PAL lands 2nd OFW flight at Subic airport

A Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane bringing home 299 returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) landed at the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) on Wednesday, marking the first time that a passenger flight again arrived here since 2011. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who welcomed the arriving workers at the Subic tarmac, said PAL’s OFW flight was “a momentous occasion, as it marked the first time that the Subic airport served as an alternate entry point for OFWs wanting to return to the Philippines.”

“This is also the first time that a commercial flight arrived here in Subic after a decade of drought, the last one being the Astro Air flight that arrived here in 2011,” Eisma recalled.

Eisma said that it was more than a year ago when Senator Richard Gordon asked the government’s COVID-19 task force to open up Subic, Clark and Mactan airports to allow more passenger flights for Filipino migrant workers who were displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic and stranded in their host countries for months.

“After one year, here we are,” Eisma said. “And we hope that, aside from being able to help out in the repatriation of OFWs, this would be the start of regular passenger flights here in Subic,” the SBMA chief added.

PAL’s Flight PR5683 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia arrived here on Wednesday at 11:02 a.m. and was met with an inaugural water salute at the tarmac by a fire truck from the SBMA Fire Department.

The plane carried 293 OFWs, as well as four seamen and two returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).

Eisma said the 299 passengers will be quarantined for from seven to 10 days in hotels and other accommodation facilities inside the Subic Bay Freeport that are duly accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and certified by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

The flight on Wednesday was the second of six arrivals scheduled by PAL for Subic this month under the government’s program to facilitate the return of overseas Filipinos during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first PAL flight that was supposed to arrive in Subic on Monday was rerouted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Freeport Zone due to strong tailwinds. The plane, also originated from Dammam and carried 309 OFWs, two seamen, and one ROF.

The next flight schedules to Subic will be on July 15, 17, 25, and 27 with an average of 230 passengers in each of the PAL Airbus A330 flights.

Eisma said OFW flights to Subic is in line with the policy of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to impose a limit for all international airports in the country to accommodate just 1,500 passengers per day. Because of this, PAL has distributed its flights to various airports to accommodate the market, she added.

The SBMA chief said earlier that the OFW arrivals would create “positive impact on local tourism that would also redound to the benefit of workers, business establishments, and service operators in our communities.”

She also said that accommodation facilities outside the Subic Bay Freeport may also benefit from any overflow that may ensue from the arrival of returning overseas workers via Subic. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport to receive PAL flights with returning OFWs

The Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) will be accepting rerouted Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) starting Monday, July 5, under a government program to facilitate the return of overseas Filipinos during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said six Philippine Airlines flights are expected to land at the SBIA this month to ferry home mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

The flights have been scheduled on July 5, 7, 15, 17, 25, and 27 with an average of 230 passengers in each of the PAL Airbus A330 flights to Subic.

“The arrival of OFWs via Subic is in line with the policy of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to impose a limit for all international airports in the country to accommodate just 1,500 passengers per day,” Eisma explained on Friday.

Accordingly, PAL has distributed its flights to various airports to accommodate the market in accordance with its recovery plan, Eisma added.

“Once again, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is in a unique position to be of service to the Filipino nation, particularly repatriated workers, who long to be home but were hindered by pandemic restrictions,” Eisma said.

The SBMA chief pointed out that Subic also began serving as a Crew-Change One-Stop-Shop hub since September last year, thereby helping bring home stranded Filipino seafarers or sending them back to work after some vacation.

“Our assistance, we are proud to add, would adequately help flesh out President Duterte’s policy that ‘no one should be left behind’,” Eisma added.

Under the PAL flights set-up, arriving passengers would be quarantined for seven to 10 days in Subic Bay Freeport hotels and accommodation facilities accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and certified by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

Eisma said this would create “positive impact on local tourism that would also redound to the benefit of workers, business establishments, and service operators in our communities.”

Accommodation facilities outside the Freeport may also have the opportunity to take in any overflow that may ensue, she added.

“I really hope this will be the start of something good not only for the Subic airport and the hotels in the Freeport, but also for the bigger community that helps keep the Subic economy running,” Eisma also said.

Meanwhile, SBMA OIC-Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ronnie Yambao said his office has been in close coordination with the BOQ to ensure that all health safety protocols would be in place and strictly enforced at the Subic airport for the arrival of PAL flights.

The SBMA has also synchronized its efforts with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to ensure seamless processing of passengers, as well as with PAL to meet their requirements, Yambao said.

He pointed out that the Subic airport is being upgraded since last year to accommodate passenger, as well as corporate aircraft.

He said the Subic agency is implementing this year a P91.3-million package consisting of 12 projects to upgrade equipment and improve facilities in the Subic airport. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA, bikers unite to promote responsible biking in Subic Freeport

A week after several bikers were injured in an illegal bike race here, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and local cycling groups agreed to enforce self-regulation and promote responsible biking in this popular sports tourism destination.

In a meeting with local bikers last Saturday, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma urged for the creation of volunteer marshals who will police the ranks of local cyclists and enforce discipline among their members while biking in Subic.

“These volunteer marshals would be the eyes and ears of your groups to stop illegal bike races here, and they will be deputized by the SBMA,” Eisma said.

“They would have direct contact with the SBMA Law Enforcement Department (LED) for better monitoring and speedy action against illegal races,” she added.

The proposed creation of marshals came to light after an illegal bike race was organized by Olongapo City public school teacher Eduardo Velasco Jr. at the San Bernardino Road here on June 19. The “friendly race” took in participants for mountain bike male, road bike female, and road bike male categories at an entry fee of P20 each.

A race video that went viral on social media, however, showed racers overtaking a container truck and a spill involving several bikers as they converged on one lane to overtake the vehicle. A 14-year-old biker was among those reportedly injured.

The SBMA said the organizer did not have any permit for the event and subsequently closed San Bernardino Road to bikers for “wanton disregard of safety among themselves and other motorists, as well as in violation of health protocols being enforced in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.”

In an advisory issued on June 19, Chairman Eisma said the reopening of San Bernardino Road to bikers “will be subject to the implementation of proper procedures that will govern such activities.”

“As much as we encourage exercise and other physical activities among stakeholders of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and take pride that Subic has become a popular destination for biking, we cannot allow activities that may endanger the life and limb of the public while they are inside the SBMA’s jurisdiction,” she added. 

During the dialogue with bikers, the SBMA chief reiterated her call for safety and pointed out that only responsible cyclists can prevent a similar accident from happening again.

In the same forum, renowned triathlete coach Melvin Fausto fielded suggestions on rules that will be set for cyclists in the Subic Bay Freeport. 

He said that creating bike lanes would not be enough, and that self-discipline would be the key to having a safe and enjoyable bike ride here.

Road bike and mountain bike enthusiasts present during the talks showed great interest in establishing volunteer marshal among their groups. These included 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist John Leerams Chicano, a resident of Olongapo City.

Fausto said that if the Subic community wants to create another gold medalist among the ranks of cyclists who frequent the Subic Bay Freeport, it would be best if they trained properly and in the right venue. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA posts P820.8-M operating revenue in 1st quarter

Despite some unrealized revenue targets as a result of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recorded a total of P820.84 million in operating revenues in the first quarter of 2021, or a 5.23% increase over the P780.08 million posted in the first quarter last year.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said income from the SBMA Port Authority Group amounting to P374.54 million shored up the agency’s operating revenue by P60 million, thus creating a positive balance even as four other strategic business units (SBUs) recorded decreases in revenue.

“The good news was that the SBMA Seaport managed a 25% increase in port revenue because of a 10% increase in the volume of containerized cargo,” Eisma noted.

“The pandemic might have caused losses to some of our units, but others—like our core business, which is the sea port—are coming out as winners,” she added.

Among the SBMA SBUs that recorded revenue loses is the Business and Investment Group (BIG), a report from the SBMA Financial Planning and Budget Department (FPBD) indicated. BIG’s operating revenue dropped from P373.69 million in the first quarter of 2020 (Q1 2020) to P3 P371.89 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P1.8 million (0.48%).

Meanwhile, the Regulatory Group also posted losses, with P22.34 million in Q1 2020 to P8.39 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P13.95 million (62.44%); Chairman and Administrator’s Group, from P5.57 million in Q1 2020 to P1.77 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P3.8 million (68.28%); and Support Services Group, from P7.63 million in Q1 2020 to P5.92 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P1.71 million (22.43%).

The only other group that recorded an increase in operating revenue was the Public Services Group, which posted P56.87 million in Q1 2021, or an increase of P2 million (3.64%) from P54.87 million in Q1 2020.

The SBMA FPBD also said that the agency’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which measures profitability and earnings potential, increased by 8.41% from P36.84 million in the first quarter last year to P474.8 million this year.

Meanwhile, the agency’s operating expenses increased from P293 million in Q1 2020 to P298.35 million in Q1 2021, while operating income rose from P487.08 million in Q1 2020 to P522.49 million in Q1 2021, and bad debts expense decreased from P49.12 million in Q1 2020 to P47.69 million in the same period. 

“We have also recorded substantial income losses in the tourism, and understandably so because of so little visitor traffic since last year. But we have increases, too, in unexpected area,” Eisma revealed.

She said that collections in environmental and tourism fees dropped by 89% to just P3.06 million in the first three months this year, along with a 99% decline in tourism facilities utilities fees; 98.7% drop in tour guide fees; and 100% decline in rental of the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, which was previously an major income earner.

However, Eisma pointed out that the agency made P241,637 in sports facilities rental at the first quarter this year, compared to zero income last year; P35,000 in location site-shoot, which represented a 116% increase over last year’s figures; and P15,000 in fishing permit collection, which was 113% higher than that last year. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA to adopt shift work to maintain safety, productivity

Employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will soon follow a two-shift work schedule designed to enhance health safety in the workplace while sustaining high level of output and efficiency despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the new timetable would have some employees working from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm daily, while others do their duties from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

“This is our latest adaptation in the new normal,” Eisma explained on Tuesday.

“We have tried a Team A-Team B weekly alternate schedule to minimize health risks and prevent workplace transmission of Covid-19, but the downside was unavoidable work backlogs,” Eisma noted.

“Now, with this Shift A-Shift B scheme, we prevent backlogs, discourage intermingling among workers, and minimize the number of persons in the office at any given time,” she added.

The new work schedule, which was approved by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), will start on Thursday, April 22, said SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Support Services Ramon Agregado.

He also clarified that the new shift work would only apply to office workers, and that field workers who already worked in shifts would maintain their existing schedules.

Agregado said that under the two-shift work plan, employees will work in the office for six hours and from home for another two hours every day in order to comply with the 40-hour workweek requirement.

He added that those under Shift A, who would report to office from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, will be on work-from-home status from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, while those on Shift B will be on work-from-home status from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and would report to office from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The one-hour window between office work and work-from-home periods would give employees time for travel between office and residence. “But the same can be further adjusted in the case of workers from farther areas like Zambales and Bataan,” Agregado added.

He added that new work schedule will also allow employees who take public transport to avoid the rush hour, as they will go to work very early in the morning or in the afternoon.

Eisma also stressed on Tuesday that the SBMA adopted the two-shift work plan as a win-win solution to the seeming dilemma between work safety and productivity.

“The truth is, we can no longer afford a drop in productivity because the SBMA has been financially bleeding since the pandemic curtailed much business in the Subic Freeport. This, we hope, would give us more business, but not at the expense of our employees’ health,” she said.

Eisma also pointed out that the new shift schedule would result in better service to Subic Freeport stakeholders and SBMA customers because offices would be open for a longer time, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm instead of from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma discusses health safety protocols in the workplace with SBMA employees.

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SBMA warns illegal settlers

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Thursday appealed to farmers and indigenous Ayta tribesmen to stop encroaching in government-administered land and clearing forests and building illegal settlements within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the intrusion and introduction of unauthorized settlements violate the law, as well as an agreement between the Subic agency and the Ayta tribe on the use and disposition of tribal ancestral lands within the Freeport.

“Mapapagod lang po kayo sa paglilinis ng mga lupain at pagtatayo ng mga dampa kung labag naman sa batas ang inyong ginagawa. Babaklasin lang po ng mga may awtoridad ang inyong ginawa (Your efforts in clearing land and building shacks will simply be wasted if you’re activities are illegal. The authorities will simply dismantle what you build),” Eisma said.

“Matagal na pong may kasunduan tungkol sa mga lupaing katutubo dito sa Subic Freeport, at sana po ay sundin natin ito upang maiwasan ang kaguluhan (There has long been an agreement on the ancestral domain here in the Subic Freeport, and we hope you would honor it to avoid any problem),” she added.

Eisma also said the SBMA may be constrained to file legal cases against illegal settlers in order to protect government interest over the properties. 

The SBMA chief issued the warning following the discovery of two new illegal settlements at the Tipo area of the Subic Bay Freeport near the Mt. Sta. Rita Naval Link Station and the Subic Bay Expressway (SFEX). Tipo, which is the location of the eight-kilometer SFEX and some industrial park projects, is a village within Hermosa, Bataan, and adjoins Dinalupihan town and Brgy. New Cabalan in Olongapo City.

A report from the SBMA Ecology Center said that in late February, inspectors discovered an undeveloped settlement near the SFEX tunnel, which consisted of some huts built in a newly-cleared 500-square meter area. The new clearing is located along the proposed rail alignment of the Subic-Clark Railway Project, said SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya Dela Llana.

Dela Llana said that after a meeting with the Kalayaan Ayta community revealed that the unauthorized clearing was made by a group of tribesmen from the Iram Resettlement area in Olongapo City, her office referred the matter on March 31 to Nestorio Pablo, the indigenous people’s representative to the Olongapo City council.

The notice sent to Pablo said that the SBMA will demolish the huts and confiscate the felled bamboos, wood, and other building materials found in the area.

Eisma said the demolition was carried out last Tuesday, April 13, by SBMA workers backed by officers from the SBMA Legal Department and the SBMA Law Enforcement Department.

She said the SBMA also served a “notice to vacate” to farmers who have started a new settlement at Lot 2 near Mt. Sta. Rita. The notice was received on Monday by Wilson Villas, vice chairman of the group Filipino Farmers Center Internazionale (FFCI).

Eisma said that while the Lot 2 settlement was still uninhabited, some semi-concrete structures put up by the illegal settlers there point to an intent for permanent occupancy.

The SBMA chief pointed out that the SBMA has already filed in court a case against illegal settlers consisting of about 30 families affiliated with FFCI who have occupied Lot 12, an area at the boundary of the Subic Freeport and the Roosevelt National Park in Dinalupihan.

She said the SBMA gave the FFCI five days to remove their belongings at Lot 2 and leave the area. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA workers start dismantling a hut built in an illegally-cleared area near the Subic Bay Expressway

[2] Some of the structures built by illegal settlers at Lot 2 near Mt. Sta. Rita in the Subic Bay Freeport

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Subic mega facility for Covid-19 treatment and monitoring launched

Government officials on Wednesday (April 14) inaugurated a treatment and monitoring facility for patients infected with the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at the former Cubi Hospital complex, a sprawling, gated compound deep in the forest of Ilanin East here.

The “We Heal As One Center”, which was designed to increase the country’s healthcare system surge capacity and allow hospitals In Manila to care for patients with medium to severe symptoms, is housed at the 12-hectare campus of The Manila Times College of Subic, Inc., which includes the former U.S. Naval Hospital.

This Covid-19 wellness center and temporary treatment and monitoring facility is an inter-agency cooperation project of the Department of Health (DOH), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH), and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In the inauguration rites, BCDA President Vince Dizon said the “We Heal As One Center” will eventually have a 500-bed capacity from the present 371 beds, plus 100 beds that will be available at the hospital, which can take in patients with severe symptoms.

He added that the facility will benefit patients not only from the Subic Bay and Central Luzon areas, but also from Manila where occupancy rate in government hospitals is already breaking limits.

“In fact, I’ve already received calls from a lot of local government units that wanted to know if they can bring patients here,” Dizon revealed.

In the same occasion, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma pledged another 34 hospital beds to be transferred from the care and isolation facility that the SBMA put up last year at the Subic Gym, which became a DOH-certified community isolation unit for Covdi-19 cases on July 29, 2020.

“This will be SBMA’s contribution to this national effort,” Eisma said.

She added that with the operation of the Covid-19 wellness center at Cubi, the SBMA has been granted its request that a dedicated number of beds will be allotted for Subic Freeport stakeholders, including residents, business locators and SBMA employees.

“Tulong-tulong tayo rito (We will help each other in this project),” Eisma also said.

Prior to this, Eisma has defended the mega isolation facility project after some Subic stakeholders feared that it might lead to more Covid-19 exposure among local residents and workers.

The SBMA chief also assured stakeholders that the remote location of the facility, as well as strict health protocols observed in Subic, would ensure the safety of everyone.

To this, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) president Benjamin Antonio III agreed, saying that the location of the facility “provides a conducive environment for individuals who would need to be isolated because of the COVID-19 virus.”

Antonio said he was “quite confident in the arrangements our government will institute to protect our community, since the complex is well-guarded and fenced, and our healthcare workers are some of the best trained.”

“Moreover, I know that the stakeholders of the Subic Bay Freeport would take this as an opportunity to provide help to our countrymen. We cannot disconnect ourselves from their sufferings. We persistently speak of compassion—now is the chance to display it,” he added. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] BCDA President and National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Vivencio “Vince” Dizon, assisted by DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Francia Miciano-Laxamana and DOH Undersecretary and Treatment Czar Dr. Leopoldo Vega, cuts the ceremonial ribbon to open the Subic Covid-19 wellness center and temporary treatment and monitoring facility on Wednesday, April 14.

[2] The “We Heal As One Center” will have 500 beds for Covid-19 patients

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Subic gym closed down for violating health safety protocols

A popular gym and fitness center here was temporarily closed down by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) early this week for violation of health protocols against the spread of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said the Victory Gym and Athletic Club was ordered to stop operations for two weeks as penalty for a first offense after a series of verified complaints showed gym customers not wearing face masks and not observing social distancing during workouts.

Under SBMA Board Resolution No. 20-11-1843, which imposed fines and penalties for violation of health protocols and standards against the spread of Covid-19, the agency would penalize business locators that neglect to implement measures on workplace prevention and control of Covid-19.

The penalty for first offense was temporary closure for two weeks. The second offense merited suspension of the Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption (CRTE) for six months, while the third merited cancellation of CRTE.

The SBMA Board has also set fines for anyone caught not properly wearing a face mask in public places or violating maximum public health standards: P1,000 for first offense; P2,000 for second offense; and P5,000 for succeeding violations.

The same penalties applied to non-wearing of face shield in designated areas.

Victory Gym, which is located at the Subic Commercial and Light Industrial Park near Manila Avenue, is popular among local residents for its state-of-the-art facilities for weight training, as well as ancillary programs like Zumba and boxing.

However, Yambao said the SBMA has received information that some Victory Gym clients broke rules on wearing of face masks and face shields. Initially, the gym management reasoned out that their customers only removed face masks during picture-taking, but more anonymous reports sent to SBMA showed gym clients flouting the rules.

On March 18, the SBMA issued a show cause letter ordering the company to explain why it should not be penalized for the reported violations. Victory Gym responded on March 22, but the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department recommended on March 26 that it should be cited for first offense after an investigation and review of documents proved the company violated health protocols.

The SBMA served the order for temporary closure of the gym on April 5, and warned that another violation would result in the suspension of its CRTE.

Yambao said the gym management informed the SBMA that they will resume operations on April 22 upon compliance with the closure order and implementation of corrective measures.

Meanwhile, the SBMA also suspended face-to-face trainings and workshops among its departments to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace and in the community, especially with the recent emergence of more contagious virus strains.

A memo issued on Tuesday urged SBMA personnel to use Google Hangouts Meet, Zoom, Webex, or other online platforms for trainings and workshops instead of face-to-face interaction. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA allays stakeholders’ fears on new Subic Covid-19 isolation facility

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has allayed fears by stakeholders of this Freeport that the 500-bed mega isolation facility being prepared by the government at the former Cubi Hospital complex here might expose more local residents and workers to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who visited the facility located in Subic’s Ilanin Forest East on Tuesday, defended the government project and said that the remote location of the facility, as well as strict health protocols observed in Subic, would ensure the safety of everyone.

“The number one assurance we can give them is this location, which is so far away from everybody else,” Eisma said in an interview at the project site. “I would like to emphasize that this hospital is in a fenced and gated compound and that it is virtually a self-contained community.”

“I am sure that the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) will take all the necessary steps to make sure that everybody who will be working here and will be confined here will be limited to the compound. And if there is a need to go out, they will be properly guarded, properly monitored,” she added.

Eisma also pointed out that Subic has one of the lowest numbers of Covid-19 cases in the country because of strict adherence to protocols despite the presence of a Covid-19 hospital, isolation facilities, and swabbing and testing centers in the Freeport.

She said that this was precisely why Subic has been chosen as an international crew-change hub, as well as a popular destination for events under the “bubble” set-up.

“I’m quite sure, by this time, we already know what to do,” Eisma said. “With what we have learned from the past and what we continue to learn, I can guarantee the community of Subic that we will do everything to make sure that not only is this place contained, but that this place will also service the needs of the community when the need arises,” she added.

“Initially, the plan is that only mild and asymptomatic patients will be brought here until the emergency room and the intensive care unit inside the facility will be up and running,” Eisma said.

The 500-bed mega isolation facility for Covid-19 patients in Subic is expected to be ready in early April, as the government sought to increase the number of quarantine and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF) and boost the country’s healthcare system capacity.

Last week, National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and testing czar Vivencio “Vince” Dizon said the Subic facility was developed as occupancy rate in government quarantine facilities for Covid-19 patients rose dangerously to 70 percent.

Dizon said the new quarantine and temporary treatment and monitoring facility could accommodate asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic Covid-19 patients and allow hospitals to attend to those with medium to severe symptoms. 

Subic’s Covid-19 isolation facility will use 11 out of some 20 buildings in the former Cubi Hospital complex that also recently housed The Manila Times College Subic (TMTCS) campus. The facilities in the 12-hectare complex include a 100-bed hospital that served as the U.S. Navy’s Pacific regional medical center from 1977 to 1983.

The Department of Health (DOH), along with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), is now renovating the hospital and some adjoining buildings, including those that will serve as quarters for medical personnel and other support staff.

Once the Subic isolation facility is ready for occupancy, the DOH will be running the operations while the OCD will be managing security and logistics, Eisma said. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma visits the 500-bed Cubi isolation facility on Tuesday with Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) President Benjamin Antonio III (in pink long-sleeved shirt), Manila Times College of Subic Vice President for Operations Ryan Tulio (in blue shirt), and DPWH Zambales 2^nd District Project Engineer Karen Gail C. Miguel.

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Eisma: Subic to maximize opportunities in ‘new normal’

While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to bring about economic slowdown and affect growth areas like the Subic Bay Freeport, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will make best use of the evolving local and global economic situation, said SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

“We will capitalize on opportunities under the new normal and find new ways to handle new problems,” Eisma said on Monday when asked about agency plans for this year.

“While we foresee more difficulties ahead, as it appears Covid-19 won’t be eradicated anytime soon, our development program for Subic Freeport is intact, operational, and we are moving on,” she added.

In her recent State of the Freeport Address (SOFA), Eisma identified challenges Subic faces this year: the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting weakened financial position of the SBMA; effects of Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law on businesses here; and the proposed cancellation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that may adversely SBMA revenue.

However, she said the SBMA will meet problems head on through well-laid out plans. “If we can’t change the direction of the wind, we can always adjust our sails to favor the ship and continue with our journey,” the SBMA chief said. “Chance always favors those who are prepared.”

Under it 10-Point Development Agenda, Eisma said the SBMA will undertake the following:

• Policy Reforms and Good Governance: Update policies, guidelines, and best practices, and solidify partnership with relevant sectors in the fight against Covid-19; intensify campaign against corruption, illegal drugs, smuggling, and illicit trade; lobby for laws that would provide broader revenue base.

• Sustainable Development: Pursue better environmental management systems and health and safety standards; develop alternative water sources, and improve sewage and septic facilities; identify new revenue-generating measures.

• Safety and Security: Come up with better monitoring and surveillance systems, upgrade perimeter security, and update hardware for law enforcement and fire protection; strengthen partnership with PNP, PDEA, NBI and other agencies and intensify drive for a drug-free Freeport.

• Community Engagement: Strengthen cooperation projects, including anti-Covid 19 programs, with local government units and stakeholder groups; initiate more community-oriented projects, town-hall meetings, and other interaction.

• Locator Service Excellence: Further cut red-tape, streamline processes, and promote better access for investors; further support locators with economic relief measures; enhance Subic appeal to business.

• Subic Bay Freeport as Gateway: Upgrade facilities for air and sea ports, and set up modernization and marketing programs; support government initiatives in establishing better linkages with nearby economic zones and markets.

• FDIs and MSMEs: Developing new areas for industrial and commercial use; encourage pioneering investments to open up new industry sectors and shift to newer business models; closely work with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to give access and opportunities to micro, small and medium enterprises.

• Tourism Star: Establish Subic as the must-go destination for sports, pageants, conferences and other events under the “bubble” concept; promote Subic as the capital for theme parks, triathlon, sailing, and the next cruise ship playground; capitalize on domestic tourism to revive local businesses.

• Build, Build, Build: Replace decades-old roads, bridges, drainages and other public facilities; support government initiatives to improve the viability of Subic as a special economic zone and growth center; and

• Freeport Expansion: Develop a new Subic masterplan with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and study reclamation as strategy to address limited land spaces; develop Tipo and Redondo areas for industrial and commercial uses; work with neighboring LGU’s to identify and develop expansion areas. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] A cargo ship docks at/steams out of the Subic port: SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma says the Subic Freeport will capitalize on trade opportunities under the “new normal” 

[2] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma lays down the SBMA action plan for 2021 during her State of the Freeport Address

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SBMA health frontliners get vaccinated vs Covid-19

A total of 78 personnel from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Public Health and Safety Group (SBMA-PHSG) got inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday, March 25.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the mass vaccination was made possible through the assistance of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Olongapo City Health Office.

SBMA doctors, nurses, medical technicians and other frontline health workers were on the DOH’s priority list for vaccination as they are exposed to Covid-19 risks because of their job, Eisma said.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without the DOH placing our frontliners on the priority list and we thank Health Secretary Duque and Region 3-DOH Dir. Cesar Casion for that. We also thank Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. as it is the Olongapo City Health Office that administered the shots,” Eisma added.

She added that Paulino had also offered to include Freeport residents in the city’s vaccination program, as the Subic Bay Freeport is not under any local government unit.

“I am so happy that we are taking a whole community approach to the Covid-19 problem and I’m certain that when neighbors band together, they can do things better and faster,” the SBMA chief also said.

Meanwhile, Eisma said that the SBMA is preparing for a mass vaccination program for stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport in partnership with the DOH, the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC), and the SBMA Employees Welfare Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SBMA-EWMPC).

“We’re covering all possible access points to get hold of vaccines for workers and business locators, as well as residents in the Freeport and SBMA employees and their families,” Eisma revealed.

“We are in touch with the Philippine Red Cross to help us procure vaccines, and we’re also eyeing this tie-up between the SBFCC and a pharmaceutical outfit to help us realize a mass vaccination program here in Subic,” she added.

In her recent State of the Freeport Address (SOFA), Eisma underscored the agency’s fight against Covid-19 as an important factor in the continuing economic growth in Subic, pointing out that “proactive measures to fight Covid-19 gave us the resilience to be able to bounce back” after the economic slowdown.

The mass vaccination program, she said, is a crucial component of the SBMA’s anti-Covid battle along with mass testing and strict implementation of health protocols.

Subic business locators, meanwhile, have given the SBMA excellent scores for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic since March last year, citing the agency’s strict implementation of safety protocols that allowed businesses to continue operation amid the health crisis. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

SBMA frontline health workers receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday in Olongapo City

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Eisma: MPBL hosting boosts Subic’s ‘safe haven’ claim

The successful conclusion of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) championship games here at the Subic Gym on Sunday has further cemented Subic’s claim to fame as a safe destination for sports events under the “bubble” concept.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the MPBL finals is the latest crowning glory in Subic’s bid to be an exclusive safe haven amid the continuing Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’re proud to say that the bubble held until the last game of the MPBL finals. And that’s because we are firm here in Subic in observing health protocols laid down by the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases),” Eisma said.

“The Freeport community has taken painstaking effort to keep Subic safe, knowing it’s necessary for the nation’s economic rebound, and this determination is now paying off for everyone,” she added.

Prior to this, Subic also hosted the 2021 Gatorade-PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup organized by Philippine Super Liga (PSL) under a similar sports bubble that required participants to be housed in dedicated accommodation facilities and monitored by health personnel.

Under the sports bubble, spectators were not allowed in the playing area, and players and technical crew were prohibited from interacting with the public. The games were livestreamed over online video platforms.

MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said the bubble championship games in Subic ended without any hitch, despite initial problems when some players of the Basilan team tested positive before the semifinals. The whole team was not allowed to enter the Subic bubble.

But Duremdes pointed out that “no one was tested positive inside the bubble.”

The championship games ended on March 21 with Davao Occidental Tigers-Cocolife winning the 2019-2020 MPBL Lakan Cup by defeating defending champions San Juan Knights-Go For Gold 89-88 in an overtime.

With the 2019-2020 MPBL championship ended, Eisma said Subic looks forward to its return for the league’s regular season subject to the approval of the IATF. She added the SBMA is also negotiating with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation for a similar bubble tournament here.

Apart from sports events, Subic’s reputation as a safe haven has made it an international crew-change hub for mariners, and a center for corporate jet maintenance in Southeast Asia.

Eisma said the SBMA will further leverage Subic’s safe environment as today’s must-go destination for sports, pageants, conferences and other events under the bubble concept. (30)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma joins MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes (right) and other sports officials in presenting the 2019-2020 MPBL Lakan Cup at the Subic Gym on March 21.

[2] Members of the Davao Occidental Tigers-Cocolife team celebrate after winning the 2019-2020 MPBL Lakan Cup at the Subic Gym on March 21.

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Curfew, other restrictions back in Subic Bay Freeport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTOS:

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

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

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