SBMA to promote ‘junk art’ in 10th recyclable collection event

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will encourage the youth in the Subic Bay community to turn waste products into junk art, a contemporary art subgenre that uses found objects as art materials, in the upcoming 10th Recyclables Collection Event (RCE).

SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana said the upcycling project, aptly named “From Scrap to Craft”, will use wastes collected from coastal and river clean-up other recycling activities and convert them into junk art.

“Thrash are just resources out of place. And with this project, we can show the community that certain materials that we normally throw away could be turned into art pieces that would not just be Instagram-worthy but could even be sold for extra income,” Dela Llana said.

She said the SBMA will also provide cash prizes for the best “From Scrap to Craft” entries to encourage more participants and introduce the idea that upcycling could be profitable and worth their time.

The junk art contest is just one part of the 10^th RCE, which is scheduled on November 15 to 19. With the theme “REFUSE. REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. REPURPOSE”, the event will feature various activities that promote waste reduction and segregation, teach proper collection and disposal of recyclables and hazardous wastes, and increase awareness in waste management.

Dela Llana said the SBMA has been organizing recyclables collection as a bi-annual event in the Subic Bay Freeport with the cooperation of business locators, residents, government agencies and private groups.

Another component of the upcoming RCE is the “Refill Revolution for a Cause”, which will be a bazaar sale of cleaning products. Stakeholders can buy detergent, laundry soap, fabric conditioner, dishwashing liquid, and hand soap by the bulk, but they need to bring their own containers, Dela Lllana added.

Accredited haulers and hazardous waste handlers will also collect PET bottles, cartons, scrap metals, newspapers, and aluminum cans; plastic packaging from online and retail stores; glass bottles; wastes from electronics and electrical equipment; biomedical wastes; used oils and oil-contaminated materials; used lead acid batteries; busted fluorescent/lamp bulbs; empty containers; inks and dyes; paint sludge; as well as expired make-up.

The RCE will also be a venue for an information, education and communication campaign on waste management to be conducted by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan.

Meanwhile, partner groups Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce and RP Energy, Inc. will also use the event as a springboard for assistance to local schools and Sangguniang Kabataan units in the neighboring communities of Olongapo City, Zambales and Bataan.

Dela Llana said the various activities under RCE are crucial interventions to protect the local environment and help promote health and wellness among Subic stakeholders.

The Philippines ranked third in 2015 among the highest sources of plastic pollution in global waters, after China and Indonesia, DENR records show. It is estimated that 31.9 million metric tons of plastic pollution are produced around the world each year, and about a quarter of that volume ends up in bodies of water. (MPD-SBMA) 

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Subic road projects nearing completion

The road rehabilitation program initiated by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to replace decades-old streets in this free port is now in full swing, with major construction projects expected for completion by the end of this year, officials said on Friday.

These include sections of the Rizal Highway, which is the main road at Subic’s Central Business District, as well as roads leading to the container terminal, sea port, and residential areas.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency’s ongoing road rehabilitation and construction program is now substantially completed with a 95% accomplishment rate for the 40 road projects in the program.

“The remaining project we’d like to see fully-completed is the Argonaut Highway-14th Street segment of the Rizal Highway, and I’ve taken the contractors to task because of the resulting inconvenience to motorists,” Eisma said.

“Work on this segment of the Rizal Highway started in October and with 66% of it completed, our engineers are confident that this will be finished by December,” she added.

According to the SBMA Public Works Group (PWG), which oversees infrastructure work undertaken by private contractors, half of the current batch of road works are in various stages of construction, but all with December 2021 target substantial completion projections.

These are the Rizal Highway sections 2 and 3, which is 66.36% complete; San Bernardino Road, 80.76%; Boton Road, 91.36%; Palm Street, 74.68%; El Kabayo Road, 98%; Road to Leyte Wharf, 31.27%; and Binictican Road, 79.32%.

Meanwhile, among the early road works that were 100% completed are the Remy Field complex, Canal Road, Dewey Avenue, Subic Bay Gateway Park access road, Sunset Calesa Street, Binictican Drive, Cubi-Apparri Road, Cubi-Tarlac Road, Cubi-Zambales Highway, as well as the El Kabayo entrance. Only the Perimeter Road remains unfinished at 85%.

The SBMA-PWG said some projects were delayed due to variation orders adapting to existing site conditions, bad weather, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic when public works projects were stopped for several months. In 2020, the road program lost 79 days of work and 55 this year because of inclement weather, as well as work stoppages due to Covid-19 lockdowns, it added.

For the mid-batch projects, those fully-completed are the Malawaan parking area, Waterfront Road, St. Michael St., Finback St. sections 1, 2 and 3; Bonita St., Archerfish St., Dolphin Terrace, Triton Circle, Easy St., portions of Rizal and Maritan Highways, Greyback St., intersection of Efficiency Ave. and Argonaut Highway, and Finback 1 parking. Soon to be finished is the road leading to the New Container Terminal, which is now at 98%.

The NSD road projects, on the other hand, include seven fully completed components: Main Road 2, and Service Roads 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Both Main Road and the access road to the Marine Terminal are 99.5% completed.

Eisma said three other SBMA road work programs with a total of 80 segments have recently commenced under the SBMA’s own Build-Build-Build program, which is a major part of her administration’s 10-Point Agenda.

“We are intent on implementing and completing these road projects now because the structures built during US Navy days have already deteriorated. This is the first time that the SBMA is undertaking a massive overhaul of these old infrastructure,” Eisma explained. (MPD-SBMA)

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OFW flights revive Subic as global gateway

The frequent arrival here of Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights to bring home overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded abroad because of the Covid-19 pandemic has given the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) a new lease of life as a global gateway.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the use of Subic as an alternate port of entry for the government’s OFW Repatriation Program since July this year has resulted in increased international aircraft and passenger movements, as well as improved income for the airport.

“In the third quarter of 2021 alone, the OFW flights had provided the Subic airport P1.6 million in direct income, as well as P218.7 million in income for Subic hotels. But aside from the impact on revenue, we’re proving here that Subic can be a global gateway and that’s what’s more important from a strategic point of view,” Eisma said.

“We are continuing with the airport rehabilitation program that we started three years ago, and the successful OFW flights now are an indication that we have made substantial progress in upgrading SBIA facilities and equipment,” she added.

Among the completed upgrades were a new Doppler very high frequency omnidirectional range distance measuring equipment (DVOR/DME), an automated weather observation system (AWOS), an area navigation approach (RNAV), and new air-ground communication system for air traffic control.

Eisma said the increase in aircraft and passenger movements, as well as airport income here, defied the odds at a time when international air passenger traffic was down by 60 percent and airport revenues by 66 percent because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a report from the SBMA Port Operations Group, aircraft movement at the Subic airport in the third quarter of 2021 increased to 17,756, or by as much as 25 percent compared to the 14,220 recorded in the third quarter of last year.

While most of the movement were those of domestic aircraft, a total of 55 international flights landed in the months of July, August and September. These also resulted in increased movement of international passengers, from just 137 in the second quarter of 2021 to 5,800 in the third quarter.

“The increase in international passenger movement by 4,134% was attributed to the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and retuning overseas Filipinos (ROFs),” said Ronnie Yambao, SBMA senior deputy administrator for operations group.

Yambao added that in the same period, the Subic airport posted an actual revenue of P62.15 million, thus surpassing its revenue target of P49.52 million by 126 percent. The third quarter income was also 32 percent higher than that recorded in the same period last year.

The airport income was broken down into P40.48 million for leases, P21.62 million for airport fees, and P48,672 in royalty income.

Since July this year, when Subic became an alternate port for OFW repatriation, a total of 27 OFW flights had been flown to Subic by the Philippine Airlines, aside from nine that were diverted to Clark Airport during bad weather.

SBMA airport manager Zharrex Santos said that under the OFW program, the SBIA had handled a total of 9,159 international passengers consisting of 8,455 land-based and 421 sea-based OFWs, as well as 274 Filipino and nine foreign non-OFW passengers.

Santos said the latest PAL flight that brought in OFWs landed here in Subic on Tuesday, with 299 passengers from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic firms launch P72-M commercial complex despite Covid pandemic

Companies registered in this Freeport not only continue to do business but are even expanding operations despite the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the local economy.

Last Friday, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma graced the inauguration of the SBGP-FSI Commercial Complex, a P72-miliion commercial project right at the Subic Bay Gateway Park, an industrial enclave populated by mostly Taiwanese companies.

Eisma said the new project, which broke ground last year, “demonstrates the resiliency of the Subic Freeport to rise amid the pandemic because of solid economic foundation and proves that the Subic agency has taken the right response to the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic.”

The newly-inaugurated complex is a two-story building located along Efficiency Avenue that top-bills SBGP Food Services, Inc. (SBGP-FSI), a joint venture between SBGP developer Subic Bay Development and Management Corp., Inc. (SBDMC) and MCOM Subic Corporation, a firm engaged development and management of properties.

SBDMC President Willy Wang, who also heads SBGP-FSI, said the complex has a high-end 7-Eleven convenience store that has the first ever drive-thru in the country.

The complex also features the Royal Park Restaurant that offers authentic Taiwanese cuisine, a TECO home appliances store, a Taiwanese food specialty store that offers authentic Taiwanese food products, and a function hall with a capacity of 100 persons.

In the same occasion, several Taiwanese firms also donated to the SBMA two ambulances, a police patrol car, and a vaccine refrigerator to boost Subic’s capacity in its vaccination program.

Taian Subic Electric donated the vaccine chamber, while the SBDMC and MCOM Subic Corp. donated the two ambulances. Meanwhile, the police patrol pick-up truck was donated by members of the Subic Bay Taiwan Chamber of Commerce: SBDMC, Inc., Universal Philippines Corp., Sky Movement Logistics, Inc., Tailin Abrasives Corp., Haw Cheng Yen (Paul Gan), Le Charme Hotel, Upower Building Corp., Jack Metal, Inc., Limech Mfg & Trading Corp., Tao Hang Corp., and MSK Group Work, Inc.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Philippine Representative Michael Hsu, who also graced the opening, said the SBGP-FSI project and the corporate donations are “a testament of the strong relationship between the Philippines and Taiwan.”

“Now that the SBGP-FSI has opened, Filipinos here can savor the taste of Taiwanese cooking,” Hsu said, adding that cuisine from different countries can break boundaries, and bring countries together.

Senator Richard Gordon, who was among the virtual guests during the inauguration, commended the SBGP-FSI investment, citing that the Taiwanese were among the first to invest in Subic after the US Navy left. He added that Taiwan has been very supportive of the Philippines in terms of business and aid.

Among the local officials who attended the opening were: Hermosa Mayor Antonio Joseph Inton; Olongapo Vice Mayor Jong Cortez; TECO Chairman Theodore Huang; Philippine Seven Corp. Vice President Robert Tseng; SBDMC Chairman Chin Der Ou; SBGP-FSI Chairman Tung Hai Kao; Taiwan Trade Center Director Clement Chen; Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines Inc. Chairman Michael Lin; Taiwanese Compatriot Association in the Philippines Chairman Simon Su; Subic Taiwan Chamber of Commerce President Andy Liu; Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Donna Tamayo; SBMA senior deputy administrators Ramon Agregado and Ronnie Yambao; and SBMA Board directos Benasing Macarambon Jr., Rolando Ampunin, Maria Cecilia Bitare, and Marvin Macapagal. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic jumpstarts Christmas season with Hawaiian-themed Christmas display

A Hawaiian-inspired Christmas display at the Subic Bay Yacht Club (SBYC), with a giant yellow pineapple forming the centerpiece, jumpstarted the Christmas season in this Freeport and provided a cheerful preview of the coming holidays despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, together with SBYC Commodore Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo, switched on the Christmas lights last Friday and toured the outdoor displays laid out along one block of Subic’s main thoroughfare, the Rizal Highway.

Aside from the two-story high pineapple, the lighted displays included a native-themed Nativity scene, stars, as well as Hawaiian tiki masks and palm trees.

The display is an annual project of SBYC employees, with support from some corporate sponsors in the Freeport.

During the switching-on ceremony, Eisma expressed hopes for a better holiday season celebration this year, pointing out that the continuous vaccine rollout by the Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with the SBMA had resulted in more Freeport workers and residents being vaccinated.

“I am very, very happy to note that Covid has not stopped us from observing this tradition, which has always ushered the Christmas season here in Subic. And this is a very, very good sign because it points us to one direction—and that is, to try to get back to what normal is,” Eisma said.

Arroyo, meanwhile, stressed that the intention of the displays is to lift the spirits despite the pandemic.

“For us, the lighting of the Christmas tree in Subic, specifically the Subic Bay Yacht Club, has been an uplifting experience spiritually because it connotes the coming of the Christmas season,” Arroyo said. “During this season, we are reminded of God’s glory. And we need it more than ever due to Covid.”

Arroyo also thanked Eisma for her leadership and for the SBMA’s Covid response, and for getting workers vaccinated so that business may go on as usual.

The Subic Bay Yacht Club Christmas displays are lighted each day at 6:00 p.m. and are open for public viewing.  (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA gets medical gear, supplies from TECO, Taiwan firm

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) received medical equipment and supplies from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) and a Taiwanese manufacturer here on Friday, boosting the agency’s capacity in the fight against Covid-19.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the donations consisted of five oxygen concentrators from TECO and 100,000 surgical facemasks from MSK Group Work Inc., a Subic-registered business locator.

These will be used by the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department, which is the frontline unit in Subic managing the pandemic, she added.

Eisma personally received the donations from TECO Philippines Representative Michael Peiyung Hsu and MSK Group Work Inc. President Simon Su.

According to Hsu, Covid-19 patients who are classified as severe and require oxygen therapy will immensely benefit from the oxygen concentrators.

He added that these oxygen concentrators are convenient for use by patients, as well as health-care workers, because they are easy to move. One oxygen concentrator can simultaneously serve two adults and five children, Hsu said.

Eisma also expressed gratitude to MSK Group Work Inc., adding that the company, which started producing surgical facemasks in Subic Freeport last year, has been instrumental in ensuring a steady supply of facemasks in the country.

The SBMA has intensified its Covid-19 vaccination program recently with the support of business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport.

In the last two months, the agency received two biomedical refrigerators from Subic firms that brought Subic’s vaccine storage capacity to 40,000 vials, as well as upright freezer for ice packs used in vaccine carriers.

Eisma said the support from the private sector “has been invaluable in the fight against Covid-19 and in the efforts to keep Subic a safe place for productive economic endeavors.” (MPD-SBMA)

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P15-M illegal fresh veggies shipment seized in Subic Freeport

Some P15-milion worth of fresh vegetables illegally shipped from China were confiscated here on Thursday through the coordinated efforts of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Bureau of Customs-Port of Subic (BOC-Subic), and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI).

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the fresh vegetables were found inside five 40-footer container vans that were declared to contain frozen assorted vegetables and consigned to Saturnus Corp., an importer based in Metro Manila.

The shipment was initially flagged on October 13 by authorities here for non-compliance with the approved sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) on temperature requirement and for ingress of non-importable fresh vegetables.

“We found out that the shipment contained chilled fresh vegetables that are considered illegal for importation into the country. These included various fresh produce such as water bamboo, mushrooms, broccoli, and other vegetables,” Eisma said.

The shipment was also found to contain undeclared agricultural products like sweet oats, she added.

Eisma, along with BOC District Collector Marites Martin and Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Economic Intelligence Federico Laciste Jr., inspected the contraband at the New Container Terminal here on Thursday afternoon.

Martin said her office already issued warrants of seizure and detention for the shipment, stressing that the consignee Saturnus Corp. was only given a permit to import frozen vegetables.

She stressed that the temperature of frozen commodities should be at -18 degrees Celsius, but that the refrigerated containers in the Saturnus shipment were at -1 degrees Celsius. “Thus, the issued SPS  Importation clearance is not applicable in the instant importation,” Martin added.

She said the Port of Subic “will definitely remain fully committed in securing the country’s borders from the entry of prohibited, smuggled goods, and all other illicit trades.”

Agriculture Asec Federico Laciste Jr., who is also the co-chair of the Economic Intelligence Sub-Task Group on Food Security, said the seizure of the illegal shipment was the “result of concerted efforts between government agencies such as the SBMA, DA-BPI, BOC, DTI, and other offices through the Economic Intelligence Sub-Task Group on Food Security.” 

He pointed out that the shipment violated the agency’s Administrative Order No. 18, series of 2000, and Sec. 19 of DA Department Circular 4, series of 2016, in relation to Section 1113 (f) of Republic Act No. 10863 otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Meanwhile, SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ronnie Yambao said that the inter-agency team made a thorough search of the shipment, including a probe for any illegal drug or substance in the shipment, after initially finding violations on Wednesday.

He said the concerned agencies conducted a 10 percent physical examination of the shipment in the presence of the broker’s representative, and personnel of the BOC and SBMA. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA workers near 70% full-vaccination rate

Nearly 70 percent of the employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) are now fully vaccinated against the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as a result of an intensified vaccination program implemented by the agency in the last five months.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said on Thursday that of the 2,238 employees in the SBMA rolls, a total of 1,561 or 69.75% already received their full dose of Covid-19 vaccines, while 513 or 22.92% have already had their first vaccine shots.

This leaves just 164 or 7.33% of the total SBMA manpower personnel yet unvaccinated.

Eisma said, however, that more agency workers are expected to be fully-vaccinated in the next two months as more vaccine allocations come in from the Department of Health (DOH) and private sources.

“Right now, we’re looking forward to a full-vaccination rate of more than 90 percent — which is the new target for herd immunity — for our employees by December,” Eisma said.

“We’re doing everything that we can to get all our employees inoculated because, like the rest of the workforce in the Subic Bay Freeport, we need to get back to our normal work schedules to get the local economy going again,” she added.

According to SBMA records, 11 of the 47 departments and offices in the agency already have 100% vaccination rate as of October 12. These are the Office of the Chairman and Administrator, Board Secretariat and Office of the Directors, Office of the Deputy Administrator (ODA) for Health and Safety, Public Health and Safety Department, Office of the Senior Deputy Administrator (OSDA) for Support Services, ODA for Administration, ODA for Finance, Management Information Systems Office, Legal Department, ODA for Port Operations, and the Trade Facilitation and Compliance Department.

Meanwhile, 12 other offices have a full-vaccination rate of from 80 to 96 percent, while eight more rank in the 70’s.

Some health experts had earlier increased the vaccination rate to achieve the so-called ‘herd immunity” from the initial 70% to 90% because new Covid-19 variants have reportedly lowered the efficacy of available vaccines.

The SBMA last month expanded the coverage of its vaccination drive to include more workers in locator-companies in the Subic Bay Freeport to sustain productivity in this special economic and free port zone.

Eisma said that under the SBMA-DOH vaccine rollout, the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department continues to vaccinate qualified recipients in the A1 to A4 categories of the government’s priority list. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic sets ‘bubble’ for FilBasket inaugural tourney

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will also require a sports bubble set-up for the Filipino Basketball League (Filbasket), an upcoming amateur basketball confederation, which is awaiting approval for its inaugural play-off here.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the “bubble’ concept, which isolates players and organizers from the public, will be implemented for the tournament because it is a proven safety measure for various events here in Subic.

“The sports bubble has worked here in Subic and with this we have successfully hosted the 2021 Gatorade-PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup last February and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) playoffs last March,” Eisma explained.

“With the continuing risks from Covid-19, we need to ensure the health and safety of the participants, organizers, and even the locals who would interact with the visitors, that’s why we always insist on a bubble,” she added.

Eisma issued the statement after FilBasket League commissioner Jai Reyes confirmed that the inaugural tournament will be held in the Subic Bay Freeport and not in Batangas, which is still under general community quarantine (GCQ).

Subic is under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

According to Reyes, league organizers are just waiting for the go-signal from the SBMA and the Regional Interagency Task Force (RIATF) to hold the event.  

Eisma said that the safety protocols under the FilBasket bubble will be the same as that of the previous sporting events held here: players and organizers, as well as the league’s dedicated media team, will be isolated in hotels, with access only to the tournament venue, and all had to undergo a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test upon arrival.

“There will be no live audience watching the games, as the tournament will be broadcast by television,” she added.

FilBasket, which was founded by two-time UAAP champion Jai Reyes of Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (MPBL), will have 11 amateur teams competing in the inaugural tournament.

The teams will play for a single round-robin elimination match-up from which the top four teams will qualify for the semifinals round. The winners in the semis will square off for the championship. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic to host Miss Philippines-World finals with full health-safety protocols

The Miss World Philippines coronation night will be held here tomorrow at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) with full safety protocols following full endorsement for the event to proceed from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the pageant’s final ceremony here was only approved after rigorous vetting of Covid-19 health procedures and subsequent assurances by organizers that they will strictly follow protocols set by the IATF.

“This will be another bubble event like the other ones Subic had hosted for basketball and volleyball tournaments, as well as some national conferences,” Eisma said.

“The SBMA Board approved the request of ALV Event International, Inc., the organizer of the Miss World Philippines, to have the event here in Subic only after the Regional Task Force (RTF3) conducted an online coordination meeting with us and the organizers,” she added.

Eisma said among the requirements set were: full vaccination of all attendees; conduct of daily antigen tests, including guests, during the pageant; 24-hour posting of marshals with placards to act as health and safety protocol checkers, along with usherettes; and daily health declarations/reports with QR-coded IDs for contact tracing.

“Aside from the 44 candidates, there will also be guests and members of the organizing committee who will be taking part in the event. And we all want them to contain themselves for the duration of the event,” Eisma added.

“We’d like to stress here that we have set a 1:30 marshal-guests ratio to ensure enforcement of health protocols and that there will be only 800 attendees in a 5,000-capacity venue,” she also said.

Meanwhile, Miss World Philippines national director Arnold Vegafria expressed his gratitude for the approval to stage the coronation night at the SBECC.

He said that his promotion submitted its proposal to SBMA to stage the coronation night in Subic on September 21 and received r3ecommendation from the SBMA board of directors four days later after thoroughly establishing required safety measures.

“Rest assured that all IATF and SBMA health protocols will be strictly enforced by our EWP medical director-in-charge as recommended in the SBMA Board resolution,” he added.

The coronation night will feature 44 candidates vying for seven crowns in the pageant. These are titles for Miss World Philippines, Miss Eco Philippines, Miss Eco Teen Philippines, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas, Miss Multinational, Miss Philippines Tourism, and Miss Environment International.

The Miss World Philippines pageant, which is one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the country, is on its 10th edition this year. (MPD-SBMA)

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‘Yellow cards’ now available in Subic Freeport

With more and more people opting to travel abroad for work, business or pleasure, it's reassuring to know that they can get right here in Subic the "yellow cards" that are practically a necessity for international travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Wilma T. Eisma said the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) has opened a satellite office at the Ayala Harbor Point Mall here on September 10 in response to a clamor from Subic Bay Freeport residents, as well as other stakeholders from the neighboring communities of Olongapo City, Zambales, and Bataan.

“For those in the Subic Bay area who need to travel abroad, you don’t have to go far to get your International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV),” Eisma said. “All you have to do is apply online and once your application is approved, you can pick up your cards at the BOQ satellite office right here.”

The ICV or “yellow card” records the required vaccinations administered on an individual prior to travel abroad. Depending on the destination, the mandatory inoculations included those for yellow fever, typhoid, and now for SARS-COV2 or the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The document, which also contains the holder’s passport number aside from vaccination details, is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Karen Ann Vidaya, a senior nurse at the BOQ satellite office here, the BOQ only accepts applicants who booked their appointment online. This is to minimize contact as part of the bureau’s health and safety protocols.

“However, schedule adjustments can be made for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who already have their flight details,” she added.

The application for a “yellow card” includes booking an appointment online, paying the processing fees through designated payment facilities, and then going to the satellite office in person during the appointed date and time for passport and vaccination card validation.

“We immediately issue the ‘yellow cards’ after screening and validation of the individual’s information. It is that fast and easy,” Vidaya said.

Vidaya also said that the BOQ plans to establish a permanent office in the Subic Bay Freeport to help unclog BOQ’s Manila office and make the bureau more accessible to everyone.

The Subic satellite office is located at the second floor of Ayala Harbor Point Mall and opens Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For BOQ online appointment, please visit www.icv.boq.ph. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA ramps up vaccine drive for economic frontliners

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has expanded the coverage of its vaccination drive to include more workers in locator-companies here and sustain productivity in this special economic and free port zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency is getting more workers inoculated with increased vaccine allocations from the Department of Health (DOH), as well as donations from private groups like the ICTSI Foundation.

Last Thursday, Eisma supervised the launch of the second phase of SBMA’s vaccination program at the Subic Gym, with 250 employees of MSK Group Work, Inc. (Subic) and some SBMA personnel receiving their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine from the ICTSI Foundation.

“This is the start of a more intensified vaccination program for Subic stakeholders because we are able to secure more vaccines now since we have a storage facility with a total capacity of 40,000 doses,” she added.

The SBMA chief also pointed out that under the SBMA-DOH vaccine rollout, the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department continues to vaccinate qualified recipients in the A1 to A4 categories of the government’s priority list.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said the intensified rollout is also made possible by the availability of two inoculation sites: the Subic Gym and the activity center of the Harbor Point Ayala Mall here.

Yambao said that as the SBMA administered the second dose of Sinovac vaccines from the DOH to locator employees at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall on Friday, another team was inoculating workers of the Mikuni Terminals Mechatronics Philippines Corp. with the first dose of AstraZeneca.

“We can do simultaneous vaccine rollouts because we have these two vaccination sites that can accommodate hundreds at a time,” Yambao explained.

“This morning at the gym, we finished up with 180 doses of AstraZeneca for Mikuni employees and in the afternoon, it was the turn of employees from GrainPro. All the while, the rollout for Sinovac was continuing at Harbor Point,” he added.

Aside from the aforementioned companies, Chairman Eisma said that Subic companies like Exxinum and Sanyo Denki will have their employees inoculated within company premises. Another firm, Nicera, will have its workers vaccinated at Harbor Point. Juken Sangyo, a Japanese firm at the Subic Techno Park, had its workers vaccinated on Sunday.

Eisma recounted that last July, the Subic Bay Freeport launched the vaccination program for essential workers in the A4 priority list with Secretary Vince Dizon, the deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque gracing the occasion at the Nidec factory site.

“This is just the continuation of the A4 vaccination program we launched last July, but this time we’re doing it at a faster pace because we have a steady supply of vaccines,” she said.

Eisma also expressed thanks to the ICTSI Foundation for the vaccine donation, as well as to Subic companies that provided biomedical refrigerators to store vaccines.

“This is the first step for the Subic Bay workforce to get back to normal life and help renew economic growth. It is very important that we all get vaccinated and back on track,” Eisma added. (MPD.SBMA)

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Volunteers clear Subic beaches of plastic wastes, storm debris

 

More than 200 volunteers from locator companies, community groups and departments of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) fanned out to eight points along the shoreline here on Friday to collect mostly plastic wastes and other debris that were washed ashore after the recent heavy rains.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the coastal cleanup is an annual event here among stakeholders in line with the International Coastal Cleanup Day celebration, but was cancelled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This time we allowed it but on condition that the activities be undertaken with strict observance of health and safety protocols,” Eisma stressed.

“Despite the pandemic, there is still a need to protect the environment because a healthy environment is proven to be a big factor to the healing process, and we need that now more than ever,” she added.

The SBMA Ecology Center, which organized the cleanup, assigned volunteers into 10-man teams deployed at onshore cleanup points along Waterfront Beach, San Bernardino Road, Triboa Bay Boardwalk, Tago Beach, and Nabasan Beach. Others were dispersed to river deltas, while some underwater teams also dived on the bay to take out trash.

Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana said the trash collected by the various teams were sorted out and recorded to further study the extent of pollution along the coast and on Subic Bay.

Most of the trash washed ashore were plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups and food packets, but volunteers said they also collected a large amount of disposable face masks along with rubber slippers.

The coastal cleanup on Friday also served to conclude the weeklong celebration of this year’s Biay Dagat, a mini-festival launched in 2019 to promote environmental protection and engage stakeholder support in ecological action.

Biay Dagay 2021 was launched virtually, with the online ceremony attended by SBMA employees, business locators, environmental advocates, and other Subic stakeholder groups.

The launch was followed by a series of online lectures like “Man and Ocean: Importance of taking care of our Seas and Ocean,” “SBMA Policies in Protecting Marine Areas,” and “Waste Away: Proper Waste Management, Segregation and Disposal.”

Cenevix Mañago of the SBMA Ecology Center’s organizing team described the coastal cleanup as “hugely successful” despite the constraints of Covid-19 pandemic. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA expects more victory in CUSA fee dispute

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now expecting more success in court after it scored a huge legal victory on the issue of the Common Use Service Area (CUSA) fee, which was opposed by some businessmen and residents here since it was imposed nine years ago.

Atty. Ramon O. Agregado, SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Support Services, said the agency is anticipating to claim “victory in all of the other cases” after the Supreme Court (SC) dismissed the petition filed by Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. in 2013 to stop the imposition of CUSA.

“We’re very happy that ultimately the Supreme Court decided in SBMA’s favor and sustained the validity of the CUSA fee,” Agregado said.

The Court’s First Division recently issued a 19-page resolution denying the Philip Morris petition to seek the reversal of the decision issued by the Court of Appeals (CA), which affirmed the December 2, 2015 ruling of the Regional Trial Court of Olongapo City dismissing the firm’s plea to stop the CUSA.

The CUSA fee was imposed by the SBMA in October 2012 to defray the cost of municipal services in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone that were being shouldered by the Subic agency. The fee covered law enforcement, fire-fighting, street lighting, and street cleaning.

In upholding the CA, the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of the imposition of CUSA fee by the SBMA, adding that Republic Act 7227, which created the SBMA, “granted it authority to impose reasonable fees and charges for the provision of the municipal services covered by the CUSA Fee.”

Agregado said the SBMA is now waiting for the SC to affirm its decision and make it final and executory.

“Procedurally, Philip Morris can still file a motion for reconsideration. But personally, we feel very confident that ultimately, the Supreme Court will affirm its decision, which was very comprehensive. It covered all of the issues raised by Philip Morris,” Agregado added.

The SBMA senior official also disclosed that other than the complaint filed by Philip Morris, there are about 11 to 12 cases filed by other locators against the CUSA fee. Some of these have already passed the Regional Trial Court and are already in the Court of Appeals.

“Once the Supreme Court’s decision becomes final, we will invoke the decision of the Supreme Court in all of the other cases involving other locators who filed cases against the CUSA fee,” Agregado said.

Agregado recalled that when the Freeport started in 1992 until the imposition of CUSA, the SBMA had shouldered expenses for municipal services, except garbage collection. “This continued until it came to a point that the expenses were already so heavy and so significant that they were draining SBMA’s resources,” he said.

When CUSA was imposed, and some business locators and residents objected and filed court cases, the SBMA continued to provide these services just the same, Agregado explained.

“Once the SC affirms with finality the SBMA’s right to impose CUSA fee, we will have to collect arrears from those who have not paid CUSA,” he added. (MPD-SBMA)

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