Olongapo, who tried to sell one kilo of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu to a poseur-buyer from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The sting operation was carried out at 336-B Finback Street, Kalayaan, Subic Bay Freeport by the PDEA NCR and Region 3 offices, PNP-CIDG Northern Manila, PNP-CIDG Zambales, PNP Maritime Group, and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Intelligence and Investigation Office (SBMA-IIO).

The authorities confiscated from the suspects 300 grams of suspected shabu, various laboratory equipment and chemicals used in the manufacture of drugs, four Glock 17 9mm pistols, five cellular phones, a Honda Civic 1996 sedan with plate number UKM 779, and bundles of boodle money used in the sting operation.

According to the SBMA-IIO, the operation started at about 2 pm on Thursday, January 14, when operatives conducted surveillance in the area.

At past midnight, the authorities proceeded with a buy-bust operation which netted Dabu, who was caught receiving marked money in exchange for one kilo of shabu.

The arrest led to the discovery of the clandestine drug laboratory, which SBMA-IIO described as a “kitchen-type operation,” as well as to the arrest of the alleged policemen-protectors inside the house where the laboratory was located.

Unconfirmed reports from the PNP indicated that the syndicate behind the illegal drugs operation was headed by a foreign national, who is now the subject of follow-up operations.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, meanwhile, commended the law enforcement units involved in the operation “for ferreting out this scourge that erodes the very ideals of the Subic Bay Freeport as an investment and economic growth center.”

“The SBMA will always support our law enforcement agencies in ridding our society of elements that degrade our decent and lawful way of life,” Eisma said.

The SBMA chief also called on residents and other stakeholders in the Freeport to be vigilant.

“Let us care for each other in this community. Let us know our neighbors and contribute all we can to keep Subic safe for everybody,” she added. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

Operatives make an inventory of evidences seized at the clandestine drug laboratory where four police officers and one civilian were arrested on January 15. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA welcomes probe on Grande Island development deal

Directly addressing the reported call by an advocacy group for the Senate to investigate the alleged sell-out to Chinese investors of the Grande and Chiquita Islands here in Subic Bay, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said it looks forward to such an official inquiry to resolve the long-drawn issue over the two tourism islands here.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said that the Subic agency would welcome any investigation over the falsely reported “sale” of the islands, which were leased in 2019 to a joint venture between GFTG Property Holdings Corp. and Sanya CEDF Sino-Philippine Tourism Investment Corp., as Chinese company.

“First of all, I would like to point out that Grande and Chiquita have not been sold—they are still the property of the Philippine government,” Eisma said. “But there is an investor-company renting the islands, and which has committed P180 million to build a five-star hotel, restaurant and recreational facilities on these properties.”

“If someone would want an investigation of the Grande Island investment project, then I say, by all means get on with it!” Eisma reacted on Thursday.  “In fact, we are highly encouraging this group calling for an official investigation so that this matter can be resolved once and for all,” Eisma added.

The SBMA chief noted that while the proposed project by the Chinese investor-company has been “in deep-freeze” after the SBMA objected to some of the development plans two years ago, “some people are maliciously using it as an example of ‘creeping Chinese invasion’ in the country.”

“As much as that group, the Pinoy Action for Governance and the Environment (PAGE), says it has had enough of intrusions into our country’s exclusive economic zone, I would say that the SBMA, too, has had enough of speculation over the nature of this tourism project here,” Eisma said.

From the viewpoint of the SBMA, which is one of the country’s top investment promotion agencies, the Grande Island development project is a legitimate investment proposal in a Philippine special economic zone where 100% foreign ownership of business enterprises is allowed.

The SBMA Business and Investment Group said the Grande Island development project started in July 2000 with Silver Dragon Cruises Inc. (SDCI) entering into a lease agreement with the SBMA to rehabilitate Pier 684 on Grande Island and operate a ferry service within Subic Bay.

In June 2002, SDCI entered into a Lease and Development Agreement (LDA) with the SBMA to develop Grande and Chiquita Islands, but soon assigned its leasehold rights to GFTG Holdings Corporation in September 2002.

The SBMA said that over the years, it has approved various amendments to the agreement with GFTG, including escalation of revenue shares, extended leasehold period, special provision for developing and marketing housing units, and changes in ownership of what has become GFTG Property Holdings Corp.

Eisma said the biggest change in GFTG occurred in January 2019 when it brought in Sanya CEDF as its biggest shareholder, with 79.99% ownership of the firm. However, in May 2019, the SBMA Board of Directors withdrew its consent to the change in the control and ownership of GFTG, noting that the changes were made without its approval, thus violating the LDA between SBMA and GFTG.

At that time, the SBMA also noted that the Sanya-controlled GFTG had proposed to build 80 ultra-high end housing units over the water along the coastline of Grande and Chiquita islands. This, Eisma pointed out, was not allowed due to Constitutional limits giving the use and enjoyment of archipelagic waters exclusively to Filipino citizens.

Eisma said that ever since 2019, the Grande project has been in a limbo—for the SBMA, as well as for the investor. “The company continues paying rent for the property, but no new development has taken place—which is sad because Grande is Subic’s tourism jewel and it’s just going to waste,” she stressed.

Eisma added that if there may be some security concern over Grande Island because of its strategic location, then this is the best time to bring out and resolve the issue. “We welcome the call for a Senate investigation, but let me add that let’s take it very seriously. I hope the call was made not only for the purpose of grandstanding,” she added. (MPD-SBMA)

 PHOTOS:

The Grande and Chiquita Islands on Subic Bay; part of the existing resort project 

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Nidec reduces workers to sustain Subic operations

Japanese manufacturing firm Nidec Subic Philippines Corporation has retrenched more than 70 percent of its workers here to maintain the viability of company operations, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said on Wednesday.

The firm, which manufactures precision electronic equipment, direct-drive spindle motors, and specialized digital core parts for multimedia, announced the separation of 784 of its workers on Tuesday and released their separation pay as well.

“It’s sad news for us, but we hope that this will be just a temporary setback that would allow the company to weather the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy,” said SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

“The company will not close down altogether,” Eisma added, pointing out that Nidec has retained 300 workers to maintain the company facilities at the Subic Techno Park here.

As of December 2020, the firm had listed 1,197 direct hires on its rolls, aside from 211 workers sourced out from a manpower provider and 36 from a security firm.

But as early as August last year, Nidec vice president for administration Tetsuya Nakao had announced business difficulties that impacted company operations at the Subic production facility.

In a letter asking the Department of Labor and Employment for exemption to the new minimum wage order, Nakao revealed that “the impact of Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected our operating expense and doubled our company expenditures on shuttle services.”

Last December, Nidec deputy general manager for administration Daisy Mae Jaucian informed SBMA Labor Department manager Melvin Varias that the firm will cut down on its employees, citing the closure of their base production of spindle motors effective February 5, 2021.

“We find that we must reduce our workforce to ensure the financial stability of the company,” Jaucian said. “We have always valued and continue to value the contributions of all our employees and deeply regret the need for this action.”

Varias said that Nidec had asked assistance from the SBMA for the profiling of the displaced workers for any job opening in the Subic Bay Freeport.

In response, Varias said the SBMA has identified a total of 254 job vacancies among 15 companies in the Freeport as of January 6 for which the retrenched workers may apply.

The available positions included, among others,  150 production operators and 15 quality control personnel in a shoe factory; 21 engineer, operator and inspector positions in a computer manufacturing firm; and production planners in another Japanese firm. (MPD/SBMA)

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Opening of new SFEX lanes to ease traffic in Subic

The temporary opening of the new lanes at the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) will greatly ease heavier-than-normal movement of people and goods at the Subic Bay Freeport before and after the New Year festivities.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency is expecting more people to visit or pass through Subic for the holidays, at the same time that business locators transport more products in and out of the Freeport.

“The opening of the new lanes, albeit temporarily, is very timely,” Eisma said on Monday after Public Works Secretary Mark Villar led the ceremonial opening of the new SFEX lanes.

“It will ease the movement of people and goods in the Subic Bay Freeport and further develop Subic’s business and tourism prospects,” she added.

Eisma also said the SBMA had opened the Subic Freeport to tourists during the holidays subject to strict health safety protocols, and that tourist volume had increased dramatically to almost the current 50 percent full capacity.

She added that the Subic agency had allowed children to come into the Freeport as long as they stay in open areas or alfresco restaurants and not in malls and other closed spaces.

“There are lots of people coming in and Subic is very much excited, in a way,” Eisma said.

Villar, along with Eisma and NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista, graced the ceremonial drive-through at the new 8.2-kilometer expressway lanes to mark the temporary opening on Monday. The new lanes will be open temporarily until January 15, after which more construction activities will resume.

During the expressway drive-through, Villar expressed satisfaction at the expansion project and said the new Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) is already 92 percent complete, with the remaining portion being the construction of the Jadjad Bridge.

Villar said the P1.6-billion SFEX Capacity Expansion Project is expected to be fully completed in the first quarter of next year.

It entails the conversion of the Subic Freeport Expressway into a 2x2 divided expressway, with additional two lanes, two new bridges and a tunnel, as well as the installation of expressway-standard LED lights, raising the elevation of Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction, and the enhancement of drainage systems for better flood management in the area.

Villar also noted that the project will enhance accessibility and promote travel efficiency along this key road that connects Bataan and Zambales, as well as boost Subic’s competitiveness as an ideal shipping gateway for Central and North Luzon.

The SFEX, which is operated by NLEX Corp., a toll road subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), connects the Subic Bay Freeport to the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, which further links with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. (MPD/SBMA)

TOP PHOTO:

Public Works Sec. Mark Villar, flanked by SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista, walks along the new lanes of the Subic Freeport Expressway past the new tunnel during the soft opening of the expanded expressway on Monday.

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SBMA sets more measures to curb BPO Covid-19 surge

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has required a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm here to implement additional safety measures like staggered shutdowns and work-from-home arrangements to prevent further transmission of Covid-19 at its offices here.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the measures were deemed necessary after it was learned that 26 employees of Buwelo BPO Solutions, which operates a call center here, had tested positive for Covid-19 infection.

Contact tracing had earlier identified 65 employees of the company who were suspected to have been exposed to positive Covid-19 cases. Their RT-PCR tests had so far turned out 37 negative results and 26 positives as of Dec. 4. Two test results are yet to be released by the Philippine Red Cross.

“We are now working with the Buwelo BPO management to avert further virus transmission and to enhance health safety in the workplace. We asked them to implement partial shutdowns and alternative work schedules and it’s good that the company management was receptive,” Eisma said.

“At our end, we shall be monitoring the implementation of the agreed-upon health protocols and we shall be firm that these measures be carried out because workers’ welfare is paramount,” she added.

Eisma said that during discussions last Thursday, company officials agreed to implement staggered shutdowns at the company facilities, at one floor at a time starting Dec. 4, in the three-story building the firm occupies at the Subic Gateway Park here.

The company also agreed to allow 180 employees to work from home to allow better physical distancing at the offices. The firm employs a total of 729 who work in three shifts.

Eisma added that the company has previously requested for an expansion area and that the SBMA might allow the use of an adjacent building for this purpose.

Aside from these commitments, Eisma said the Buwelo management will immediately proceed with more disinfection at the company premises using ozone generators.

With this development, Eisma also warned workers and other stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport to report suspected cases of Covid-19, as required by the inter-Agency Task Force on Eme4rging Contagious Diseases (IATF).

The SBMA health officials said earlier that contact tracing showed the workers who tested positive either attended parties held outside of the Freeport, or were exposed to co-workers who went to the said social gatherings.

Dr. Solomon Jacalne, head of the SBMA Health and Safety Department, also noted that the surge of Covid-19 cases at Buwelo BPO was the result of “unsafe behavior” by some employees who did not honestly declare their health condition.

Jacalne said that some employees still reported for work when they were already exhibiting mild Covid-19 symptoms.  He also noted that contact tracers only learned of the beach and pool parties, which were suspected to have been the source transmission for the original positive clusters, after 16 of the employees have already tested positive.

Eisma had earlier urged companies in the Subic Freeport to forego the traditional company Christmas party this year to avoid the risk of virus transmission.  She pointed out that even the SBMA has cancelled its traditional Christmas party for this reason.  (MPD/SBMA)

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Covid-19 surge in Subic firm traced to parties

While social interaction remains important even during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s still no time to party especially when minimum health requirements like wearing face mask and keeping physical distancing cannot be observed.

This was the lesson some employees of a business process outsourcing (BPO) company here recently learned the hard way after attending parties that might have served as super-spreading events, said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

“As of latest count, 25 employees have tested positive for Covid-19 infection out of 65 workers who had to be placed on quarantine,” Eisma announced on Wednesday.

“Our health experts here have determined that were it not for parties that workers attended, all these hassles of quarantine and work stoppage would not have happened,” she added.

Dr. Solomon Jacalne, who heads the SBMA Public Health & Safety Department, said the surge in Covid-19 cases at the company was traced to two parties that employees attended last Nov. 14, a Saturday. The first was a beach party at Baloy, a popular beach area in Olongapo City, and the second was a pool party held in San Marcelino, Zambales.

Jacalne said contact tracing indicated that the employees who tested positive of Covid-19 either attended the parties or were exposed to co-workers who went to the said social gatherings.

But the doctor added that it was the unsafe behavior of employees that allowed further spread of the virus. “Some were not honest with their health declaration,” he noted. “They didn’t say they were sick and they reported for work just the same because of the company’s no-work-no-pay policy.”

Jacalne said the first case was recorded on Nov. 6, but the patient’s two identified close contacts had tested negative.  The next two positive cases were known on Nov. 17—a couple who declared as close contacts only those with whom they shared the shuttle bus.

“Then there came to be a sudden spike in the following days, from Nov. 19 to 25. And this was the only time when the employees admitted about the beach and pool parties—when there were already 16 positive cases,” Jacalne said.

After the parties were revealed, further investigation by tracers widened the circle of close contacts to a total of 65—all employees of the BPO firm. Out of these, 25 so far have tested positive of the virus.

Jacalne added that no other positive case was recorded at the firm in the last seven days and that all the suspect cases are now under quarantine in their respective areas in Zambales, Olongapo City and Bataan and awaiting schedule for RT-PCR test.

Following this development, Chairman Eisma ordered further investigation to determine additional safety measures to be imposed at the workplace.

Company officials said they have already installed barriers between work stations as early as August and have now positioned their call agents one workstation apart.

It was also learned that with 500 call center agents in its employ, the company intends to expand into a bigger area to comply with Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20-04-A, which provided for supplemental guidelines from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on workplace prevention and control of Covid-19.

Eisma said the SBMA will look into the possibility of leasing out a portion of a nearby building for the expansion area needed by the firm.

Eisma also urged companies in the Subic Freeport to forego the traditional company Christmas party this year to avoid the risk of virus transmission. "Let us stay safe. We can make Christmas more meaningful, more special and more rewarding by celebrating it with our family and household members this year," Eisma added. (MPD/SBMA)

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More job opportunities out as Subic rebounds from pandemic

As businesses in the Subic Bay Freeport bounce back from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, more companies here are offering job opportunities to unemployed workers and residents sidelined by community quarantine lockdowns and business slowdown.

Last Tuesday, Nov. 24, a total of 185 work positions were offered by various companies in the second SBMA virtual job fair conducted as part of the 28^th founding anniversary of the Subic agency, said SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

“Subic is definitely back on track—although not on full speed as yet, but we are getting there, as you could see from the new job openings being offered,” Eisma pointed out.

She noted that a total of 2,139 job-seekers applied for the 185 positions offered. “This is proof that a lot of our kababayans needed jobs desperately under the circumstances, and I’d like to say that both the SBMA and the business locators here are stepping up to meet this rising demand,” Eisma said.

“This is pretty much a public-private effort. SBMA and the companies here are putting out new projects to create new jobs and to take in more workers as much as possible,” she added.

In the Nov. 24 job fair organized by the SBMA Labor Department, 11 Subic-registered companies offered a total of 54 job positions.

These included Sanyo Denki Philippines, Inc. and Subic Bay Freeport Grain Terminal Services, Inc., which both listed 10 job openings;  Uptimised Corporation, with 8; DBA Global Shared Services, Inc. and Subic Bay International Terminal Corp., with 5 openings each; Sams Group of Companies, Toyota Subic Inc., and United Auctioneers Inc., with 4 new positions each; Advanced Composite Systems Inc., with 2; and Subic Consolidated Projects, Inc. and S-Corp Phils., with 1 opening each.

On the other hand, 21 other companies elsewhere filed for request for recruitment assistance (RRA) with the SBMA with a total of 131 job offerings, said SBMA labor manager Melvin Varias.

Varias also noted that of the 2,139 applicants for various positions, 56.2% were from Olongapo City; 28% from Zambales; and 13.9% were from Bataan. The rest were applicants from Pampanga and the National Capital Region.

SBMA records also showed that 52.2% of the total applicants were male and 47.8% were female.

The companies that generated the most applicants were Sanyo Denki, with 180 applicants for the 10 job openings offered; United Auctioneers, with 154 applications for its four job openings; and Uptimised Corporation, which received 82 applications for its eight openings.

Meanwhile, Chairman Eisma also thanked participants in the blood donation drive organized by the SBMA and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) during the Nov. 24 anniversary event.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said the project collected 51 bags of blood for PRC Olongapo Chapter, with donors coming from Subic locators, residents, SBMA employees, the local police, and community volunteers.

Yambao said the SBMA is also coordinating with PRC Olongapo for the donation of any available plasma for Covid-19 patients under the convalescent plasma program. The plasma will be processed at the PRC’s national headquarters. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA Labor Department personnel monitor the filing of applications during the second SBMA virtual job fair on Nov. 24.

[2] Volunteers donate blood during the blood-letting project organized by the SBMA as part of the agency’s 28^th founding anniversary on Nov. 24.

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SBMA cites service, excellence in 28th anniversary rites; Subic volunteers honored for ‘showing the way forward’

Service and excellence on the job took center stage here as the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) honored volunteers, employees and stakeholders during the agency’s simple 28^th founding anniversary ceremony last Tuesday.

In his speech at the Volunteers Park here during the Nov. 24 anniversary celebration, SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Marcelino Sanqui paid tribute to the more than 8,000 workers who served without pay in the early days of Subic and also recognized those who worked in the Freeport thereafter.

Sanqui spoke on behalf of SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who was not at the event but had issued her “anniversary salute” earlier. Eisma thanked volunteers “for showing the way forward”, SBMA employees “for service beyond self”, and Subic stakeholders “for keeping faith even in these trying times.”

Sanqui, who was among the pioneer SBMA volunteers like Eisma, said the being a volunteer “entailed sacrifices, but also provided unexpected heart-warming rewards—the feeling of pride and fulfilment.”

“We are here today to honor the volunteers and all the people, who in one way or another contributed in bringing this institution to where it is right now,” Sanqui said. “These include our frontliners, health workers, and fire fighters who until this moment are helping to rescue those affected by the recent typhoon, and all of you who provide continued public services during this time of pandemic,” he added.

In the same occasion, SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Support Services Ramon Agregado turned over a copy of the Workplace Handbook on Covid-19 Management and Prevention to business locators in the Freeport.

Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation (PCSPC) president and CEO David Attewill received the handbook, and expressed pride “that our people in Subic put safety first.”

At the same time, the SBMA recognized 15 employees who were cited by their respective strategic business unit (SBU) as employees of the year for 2019, honor titles that were not awarded early in February because of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The SBU winners in Category 1 (contractual service) were: Nenita R. Sarmiento of Business and Investment Group; Ronald C. Fonseca, Chairperson and Administrator’s Group; Jose O. Madayag, Jr., Operations Group; Jonathan N. Labrador, Public Services Group; Jocelyn L. Gustilo, Regulatory Group; Mark Genesis G. Medina, Support Services Group; Jacklord Joseph J. Oceña, Support Services Group; and Louie P. Sarno of Public Services Group, who also bagged the overall title for this category. 

Meawhile, the awardees in Category 2 (permanent position) were: Amabelle Lynn F. Saclao of Business and Investment Group; Dante M. Salvaña, Chairperson and Administrator’s Group; Engr. Gerald P. Mendoza, Public Services Group; Ellenor O. Bautista, Regulatory Group; Joy Q. Manalang, Support Services Group; and Rolando L. Cepeda of Operations Group and Lina P. Sarmiento of Support Services Group, who tied for first place in this category.

The outstanding employees were cited for their excellent performance beyond the call of duty and for various innovations in the workplace.

The SBMA Labor Department also conducted an online job fair while the Public Health and Safety Group organized a bloodletting drive on November 24 as part of the agency’s 28^th anniversary celebration. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA law enforcement officers place a wreath at the Volunteers Park to honor the 8,000 volunteers during the 28th SBMA anniversary celebration at the Subic Volunteers Park on Tuesday.

[2] SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon O. Agregado (left) gives a copy of the Covid-19 Workplace Handbook to PCSPC CEO David Attewill during the 28th SBMA anniversary celebration on Tuesday.

[3] SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Marcelino Sanqui recalls his volunteer days with the Subic agency during the 28th SBMA anniversary celebration at the Subic Volunteers Park on Tuesday.

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Subic services 37 ships under crew-change program

Two months after joining the government’s crew-change program, the Port of Subic has serviced a total of 37 ships and enabled more than 500 mostly Filipino seafarers to either take badly-needed rest or renew work aboard commercial vessels.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the crew-change program is a direct response to President Duterte's call that no one should be left behind in government efforts to ensure the safety of all Filipinos and provide assistance to vulnerable groups in face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We understand that crew change is necessary for the health and safety of seafarers,” Eisma said. “And considering that around 80,000 Filipino seafarers with lapsed contracts are stranded aboard their ships, there is a lot to be done to ensure movement among seafarers, especially Filipinos, during this humanitarian and economic crisis.”

Subic started operations as a crew-change hub on September 10 with the arrival here of five Filipino seafarers who were stranded for about three months aboard MV Dapeng Star, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker based in Hong Kong.

Since then, One Stop Shop (OSS) Subic, the inter-agency task force which manages the Subic crew-change operations, has recorded a total of 260 “off-signers”, or inbound ship crew, and 255 “on-signers”, or outbound seafarers, as of Monday, November 9.

Of the total 515 seafarers who either arrived or departed in Subic under the program, only 24—or 12 on-signers and 12 off-signers—were foreigners.

Ships of all shapes and sizes have arrived here for crew-change. These included MV RTM Cook, a bulk carrier based in Singapore, with seven Filipino on-signers and 11 off-signers; LNG Dapeng Moon, a tanker based in Hong Kong, with five Filipino on-signers; MV Mindoro, a Panama-flagged vehicles carrier with three on-signers and two off-signers, all Filipino; MT Jason, a chemical tanker from Marshall Islands with 12 Filipino on-signers, and one Croatian and 13 Filipino off-signers; MT Euro Integrity, a Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker with 15 on-signers and 16 off-signers, all Filipino; and MV Nine Eagle, a Panama-flagged livestock carrier with five on-signers and five off-signers, all Filipino.

SBMA Seaport Department manager Jerome Martinez, meanwhile, stressed that OSS Subic has laid out strict health and safety protocols for the program, with all outbound and inbound seafarers undergoing RTC-PCR testing prior to departure from Subic or upon arrival at the Subic Bay International Airport.

“In case an on-signer tests positive, he is brought back point-to-point to Manila where he was swab-tested. Meanwhile, upon disembarking, off-signers are brought directly to the Subic-OSS for swab testing, after which they are transported to an isolation facility in Manila,” Martinez explained.

He added that in the two months period that crew-change has been undertaken in Subic, only one positive case among seafarers has been recorded.

Seafarers have been designated “key workers” by many countries, including the Philippines, which belong to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to enable them to travel to and from ships and ensure the operation of commercial vessels.

The IMO said that commercial ships now transport more than 80% of global trade by volume, including vital food and medicine, energy and raw materials, as well as manufactured goods. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Inbound seafarers from MV Devon Bay, all clad in personal protective equipment, await transportation upon arrival at the Subic Bay Freeport on November 6.

[2] A sanitation worker disinfects baggage, as inbound seafarers from MV Devon Bay await transportation upon arrival at the Subic Bay Freeport on November 6.

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SBMA temporarily opens Subic hotels to returning OFWs

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has opened several hotels here for the temporary accommodation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were brought home under the government’s emergency repatriation program.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said close to 400 OFWs were given temporary lodgings in quarantine hotels here since Sunday when Typhoon Rolly threatened Metro Manila and parts of Central Luzon with violent winds and heavy rain.

“We took them in for humanitarian reasons—and subject to strict health protocols— because there was a storm coming and our kababayans would be trapped at the Clark airport otherwise,” Eisma explained.

She said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which is bringing about half a million OFWs back to the country, made a frantic call for help as hotels in Clark Freeport and Pampanga that were accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for such purpose were already full.

Eisma added that she requested clearance from local government units (LGUs) near Subic and they had agreed to take the OFWs in. The returning OFWs were swabbed at Clark airport before being brought to Subic quarantine hotels, she said.

According to the SBMA Tourism Department, a total of 104 OFWs arrived here on Nov. 1 and were billeted at various hotels accredited by the SBMA and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) to take in OFWs and returning seafarers under the government’s crew-change program.

Of these OFWs in the first batch, 20 are already scheduled for transport to their respective homes after their RT-PCR tests had turned out negative, said SBMA tourism manager Jem Camba.

Another batch of OFWs consisting of 273 workers arrived here the following day, Nov. 2, after a similar request from the OWWA Region 3 office.

Camba said the repatriated OFWs were brought to accredited accommodation establishments like the Bayfront Hotel, Best Western Hotel Subic, Camayan Beach Resort, Horizon Hotel, Le Charme Suites, Mansion Garden Hotel, Segara Residencias, Subic International Hotel, Subic Bay Venezia Hotel, Terrace Hotel, Travelers Hotel, and Vista Marina.

The 13 hotels have a total of 528 rooms available for OFWs on quarantine.

Following the arrival here of repatriated OFWs during Typhoon Rolly, Eisma said the SBMA will consult with neighboring LGUs if they would agree to continue with the program.

“I’d be inviting representatives from the LGUs, OWWA, the Task Group on the Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos, and owners of Subic hotels and other stakeholders to a meeting so that we can finally decide the matter,” she added.

Eisma said that in a previous meeting, the SBMA had agreed to a request from LGUs to provide them with a list of workers from their communities who will work in quarantine hotels, so that proper Covid-19 precautions could be taken.

The SBMA further ordered participating hotels to house on-duty staff and to quarantine them after each two-week work schedule, she added.

“We will be taking all necessary health safety measures just like we did for the repatriation of Filipino seafarers under the crew-change program,” Eisma said, referring to the government initiative that was implemented here starting Sept. 10 after the LGUs gave their consent to the project. (MPD-SBMA)

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For transparency: SBMA to conduct projects bidding online

As the Internet, and even social media, take on greater role in the delivery of government services during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) announced that it will henceforth conduct public bidding for big-ticket projects online.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said on Friday that the agency’s various Bids and Awards Committees (BAC’s) had decided that all future bidding processes will be conducted via online platforms and will be broadcast live through social media.

“Going online ensures transparency, efficiency, and safety,” Eisma stressed.

“The bidding process becomes faster, more transparent and credible, and at the same time it keeps participants secure from the Covid-19 virus,” she added.

For this purpose, the SBMA had recently created the Facebook page “SBMA Procurement Service”, which will be managed by the various BAC’s, Eisma said.

According to Atty. Michael Quintos, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Legal Affairs, the move to conduct bidding online is in accordance with Administrative Order 34, which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte just last week, on  October 23.

While the AO requires all government offices to conduct online bidding of big infrastructure projects, the SBMA went one step further and decided to use social media platforms to go live during biddings for public viewing, Quintos said.

He also pointed out that in pre-pandemic times, and for projects worth P50 million and above, the SBMA Bids and Awards Committee already opened bids in the presence of observers from the Commission on Audit and disinterested non-government organizations to ensure transparency.

Eisma also noted that even before AO 34, the SBMA was already posting pre-bid announcements on the SBMA website and other online platforms on top of the required publication in newspapers of the invitation to bid.

“But putting the actual proceedings available for public viewing via social media would be one huge stride in SBMA’s efforts toward greater transparency. This will further strengthen the system,” Eisma added.

The SBMA chief also said that as the Covid-19 pandemic pushed practically the whole world to utilize Internet applications for business, the SBMA has been stepping up its adoption of new systems that would address new requirements and changing protocols.

She also noted that the agency has already established an online system of processing transactions with locators, suppliers, and other business entities a couple of years ago.

Among the online transactions that the SBMA has established are services provided for port users, electronic billing and payment, filing for regulatory requirements, and lately online job application and medical consultations. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Facebook page of SBMA Procurement Service

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