Quest to save dolphins draws support in Subic (feature)

SUBIC FREEPORT—The season of killing dolphins in Taiji, Japan, is about to begin this year, so A.G. Saño, the artist at the forefront of a movement to rescue them, decided to bring his crusade to this former American naval base and now bustling free port.

The Subic Freeport hosts Ocean Adventure, which draws families to shows featuring performing dolphins, sea lions and killer whales. Saño, 34, tours the provinces painting dolphin murals to highlight his cause.

“It was only appropriate that we should be doing this here in Subic. And contrary to my expectations, we were welcomed warmly and supported not only by our friends here but by the rest of the community,” he said.

No grudge

He said he does not bear any animosity towards Tim Desmond, the American owner of Ocean Adventure.

“But what he is doing is not out of love. It’s for profit. That’s what this [crusade] is all about. If he truly loved these sea mammals, then he’d use his resources and set them all free, back to their natural habitats,” Saño said.

He said he was led to this advocacy by the award-winning documentary feature “The Cove,” which exposed the annual herding and slaughter of some 23,000 dolphins at Taiji Cove in Japan. According to the documentary, the Japanese butchered dolphins, which were “rejects” that failed to pass a filtering process enforced by marine park officials to select dolphin performers for aquatic shows.

Costly performers

A bottle-nosed dolphin that fits the standards of theme park operators will fetch $150,000, Saño said. Saño painted the walls of Lighthouse Marina Resort, an iconic establishment inside Moonbay Marina Complex here, and drew converts to his cause.

Zedrik Avecilla, whose family owns the Lighthouse resort, said he also saw “The Cove.”

“We’ve always been active in the protection of the environment here in Subic, even leading coastal cleanup drives of the bay, and this is no different. When I heard that [Saño and his group] were here, I offered our walls to be painted. It’s our way of showing support for the dolphins,” said Avecilla.

“The hunting season in Taiji is supposed to begin this month. So far we have only heard relatively few incidents of killings of dolphins there, not like before,” Saño said.

Saño said the crusade needs to change the minds of families who are lured to theme parks like Ocean Adventure.

“They should know the toll captivity has on these dolphins. In cages, where theme park operators claim that they are well fed and nurtured, they still do not live out their life expectancies. They only reach about a third of it, in fact. That’s why most of the dolphins in aquatic shows are juvenile, they die before they mature,” he said. (Robert Gonzaga, Central Luzon Desk, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

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SBMA cautions public on “butanding” viewing in Subic Bay

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has issued guidelines to ensure the safety and protection of a whale shark that has been spotted over the weekend at the port of Subic.

The guidelines, which were issued by the agency’s Ecology Center to protect the animal from stressing conditions and elements, temporarily disallowed marine vessels and motorized boats from docking at the Boton Wharf where the five-meter long animal was last seen early Tuesday morning .

However, kayaks and small rubber boats will be allowed in the area but only at a particular distance as designated by the SBMA Harbor Patrol.

The SBMA also disallowed scuba diving in the area, as well as the use of machineries that produce noise.

“We have issued the guidelines, not only to protect the whale shark from harm, but also to take control of the crowd situation,” said Amethya Koval, head of the SBMA Ecology Center, who noted that the reported sighting of the rare animal has brought curious onlookers, as well as news reporters, to the Subic free port.

Koval said that as part of the guidelines or protocol, the SBMA Law Enforcement Department has been ordered to cordon off the area one meter from the edge of the pier to prevent people from accidentally falling into the water.

“We have designated an area in the pier for the benefit of the viewing public, but we shall strictly disallow noise. We are asking the public to turn off their vehicles once they are at the parking area,” she added.

Koval also said that members of the media who would like to view or film the whale shark should coordinate with the SBMA Public Relations Department for proper procedure during the coverage.

The whale shark, locally known as “butanding”, was first spotted last Thursday at the Boton Wharf by workers who were waiting for their service boat to arrive.

After several sightings near the pier, the whale shark not spotted again. However, Koval said the animal is believed to have remained in the bay.

Witnesses, including experts from the Subic-based Wildlife in Need (WIN), earlier reported that the butanding was in stable condition.

Koval also clarified that the whale shark was not stranded, as reported in the media earlier.

“It’s quite normal for butanding to be seen in Subic Bay,” Koval said. “Every year whale sharks are seen in the waters of Morong, Bataan, and around Subic Bay, particularly at the Redondo area,” she added.

Koval also said it is considered a normal behavior for whale sharks to venture into bays or coves in their search for food and then also leave the area after some time.

“Meanwhile, our main task now is to locate the whale and monitor its movement,” said Koval. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Butanding ends up in Subic

A rarely seen whale shark or butanding was spotted near the pier at Subic Bay’s Boton Wharf (yesterday) in what was erroneously reported as a stranding.

Amethya Koval, head of the Ecology Center of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), said the five-meter whale shark was not stranded and could just be feeding in the bay.

“This is the season when whales feed within Subic Bay,” Koval pointed out.

“It appears that the animal was looking for a way to deeper water, and it looked like it was in good condition,” Koval told The STAR.

According to Koval, the whale shark was first seen last Thursday and later appeared in various areas near the beach. It was last seen yesterday morning.

Koval said that personnel from the SBMA Harbor Patrol had tried to guide the whale out of shallow waters at the Boton Wharf, but the animal kept coming back to the pier.

Quoting a report from the Subic Freeport environmental group Wildlife in Need (WIN), Koval added that the whale shark has several nicks and scratch marks on its dorsal and caudal fin tips.

“But there were no cuts on its skin, as previously reported,” Koval said.

She added that Aeroflite, a flight school based in this Freeport, has volunteered to undertake aerial monitoring of the whale shark in the bay.

Meanwhile, local environment
workers said that it was not the first time that a whale shark was spotted in Subic Bay, formerly the home port of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet.

According to Rossel Abuyo, who works with fisherfolk in the area, local fishermen told stories of how they spotted whale sharks in Subic Bay when it was still under the US Navy.

“The last time they spotted a big whale shark here, the animal broke the propeller of a small fishing boat,” Abuyo recounted.

She added that in the 10 years that she has stayed in the area, she had already seen two butandings in the bay.

Koval said that as Subic authorities monitor the whale shark, the SBMA Ecology Center has taken measures to minimize “stressors” in the area that could put the animal in distress.

These stressors include unauthorized divers, vehicles, visitors, and even the media, she added. (Bebot Sison Jr., Philippine Star)

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4,000 Subic volunteers join International Coastal Clean-Up Day

Close to 4,000 residents, employees, students, and some visitors in this free port joined this year’s coastal clean-up drive here that was undertaken in support of the International Coastal Clean-Up Day and in connection with an international study on the global problem of marine trash.

The cleanup, which was held at the two-kilometer beachfront along the Waterfront Road here on Saturday, was spearheaded by the Lighthouse Marina Resort (LMR) in coordination with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

The activity was also supported by the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians, Rotary Club of Cubao West, Philippine Marketing Association of Zambales, Moonbay Marina Complex, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce, Greater Subic Bay Tourism Bureau, and Ideal Niche Business Solutions.

SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said the marine trash monitoring activity will help policy makers draw better solutions to the problem on marine trash, with the recorded data going to Ocean Conservancy, a non-stock, non-profit organization founded in 1972 to identify global marine threats.

He added that the clean-up drive “is a manifestation of SBMA support to activities that aim to protect and conserve the environment, particularly to keep Subic Bay free of pollution.”

A total of 3,927 volunteers scoured the stretch of the beach here, armed with sticks and trash bags to pick up litters and trash along the way.

Some local divers also collected trash in the bay, bringing to shore mostly plastic materials washed into the bay through various tributary rivers.

LMR resident manager Argee Gomez, who coordinated the event, said that the project forms part of efforts by Subic stakeholders to reduce trash and other debris at the Subic’s beachfront, which is one of the most prominent and visited areas inside the free port.

“It is imperative that a pro-active, continuous and sustainable clean-up program be put in place here,” Gomez said, pointing out that Subic Bay is considered the biggest natural asset of the of the free port.

In last Saturday’s event, Gomez said that the 3,927 volunteers in Subic collected a total of 6,075 kilos of trash from collections made in the beach clean-up and underwater dives.

In 2009, Gomez added, some 74,500 volunteers from 60 provinces collected a total of 327,345 kilos of garbage from activities that covered a total of 2,427 kilometers of beaches.

Among the worldwide participants that year, the Philippines ranked second to the United States, which had a total of 218,799 volunteers.

The International Coastal Clean-up Day started in 1986 in Texas and is being observed every third Saturday of September each year.

Aside from the clean-up drive, the Subic activity also included a public forum on conservation, climate change and waste management.

Organizers also put up a photo contest that covered the actual clean-up drive, and an exhibit of photos taken during last year’s clean-up drive. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO:
Volunteers from the Subic Bay Freeport and neighboring communities lend a hand in cleaning the beach at Subic’s Boardwalk Park.

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Whale shark stranded in Subic

A small whale shark has been stranded at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone’s waters, marine scientists said on Monday.

The fish, also known as a butanding, was first spotted at the Boton Wharf last Thursday, according to Subic worker Arkilao Villacen.

Villacen, a crane operator, said he and his co-workers were waiting for a speedboat to arrive at the wharf when they saw the 5-meter-long whale shark.

He said he jumped from surprise because he thought it was a carnivorous shark.

Whale sharks are harmless and eat plankton and microscopic plants. They grow up to more than 12 meters long and are the largest living fish species.

Marine biologist Jonathaniel Apurado believes that the small whale shark came from the South China Sea and could have lost its way.

He expressed fears that the creature could be either injured or killed if it is hit by the propellers of ships and speedboats at Subic.

Apurado said the whale shark should return to the open ocean because Subic Bay’s waters do not have enough plankton to feed it.

He added that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will be informed about the creature. (Zyann Ambrosio, ABS-CBN News)

Photo courtesy of www.subictimes.com

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Subic Freeport joins int’l study on marine trash

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has urged the free port community here to sign up for a coastal cleanup drive that will be undertaken in connection with an international study on the global problem of marine trash.

The cleanup will be held on September 25 at the two-kilometer beachfront along the Waterfront Road here in observance of International Coastal Clean-Up Day when hundreds of thousands of volunteers in different parts of the world will spend a day picking up marine trash and recording information on its volume and makeup.

SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said the activity will help policy makers draw better solutions to the problem on marine trash, with the recorded data going to Ocean Conservancy, a non-stock, non-profit organization founded in 1972 to identify global marine threats.

Ocean Conservancy, which pushes for sound practical policies to protect the world’s oceans, has tied up with the Lighthouse Marina Resort here to spearhead the Subic event.

Lighthouse manager Argee Gomez said organizers hope to draw more than a thousand participants in this event, which he described as “not just about removing trash and debris from waterways and beaches.”

“The International Coastal Clean-Up focuses on the need for marine conservation and raising awareness and education among different sectors of society, particularly coastal communities who directly benefit from marine resources,” Gomez explained.

The Subic event, Gomez said, will start at 6:00 a.m. and will include the actual clean-up, waste segregation, data collection, and trash hauling. There will also be an on-site photo contest that will be open to all photography enthusiasts.

In the afternoon, an eco-forum will be held at the Admiral Hall of the Lighthouse to discuss the latest issues on waste management and environmental protection. This will also be attended by officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), as well as local and foreign conservationists.

A beach party complete with guest bands and DJs will cap the event in the evening, when organizers will also make a report on the trash collection data and announce the winners in the photo contest.

In support of the cleanup drive, Arreza said the SBMA has pledged both manpower and equipment, with garbage collection trucks to be dispatched along with personnel from the SBMA Ecology Center, Law Enforcement Department, and Harbor Patrol.

At the same time, Arreza expressed gratitude to the private sector “for taking the initiative to protect our waters.”

“They know how important Subic Bay is to the community,” Arreza noted.

He added that marine conservation has ranked foremost in the SBMA agenda since the agency’s creation in 1992. “We have been stressing that without the bay, there would be no free port,” Arreza said.

The Subic Bay cleanup project is also supported by the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians, the Rotary Club of Cubao West, the Philippine Marketing Association of Zambales, Moonbay Marina Complex, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce, Greater Subic Bay Tourism Bureau, and Ideal Niche Business Solutions.

For inquiries and registration, the organizers can be reached at (047) 252-5000. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Subic Joins Int'l Cleanup Event

This Freeport will be one of the venues all over the world that would celebrate the International Coastal Cleanup Day, a global campaign that will help remove trash and debris from waterways and beaches.

The International Coastal Cleanup Day will be held on September 25 wherein more than 75,000 volunteers from different parts of the country will participate to help clean the coastal areas of the Philippines.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza said that the preservation of Subic Bay’s coastal areas is a priority to ensure that the pristine waters of Subic Bay will remain for many more years.

“We are cooperating with the Lighthouse Marina Resort to help us organize volunteers who are willing to clean up our coasts. They have already spearheaded the organizing of this event, inviting different locators who will help in the conservation,” Arreza said.

Lighthouse Marina Resort chief Jun Avecilla said that the event would be simultaneously held and coordinated on a global scale. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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Free ports to adopt e-cargo transfer system

The three adjoining free ports of Subic, Clark and Bataan will start utilizing high technology this month to ensure the fast, safe and secure transfer of cargo to their registered business locators as well as to thwart smuggling and diversion of imported goods.

According to the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD), officials from the three free ports of Central Luzon recently met with SCAD and Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials “to tie loose ends” before the Sept. 16 implementation of the Enhanced Automated Cargo Transfer System (e-Acts), which is touted to improve the country’s import shipments system.

The free ports summit was attended by officials of the SCAD and the BOC, and representatives of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (Afab).

“All concerned agencies vowed to exert greater efforts in responding to the call of President Benigno S. Aquino for a better business environment and a more favorable investment climate in the Philippines that will lead to a better way of life for Filipinos,” the SCAD said in a statement.

The e-Acts was designed to provide for a more efficient movement of imports from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Port of Manila and the Manila International Container Port Terminal to the various export producers located in Subic, Clark and Bataan free ports.

The new system reportedly stands out compared to previous systems because it utilizes modern technology to provide a faster, more economical and simpler process of documenting and processing of clearances, as well as the transfer and admission of foreign merchandise from ports of discharge.

And because e-Acts substitutes electronic or Internet protocols for face-to-face transactions, it is expected to help stamp out corruption in import transactions and to cut overhead costs among free-port locators by allowing the immediate delivery and use of transit goods.

With its built-in antismuggling or antidiversion feature, e-Acts will serve as a showcase of the BOC’s “intention and commitment to put a stop to the abuse of the importation privilege of some unscrupulous free-port zone export producers,” said Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez.

Speaking for the free ports, Afab chairman and administrator Deogracias Custodio said the implementation of the e-Acts “will be a reflection of the constant efforts of the Philippine free ports to improve the level of services that they offer to their locators in order to become the free ports of choice in the world.”

SCAD chairman Nestor Mangio expressed optimism that the new system would create a better business environment in Clark and Subic that would, in turn, result in more investments and more jobs for local residents.

“Needed revenues to fuel the local economy will increase. Entrepreneurship potentials for local suppliers will be developed. Even local tourism will be favorably affected,” Mangio added.

The implementation of the e-Acts will be the latest in a series of cooperation programs between the BOC and the free ports in Central Luzon to curb smuggling and plug revenue leaks from goods imported into the free ports and later sold outside the special economic zones.

On July 15 the SBMA and the BOC began using the electronic Gatepass Management System (GMS) for shipments brought into the Subic Bay Free Port to ensure that only “legal goods” would exit the gates here.

Like the e-Acts system, the GMS was designed to make it even harder for smugglers to use the port of Subic, as well as to reduce the time and cost of doing business in this free port. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

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Marian images featured in Subic festival

A motorcade featuring 22 Marian images went around the major thoroughfares in this free port and Olongapo City on Wednesday to highlight the week-long celebration of the birthday of the Blessed Mother here.

The celebration, spearheaded by the San Roque Chapel and the chaplaincy of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), started September 1 with the arrival of the 22 images owned by devotees from different parishes throughout Olongapo City and the province of Zambales.

The images were part of the “Lakbay Dasal” (prayer pilgrimage) program organized by the local faithful, said SBMA chaplain Fr. Audie Mozo.

While in the free port, the images were adopted by participating SBMA departments, business locators and religious organizations, which held daily prayers and prepared colorful floats for the birthday motorcade on Wednesday morning.

Fr. Mozo said that among the featured images were the Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla (Black Mother and Child), which was adopted by the SBMA Administrator’s Office; Our Lady of Expectation (the image of Mary as an expectant mother), adopted by the CFC Handmaids of the Lord; Our Lady of the Assumption, by Puregold Subic; Nuestra Señora de Esperanza, by Pier One; and Ina Poong Bato of Zambales, adopted by the Subic Montessori.

According to SBMA administrator Armand Arreza, the agency, through the San Roque chaplaincy, has promoted the observance of religious traditions in the Subic Bay Freeport and provided pastoral support to workers and residents, not only in the Freeport but also in nearby communities.

“This is why religious festivals and traditions such as Lenten and Easter activities, Christmas and Marian celebrations have also become tourist attractions in the Subic Freeport,” Arreza said.

“At the same time, these activities help provide the Subic community, especially the SBMA employees, with a well-rounded social life,” he added.

Fr. Mozon said meanwhile that this was the 12th year that the Subic Bay Freeport has been celebrating the birthday of the Blessed Mother, who is revered as protector of this former naval base.

In 2004, the entire Subic Bay was dedicated to the “Two Hearts” – the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Fr. Mozo pointed out.

Subic Bay is also the home of the Marian Peace Regatta, which started in 2008 and draws thousands who witness the fluvial parade of Marian images and take part in the day-long worship and prayers. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO
Some of the Marian images on display at the grounds of the San Roque Chapel in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Subic Freeport lauded for conservation practices

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) again received a rave review for effectively promoting environmental protection and corporate social responsibility among business investors, as well as residents and other stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

This after a delegation from the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) made an eco-business tour at the Subic free port, along with local and foreign delegates to a recent trade show held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Doris Gacho, officer in charge of CITEM’s Service Business Department, noted during the visit that Subic Bay has retained its holistic character despite having introduced various developments in industry, commerce and tourism.

“Subic is such an integrated community, and everything has been taken care of. I think that the SBMA is doing such a good job,” Gacho said.

“(The SBMA) have taken care of the environment and the indigenous (Aeta) community. Subic is now a place to show the world that industrial, as well as social development and caring for the environment can go hand in hand,” Gacho added.

CITEM, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), spearheaded the three-day 1st Philippine International Eco-Show (PINES), an event through which the agency committed itself to be the driver of “green” growth and industry in the country at a time when business and sustainable environment are regarded as complementary aspects of a progressive Philippines.

As part of the event, CITEM bought 36 selected delegates to Subic and toured them among various tourism facilities and industrial factories here.

In particular, Gacho said the visitors were impressed with PacTec Inc., an American firm manufacturing heavy-duty hauling and packaging bags for the transportation and waste industry.

“PacTec makes very good products, and I see that it has maintained good relationship with suppliers and they’re very impressive. I think PacTec can be a potential exhibitor for DTI to promote,” she said.

Meanwhile, SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said that the Subic Bay Freeport never fails to make a good impression on visitors because the agency really intended to develop and capitalize on the eco-tourism potentials inside the economic zone.

“While we are promoting Subic as a better place to establish various industries, the bigger part of Subic is still covered with well-preserved forests and pristine bodies of water that we continue to develop into some of the best tourism facilities in the country today,” Arreza said.

He added that the SBMA has also programmed the development of Subic’s potentials in adventure tourism in line with the nationwide campaign to promote eco-tourism and adventure tours in the country and make the Philippines the best adventure destination in Asia.

To sustain this program, Arreza said the SBMA regularly undertakes tree-planting and beach clean-up activities, and other environmental protection and conservation programs and projects. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO:
Delegates to 1st Philippine International Eco-Show (PINES) visit the PacTec factory in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Collector cleared in immorality charge

Subic Customs Collector Atty. Marietta Zamoranos was cleared by the Court of Appeals in an immorality case filed against her by her husband Iligan Customs Collector Samson Pacasum, Jr.

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Court of Appeals okays prosecution of Subic Customs collector for bigamy

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the prosecution of a female official of the Bureau of Customs for alleged bigamy.

In the 29-page decision, the CA’s 23rd Division in Mindanao gave the go signal for the prosecution of Marietta Zamoranos, a collector of the Bureau of Customs at Subic Bay.

The appellate court dismissed the petition of Zamoranos arguing that the Iligan Regional Trial Court has no jurisdiction over the case and it committed grave abuse of discretion in junking her motion to dismiss the complaint of bigamy against her.

The CA said Zamoranos should have faced the charges of bigamy instead of questioning the jurisdiction of the lower court or simply filing a motion to dismiss the case.

The CA earlier ordered the six-month suspension of Zamoranos for immorality following discovery that she was married to different men.

Zamoranos was indicted by the Department of Justice on August 2009 for the crime of bigamy.

The complaint was filed by her second husband, Samson Pacasum Sr., a Customs collector of the Iligan Port who found out that his wife was already married to another man.

Zamoranos argued that as a Muslim woman, she is allowed to marry more than once.

Zamoranos claimed she married her first husband, Jesus de Guzman, in a Muslim wedding and divorced him a year later.

Zamoranos then married Pacasum before an Iligan court judge.

The DOJ said Zamoranos is still married to De Guzman despite the supposed divorce.

The DOJ dismissed the defense of Zamoranos of being a Muslim convert, citing her statements before the Iligan court judge during her wedding with Pacasum that she is a Christian and had never converted to Islam.

Even if she indeed converted to Islam, the CA said Zamoranos is still liable for bigamy under our laws. (Sandy Araneta, Philippine Star)

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Philip Morris inaugurates 2nd phase of Subic leaf warehouse

Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI) unveiled here on Thursday its new P600-milllion facility, the second phase of its P1-billion tobacco leaf storage hub project for Asia-Pacific operations.

This new facility boosted PMPMI’s leaf storage capacity from 6,100 metric tons to 14,000 metric tons, and would also allow expansion up to 10,000 tons more, said PMPMI managing director Christopher Nelson during the posh inauguration ceremony held at PMPMI’s 50,000 square-meter lot at the Subic Techno Park here.

“This development establishes the Philippines—particularly the Subic Bay Freeport Zone—as a major center for regional tobacco leaf trading and distribution,” said Nelson in his inaugural message.

“As Philip Morris grows its business in the Philippines, we will continue to act as a responsible corporate citizen and to conduct our business with the highest degree of integrity,” he told guests that included former Sen. Richard Gordon, Bureau of Customs deputy commissioner Alexander Arevalo, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza.

For his part, Arreza said that PMPMI’s decision to locate its international leaf tobacco warehouse in this free port “is a clear manifestation of Subic Bay’s business advantages—its strategic location, business incentives, support industries, security and skilled workforce.”

“Thank you for your strong belief in our country, in our people, and in Subic Bay. SBMA salutes Philip Morris for its vote of confidence in Subic, and for its commitment to further socio-economic progress in this region,” Arreza added.

According to Nelson, the Subic facility is one of their largest investments in Southeast Asia. The firm has also invested $300 million for a cigarette factory in Tanauan, Batangas in 2003.

He added that Philip Morris International has chosen the Subic Bay Freeport over Singapore, Malaysia, and other Asian sites based on the advantages of location, cost efficiency, as well as support from partner government agency.

The professional attitude of the workforce in the Subic Bay Freeport was also “one of the key factors” in choosing Subic, added Nelson.

Nelson also cited the indigenous Aeta tribe in the Subic Bay Freeport for allowing part of their ancestral domain to be used for development.

The new Philip Morris warehouse features state-of-the-art humidity control, fire suppression equipment, and air conditioning system to better handle tobacco leaf imports from China, Indonesia, Thailand, and India, among others.

“As with other investments of Phillip Morris here in the Philippines, this leaf warehouse further cements our commitment to the economic development of the country,” Nelson concluded. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO: PMPMI managing director Christopher Nelson presents a token of appreciation to Subic Aeta elder Bonifacio Florentino during the inauguration of Philip Morris’s leaf tobacco warehouse at the Subic Bay Freeport. Also in photo are Aeta leader Leonardo Abraham, former Sen. Richard Gordon and SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

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SBMA foots P48-M bill for FSC separation benefits

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has announced that it will advance a total of P48 million to its manpower subsidiary, the Freeport Service Corporation (FSC), in order to guarantee the full payment of separation benefits for 241 workers affected by the cessation of the firm’s operations.

This decision was made “with the welfare of FSC employees foremost in mind,” said SBMA administrator Armand Arreza in a press conference held at the SBMA administration building recently.

Although the two are entirely different entities, Arreza explained, the SBMA will be loaning funds for the FSC to provide separation benefits equivalent to one month’s pay for every year of service, which is above and beyond what the law requires.

He added that notices of separation will soon be issued to the remaining 241 FSC employees, with the full payment of workers’ benefits set 30 days thereafter.

“No, we’re not going to abandon the workers,” assured Arreza, as he committed the P48-million fund from the SBMA. “We are watching out for their welfare, as they have nothing to do with the company’s financial woes.”

He added that he has also directed the SBMA Labor Department to conduct a job fair and work out a livelihood assistance program for FSC workers.

FSC was created in 1995 to provide manpower services to the SBMA. Eventually, SBMA leased out to its subsidiary several tourism facilities under a revenue-sharing arrangement, with the SBMA share fixed at only 5 percent.

Arreza said the SBMA even paid FSC P6 million per month as “management fees” for overseeing SBMA’s assets. Despite these concessions, the FSC has incurred debts with its parent company in the amount of P56 million.

Records showed that more than 800 personnel were listed in FSC’s payroll before the first manpower reduction was undertaken in 2008. Officials said that for the size of its business operations, 200 personnel would have been enough.

In the first manpower reduction, some 652 FSC employees were absorbed by the SBMA, which also advanced some P 40 million for the partial payment of their separation benefits.

With the company’s manpower down to 270, the SBMA reduced its monthly subsidy to the FSC to P 4 million a month until it was totally stopped by January this year.

Since the FSC cannot sustain its operations, the FSC Board decided to mothball the company, declaring it in a “dormant state”.

Arreza said the mothballing was made “precisely to avoid the impending situation of FSC being unable to pay the salaries of its own employees and enable FSC employees to receive their separation benefits.”

Arreza explained that in a bankruptcy state, the assets of the company will have to be liquidated and divided among its creditors, with employees getting the first priority.

“However, if we declare FSC as bankrupt, employees will get nothing since it has virtually no assets. The FSC only has a facilities management agreement with the SBMA, and it is the SBMA that owns the assets,” he added.

Arreza said that the SBMA could, by right, declare the FSC bankrupt. “But that would be unconscionable, kawawa ang manggagawa,” he said.

With this, Arreza urged FSC employees not to direct their anger on the SBMA. “I repeat: SBMA and FSC are separate entities, and SBMA has nothing to do with FSC’s financial losses,” Arreza said. “In fact, the SBMA has disbursed a total of P3.2 billion to help out in FSC’s operations.” (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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MacKay eyes green energy exports from RP (Subic may host facility that will turn waste into energy)

MACKAY HOLDINGS Inc. of Scotland is setting up a manufacturing hub for waste-to-energy products, allowing the Philippines to gain a foothold in the $48-billion global “green” market.

The company wants to put up the facility in Subic, company chair and founder James MacKay said in a briefing.

MacKay said that his company would initially invest at least $50 million to build up to three plants. The product to be manufactured is the Indirectly Fired Gas Turbines (IFGT).

Fuel pellets

The first turbine is expected to be manufactured by mid-October this year.

MacKay Holdings subsidiary MacKay Green Energy owns the technology for manufacturing and operating IFGTs. To complement this technology, MacKay Green Energy has a process that will convert waste material into fuel pellets to be used in the turbines.

About 300 tons of solid waste can be converted into 150 tons of fuel pellets for export or for local use.

MacKay said there is huge demand in Asia and the Middle East for both the pellets and the turbines. In fact, executives from Dubai are now sealing deals worth $40 million to acquire turbines.

MacKay believes that the technology may solve the problem of local governments, which are now seeking ways to maximize their use of landfills.

Metro Manila alone produces 10,000 tons of solid waste a day, according to estimates. Outside Metro Manila, farm waste from crushed sugarcane stalks, corn and even tobacco may be used as fuel material.

According to Terry Brown, president and CEO of MacKay Green Energy, the company has a firm advantage over other firms offering alternative energy products because of its proprietary technology and the quick turnaround in waste facility development following the delivery of turbines.

Replacing landfills

Facilities for other forms of energy may take three to five years to put up while MacKay’s technology and business model allows it to deliver a turbine in about six months. Putting up a waste facility that will generate green energy using the turbines may also take about six months.

MacKay’s turbines use ultra-high temperature to generate energy using metropolitan and farm waste. The use of such materials for power generation may replace landfills, curb dependence on fossil fuels, and earn carbon credits (based on zero carbon output).

Apart from green energy, MacKay is also bringing its healthcare technologies and construction equipment products. Further diversifying its interests in the Philippines, MacKay is developing and selling real estate in prime locations, such as the Makati central business district and Fort Bonifacio Global City.

MacKay Holdings and its subsidiaries are also supporting the MacKay Foundation, which is involved in medical and educational assistance, disaster relief, and youth entrepreneurship, among other advocacies. (Riza T. Olchondra, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

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