Subic Bay Freeport opens more jobs in the tourism sector

A total of 6,723 job openings were posted during a job fair held at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall on Monday with a number of applicants hired on-the-spot.

This, according to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, proves that this premier Freeport is bouncing back from the hurdles brought by the pandemic.

Paulino added that the job fair is the culminating activity of the agency’s celebration of National Tourism Week 2022 that was moved to a later date due to super typhoon Karding.

“It was originally among the activities to kick off the National Tourism Week, but due to super typhoon Karding, we had to postpone it for the following week,” he added.

Paulino said that 57 companies in and around Subic Freeport participated in the event, most of them from the tourism sector, which was gravely hit during the Covid-19 pandemic from restrictions of social distancing.

He added that since the restrictions are easing off, it is likely that companies engaged in tourism-related activities will need more employees as the Subic Bay Freeport Zone expects an influx of tourists during the next few months.

In their social media page, FUNtastic Subic Bay, the SBMA Tourism Department posted the companies that are currently hiring. Companies such as Zoobic Safari, The Lighthouse Marina Resort, and The Shoreline are currently looking to expand their workforce since they are expecting an increase in guest arrivals towards the end of this year.

Atty. Melvin Varias, SBMA Labor Manager, said that among the companies hiring, 7 are into business process outsourcing (BPOs), 8 manpower companies, 12 construction services, and 9 manufacturing companies.

The applicants hired on-the-spot were in fact already welcomed into the workforce by DaTian Subic Shoes Corporation, a shoe manufacturing company here.

Varias disclosed that Subic Bay Freeport workforce is 146,711-strong who are employed with 3,731 companies here. He added that Olongapo has the biggest number of workers with 65,363 employees, followed by Zambales with 27,027.

He also said that most of the workers are male, with 102,070 compared to 44,641 female workers, mostly working in the service providing companies. The service sector which comprises 74.25 percent of the workforce, is followed by the manufacturing sector with 13.76 percent.

The two categories are followed by the construction sector at 8.38 percent, while marine-related services follow with 3.61 percent. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA, BSLI join hands to boost tourism in Subic

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Brighterday Subic Ltd., Inc. (BSLI) strengthened its partnership to help boost tourism inside this premier Freeport with the inauguration of the Tanawan view deck on Tuesday.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino said that the BSLI pledged to maintain cleanliness at the view deck located along  San Bernardino Road here as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) adding to the numerous attractions already being offered for tourists visiting Subic Freeport.

He also disclosed that the agency is drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the matter, citing that the Subic-based company is willing to provide much needed assistance to the SBMA.  It has further committed to provide maintenance personnel to keep the viewdeck area clean.

BSLI currently runs the renowned All Hands Beach Resort here, which for almost 2 decades has been  favored by  beachgoers especially during the summer.  

According to BSLI’s Alex Dayrit, the company is willing to provide the maintenance services as long as the SBMA needs their assistance. He added that since the view deck is near the All Hands Beach Resort, it is also quite fitting to beautify the area en route to the nearby tourist spots.

The Tanawan view deck is located at the San Bernardino road, overlooking Subic Bay, facing the Waterfront Area of Subic Bay Freeport. The site has been one of the favorite spots of recreational anglers, and a resting area for cyclists.

“With the company helping SBMA in providing maintenance to an area, we hope that other companies would follow suit,” Chairman Paulino said. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic’s harbor patrol vows to year-round bay clean up despite austerity

The Harbor Patrol unit of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED) has improvised a trash boom that will sift trash along the Rizal Highway Bridge here.

According to LED manager, Col. Alfredo P. Agustin, Jr., this project was implemented with the guidance of the SBMA Ecology Center, in time for the latter’s activity Biay Dagat coastal cleanup earlier this month.

“It is our Harbor Patrol unit that came up with the idea of making this improvised trash boom to prevent trash from entering the Freeport’s waters through the Rizal Highway Bridge after the mesh wire underneath the bridge came dilapidated,” Agustin said.

Agustin explained that the broken mesh wire underneath the bridge is awaiting total replacement, and that the improvised trash boom is ideal at the moment.

Ador Fajardo, chief of the Harbor Patrol unit, explained that most of the materials they used to make the improvised trash boom were recycled. It includes capped PET bottles they have collected from the marina and other sentinel. They tied together with a rope that they found along the Triboa area; used old floaters in between a few bottles; and installed them across the waters under the Rizal Highway Bridge.

“We spent only ₱80 to buy an additional roll of copper wire to tie more bottles together,” Fajardo added.

Aside from the Rizal Highway Bridge, the Harbor Patrol also installed their improvised trash boom along the marina, a narrow waterway near the Harbor Patrol office.

Agustin added that he had instructed his staff to continue to collect PET bottles because the improvised trash boom will need replacement after a few weeks or months when they eventually wear out and turn brittle.

Agustin also disclosed that a third site is already being prepared for the installation of the improvised trash boom, which is the mangrove area also near the Harbor Patrol office.

“It cannot be done with just a single day of clean up. It would take a couple of days to clear the area before we could install another improvised trash boom,” he said.

This way, he said, they would not need to wait for occasional coastal clean ups to collect trash. They will be able to clean up every few days, all year-round. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA, Subic tourism stakeholders donate food packs to PDLs

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and various tourism-related locators here pitched in to donate food packs to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Olongapo City on Tuesday.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C Paulino said that the outreach program is part of the 2022 National Tourism Week celebration, which aims to pay something forward to the community as the tourism sector gradually bounces back from the pandemic.

"To provide some solace to the PDLs of Olongapo City Jail is a good deed worthy of praise to our tourism stakeholders. Mabuhay Po kayo!" he said.

With the pandemic almost over, the tourism sector is looking good with the influx of tourists increasing. Paulino added that come Yuletide season, the agency can expect more tourists. 

With the SBMA Tourism department spearheading the outreach program, the donations they have collected reached 173 pieces of dressed chicken and 20 sacks of 25kg rice.

Tourism Manager Mary Jamelle Camba said that companies namely, Subic RCA Intl., Great Supreme, Fiesta Communities Inc, Buena Casa, Segara Suites, Crown Peak, De Pesters Pest Management and Consultants thru the Camba Family, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and individuals namely Rodel Mayor and Julius Macam were also among the generous donors of chicken and rice.

"In addition to in-kind donations of Acea Beach Resort’s 53 sacks of 25 kilos of rice, and Vacation Villas at Subic Homes’ 3 sacks of rice, the number of donated rice is now at 76," Camba said.

Camba also said that Chowking HP Ayala Mall donated 15 food packs; MSK Group donated more than 900 food packs, 3,000 pandesal, and four cases of bottled water; Yakiniku donated 27 cup noodles; Samgyupsalamat donated two boxes of tissue rolls; Xtremely Xpresso donated dry goods, energy drinks, and diapers; and Subic Bay Yacht Club donated alcohols, soaps, and toothpastes. (MPD-SBMA) 

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Subic stakeholders, employees join Biay Dagat 2022 coastal cleanup

Employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and close to 2,000 stakeholders of this premier freeport joined the coastal clean-up on Friday as a culminating activity of Biay Dagat 2022.

According to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, the SBMA Coastal Clean Up: Biay Dagat coastal clean-up is part of the agency’s effort to make Subic Bay Freeport attractive to tourists, and investors who intend to make it happen in the Philippines by infusing capital funds in Subic.

The participants conducted clean-up drives at the Waterfront Beach, Lighthouse Resort, Malawaan Beach, Triboa Bay Mangrove Park, Tago Beach, Nabasan Beach, Subic Bay Yacht Club (SBYC) Mangrove Area, Binictican Mangrove, and San Bernardino Road jetty area.

He added that some of the participants also conducted an off-shore cleanup, citing that these participants are called SCOOPsurero who were detailed at the  river mouths of the Subic Bay Freeport found in Matain, Kalaklan, and other nearby areas.

“The coastal clean-up is the culminating event of the Biay Dagat. We also conducted online lectures such as the importance and conservation of mangroves and corals, and the role of the public in marine conservation and preservation earlier this week, and a Pawikan online lecture was also conducted on Thursday,” he said.

An infomercial video making contest that started from August 26 and ended on September 19 was also an initiative of the SBMA to give more meaning to this year's ICC. Paulino said that contestants must adhere to the theme “Anong SilBay Mo?” that should focus on the importance of protecting marine biodiversity and the public’s role in protecting Subic Bay’s marine ecosystem.

The agency also took part in the International Coastal Cleanup 2022 on Saturday at the Lighthouse Marina Resort where more than 200 participants from various stakeholders here joined the coastal clean-up.

Lighthouse management, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Cubao West also launched a recycling machine that converts collected plastic trash into more durable everyday items such as chairs, trash bins, planting pots, and lumber. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA approves 71.34% of ₱46.23-B total FDIs by all IPAs

A total of ₱32.98 billion in foreign direct investments (FDIs) approved in this premier freeport accounted for 71.34 percent of the total ₱46.23 billion approved by all Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) in the country during the second quarter of 2022.

These investments were pledges approved by the following IPAs: Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB), Board of Investments (BOI), BOI-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BOI-BARMM), Clark Development Corp. (CDC), Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC) Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and the SBMA. 

According to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, this figure has recorded a significant year-on-year leap of 160,792 percent from ₱20.5 million of the same period last year to ₱32.98 billion this year.

Paulino attributed the said significant leap mainly to the aggressive efforts of the SBMA business group in attracting investors to make it happen in the Philippines, especially in Subic Bay. 

He also said that this is also partly a result of the implementation of the Fast, Friendly, and Flexible service to the SBMA’s stakeholders to help in the economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic. 

“We want companies to invest inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and to do so, we want them to have a friendlier atmosphere while providing flexible terms for them in a fast and efficient way,” he said.

Paulino, likewise, disclosed that these FDIs approved by the SBMA Board of Directors showed a surge of 30,205.9 percent from the first quarter’s ₱108.83 million to the second quarter’s ₱32.98 billion this year alone. 

Senior Deputy Administrator (SDA) for Business and Investment Renato Lee III said that the biggest FDI accounted for came from Vectrus Subic Corporation (formerly Vector Services Philippines, Corp.) with a whopping ₱14.5-billion investment.

He added that the company is followed by Agila South, Inc. with an investment of ₱10.73 billion; Agila NY Naval Inc. that has an approved investment of ₱6.28 billion; and Agila Subic TC Inc. with an investment of ₱313.13 million, to name a few. 

“The investment growth at the Redondo Peninsula where the biggest approved projects for the second quarter of 2022 will be located will certainly spur growth in the area. The agency expects more influx of FDIs once these companies are in full swing,” Lee stated.

Lee said that Agila would be utilizing the Redondo Peninsula area as an industrial park for ship repair companies.

He said that the biggest foreign investor Vectrus Subic Corporation is engaged in general logistics services and service exports. He added that the company would be subleasing the area currently leased by Agila at the former Hanjin Shipyard facility in Redondo Peninsula.

Meanwhile, apart from the ₱32.98 billion in foreign equity of FDIs, the SBMA also approved ₱2.37 billion in Filipino equity, which is part of the 37 investment projects approved for the second quarter and will generate employment for 433 residents of Olongapo City, Bataan and Zambales. (MPD-SBMA) 

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Pacific Business Mission delegates explore SBF as among sites for future Aussie investments

This premier Freeport was recently among the sites considered for exploration by the delegates of the Pacific Business Mission for its future investments.

The Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) of Australia/New Zealand, in partnership with the Subic-Clark Alliance Development Council (SCADC) and the Board of Investments (BOI) accompanied Australian businesspersons to visit key viable investment sites in the Central Luzon area including this premier Freeport zone.

Headed by Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen De La Vega, the delegation also visited Clark Freeport Zone, Mt. Samat Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone and the Province of Bataan before proceeding to Subic Bay.

The group was said to have expressed interest in possible investment projects related to tourism, automotive and electric vehicle manufacturing, agribusiness, and renewable energy.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) employees, led by its Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, received the delegates with a warm welcome at the Subic Bay Travelers Hotel in a luncheon briefing.

“As the global economy is struggling to bounce back from the negative effects of Covid-19 pandemic, we are glad to have this opportunity to participate in this investment mission and introduce or re-introduce the Subic Bay Freeport and Economic Zone to you,” the Chairman said.

Paulino encouraged the business delegates to make it happen in the Philippines, especially in Subic Bay, that the entire SBF community is looking forward “with much enthusiasm to work in partnership with all of you for the growth and progress of the Philippine economy, in general, and in the Subic Bay Freeport community, in particular.”

During the program, SBMA Business and Investment for Manufacturing and Maritime department manager Karen Magno gave the group a briefing on the business climate in the Freeport on behalf of Senior Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Renato Lee III.

“We strive very, very hard to keep the confidence of our investors and maintain this site as an ideal site for investment. This is because of our core Filipino value we call ‘malasakit.’ Malasakit is the deepest form of caring. Malasakit to our stakeholders, malasakit to Subic, which we call home,” Magno said.

She added that because of malasakit, the business group, through the SBMA Board of Directors, was able to complete the processing of 63 new investments during the height of the pandemic in order to sustain the economy in the Freeport.

The said new projects with a committed investment worth US$24 billion required additional 682 employment opportunities for the residents of Olongapo, Bataan and Zambales areas.

Currently, the SBF houses 28 Australian locators with a committed investments totaling to US$11 million and an employment of 577 workers.

Hugh McDougall, President and CEO of Australia Farm Innovation, and Nick Fenwick, President and COO of Fabric8 Membrane Services, and both Australian locators in the Freeport, attested to the warm and professional reception of SBMA personnel, skilled and English-speaking workers, and the Fast, Friendly, and Flexible services that the SBMA has been extending them.

Australia Farm Innovation is the leading Philippines Supplier of Innovative and High Quality Prefabricated Agricultural Buildings and Equipment, while Fabric8 Membrane Services is a company that specializes in contract fabrication of textile materials used in major projects globally.

Meanwhile, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business group Atty. John Aquino acknowledged the effort of the PTIC, SCADC, BOI and all the Investment Promotion Agencies as the Philippine Statistics Office recently announced that the Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) reached ₱46 billion for the second quarter of this year alone.

Aquino proudly said that 71.34 percent of the said FDIs, or ₱32.98 billion were approved by the SBMA. (MPD-SBMA) 

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BOC seizes 7,029MT sugar from Thailand in Port of Subic

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic seized around 7,029 metric tonnes of sugar on Thursday evening as part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to thwart the illegal hoarding of sugar imports in the country. 

According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, the BOC Port of Subic held the Taiwanese cargo ship MV Bangpakaew at the Naval Supply Depot (NSD) on Thursday evening.

He said that the ship that came from Bangkok containing 142,798 bags or equivalent to 7,029 metric tonnes of imported sugar arrived on August 17, 7pm. A part of the shipment have already been unloaded into three trucks supposedly en route to Oro Agri Trade in Rosales, Pangasinan.

According to Paulino, the vessel has allegedly been using recycled import documents and has already paid its taxes worth P44 million. The cargo vessel is currently on hold for further investigation.

“We are following President Marcos’ mandate to ensure that there is no hoarding of sugar in the country. The President made it clear that he does not want to import sugar, and certainly he does not want the illegal hoarding of sugar that causes prices to skyrocket,” he said.

Recently, the BOC Port of Subic intercepted various illicit cigarettes worth P253 Million from June to July 2022.

According to Port of Subic District Collector Maritess Martin, previously, 972 master cases of cigarettes consigned to Thousand Sunny valued at P40.09 million were confiscated in June. She added that the Port also intercepted 1,003 master cases of cigarettes worth P41.3 million, consigned to Russhi Knish Consumer.

“Another shipment of Thousand Sunny Enterprise arrived at the Port despite the revocation of their accreditation. It contained 1,000 master cases of assorted cigarettes valued at P42.2 million,” she added.

In July 2022, the Port seized another 2,157 master cases of cigarettes consigned to Proline Logistics Philippines Inc. amounting to P84.9 million.

The BOC-Subic also received information that another shipment consigned to Proline Logistics Inc. would arrive at the Port.

The BOC immediately issued a Pre-lodgment Control Order against the subject shipment, which contained 1,122 master cases of Marvels Filter Kings Cigarettes valued at P46,276,890.00. Martin vowed to protect the national borders against unscrupulous importers and illicit traders through intensified profiling and monitoring of import goods. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA steps up to provide stakeholders ease of bills payment

 

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has taken a step further to provide its stakeholders in this premier freeport a faster and more convenient way of paying their bills.

The SBMA recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Intercommerce Network Services Inc. (INS) and I-Pay MYEG Philippines Inc. (IPMPI) to further enhance its Electronic Bills & Payment System (eBPS).

“I think this eBPS would help our stakeholders a lot in terms of convenience in bills payment. This will save them time and fuel. Instead of going to our Treasury office or to any Landbank branch, they could just pay online or visit a partner merchant, at their convenience,” SBMA chairman and administrator Rolen C. Paulino said.

In September 2015, the SBMA first launched the eBPS, initially with the LandBank of the Philippines (LBP) as a collection system partner, and INS as provider of electronic payment platform.

However, with the emergence of a vast number of electronic payment systems, especially due to the restrictions during the pandemic, the demand for additional payment channel options encouraged the partnership to venture into other possibilities to explore further enhancement that will provide efficiencies to SBF stakeholders.

So in 2021, the INS introduced IPMPI to the SBMA to provide an additional electronic payment and collection system partner, giving stakeholders more options of choosing from over 90,000 electronic payment channels.

“We are more than happy that MYEG will be part of this initiative together with Intercommerce. Thank you very much for the partnership and for the trust that you have given MYEG,” said Ann Margaret Saldana, IPMPI Chief Executive Officer.

Saldana said that electronic payment channels such as 7-eleven, Cebuana Lhuiller, Palawan Express for cash payment, and GCash, Maya, GrabPay, Shoppee Pay, as well as credit cards for mobile payments, will be available with the intervention of MYEG.

She also assured that INS and MYEG will be working hand in hand to make sure that the citizens will be familiar with the platform that they could use at their preferred convenience without having to go to different offices to settle payments thru cashiers.

Moreover, INS president Francis Norman Lopez sees the partnership also as opening doors to other payment requirements of the agency.

“We hope that this would also be extended to the other payment requirements of SBMA like port facilities or services, and payment of other transactions of the SBMA. For that matter, I think, SBMA would be the first that would cover all its electronic payment transactions,” Lopez said.

Meanwhile, Paulino added that with the eBPS, the SBMA would also be complying with its obligations to the national government--Ease of Doing Business Act for providing convenience to stakeholders, ARTA for paperless transactions by opening digital payment services, and Executive Order 170 or the Adoption of Digital Payments for Government Disbursement and Collections.

With this MOA the SBMA shall authorize the INS and IPMPI for a period initially of one year to enhance the electronic billing and payment system and include MYEG, and its partners, as an additional payment gateway and to utilize the IPMPI’s multiple payment channels.

The implementation of the eBPS will be a big plus-factor to investors trying to make it happen in the Philippines, the convenience of payment transactions when they invest in Subic Bay.

The eBPS will be re-launched virtually on July 25 and 26 via Google Meet. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA gives ₱180.67-M revenue shares to neighboring LGUs

Eight neighboring local government units (LGUs) of this premier Freeport recently received its share of revenues from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) amounting to ₱180.67 million. 

Derived from the agency’s revenue collection from January to June this year, SBMA chairman and administrator Rolen C. Paulino led the distribution of shares to local government officials in a simple ceremony at the newly opened En Izakaya & Global Cuisine by Sakura restaurant. 

“I am optimistic that under the leadership of our new President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., our economy will improve and LGU shares will be bigger especially if more investors will invest in Subic,” Paulino said. 

Paulino also urged everyone to help each other like the way the SBMA patronizes businesses in the Freeport by holding meetings and other events in various establishments, rendering their services. This way, he said, businesses here are able to earn and pay their rent and the salaries of their employees.

He said that this practice would also be beneficial to potential investors who would want to make it happen in the Philippines when they invest in Subic Freeport. 

During the turnover ceremony, Olongapo City mayor Lenj Paulino received the biggest at ₱42.02- million; while, Subic, Zambales municipal treasurer Rosemarie Custodio received ₱24.62-million; Dinalupihan, Bataan mayor Herman Santos received ₱22.47-million; San Marcelino, Zambales municipal treasurer Eleanor Damasco received ₱21.65-million; on behalf of Hermosa, Bataan mayor, Atty. Anne Inton received ₱19.3- million; Castillejos, Zambales mayor Jeff Khonghun received ₱16.47-million; Morong, Bataan assistant municipal treasurer Ma. Teresita Reyes received ₱15.95-million, and San Antonio, Zambales mayor Edzel Lonzanida received ₱15.48-million.

Meanwhile, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Finance Antonietta Sanqui said that the LGU shares are determined according to population (50 per cent), land area (25 per cent), and equal sharing (25 per cent).

“The revenue shares being released by the SBMA every semester are derived from the corporate tax, which is two percent of the five-percent special tax it collects from business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone,” she explained. 

Sanqui added that the SBMA has been releasing revenue shares directly to the LGUs since August 2010.  Previously, corporate taxes were remitted first to the national government, which would then distribute the shares to the concerned LGUs. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA more than happy to accommodate Hyundai Heavy in Subic Freeport

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino welcomed the possibility of South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) investing inside this premier Freeport.

The statement came after outgoing Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana revealed that the South Korean shipbuilder plans to construct a maintenance depot at the former Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC-Phil) shipyard in Redondo Peninsula.

“The company plans to have a maintenance depot here since many of our military ships are built by Hyundai. They would provide the maintenance needs of these ships,” he said.

Paulino said that the plans for the construction of HHI’s maintenance depot here would mean more job opportunities, and would generate income to the agency that can be added to the national coffers. He said that the construction of the HHI maintenance depot is more efficient rather than sending the ships back to South Korea for repairs.

Former Secretary Lorenzana cited that the country ordered the Philippine Navy (PN)'s first two missile frigates, BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) from the South Korean shipbuilder. He added that HHI also secured the P28-billion contract for the two anti-submarine corvettes last December and the P30-billion offshore patrol vessel (OPV) deal.

The company is also the contractor for the South Korean Navy's Pohang-class corvettes, of which one is now in service with the PN, with another expected to be transferred soon. The company and the DND signed a lifetime service support contract for the maintenance and upkeep of the two Jose Rizal guided-missile frigates.

Chairman Paulino said that it is only fitting that the company construct its maintenance depot at the former Hanjin shipyard since Agila Subic (now owner of the Hanjin shipyard) is housing the base operations of the Philippine Navy.

 The SBMA chief also cited that after HHIC left, thousands of skilled workers in the shipbuilding sector have been unemployed and are seeking other job opportunities, but were unlucky due to the recent pandemic.

“The investment of Agila Subic has revived the shipbuilding industry of the Subic Bay Freeport back to life. We can expect more job opportunities for skilled shipbuilders in the area since more and more companies are looking into investing into Agila Subic’s shipbuilding industrial park,” he said.

The Philippine Navy occupies the northern portion of the former HHIC-Phil shipyard that spans around 100 hectares of the site's more than 280 hectares.

The activation and subsequent operationalization of NOB Subic are in line with the Navy's scaled-up maritime operations to support the needed base services of the deep-draft vessels such as Jose Rizal-class missile-frigates, Del Pilar-class offshore patrol ships, and Tarlac-class landing docks.

The newly activated base will house select fleet marine units, maintenance, and replenishment facilities that will enable the fleet to sustain the operational requirements of the current and future capital vessels. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA, SBF locators help adults w/ special needs face independence in the real world

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) ventured in yet another first-of-its-kind partnership, to support the workplace immersion program for adults with special needs of students from the Vanguard Academy.

SBMA officials led by Labor department manager Atty. Melvin Varias, together with Le Charmé Suites chief executive officer Josephine Pellicer and Meat Plus Café Group operations manager Eizon Wilmar Sampang, welcomed 11 students of the Vanguard Academy (VA) in a send-off ceremony last July 2, 2022.

“On behalf of our chairman and administrator Rolen C. Paulino, and our Senior Deputy Administrator for Support Services Atty. Ramon Agregado, I would like to congratulate the Vanguard Academy for making this possible here in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone,” remarked Atty. Varias.

“This pilot immersion program is somehow noble to us because it involves students with special talents. This is unique to us. I hope that this multipartite partnership will be sustained even in the coming years because we believe that we can help prepare them for possible gainful employment in the future,” he added.

The Vanguard Academy, a special education institution in Makati City, Metro Manila, has collaborated with the SBMA Labor department to send off 11 young adults with special needs to selected SBMA departments and Freeport locators where they will work as on-the-job trainees (OJTs).

Five of them were assigned to SBMA departments (three for Tourism and two for Law Enforcement), four to Le Charmé Suites (two each for the cafeteria and hotel front desk), and two to Meat Plus Café.

In 2021, the VA launched the Workplace Immersion Program (WIP) on an online platform due to the pandemic. Students completed the program with the school’s partnerships with Viva Entertainment, Ayala Foundation and Bonifacio Art Foundation, where the OJT work focused more on the visual arts skills of the students.

The Academy is also taking it up a notch this year by piloting WIP on a face-to-face platform allowing them to work on-site but with guidance by job coaches from the academy.

One of their goals is for their students to have assisted or fully independent part- or full-time employment in small or large businesses by empowering individuals of all abilities, regardless of age, diagnosis whether typical or special that they may eventually be able to contribute to and be part of the society.

A few weeks back, the VA’s job coaches conducted an orientation session with its WIP partners on the basics of handling adults with special needs. Then, proceeded to assisting the students as they undergo the formality of a job interview by their respective employers, and a tour of the facility the students will be working in.

Jean Patricio, Vanguard Academy director for Academics, Employment and Independent Living Skills said that they always use the term “all abilities” to refer to different levels of abilities, whether typically developing, or individuals with autism, individuals with Down’s Syndrome, individuals with intellectual disability, or individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and so on.

“We are using WITH—with autism, with Down’s syndrome and not their actual names like autism, Down’s syndrome. It’s always WITH because we want to highlight that those diagnoses are just a part of them and not who they are. These individuals are more than their diagnosis,” she added.

During the opening program and send-off ceremony, the SBMA, Le Charmé Suites, Meat Plus Café, and Vanguard Academy officials sealed the agreement to formally commence the implementation of the two-week WIP of 11 adults with special needs.

Students, parents, job coaches and even partner establishments were anxious about the implementation of the program because these adults with special needs will be away from their comfort zone for two weeks.

However, one parent, Roy Ebora, father of three student participants namely, Kyle Kurt and John, said that the WIP is very well appreciated.

“From my perspective, this kind of program brings hope to parents like me that they will learn life skills. To people who are not in the normal spectrum, as development psychologists call it, having life skills is actually not that simple. And as we know, society in general, can be a little bit harsh to people who are not part of the normal group,” Ebora explained citing that one of his fears is if his children would be able to integrate themselves to society when they are gone.

Meanwhile, SBMA chairman and administrator Rolen Paulino expressed elation about having adults with special needs completing their training here in the SBF.

“This is great! Aside from the regular individuals we have in our workforce, we have “differently abled” individuals in our workforce. Now, we have trainees with special needs. I look forward to having them as workers sometime soon,” Paulino said.

Paulino also mentioned that in Subic Bay Freeport welcomes workers of all kinds of groups, including members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer community. With that, he reiterated the call to potential investors who want to make it happen in the Philippines to invest in Subic. (MPD-SBMA) 

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Subic Freeport remains No. 1 tourist destination in Central Luzon, No. 5 in country despite pandemic

This bustling premier Freeport has again sustained its reputation as the top tourist destination in Central Luzon, and 5^th in the entire country for 2021.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism department manager Jem Camba disclosed that the Department of Tourism (DOT) conferred the Subic Bay Freeport as the number one tourist destination in Central Luzon with 7,374,332 visitors and 737,486 tourists for the year 2021, while also ranking fifth among the most visited places in the country.

“We have established and followed strict health and safety protocols since the pandemic broke, because we had to ensure the safety of guests entering the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. So that we could promote Subic Freeport as a safe destination for tourists, with the strict adherence to the health and safety guidelines set by the national government,” Camba said.

She added that during the second year under the pandemic, the tourism industry of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone continued to thrive via digital marketing, online business-to-business meetings, and travel fairs, not to mention creating QR codes for easy access of information regarding tourism and health and safety guidelines being implemented here.

It was also during this time of the pandemic when bubble events boomed, which was usually used in the sports tourism industry such as the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, FilBasket, and beach volleyball. The Freeport was also the place to go for locked-in tapings as it became the venue for film shoots.

Camba said that the agency assures that the hotels and other tourism-related establishments complied with the health and safety standards set by the national government, as weekly inspections of the area are being conducted by the agency on their compliance.

“We also utilized some of these hotels for either quarantine, leisure or mixed-use purposes. The quarantine hotels are areas where repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and non-OFWs stay upon arrival at the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA),” she said.

She assured that almost all of the employees of these hotels have already been vaccinated to ensure the safety of their guests; other tourism-related establishments such as restaurants and theme parts have also followed suit.

Meanwhile, the Subic’s tourism industry has a positive outlook for 2022 as more sports tourism events have resumed here. Recently, the SBMA played host to sports tourism events such as the 2022 Subic Bay International Triathlon, Audax Ride, FRIKE: Mountain Bike Fun Race, and the 2022 Rally Sprint Series Round 1.

Events such as the EZ Mil Panalo Homecoming Tour, Gold’s Gym Muscle Contest, Pickleball National Tournament, Subic Bay Ironkids, Subic Bay 5150, and the continuation of the 2022 Rally Sprint Series will draw more tourists before the end of the year.

“Aside from these events, the SBMA will resume its cruise ship arrivals by next year. Companies such as the Royal Caribbean have already confirmed their arrival for 2023,” Camba said.

With all the upcoming activities, Camba also expressed hope for more tourism-related businesses to make it happen in the Philippines, particularly in Subic Freeport. (MPD-SBMA) 

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Subic Bay Freeport stakeholders, SBMA employees join Arbor Day 2022

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) employees join workers, residents, officials and executives from different locators inside the Freeport zone as they participate in the tree planting, forest clean-up and wildlings collection activity as part of the annual Arbor Day celebration held July 5.

Magtanum kitamo: Subic Bay’s Artbor Day, D-Day is this year’s Arbor Day celebration organized by the SBMA Ecology Center where Subic Bay Freeport locators, residents, SBMA departments and employees, particularly environmental officers, pollution control officers and managers enjoined. 

Dubbed as “Bi-ayang Chawon Year 2,” Arbor Day aims to highlight the values of trees and forests, and to educate and encourage the Freeport stakeholders to take care of these important natural resources.

“Bi-ayang Chawon means to continue doing the activities that would improve environmental awareness, re-introduce activities that would aid in the conservation and protection of the forests, and promote camaraderie among the stakeholders,” SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya Dela Llana explained.

The celebration commenced with Panimula, a virtual opening ceremony on June 20 and ended with Pagpapatuloy, its virtual closing on July 4.

Online lecture series, social media posts and exhibits, and a tree-planting activity highlighted the three-week event. First of which was Chawon: An online Lecture Series” from June 22 to 24.

Also #TREEnding featured (1) weekly social media posts about the SBF forest and/or trivia about trees; (2) a two-week photo exhibit at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall showcasing SBMA’s Arbor Day celebrations and reforestation efforts; (3) a three-day trade fair featuring concessionaires of organic, eco-friendly and/or educational products that will run from June 22 to 24; and (4) a photo contest where participants were asked to post a photo of them or their group participating in the activities during the Subic Bay’s Arbor Day, D-Day on June 30, 2022.

Finally, Magtanum kitamo: Subic Bay’s Arbor Day, D-Day on June 30, participants took part in a tree planting at the SBMA’s reforestation site, collected wildlings at Pamulaklakin Forest, and cleanup El Kabayo Forest.

Meanwhile, SBMA chairman and administrator Rolen C. Paulino disclosed that the said activities area part of the bigger plan to make Subic attractive to foreign and local investors who would want to make it happen in the Philippines and find it practical to invest in Subic. 

Arbor Day is observed every June 25. During the peak of the pandemic, Arbor Day was observed thru online activities. (MPD-SBMA)

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