Forum to help Noynoy set economic blueprint

A new economic forum which aims to help presumptive president-elect, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, achieve the country’s much needed economic progress once he assumes the presidency is being organized in coordination with foreign business chambers.

The American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) and the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC), together with businessman Mike Macapagal, have agreed to put together a conference where businessmen will help create a blueprint for the country’s economic progress under the Aquino administration.

“In organizing an economic forum for foreign and local businessmen, we hope to provide a venue where all businessmen are welcome to pitch in their ideas on what policies, programs and issues that the incoming administration needs to prioritize,” said Macapagal, who secured the support of US-based Filipinos for the Aquino presidency.

As the lead organizer, Macapagal, who owns and manages the largest and the only Filipino-owned escrow company in Northern California, is now laying down the groundwork for the economic forum tentatively scheduled to be held in September of this year at the Subic Bay Convention Center in Olongapo City.

The forum will tackle what the foreign chambers consider the “Big Seven” industries. These are agribusiness, business process outsourcing, creative industries, infrastructure, manufacturing and logistics, mining, and tourism which have the aggregate potential to bring in US$75 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) and 10 million jobs over the next 10 years.

(Macapagal, who hails from Subic, said the forum plans to open a dialogue between local locators and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to address concerns, especially ridding SBMA of graft and corruption.)

“All local and foreign business groups that have a stake in the Philippines should make their presence felt at the forum. The synergy of ideas that they could bring to the table would truly be invaluable,” said Macapagal. (Freddie C. Velez, Manila Bulletin)

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Int’l, domestic flight operations at NAIA return to normal (Subic Airport related story)

All international and domestic flight operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) returned to normal operations after the airport’s navigational system that conked out last Saturday morning were repaired.

But the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) extended the Notice to Airmen about the limited operations of the Manila runways until 8 a.m. Monday as the system still needs to undergo reconfiguring and recalibration.

The airport’s Very High Frequency Omni Radio Range (VOR) station, used to guide pilots to land their aircraft during low visibility and bad weather, conked out last Saturday, forcing aviation authorities to limit night time operations at the Manila runways.

NAIA general manager Melvin Matibag said a replacement part was borrowed from the Subic airport and that it arrived in Manila around 3 a.m. yesterday.

The installation of the power supply took a couple of hours but technicians from the CAAP started to power-up the navigation system yesterday morning.

CAAP technical assistant Lito Casaul explained the power supply came from a similar but different navigation system.

“The technicians cannot just power-up the system and go. They have to slowly power-up each of the system’s component to check if everything is working properly. If and when the system proves to be okay, they can then begin to reconfigure the unit,” Casaul said.

“Hopefully, we can have the system up before sundown so we can resume with normal operations at the two runways,” Casaul said.

With the VOR inoperable, pilots have to rely on Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and the radar and other visual aids such as the runway lights to see where to land.

The pilots could have done easily even without VOR and rely on the airport’s Instrument Landing System (ILS) for guidance but, unfortunately, the ILS at the NAIA is currently being replaced.

With both the VOR and ILS navigational systems down, the CAAP was forced to implement stricter rules on night landing and made the separations between airplanes much longer apart.

During normal operations, with all the systems running, flight separation between aircraft is less than one minute. However, with the limited operations Saturday night, airplanes had to be separated by a minimum of five minutes to assure their safety.

At the same time, the CAAP gave the airline companies
the discretion if they would allow their pilots to proceed to land at the airport even with the limited navigational aids. Matibag, however, said should bad weather come into play, the Manila Control Tower will be forced to deny pilots permission to land.

According to Matibag, should zero visibility blanket the airport vicinity, pilots can easily divert to either the Cebu, Clark or Subic airports. (Conrado Ching, Daily Tribune)

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PLDT units shift to new digital network (in Subic, Clark)

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said its units at the Clark and Subic economic zones have completed their migration to a new network technology and fiber optics so they could offer converged voice, data and multimedia services.

“The shift to NGN [next generation network] is in line with our efforts to offer our customers high-capacity broadband data services via fixed lines,” Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT president and chief executive, said.

NGN pertains to a network architecture and technology that encompasses voice, video and data communications. With NGN, all information is transmitted as packets of data, just like over the Internet.

That means an NGN line is already a high capacity conduit that can offer traditional telephone services, broadband internet, Internet Protocol TV and video streaming.

PLDT had spent P70 million for the network upgrade of its subsidiaries, PLDT Clark Telecom Inc. and PLDT Subic Telecom Inc.

PLDT ClarkTel now has 21 NGN nodes equipped with 6,336 ports, while PLDT SubicTel now has 20 NGN nodes equipped with 5,688 ports.

PLDT ClarkTel will complete its P25-million, 42-kilometer fiber optic network within Clark by September. This is on top of the P70-million network upgrade cited earlier.

PLDT SubicTel has already completed laying down its P19-million, 36-kilometer fiber optic cables.

The fiber optics component of the upgrade is part of PLDT’s Domestic Fiber Optic Network (DFON). The technologies used for DFON include Recon-figurable Optical Add/Drop Mul-tiplexing, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing, Synchronous Digital Hierarchy and Multi Service Provisioning Platform.

Nazareno said this upgrade capitalizes on PLDT’s DFON, which now has a capacity of 1,200 gigabits per second or double that of other networks.

“Last year, we completed our P3-billion [DFON] expansion when we laid down additional 2,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables in key cities around the country,” he said.

“Now we are able to equip our subsidiaries with the capacity and the robustness of a world-class network. Locators in Subic and Clark as well as residential customers can now enjoy the innovations that the PLDT froup offers,” he added. (Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Times)

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Subic investors vow support for Noynoy

Subic Bay Freeport investors vowed Thursday to support incoming President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III as they banked on him to follow through on all his major campaign promises with emphasis on the reduction of corruption and the enforcement of stricter policies on duties and taxes.

“We know that he is strict on human rights, against graft and corruption and will try to lower taxes. He also promised to go after smugglers and tax evaders. So all of those will be good for the Freeport,” said Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) President Danny Piano.

The SBFCC is the largest and most influential business group inside the 67,000-hectare Freeport, where some 1,258 companies are located as of February this year.

Piano, who runs a US firm creating digital content for clients, said that they hope Aquino will enhance business policies, but also "generally leave business alone."

“Subic Bay will grow in the next 5 to 10 years whoever is the president," Piano explained. But a better policy regime, he noted, would mean "faster growth compared to a regular incline."

The SBFCC supports Aquino’s plan to stamp out corruption and Subic Bay can easily be a model for the rest of the country.

“Graft and corruption also exists here but not comparable to other areas. I am hoping that it can be totally eliminated here,” Piano explained.

Piano said businessmen at the Subic Bay freeport are very willing to give Aquino a "free hand" as they also want a smooth and orderly transition of leadership.

Records of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the government agency in charge of the freeport zone, showed that over the last five years, investment generation has been on a roller coaster ride.

Freeport chief Armand Arreza said that investment growth was 20% annually from 2006 to 2008, but this slowed down to 2.5% in 2009.

The zone’s total workforce grew to 87,000 workers but fell short of SBMA’s target of 100,000 workers by 2010. Exports were also lackluster, amounting to only $1.079 billion, some $400 million short of the $1.5-billion target.

South Koreans have been the single-biggest contributor to new money inside the zone with the entry of shipbuilding giant Hanjin Heavy Industry Corporation (HHIC), which poured in some $1.6 billion during the last 4 years.

But Aquino, who promised more transparency, better government service and a serious fight against corruption, may be challenged by a full plate of controversial projects beginning with the $130-million Harbor Center project and a mall project of Ayala Land Inc.

Several locators here accused SBMA of virtually creating a cargo handling monopoly with the Harbor Center agreement, something that Arreza denied. Cases have already been filed in courts. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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Freeport schools to get more subsidy from SBMA

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has increased its subsidy to schools operating in this free port under a program designed to continuously improve the skills of Subic’s growing workforce and enable them to meet future requirements of various industries here.

SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said the program, “Producing a More Globally-Competitive Workforce in the Subic Bay Freeport”, which was approved by the SBMA board in January, would raise SBMA’s grants to schools here by up to P30 million annually, from the current annual subsidy of P16.3 million through discounts on property leases.

Under the program, the SBMA will offer a 100 percent “no lease consideration” to, initially, six of the 11 schools operating inside the Subic Bay Freeport.

The supposed SBMA income from these leases will be translated to scholarship grants through the SBMA Scholarship Foundation, which will formulate the program’s guidelines and policies, Arreza explained.

Instead of going to SBMA coffers, the waived leases will instead go back to the schools, which are only required to maximize their commitment to improve their faculty and facilities in order to avail of the program.

“We shall only ask the schools to develop initiatives to use the additional income to continually improve their students’ academic excellence, and to support the SBMA in its socio-civic undertakings in the Subic Bay Freeport,” Arreza said.

“In the long run, we hope to see a constant increase in enrolment at all levels,” Arreza added. “We also want to see the enhancement and inclusion of courses and fields of studies that are required in this free port,” he said.

Arreza said a memorandum of agreement is being drafted to specify the commitments needed from both parties in order for the program to push through.

For this project, he added, the SBMA would be building on the gains achieved by the Subic Bay Workforce Development Foundation Inc. (SBWDFI), which was established by the SBMA to promote workforce development among public and private entities here.

“It’s hitting multiple birds with one stone — the academe gets its much-needed financial support; the various industries here are assured of a globally-competitive workforce; and the community reaps the resulting benefits,” Arreza further explained.

For starters, SBMA has offered the 100 percent “no lease consideration” to the following schools: Casa Kalayaan International School, FIRST School of SBFZ, Subic Montessori School, Lyceum Subic Bay, Comteq Computer and Business College, and Mondriaan Aura College.

The said schools are now being audited in accordance with the criteria for the SBMA program.

Beatrix Anagaran , head of the SBMA General Business and Investment Department, said the program to produce globally-competitive workforce sprung from the SBMA strategic planning session held last October, wherein Arreza took note of the “very sad statistics of Philippine education.”

Anagaran said that Arreza then directed her department to come up with a study on Subic’s educational institutions, all the while emphasizing the role SBMA has to play in the advancement of education within the Subic Bay area and the neighboring communities of Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan.

“This is a manifestation of the SBMA’s walking its talk,” she added. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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STATEMENT OF P/GEN. ORLANDO MADDELA (RET) SBMA LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD

The SBMA Law Enforcement Department (LED) is extending its full support to the Olongapo PNP in the investigation of the killing of a Japanese national at the Subic Techno Park (STEP).

On or about 2:00 P.M. of June 08, 2010 (Tuesday), Subic GS Auto, Inc. President ALLAN VALENCIA reported to the SBMA LED that he found his brother-in-law lying dead inside the company compound at STEP.

A team from the SBMA LED proceeded to the area and found the body of the victim lying face down beside his car. The victim was identified as KAZUYA IMOTO, 49 years old, a Japanese national, and Chief Executive Officer of Subic GS Auto, Inc.

Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) personnel led by P/Col. Rolando Chua conducted crime scene investigation and processing.

Based on the initial investigation, we gathered the following information:

- The victim is married to Mr. Valencia’s sister, Veneranda, who is in Japan. Mr. Valencia said he last saw his brother-in-law in the morning of June 4, 2010, at the victim’s residence in San Fernando, Pampanga.

- The victim was last seen alive at the STEP Admin Office at about 12:45 P.M., June 7 (Monday).

- The victim died from multiple hack and stab wounds.

- Reddish brown stains suspected to be human blood were found on the rear compartment of his car, a gray-colored Lucida Estima with plate number BDD 135, and a nearby 40-footer container van

- Recovered from the crime scene were a 35-cm dagger with reddish brown stains, a pair of red-framed sunglasses, one Bulgari wristwatch, one mobile phone unit, a P20-bill and some coins. The victim’s wallet was not found in his possession.
Subic GS Auto, Inc. is a new company that is just starting to set up its operations in an area at STEP that is near the forest.

- STEP is a controlled area manned round-the-clock by a private security agency.

SBMA forest rangers were dispatched to scan the forest at the back of Subic GS Auto, Inc. but there were no signs of fresh tracks in the area.

We wish to assure the family of the victim and the public that we are working closely with the police investigators so that whoever is responsible for this crime may be identified and brought before the bar of justice.

END OF STATEMENT

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SBMA postpones Kalaklan bridge closure anew

Giving in to yet another request from the local community, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has further delayed the closure of the Kalaklan bridge, a 50-year old span linking this free port to tourism spots in Olongapo City and the province of Zambales.

SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said that Olongapo mayor James Gordon Jr. has personally interceded on behalf of local businessmen for the SBMA to postpone the bridge closure so that local tourism establishments may maximize their earnings during the summer season.

At the same time, Gordon had pledged the support of the city for this project that was designed to improve access to the Subic Freeport from Olongapo and extend the ecozone boundaries to contiguous communities.

“Mayor Gordon wants this project to go on smoothly, because he really wants to improve the existing links between Olongapo and the Freeport,” Arreza revealed.

“So in deference to the mayor, we thought it best to give local businessmen a longer breathing spell, and keep the bridge open while the summer season lasts,” he said.

Arreza added that keeping the bridge open will also be a gesture of goodwill to local traders “whom we count on to be our partners when the SBMA eventually extends the boundaries of the free port into the surrounding communities.”

The SBMA had originally scheduled the closure of the Kalaklan bridge to vehicles in February, and to pedestrians in March, to make way for the construction of a replacement for the 50-year old span built by the U.S. Navy in the early ‘50s.

These schedules were moved, however, upon the request of Gordon who asked that local traders be allowed to cash in on the peak tourism season this summer.

Despite the delay in bridge closure, Arreza said that work continues in the preparation of the foundation for the replacement span, as well as other project components, including a security plaza and a Customs office.

The SBMA announced earlier that the Kalaklan bridge had to be replaced because the 50-year old span was already classified as “structurally weakened.”

The P200-million bridge project is scheduled to be completed within a year.

Arreza said the construction of a replacement bridge will also jumpstart the SBMA program to expand the physical boundaries of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and extend the development to nearby areas in Olongapo, as well as Subic, Zambales and Morong, Bataan.

According to Joselito Bakuteza, head of the SBMA Project Management Office, about 2,500 light vehicles and some 300 pedestrians, mostly workers, pass through the Kalaklan bridge everyday.

In the course of the construction and bridge closure, traffic had to be re-routed through Olongapo City, and access to the free port will have to be made via the Rizal Avenue and 14th Street bridges in the city.

To help ease the anticipated heavy traffic in Olongapo as a result of the re-routing, Gordon had pledged the support of the city government by effecting a truck ban in the city during the construction period, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m and from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m from Monday to Friday.

Gordon also announced that the city will declare the busy 14th Street as a tow-away zone to prevent gridlock at the alternative route to the Subic Bay Freeport. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Taiwanese investors keen on keeping Subic — SBMA

There is no mass pull-out of Taiwanese firms in Subic because most of them are content with doing business here, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) assured Thursday.

“We strongly believe that Taiwanese businessmen here are complacent with the working conditions.

They have also given us the assurance that they are not prepared to relocate to China,” SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said.

Arreza issued the statement to dispute a prediction made by an official of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that Taiwanese firms based in Subic are preparing to leave this premier freeport.

Recently, NEDA Director General Augusto Santos said most of the Taiwanese investors that are located inside the Subic Bay Freeport will relocate to China once Taiwan and China signs a proposed framework trade deal.

The imminent deal, Santos added, would leave thousands of Filipinos working inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone unemployed.

But Subic Bay Development Management Corp. (SBDMC) President Jeff Lin also refuted the claim, asying that Subic Freeport is one of the most sought-after economic zones in the Asian market for Taiwanese. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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Romero-led Pacifica plans to bid for Subic diesel plant

Publicly-listed Pacifica Inc. said yesterday it plans to bid for the Subic diesel-fired power plant project.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), Pacifica said its board approved “to bid or submit proposal for the lease, operation and maintenance of the Subic diesel power plant (SDPP) project.”

Pacifica, however, did not provide other details of the plan.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is bidding out the 116-megawatt SDPP after it was turned over to it by the government last year.

The plant was commissioned in 1994 through a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement between National Power Corp. (Napocor) and US-based Enron Corp.


The bidding will likely be held early next month.

But Pacifica said the board also approved the company’s move “to enter into a consortium agreement with R-II Builders Inc. for purposes of the bidding or submission of the pre-qualification requirements and proposal for the SDPP project.”

The company has been participating in various auctions of the government-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM).

Earlier, Pacifica, led by port operator Michael Romero, also expressed interest in the contracted capacity of the 1,200-MW Ilijan combined cycle power plant but did not submit any bid during the auction.

It also participated in the bidding of the contracted capacities of the San Roque, Bakun and Benguet hydroelectric power plants but failed to win during the bidding.

The company was incorporated on Sept. 2, 1957 to engage in exploration, drilling and exploitation of oil, gas and other volatile substances. The Securities and Exchange Commission approved its conversion into a holding company in 2000. (Donnabelle L. Gatdula, Philippine Star)

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SBMA readies expansion outside secured areas

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now ready to implement its expansion program, following the release of the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) covering the extension of the boundaries of secured areas of the Subic Bay Freeport.

The IRR was drafted after a series of consultations between the SBMA, Bureau of Customs (BoC) and local government units within the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone (SSEFPZ), which may be declared as additional secured areas, or additional areas, as provided under Executive Order No. 675.

These areas include the municipalities of Subic and San Antonio in Zambales; Morong, Dinalupihan and Hermosa in Bataan; and Olongapo City.

Under EO 675, areas within the LGUs may be developed through local government or private sector initiative and become part of the SSEFPZ. These may then avail of appropriate tax, duty-free, and fiscal investment incentives and privileges, upon application and after approval by the SBMA.

SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said that the expansion of the secured areas of SSEFPZ is necessary in order to address the shortage of space for lease to investors.

“This is necessary to push development into communities outside Subic’s ‘secured area’, and also to guarantee the realization of the Subic-Clark economic corridor as a world-class logistics and service hub,” Arreza said.

Under the IRR, areas contiguous to the Subic Bay Freeport may be declared by the SBMA for inclusion as additional secured area after proper consultation with local officials and approval of a resolution by the concerned city or town council.

In addition, any business individual or organization may also apply with the SBMA for inclusion within the SSEFPZ as privately-owned additional secured area or additional area, provided that they submit pertinent documents, clearances and registration certificates.

Meanwhile, lands and buildings in the additional secured areas, whether privately owned or not, may only be leased to SBMA-registered enterprises, subject to the approval or ratification of the SBMA Board of Directors.

Once declared as additional secured areas by SBMA, the areas concerned will be classified either as industrial, tourism, recreational, investment or financial center, or a mix of these developments.

These areas shall be organized, administered, managed and operated directly by the SBMA through an area manager, appointed by the SBMA administrator.

The IRR also provides that privately owned areas shall be managed by a Property Management Board composed of the president of the association of investors, representative of the municipality concerned, two independent private sector representatives chosen by SBMA and LGU, and an official of SBMA.

To prevent smuggling and abuse of duty-free privileges, the SBMA shall establish secured fence-in perimeters for the additional areas within which tax- and duty-free articles and merchandise shall be limited.

According to Arreza, duty-free shop operators shall be allowed within the additional secured areas, provided that they establish their own control system in coordination with the SBMA and the Bureau of Customs.

“In addition, if the LGU concerned agrees, the SBMA Law Enforcement Department shall also provide and establish security forces for the additional secured areas to police and maintain law and order there,” Arreza said.

Arreza also disclosed that as the SBMA seeks to spread development outside the controlled area of the Freeport towards Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan, it will also put in place significant infrastructure investments like roads, schools and bridges that are considered essential in convincing investors to establish operation in these areas. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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‘Holy Land’ theme park to rise in Subic Freeport

A non-stock, non-profit organization will be building in this free port a religious theme park, the first of its kind in Asia.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza said the SBMA board of directors has approved the project proposal of Holy Land Subic Foundation Inc. for the development of the “Holy Land” theme park at a 20-hectare land adjacent to the Subic-Tipo security plaza.

The approved project will offer “a new Jerusalem experience, right here in Central Luzon,” Arreza said.

“With Holy Land Subic, the free port will serve not only as an eco-tourism and recreation center, but also as a place for pilgrimage and spiritual rejuvenation,” he added.

Arreza also pointed out that like the other theme parks in Subic Bay, Holy Land Subic will bank on the inherent advantages of the free port by land, sea and air.

“The free port’s security is one of the best in the country, and the well-preserved environs create a relaxing mood that is fit for a tourist facility,” he added.

According to Maribi Garcia, founder of the Bethesda Healing Ministry, the theme park will be divided into a rest and recreation center and a prayer and reflection sanctuary.

Among the attractions to be offered by Holy Land Subic are: a “Bible Museum”, an amphitheater for various spiritual productions, and a separate theater for children called ‘Noah’s Ark and Jonah and the Whale’, where cartoon shows, storytelling, and puppet shows will be held.

Garcia also said that a ‘David and Goliath’ rock-climbing course, and a ‘Trip to Heaven’ obstacle run, will be set up for teenagers and young adults.

Meanwhile, replica models depicting biblical stories will be built all over the place, like ‘Moses and the Ten Commandments in Mount Sinai’, a ‘Tower of Babel’, as well as sculptures portraying Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

Aside from these, a temple for prayer and worship, a chapel, and a healing and wellness center will also rise in the site.

Garcia said that Holy Land Subic will train Aetas to serve as forest rangers, jungle guides, and foot massage therapists, among others.

Groundbreaking rites for the Holy Land Subic project is expected to be held in June. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Omni Aviation opens pilot school in Subic

Omni Aviation Corporation, the country’s premier pilot school, has opened its facilities in this free port, as the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) expanded its thrust in providing aviation services.

From its home-base at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga, Omni Aviation expanded into Subic and renovated Hangar 8128, which was used by US Navy war planes until 1992.

Captain Ben Hur Gomez, Omni chairman and chief executive, said the Subic facility is part of his company’s vision to become the premier pilot school and fixed-base operator in the Southeast Asian region.

Investing P33 million for its start-up operations here, Omni will use the facility for its instruction room, flight demonstration room, administration office, and conference room.

Six aircrafts, including four for the flying school and two for chartering services, will be dedicated for the Subic operation.

“The reason why we chose Subic as our extension facility is because of its very natural environment which is very essential and inspiring to students,” Gomez said, adding that their students, many of whom are foreigners, are delighted upon seeing the Subic facility.

“Look around Subic. All you can see is the blue bay, the green mountains and clear skies. I believe all these things will make Omni more popular” Gomez said.

Aside from the flying school, Omni’s Subic operation will include air taxi service, fun flights, and Pinatubo and other air tours flights, which are expected to boost Subic as a tourist destination in the region.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza, meanwhile, expressed optimism that Subic would regain some its commercial flights once the casino and hotel projects in the free port build up.

“This is also a good thing for Omni,” he added.

According to Arreza, Omni Aviation is just one of the many air companies that have shown interest in leasing some of the facilities inside Subic’s airport complex.

He said these include two companies that will utilize the facilities previously leased by Federal Express (FedEx). One of the two companies is engaged in providing corporate jet service, while the other is into maintenance and repair.

Omni Aviation is a registered domestic corporation established in 1993 at the Clark Freeport Zone. It operates a flying school, serves as a fixed-base operator, and provides services like charter flights, aircraft moorage, aircraft management, maintenance and repair, overhaul and pilot shop operation.

Gomez said the company started only as a one-plane, one-pilot, one-mechanic and one-staff operation, but has grown over the years and now owns and operates 22 aircraft: 15 Cessna 152, five Cessna 172, a Cessna 172X, and a Seneca Piper 34-200.

Omni’s staff has also grown to 30 personnel, while its student population has grown to 135.

“We continue to expand and upgrade our fleet, slowly but surely,” Gomez added. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO:
Omni Aviation’s aircraft fleet at the Subic Bay International Airport complex.

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Subic-Clark logistics hub targets $1-trillion industry

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – Investors in two of the biggest freeports in the country declared recently that the next president should maintain the existing business structure and policies implemented in Subic and Clark in order to capture a share of the $1-trillion Asia-Pacific international logistics industry.

This was the consensus of some 500 public and private sector stakeholders involved in the recent forum attended by President Gloria Arroyo and officials of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD).

Subic-Clark Alliance Secretary Nestor S. Mangio revealed that the activity highlighted the Subic-Clark Logistics Corridor aim to grab the possible market share in the growing $1-trillion Asia-Pacific international logistics industry.

The groups of multi-businesssectors led by Dennis Wright, Chief Executive Officer of the Peregrine/Global Gateway Logistics Center, cited Ar royo for transforming Subic and Clark from “a shadow of decadence” to a vibrant activity center.

She was cited for the creation of the SCAD, the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and the Clark Development Corp. (CDC), which “have worked hard with a vision that has brought about this wonderful story.”

However, the optimism among SBMA, CDC and SCADC officials, representatives from the business sector was also coupled with “a bit concerned” about the coming transition in government leadership.

“As in business, when there is a change in management, there would be some disruptions. Hopefully, the next administration would implement existing policies, and leave alone business so business will thrive,” said Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce president Danny Piano.

They also cited investments in vital infrastructure projects such as the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), Port of Subic Bay, Dingalan Road, among others, have created a seamless movement of goods and people to and from Subic and Clark.

It will be recalled that it was during the President’s 2004 inauguration when she articulated her vision of a Subic-Clark Corridor emerging as a world-class logistics hub, Mangio said. (Franco Regala, Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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Subic locators now able to process shipment declarations online

Locators in Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone (SSEFZ) can now process their export declarations online, thus sparing them from the time-consuming process of doing this physically at the local district of the Customs bureau.

This, as the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority signed a joint memorandum order to implement that same day the automated processing of export documents for SSEFZ-based companies.

"The implementation of the automated export documentation system will reduce the cost of doing business, as well as [save] time for the locators," Customs Commissioner Napoleon L. Morales told reporters at the signing event.

He noted that locators have had to go through the time-consuming manual system for processing their export documents, which could lead to delays in releasing the shipments.

Mr. Morales said this latest move is part of current efforts to harmonize export procedures among economic zones and ports.

Under the new system, a bar code will be placed on the export declaration submitted online once the processing is completed and the application approved.

Once the bar code is placed on the export declaration, it can then be printed to accompany the shipment from SSEFZ to either the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark Freeport or the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila.

The shutdown last year of the Federal Express hub in Subic had forced exporters there to course their shipments through either DMIA or NAIA, thus adding to their costs.

The bar code of the export declaration will then be scanned at the SSEFZ gate and the receiving counters of airline companies at DMIA or NAIA, enabling both the sender in Subic and the intended receiver to track the departure, status and arrival of the shipments.

Alexander M. Arevalo, Customs deputy commissioner for management information systems, told reporters on the sidelines of the signing ceremony yesterday that the bureau plans to replicate the system in at least two other major ports by June.

"We are looking at Davao and Cagayan de Oro [next]," he said. (L. D. Desiderio, BusinessWorld)

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Subic, Clark stakeholders urge ‘consistency’ after polls

CLARK FREEPORT — Whoever wins the upcoming presidential elections on May 10 must maintain the existing business structure and policies already at work in the Subic-Clark economic corridor.

This was the call made by business and community leaders from the Subic Bay Freeport and the Clark Freeport at the recent “Subic-Clark Logistics Corridor: Milestones and Prospects” forum, which was held at Clark’s Holiday Inn with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as guest of honor.

The stakeholders also expressed concern that the “impressive” economic momentum in the former US military bases, which managed to post economic gains despite the devastation wrought by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the major financial crises in 1997 and the recent recession, “might be halted if the next administration will enact major changes in governance, particularly in business policies.”

About 500 persons attended the forum, mostly from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark Development Corp. (CDC), North Luzon Railways Corp. (Northrail), and chambers of commerce in both the Subic and Clark free ports.

They were joined by key officials from the national and local governments, who presented the achievements of the Arroyo administration in Subic and Clark, and plans for the development of the region.

In the forum, SBMA administrator Armand Arreza and CDC executive vice-president Philip Panlilio both expressed optimism that “consistency in governance and business policies” will be maintained in the aftermath of the May 10 polls.

They also expressed confidence that both the SBMA’s five-year strategic plan for the Subic Bay Freeport (2010-2015), and CDC’s comprehensive master plan for Clark Freeport would sustain the development momentum in the two economic zones.

“The next administration will surely see the gains and benefits that was made during our term,” said Arreza, whose five-year strategic plan for Subic emphasizes development expansion into the surrounding areas of Olongapo City, Subic town in Zambales, and Morong in Bataan.

Edgardo Pamintuan, former chair of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council, meanwhile reported on the body’s achievements in pursuit of President Arroyo’s vision to develop the Subic-Clark corridor into a highly-competitive international services and logistics center in the Asia-Pacific region.

“I believe that we have laid the foundation on which future public servants can build with the assurance of strength and the stability,” Pamintuan also said.

Despite the optimism among SBMA, CDC and SCADC officials, representatives from the business sector said they were “a bit concerned” about the coming transition.

“As in business, when there is a change in management, there would be some disruptions. Hopefully, the next administration would implement existing policies, and leave alone business so business will thrive,” said Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce president Danny Piano.

To ensure the steady growth of trade in the Subic-Clark corridor beyond the elections, the stakeholders signed a “Declaration of Cooperation Between the Public and Private Sectors of Subic and Clark” and presented it to President Arroyo.

Signatories of the document represented the SCADC, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), SBMA, CDC, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), and Northrail.

Officials of business organizations SBFCC and the Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) also signed the accord. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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