Study on Subic-Clark-Batangas logistics corridor completed

MANILA, Philippines - The pre-feasibility study leading to the drawing up of a master plan making the Subic-Clark-Batangas corridor into a logistics corridor that positions Luzon as an international transshipment point in Asia has been completed.

This was announced by National Competitiveness Council (NCC) private sector chairman Cesar Bautista.

Ambassador Bautista said the initial study lays down the term of reference and scope of a more detailed study whose main output is a master plan for a seamless intermodal logistics corridor across the three fastest growing regions in Luzon.

The master plan will take another one and a half year to complete, Bautista said.

“The Subic-Clark-Batangas region, despite its considerable potential for being the principal logistics hub in the country, has experienced very limited growth due to inefficient logistics operations. As such, an integrated logistics program aimed specifically at increasing trade volumes, agricultural production as well as the diversification of economic activities is needed. This now comes in the form of a Subic-Clark-Batangas Intermodal Logistics Corridor Master Plan,” The study pointed out.

It noted that President Arroyo first raised the idea in 2007 when she declared that Luzon should be developed as a major transshipment and logistics hub in Asia. Since then, several big-ticket infrastructure projects interconnecting the corridor have been completed including the upgrading of the south and north expressways, opening of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and other projects.

“It is also important to address major transport policy issues critical to the development of the corridor,” the study stressed.

The corridor provides specialized industries and processing activities in Subic and Clark Special Economic Zones, textile, garments and consumer electronics factories in the Calabarzon, prime agricultural production south and north of Manila and port related industries in Batangas.

The corridor now accounts for 80 percent of the national cargo throughput in the country and about half of yearly economic output.

In pushing hard for the master plan, Ambassador Bautista said that it is not enough that one announces it is building a new superhighway from Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to Tuguegarao, Cagayan or a bullet train from Manila to Laoag without taking into consideration if those projects will bring down costs of shipping goods.

The master plan was envisioned not only to address the high cost of shipping goods across Luzon but between the island and other ports in the country and in the Asian region.

The initial study suggested that building a logistics corridor will have to be pushed in stages, the first of which will be the building of a transport corridor. Second stage will be a multimodal corridor that integrates land, sea and air transportation plus storage and other support facilities then into a logistics and later, an economic corridor.

“The whole point is to develop the corridor as an alternative transshipment hub in Asia and to open up new economic activities towards the eastern seaboard of Luzon,” Bautista pointed out.

So far, he added, there have been so many plans and programs including unsolicited proposals on building roads and railway systems but these have not been integrated into a master plan designed to speed up economic growth in Luzon and the rest of the country. (Philexport News and Features )

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BI agents collar Korean for duping fellow countrymen of millions of pesos

Immigration authorities arrested a South Korean for defrauding 14 Korean businessmen of millions of pesos in fake land and condominium titles in Subic Freeport, Zambales.

Kim Tae Wan was arrested near the Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga by immigration agents based on a warrant of arrest issued by Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.

The suspect gave himself up to Immigration intelligence agents Irene Bello and Rommel Linatok without a fight and readily submitted himself for an investigation.

According to BI executive director Eric Buhain, Kim managed to convinced Ji Hyun Byeon and 13 others to buy land and condominium properties inside Subic Bay Free Port zone.

Kim represented himself as the owner of Subic Daesung Corporation that also operates the Subic International Hotel inside the Free Port.

But Kim turned out to have subleased the condominium and pocketed the money paid by the 14 Koreans instead of turning the payment to the Daesung Corp.

Kim is now detained at the BI detention cell in Bicutan and will be deported soon. He was also included in the bureau’s blacklist for being an undesirable alien. (Conrado Ching, Daily Tribune)

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Subic, Clark best projects of Arroyo govt.

LAWMAKERS have complemented the top projects of the Arroyo administration, which include the development of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zones.

According to Rep. Danilo Suarez of Quezon, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight, said the two freeport zones were able to attract foreign investors and generate employment ever since their conversion from military bases to bustling investment destinations.

The Quezon legislator stressed that Subic and Clark ecozones’ development was given impetus when it was identified as one of the agenda that shall be addressed by the Arroyo administration.

To facilitate this goal, the President created in 2006 through Executive Order 504 the Subic-Clark Alliance Development Council, a coordinative body to oversee the development of Subic and Clark. It has focused on establishing a single, contiguous and economic growth corridor providing world-class logistics infrastructure and services such as the multi-modal transport hub, favorable environment of investors and additional land for future expansion.

According to the plan, Subic and Clark will be developed as a world-class mega logistics hub that will provide a seamless delivery of goods, services, people and information to and from the production, manufacturing and trading centers of the country.

The hub will not only be a gateway for locators within the Subic and Clark, but will ultimately become the country’s main gateway to the world.

At its inception, the Subic-Clark development council concentrated primarily on the harmonization and improvement of the policies and programs governing the Subic and Clark Special Economic and Freeport Zones, following the rationale that ease of doing business will be a major factor in attracting the major players of the Asia Pacific Supply Chain to choose the two zones as their primary points of destination.

As of May 2009, the total investments in Subic reached $6.053 billion, more than double the $2.561 billion registered in 2004.

The Port of Subic Bay has two new container terminals with a combined capacity of 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent units annually.

In the meantime, Clark has successfully attracted investments worth P79.8 billion from P31.78 billion in 2004. In 2008, total exports were valued at $950 million, 7.51 percent higher than in 2007.

The report further stated that as of the first quarter of 2008, 48 new contracts were signed, with investment commitment valued at P1.43 billion. (Jomar Canlas, Manila Times)

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ARMM turns to Subic Bay for port conversion project

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has sought the assistance of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) as it prepares to establish a free port at Parang town in the province of Maguindanao.

A 20-man delegation headed by ARMM acting regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong recently visited this premier free port to learn about the “Subic miracle” — the successful conversion of this former military base into a special economic zone.

“We were overwhelmed—in terms of the organization and the development,” said David Ali, executive director of the ARMM Official Development Assistance Office.

“Before we came here, we had zero knowledge on how to establish our own free port. We came here to gather information on how to start the process, and yet we now have some knowledge on long-term operations,” he added.

Ali said ARMM officials have agreed to make Subic the model for the Polloc port in Parang in terms of management and structure. This came after Adiong declared on March 15 the development of the port of Polloc as a free port, and of the host village of Polloc as a special economic zone.

SBMA officials led by Chairman Feliciano Salonga and Administrator Armand Arreza, meanwhile, were in full force in assisting the visitors—briefing the ARMM officials on the administrative and technical requirements in the operation and management of a free port, the creation and establishment of a one-stop shop center, as well as marketing strategies.

“Of course, we’ve had our ups and downs in running the Subic Bay Freeport, but then again, we managed to bounce back each time and regain our momentum,” Arreza told the ARMM officials.

“And I’m glad that people continue to look up to Subic whenever they need to hear some success story,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ali admitted some doubt whether the ARMM team would be able to adopt all that they learned in Subic, where ”enormous development” has taken place since its establishment in 1992.

“But we always keep in mind what Gov. Adiong tells us — if we don’t start to move, we will not accomplish anything,” said Ali. “Fortunately for us, we don’t have to fumble in the dark, because we have Subic as our template,” he added.

Ali said the ARMM free port project would basically focus on starting up economic activities in Polloc, and then marketing the area in both the national and the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asian Growth Area) levels.

He also said that after their exposure trip, the members of the ARMM management and technical group will meet as a management committee to plot out activities for the project launch set tentatively on April 19.

Polloc is one of the 24 barangays in Parang, a first-calss municipality in Maguindanao. The area’s main access to trade is the Port of Polloc, which was built by the Korean firm Nam Kwang Construction, Ltd. In the 70’s through a P150-million funding from the Asian Development Bank.

The port of Polloc was then described by the Philippine Ports Authority as the “most modern facility outside Metro Manila” because it was equipped with a main wharf, lighter docks, transit sheds, and wide back-up areas fit for medium industries and processing plants.

The ARMM is among the country's top producers of fish and marine resources, particularly seaweed, which is used in manufacturing toothpaste, cosmetics and paints. It also has large mineral deposits, including copper and gold.

Before the ARMM delegation, several foreign groups have visited Subic to learn about its conversion process. These included groups from Panama, South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and just recently, Brunei. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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So favorite in Subic chessfest

Grandmaster Wesley So will be one of the favorites when the 2010 Asian Individual Chess Championships finally comes off the wraps on April 20 at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center in Subic.

So, the country’s highest-rated player with an ELO of 2665 based on the FIDE quarterly rating April, will be seeking his first major international title this year and a second straight appearance in the World Chess Cup next year.

The 16-year-old Filipino champion, who was described as a “gold nugget” by the foreign chess press after beating former world championship candidates GM Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine (ELO 2739), and GM Gata Kamsky of the United States during the 2009 World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, will head the local challenge in the prestigious 10-day competition hosted by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) for the second straight year.

Also competing are World Cup veterans GMs Rogelio Antonio Jr., Darwin Laylo and Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre.

Among foreigners competing are GMs Ni Hua (ELO 2667), Zhou Jianchao (ELO 2650) and Li Chao ( ELO 2613) of China, Krishan Sasikiran (ELO 2686) and Pentala Harikrishna (ELO 2660) of India, Le Quang Liem (ELO 2689), Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (ELO 2642) and Dao Thien Hai (ELO 2523). (Manila Bulletin)

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PLDT, SBMA ready Subic’s emergence as ICT hub

Officials of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Corp. (PLDT) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have formally sealed a partnership to put this free port at the frontline of the country’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

Subic Bay’s take on knowledge-based industries was recently boosted by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the SBMA, PLDT, and its subsidiary PLDT Subic Telecom (Subictel) at the PLDT main office in Makati City.

The MOU, which would pave the way for tripartite collaborative projects, was signed by SBMA administrator Armand Arreza and PLDT Subictel chairman & PLDT senior vice-president Ernesto Alberto, PLDT first vice-president Nerissa Ramos, and PLDT Subictel president Dennis Magbatoc.

Arreza said the MOU calls for the promotion of Subic Bay Freeport’s IT capabilities through the SBMA-PLDT-Subictel caravan project, which will boast of PLDT’s recent ICT investments here worth more than P40-million.

Under the said project, the P20-million Innovation Laboratory (Innolab) unveiled by Subictel in October 2009, will be an essential part of this free port’s investor tour program. It will serve as a one-stop showcase of Subic Bay’s ICT capability in terms of infrastructure, and also highlight the available and “futuristic” IT solutions of PLDT for various industries.

On SBMA’s part, Arreza announced that the agency would establish an ICT park on a 17-hectare property here to put to use PLDT’s “ready-to-use” telecoms solutions and ICT infrastructure. These would include the Next Generation Network (NGN) fiber optics cable connecting this free port to Manila and the entire Luzon grid.

“Capacity comes first before opportunity,” Arreza said during the MOU-signing ceremony. “They (PLDT), too, saw our vision for the Subic-Clark economic corridor, and they acted in accordance with that vision.”

Arreza also revealed that international names in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry have been prospecting for business opportunities in Subic.

“It’s only a matter of time before the Subic Bay Freeport becomes synonymous with BPO and IT-related services, like back-office outsourcing, software and games development, engineering design, and digital animation, among others,” said Arreza.

PLDT’s Alberto, meanwhile, reaffirmed his company’s belief in the potentials of Subic Bay as an ICT hub, adding that since its establishment here, PLDT has invested “quite tremendously in the Subic-Clark corridor especially in the past few years.”

He said Subic and Clark have been “fibered” with the NGN technology, which increased network coverage and enabled new and innovative services to emerge in the market.

Through the Subictel Innolab, the fifth of its kind in the country, the public is also able to access “revolutionary business solutions and the latest ICT trends,” Alberto added.

“The Subic-Clark corridor will be the more prominent, if not the most prominent economic corridor this country will ever see in the next five to ten years,” Alberto also said. This explains the group’s investment in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and their “aggressive” bidding for the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), he added.

He said the PLDT group also sees the entry of Texas Instruments and Samsung in the Subic-Clark corridor as encouraging developments in the ICT sector.

Alberto added that PLDT officials “would like to partner with Mr. Arreza and the SBMA team for globally-competitive industries in the areas of cutting-edge healthcare, retail and trade, tourism, logistics and in the maritime industry.”

“Subic, in my view, is the place to be in the Philippines,” Alberto declared. “And by building my second home in Subic two years ago, I have put my money where my mouth is,” he quipped. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO:
PLDT and SBMA officials seal an agreement to promote the Subic Bay Freeport as in ICT hub.

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Wellness haven in Subic now a prime destination

The newest top destination for those who wish to enjoy a relaxing and healthy Holy Week is located at Cubi Point—George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center (GDMWC).

A haven found only in Subic, Olongapo City, the wellness center has been gaining guests evidently because of its quiet presence and superior amenities.

The George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center is owned and operated by the George Dewey Medical College Inc., a pioneer in medical education with a stress on wellness.

Banking on cutting-edge technology and world-class education system, it has been in operation for five years.

The medical college offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and will soon be offering two additional courses—BS in Radiology and BS in Medical Technology. Other courses such as Dentistry, Ophthalmology, Physical Therapy and Medicine will be introduced in 2011.

President Gloria Arroyo, during the inauguration of the George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center, was among those who saw the potential and beauty that only this haven in Subic possesses.

This Holy Week, the wellness center will unveil its housing-development and residential projects.

According to Marabel Viernes, vice president for finance and human resources, the center is “the finest spot you will find in Subic.”

For one, she said, the center, all 12 hectares of it, sits on top of a hill right in the middle of a lush forest. It is also the only tertiary hospital in Subic, she added.

Guests and tourists, she said, could avail themselves of luxurious rooms during their stay.

“Here is where you will also find the warm, accommodating and efficient staff who will make sure that those who will visit us will have nothing but wonderful memories and experiences,” Viernes added.

The George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center also houses a spa, recreation area and beautiful chapel.

Supervised by the most qualified health and fitness experts, Viernes said, the gym of the wellness center boasts of the best equipment for physical fitness and weight management. The gym is accepting members.

Those who want to explore attractions near the center may try Zoobic Safari, Subic Bat Kingdom and Ocean Adventure. Or they can also try the night market.

“The best part is that we offer the most affordable room rates,” Viernes said. A room at the wellness center that is good for four persons goes for P1,300, she added.

Those who need more rooms can try the newly renovated and furnished 26-room condominium.

On the drawing board, according to Viernes, are a flower park, mini-sports complex and clubhouse, mini-market, coffee shop, convenience store, gift shop, business center, moviehouse and theme park. (Marylaine Louise L. Viernes, Manila Times)

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SBMA keen on developing wind energy project

In line with efforts of the national government to tap renewable energy sources in the locality, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now encouraging investors to build wind-turbine facilities in this free port.

SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga said representatives of a China-based company met with him last week and expressed interest in a wind farm project here.

The foreign investors were accompanied in Subic by Charles Chen, from the Manila-based PRA Marketing Services Corp., as well as officials of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC).

“I asked them to submit a proposal so we could ascertain whether the Subic Bay Freeport would be a feasible venue for the project,” Salonga said.

“This is a positive development which could only prove to be beneficial to the Subic community ultimately,” he added.

“Hopefully, we could develop Subic’s Redondo Peninsula as a source of alternative and renewable energy that we can even feed to the Luzon energy supply grid,” he said.

Redondo, which is the location of the shipbuilding facility operated by South Korean company Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp.-Philippines, is composed of a chain of mountains that branch off from the backbone of the Zambales mountain ranges.

It faces the South China Sea and, hence, is expected to provide a good wind harvest.

“The wind blows over the peninsula all year round, and because the Subic Freeport has its own power generating system, it will be easy to connect the wind power system to the grid,” Salonga explained.

“Subic is really a good choice for this project,” he added.

Salonga said the Chinese company would have to conduct a one-year detailed study of wind velocity and volume in the area.

“Experts would also have to study the fluctuations, as information like these would be important in determining the size of the blades (for the windmills),” he said.

Salonga, said officials of the SBMA are excited about the potential of a wind farm in Subic because the project could help lower the cost of power in the free port.

“We’ve been a net power consumer for too long,” Salonga said. “So isn’t it nice if we become a power producer for a change?”

Should Subic produce excess energy from wind power, the surplus could also benefit communities near the Subic Freeport, Salonga added. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Refurbished golf course to revive Subic airport

Subic Golf Course operator Hanafil Golf and Tour Inc. will revive the Subic Bay International Airport by bringing in more foreign golfers once the golfing facility is finished.

The company plans to resume its junket flights after golf course stakeholder Hanatour, South Korea’s largest tourism company, pledged to bring in tourists directly to Subic.

“We are planning to use the SBIA and a partner airline company with low cost fares to bring in more golfers from other countries. The golf course was designed to handle 180 golfers a day, and that number will expand once we add nine more holes in the next phase of the development,” Hanafil President and CEO Benjamin John Defensor III said.

Currently, the company has completed 40 percent of the reconstruction process for the course.

“That includes the reshaping of the greens and fairways of the first nine holes to make it flow better,” Defensor said.

“Current improvements are the eco-friendly irrigation system that uses recycled water, brand new nursery that can use salt water and the drainage system that was replaced to accommodate the volume of rainfall come this rainy season.”

“But these renovations are not just for new members; the company is also accommodating all previous members of the golf club as long as they update their accounts and coordinate with us and the SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority),” Defensor said.

An agreement was signed recently between the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the SBMA and Clark Development Corporation (CDC) that would allow visa-free entry to foreigners visiting the two free ports.

Under the agreement signed by Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan with SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza and CDC President Benigno Ricafort, officers and personnel of foreign locators in the two free ports may now enter and stay in the country without a visa for a period of 14 days.

The privilege, however, will only be extended to those arriving through the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) or the SBIA. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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No more need for visas for locators at freeports

Foreign locators at the Subic Bay Freeport and at the Clark Economic Zone can now enjoy a visa-free entry to the Philippines.

An agreement signed recently between the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Clark Development Corporation (CDC) allows visa-free entry to foreign investors visiting the two free ports.

Under the agreement signed by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan with SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza and CDC president Benigno Ricafort, officers and personnel of a foreign locator in the two freeports may now enter and stay in the country without a visa for a period of 14 days.

The privilege will only be extended to those arriving through the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) or the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).

Arreza said the agreement will help attract more foreign investors to do business in Subic and Clark as well as send a signal to other foreign investors that the government is serious in courting more foreign investments that will create more jobs and improve the economy.

“More than the convenience that the agreement will provide foreign locators in Subic and Clark, the visa-free entry will encourage more investments from Taiwan – which is now one of the biggest in Subic – and invite other foreign investments to do business in the freeport zones,” Arreza said.

Libanan said the visa-free entry privilege for foreign locators in Subic and Clark is part of the BI’s ongoing thrust to attract more tourists and investors to the Philippines, aside from merely guarding against the entry of terrorists, transnational criminals and other undesirable aliens.

Aside from tightening the BI’s guard against the entry of undesirable aliens, Libanan introduced reforms, like cutting red tape and providing visa incentives to foreign investors to encourage them to visit and invest in the country.

The agreement provides that the foreign locator will vouch for their officers and personnel coming here and will notify the SBMA chairman or CDC president who will approve the grant of the visa-free entry privilege. (Jun Ramirez, Manila Bulletin)

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Enhanced security seen at SBMA housing areas

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will be implementing enhanced security measures to better serve the fast-growing population of residents and visitors using housing complexes in the free port zone.

The move was in compliance with the instruction of SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza to maintain a high level of security in the zone and to safeguard properties of transients and residents.

Arreza also emphasized the need for enhanced security as the SBMA prepares for the peak summer season.

“We cannot afford to lose the credibility that makes the Subic Bay Freeport proud to be among the safest and most secure places in the country,” Arreza said. “So we have to upgrade our security system and implement better guidelines.

Arreza also noted that Subic continues to be a favorite tourist destination because of well-defined security and safety policies that are implemented by well-disciplined but courteous law enforcers.

Responding to Arreza’s order, retired Gen. Orlando Maddela, the head of the SBMA Law Enforcement Department (LED), announced the creation of new units to ensure full implementation of new and existing security policies in the housing areas.

“Most of these policies are already in place, but our LED Operations Group (LOG) is conducting a series of meetings with home owners to consult them on what else can be done to improve security,” Maddela said.

Major Vicente Tolentino, who heads the operations group, said that among the enhanced security measures to be implemented in the housing areas is the so-called Monitored Mobile Police Patrols program, whereby all security patrol-related activities are to be relayed to the department’s control center.

The LOG will also initiate "On-the-go" housing security coordinators who will be roving residential areas on 24/7 routines; posting of strict but courteous checkpoint sentry guards; and 100 percent security vehicle inspection.

Tolentino added that service vehicle drivers, as well as caretakers and residents, will be required to present job orders or identification cards before they are allowed to enter housing areas.

Housing area vehicle decals and stickers can be availed of at the Motor Vehicle Registration Office, while residents ID cards can be secured at the SBMA Office Services Department, formerly the Pass Processing Department.

Maddela likewise said that a “no loitering” policy shall be strictly implemented in housing areas, particularly during night time, and that even non-duty LED personnel will not be allowed to stay in the housing area without permission of the detachment.

The SBMA will also not tolerate illegal shanties and settlers in adjacent forest areas, Maddela said.

In line with the enhanced security measures, the SBMA urged residents and visitors to report any untoward event or suspicious activity to the SBMA-LED emergency hot lines, using 911 for land lines or 9111 for mobile phones.

The public may also directly call SBMA-LED detachments at 252-5346 (Kalayaan Area), 252-5347 (Binictican Area) and 252-5413 (Cubic Area). (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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NCC eyes Subic-Clark-Batangas corridor as international logistics hub

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) has embarked on an ambitious project to convert the Subic-Clark-Batangas corridor into an international logistics hub in the country's bid to service the rapidly expanding intra-Asian trade and investments.

NCC has commissioned UP professor on urban and regional planning Hussein Lidasan to prepare the terms of reference (TOR) on which the masterplan will have to be based.

Under that agreement, NCC spelled out its vision of developing an inter-modal logistics system covering mega-Manila that will be integrated globally at competitive costs and quality.

The initiative was also designed to decongest Metro Manila by gradually shifting the cargo traffic from its ports to the new ports of Subic and Batangas.

As a prerequisite to making the detailed masterplan, the TOR will answer the questions, what needs to be done, what are the pressing issues and concerns that have to be looked at, what economic development concepts should be reviewed and evaluated that would really be appropriate for the corridor, what would give the private sector to actively participate in developing the corridor, and how would the development of the corridor's inter-modal logistics system be defined to be responsive to such development concepts.

After the TOR, a masterplan would be drawn up for the proposed Luzon integrated logistics hub that covers the economies of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga and Zambales in Central Luzon, and the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas stretch in southern Luzon. The proposed corridor already accounts for about half of the country's total output, said NCC.

The masterplan would cover cities and provinces along the corridor which would be later owned up and implemented by their local governments in tandem with the national government, strong involvement of public and private sectors, with the private sector coordinating activities leading to the realization of the plan.

The idea of making the Clark Special Economic Zone as the logistics hub in Asia was first proposed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The NCC's innovation was to include land, air and sea transport along the proposed logistics corridor to the rest of East and South Asia. (Edu H. Lopez, Manila Bulletin)

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Fisherfolk to build P2.3-M artificial reefs in Subic

Fishers in communities adjacent to this free port will be building artificial reefs worth about P2.3 million in Subic Bay to increase fish population in the area and boost their income.

Laureano Artagame, chairman of the Subic Bay Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (SB-IFARMC), said the artificial reef project will be funded through the P4-million financial assistance recently given by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) as part of the authority’s commitment to sustainable development of the Subic Bay area.

The fund was coursed through SB-IFARMC and the Olongapo City-IFARMC, which were created under Republic Act 8550, otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

The two groups represent fisher-folk associations and communities in the Subic Bay area, including those in the municipality of Morong in Bataan, and the towns of Subic and San Antonio in Zambales.

“We will be using the bulk of the fund to build artificial reefs, so that we may increase local fish production,” said Artagame. “The artificial reefs are designed to replace former fishing grounds in Subic Bay, which have been taken over by commercial development and maritime projects.”

Artagame added that apart from the P2.3 million set aside for the artificial reefs, the fisher-beneficiaries will use P.7 million for the operation of the IFARMC; P.5 million for a scholarship program to benefit IFARMC members and their immediate families; and P.5 million for livelihood programs for IFARMC members and their families.

Meanwhile, SBMA officials said the authority granted the assistance “in fulfillment of the agency’s responsibility to communities affected by the development of the Subic Bay Free Port.”

“As we develop the bay—implementing in the process such projects like the Subic port modernization and the Hanjin shipyard—we have closed off some areas that were previously fishing grounds used by local fishermen,” said SBMA chairman Feliciano Salonga. “This assistance is one way whereby the SBMA could contribute to the welfare of fisher folks in the Subic Bay area.”

According to SBMA administrator Armand Arreza, the P4-million assistance provided by the agency was taken from the Environmental Guarantee Fund, which was created as a condition for the issuance of permits for the Subic port development and Hanjin shipyard projects.

Arreza said that both projects affected local fishing communities whose fishing areas have somewhat dwindled due to the growing maritime trade, as well as the development of shorelines, foreshores and adjacent areas in the Subic Bay Free Port Zone.

He added that the SBMA forged an agreement with the SB-IFARMC in August 2009 for the provision of the P4-million assistance.

“As you can see, we’re not just concerned about attracting investors to the Subic Bay Free Port,” Arreza said. “The SBMA also has a very strong presence in corporate social responsibility, and this is just part of our program.” (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)


PHOTO: IFARMC chairmen Laureano Artagame and Daniel Mejia (center) receive P4 million in SBMA assistance to local fisherfolk from SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza (left) and SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga. The bulk of the fund will be used to build artificial reefs in Subic Bay.

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Guam to learn from Subic ‘best practices’

Two senators from Guam said the example set by Olongapo City and this freeport zone, former hosts of the biggest US naval base outside continental America, is crucial to the military buildup on their island.

Sen. Edward Calvo said the $15-billion military buildup in Guam is “unlike anything that we have seen before.”

“There are tremendous opportunities here,” said Calvo, one of the US officials who attended the third annual Association of Pacific Islands Local Government (APILG) Conference here.

Calvo, who marveled at the transformation of the former American naval base into an economic zone, said because of Olongapo City’s experience in hosting the base, “there is much that we can learn from you.”

“We have to find out what works and what doesn’t, and there is no better way to do that than by learning from your example,” he said.

Center for best practices

Calvo said a “center for best practices” should be established to facilitate the transfer of learning from Olongapo to Guam.

Guam Sen. Tina Rose Muña Barnes, who also attended the APILG, said the supply of workers in Guam is insufficient to meet the demands of the military buildup.

“We simply do not have the manpower required and so the number of [foreign] workers involved in the project will increase by the thousands in the next few years. The people of Guam are facing a significant impact as a direct result of the relocation [of the US base in Okinawa],” she said.

Barnes also raised concern on the project’s impact on the environment, which she said will “be great and… deep” when Guam’s natural harbors are dredged.

Impact on environment

“The devastating and frustrating effects of the buildup is that it will destroy—unless a way is found to mitigate it—a hundred living species of coral on the island,” she said.

Barnes said this was a treasure that needed to be protected. “We need to protect the marine life on [the island for future generations],” she said.

Barnes said the environmental issue has generated “intense and heated debates.”

“We have less than 90 days to assess the impact, have public meetings, listen to testimony about the economic and environmental impact estimate,” she said.

Another issue on the buildup is the increase in Guam’s population and the stress it’s putting on waste management, she said.

“We’re looking at an influx of more than 70,000 individuals. It will [increase] the [volume of] waste generated on the island,” she said.

Barnes said the impact on the environment and quality of life in Guam is so great that the draft of the assessment runs to “10 volumes, containing 11,000 pages, which is about 14 feet high altogether.”

Olongapo Mayor James Gordon Jr. assured Guam officials that the city would help them.

“We will try to help them with the other issues that they face. As I have said before, this is nothing new to us. And since the US bases have left our shores, what we can do now is to try to supply them with our skilled labor and knowledge based on our experience,” Gordon said. (Robert Gonzaga, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

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Fisher folks get P4-M assistance from SBMA

Fishermen in the Subic Bay area received a P4-million financial assistance from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Monday as part of the authority’s commitment to sustainable development of the Subic Bay area.

SBMA chairman Feliciano Salonga and SBMA administrator Armand Arreza turned over the fund to Laureano Artagame and Daniel Mejia, the chairmen of the Subic Bay and Olongapo City Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (IFARMC), respectively.

The two organizations represent all fisher folk associations and fisher folk communities in areas surrounding Subic Bay. These include fishermen in Morong, Bataan, Olongapo City, and the municipalities of Subic and San Antonio in Zambales.

According to Salonga, SBMA granted the assistance in fulfillment of the agency’s responsibility to communities affected by the development of the Subic Bay Freeport.

“As we develop the bay—implementing in the process such projects like the Subic port modernization and the Hanjin shipyard—we have closed off some areas that were previously fishing grounds used by local fishermen,” Salonga explained.

“This assistance is one way whereby the SBMA contributes to the welfare of fisher folks in the Subic Bay area,” he added.

Arreza said meanwhile that the SBMA and the Subic Bay IFARMC (SB-IFARMC) forged an agreement in August last year for the provision of assistance to local fishing communities whose fishing areas have somewhat dwindled due to the growing maritime trade, as well as the development of shorelines, foreshores and adjacent areas in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“We’re not just concerned about attracting investors to the Subic Bay Freeport,” Arreza stressed. “The SBMA also has a very strong presence in corporate social responsibility, and this is just part of our program,” Arreza added.

Under the agreement, the SBMA committed a total of P4 million to be sourced from the Environmental Guarantee Fund (EGF), which was created as a condition for the issuance of permits for the Subic port development and Hanjin shipyard projects.

The P4-million assistance is broken down into four components: P2.3 million for the establishment of artificial reefs to take the place of former fishing areas; P.7 million for the operating expenses of the SB-IFARMC; P.5 million for a scholarship fund to deserving SB-IFARMC members and their immediate families; and P.5 million to fund livelihood programs for SB-IFARMC members and their families.

The SB-IFARMC was created under Republic Act No. 8550, otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO: SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza (left) and SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga (right) ahnd over the P4-million assistance to IFARMC chairmen Laureano Artagame and Daniel Mejia.

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