Philip Morris starts medicine supply program for Ayta tribe in Subic Freeport

In a gesture of its commitment to support the community service program of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Philip Morris International (PMI) provided the indigenous Ayta tribe in the Subic Bay Freeport with medicines worth P125,000, the first batch to be given under the firm’s medicine donation program.

Philip Morris, which operates its regional leaf tobacco warehouse in this free port, turned over several boxes of various medicines and vitamins to the Aytas of Pastolan Village here through Atty. Wilma Eisma, manager of local regulatory affairs and community relations of Philip Morris Phils. Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI).

The donation was received on behalf of the tribesmen by Armina Belleza-Llamas, manager of the SBMA Public Relations Department.

Belleza said that Philip Morris also committed to replenish the medicine supply on a quarterly basis for the next five years.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said that the PMI medicine donation clearly manifests the continuing commitment of the company, in partnership with local delivery service provider Air21, to help the indigenous people living inside the Freeport area.

“Philip Morris, along with the Air21, has always been a partner of the SBMA in its many community service projects that seek to expand health and educational assistance to the communities around the Subic Bay Freeport,” Garcia noted.

Eisma said meanwhile that the donation “is only part of our commitment to the community in support of the health and wellness program of the SBMA for the Ayta tribal community in Pastolan, especially the children.”

In August 2011, some 200 children and 100 mothers in the Pastolan Ayta village received free medical check-up and medicines during the launching of a medical clinic program initiated by the SBMA, Philip Morris Philippines Inc., Air21 and Jaycees International.

In January 2008, PMPI also donated textbooks and computer sets to public schools in Pastolan, as well as barangay Kalalake in Olongapo City in partnership with the Knowledge Channel .

PMI has established a multi-million dollar PMPMI regional warehouse in the Subic Bay Freeport in an area which is recognized as a part of the Ayta ancestral domain. The warehouse stores 25 million tons of the best-quality tobacco leaf harvests for distribution to other Asian manufacturing facilities in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia, among others. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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SubicEnerzone renews ‘adoption’ of SBMA ambulances

Power provider Subic EnerZone Corp. (SEZ), under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, has renewed its commitment to sponsor the maintenance of all eight ambulance trucks of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to ensure their availability at all times.

The “adoption” of SBMA’s ambulance fleet was made through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia and EnerZone senior vice president and chief operating officer Dante Pollescas in a simple ceremony held at the SBMA board room.

SEZ started its Adopt-an-Ambulance program with the SBMA in 2007. It allocates P100,000 each year for the maintenance of the eight emergency vehicles.

In the recent signing of a new MOA, Garcia described the “adoption” as a clear manifestation of how effective the public-private partnership works, and where a private corporation assists a government agency in the implementation of a program that benefits the general public.

“Our ambulances are an integral part of the SBMA’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program that deploys emergency response teams to any area within the Freeport zone and to any neighboring province whenever there is any given emergency situation,” Garcia said.

“As such, they are vital to public safety, which is a priority mission of the agency,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pollescas expressed hope that Subic Enerzone’s Adopt-an-Ambulance program would be much appreciated by the entire Freeport community.

“We believe in the primary responsibility of the SBMA EMS and how important it is for the agency to ensure that these ambulances would be available anytime they are needed,” Pollescas said.

He added that while the P100,000-assistance will never be enough to fully maintain the ambulance fleet, it will help fast-track the purchase of much needed vehicle spare parts.

“Through our corporate social responsibility, we are offering assistance to ensure the steady and reliable availability of serviceable ambulances at all times,” Pollescas also said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA))


PHOTO:
SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia (second from right) and Subic EnerZone senior vice-president and chief operating officer Dante Pollescas sign a memorandum of agreement for the firm’s adoption of the SBMA’s fleet of ambulances. Witnessing the signing are Dr. Solomon Jacalne, head of the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department (right), and Subic EnerZone general manager Warell Kern Sario.

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PPP to boost land prices

MANILA - Real estate advisory firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Philippines is expecting the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) to spur the growth of the property sector in the country, saying that it will boost land prices in areas covered by the PPP program.

In its recent Metro Manila market view report, CBRE said that the construction industry will be the direct and main beneficiary of the PPP projects that will greatly influence the growth and expansion of the Philippine property sector.


CBRE cited an increase in land values between Clark and Subic from P30 to P50 to P300 to P500 per square meter since the P21-billionSubic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) was completed in 2007.

The SCTEx is a 93.77 kilometer flagship project seen to help convert the central and northern Luzon regions into a "super region" of economic growth.

Similarly, a significant increase in land prices from Alabang to Calamba were also seen over the last two years with the completion of the SLEx Toll road 3 and the SLEx-STAR link.

The firm said that developed residential lot prices increased from P8,000 per square meter to as much as P21,000 per square meter in the areas.

As a result, according to CBRE, industrial parks are also pressured to raise their rents due to rising land prices.

The SLEx Toll road 3 from Calamba,Laguna to SantoTomas,Batangas is an extension of the Toll road 2 from Alabang to Calamba which connects the expressway to the Southern Tagalog arterial road going to Batangas City.

TheSLEx-STAR link, meanwhile, is a 7.3-kilometer toll road from South Luzon Expressway in Calamba City, Laguna to the STAR Tollway in Sto Tomas, Batangas.

"As the roll out of PPP projects are underway, investors and developers are very aggressive in their efforts to acquire raw lands suitable for new property developments," CBRE noted.

"All this will sustain business activity for the Property Sector in the Philippines in the short and long term," it added.

The government aims to bid out eight to sixteen PPP projects this year worth P142-billion.

According to CBRE, the priority PPP projects are the LRT 1 Cavite extension, the NAIA expressway phase 2 and the NLEX-SLEX connector road. (Richmond Mercurio, Malaya)

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Subic firm offers renewable energy solutions

A Subic-registered company is now producing cost-efficient and environment-friendly energy and lighting solutions touted to address growing concerns of rising energy costs and degraded environment.

BandaSolar, which traces its roots to Bandacorp PI Inc. that was established here in 2006, is now offering Filipino consumers the benefits of renewable energy with its solar panels and light emitting diode (LED) lamps that could cut down power bills by more than 50 percent.

This has prompted Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V. Garcia to call for a study on the installation of solar panels for all street lights in the free port and the use of 250-watt LED lamps instead of the standard 1,000-watt halogen lamps.

Bob Silvers, president of BandaSolar, said that his company addresses the concerns of consumers on the seemingly relentless power rate hikes, and seeks to meet growing demand for solar solutions in the Philippines, as well as internationally.

“The first question in the mind of Filipinos is ‘How am I going to cut on my power bills?’ And the answer is: turn to sun and use its energy,” Silvers said during an exhibit of products here. “Solar energy will cut your electric bills up to half or more,” he added.

Silvers said that historically, the use of solar power was limited only to those living in remote locations with no other choice but to device a solar power generator with a cost equivalent to P100 per watt, or P100,000 per kilowatt, enough to light a small house.

Having an average of a 25-year lifetime, solar panels are being sold mostly in China, Japan, India, Australia and South Korea, which accounted for 3.3 gigawatts of demand in 2011, with Japan and China leading in the Southeast Asian region.

“But that was before the solar panels were in mass production in such a volume where it became part of the energy economy competing with more expensive petroleum and other forms of energy,” Silvers pointed out.

He said that, as of last year, the cost of solar panel went down to P50 per watt or P50,000 per kilowatt, “that’s why people really can afford solar power in place of the regular electricity generated by the electric companies.”

Silvers said the cost of using solar power “may sound high, as the first five years after purchasing and installing the solar panel, you are like paying the cost of the solar panel. But after five years, the electricity is free within the period of 20 years or more,” he added.

Industrial users also benefit a lot from solar power because by producing some or all of the needed electricity with solar power, they can eliminate a portion of that variable cost and insulate their businesses against the inevitable rising cost per kilowatt hour of electricity, Silvers said.

He explained that a company using 100 pieces of 150-watt sodium bulbs has to pay an average of P413,870 for power consumption and maintenance cost in 4.38 years of the bulbs’ lifetime. On the other hand, if the same company uses 100 pieces of 100-watt LED lamps, it will only spend P13,699 for maintenance expenses in the 13.7 years of the lamps’ lifetime.

Silvers also said that BandaSolar is offering free consultation to those who wish to know more about solar power, and an introduction to a line of energy-saving devices ranging from air-conditioning system to solar street lights, solar water heater, and even home and industrial solar-lighting solutions.

In Subic, the company has already convinced several companies to shift to solar power or LED lamps to save on energy costs. Its clients here include the Ocean Adventure marine theme park; gastight plastic storage manufacturer GrainPro; packaging manufacturer Pactec; global testing, verification and certification firm SGS; and ink solution provider Printing Images CtC, Inc.

BandaSolar has also installed renewable energy systems for some residences at the Kalayaan and Binictican housing complexes here, as well as for other clients in Pampanga, Batangas, Ilocos Sur and Zambales. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)
PHOTO:

Bob Silvers, president of BandaSolar, explains the advantages of using a solar energy system.

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Judge halts VAT collection on econzone oil imports

Business locators in this free-port zone rejoiced after a regional trial court (RTC) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) from implementing additional taxes on petroleum products imported into special economic zones.

The order, which was issued on Friday by RTC Branch 58 in Angeles City, Pampanga, directed Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares “to cease and desist from implementing/enforcing the assailed Revenue Regulation No. 2-2012 for the duration of 20 days.”

Presiding Judge Philbert Iturralde also set a hearing on a plea for a writ of preliminary injunction for March 21, and presentation of the petitioner’s evidence on March 29.

The court issued the TRO on a petition filed by Rep. Carmelo Lazatin of the First District of Pampanga and found merit in the motion because of its urgency as the assailed regulation would have taken effect 15 days after its publication.

Danny Piano, president of the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC), said Subic Bay Freeport businessmen objected to the imposition of additional tax on petroleum products because the new regulation was in conflict with the tax-free regime in Subic under Republic Act (RA) 7227.

If implemented, the new regulation would have increased gasoline pump prices here by about 12 percent and also resulted in a bureaucratic nightmare, Piano added.

“The good news, albeit temporary, is that there is now a temporary restraining order on the revenue regulation,” he told SBFCC members in a letter on Friday. “The chamber will continue to work to have the revenue regulation rescinded or revoked permanently.”

The Subic chamber wrote a letter to President Aquino on March 7 expressing its opposition to the BIR regulation, saying that RA 7227, which created the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, specifically provided that the Subic Special Economic Zone shall be operated and managed as a separate customs territory.

This provision ensured the “free flow or movement of goods and capital within, into and exported out of the Subic Special Economic Zone, as well as provide incentives such as tax and duty-free importations of raw materials, capital and equipment,” the SBFCC said.

It added that RA 7227 stated that aside from the 5-percent tax on gross income, “no taxes, local and national, shall be imposed within the Subic Special Economic Zone,” and that, “in case of conflict between national and local laws with respect to tax exemption privileges in the Subic Special Economic Zone, the same shall be resolved in favor of the latter.”

The Subic chamber also told the President that RR 2-2012’s provision calling for a “joint supervision over the facilities with the BIR, through the assignment of revenue officers,” simply adds another layer of bureaucracy, which has the potential for more corruption. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

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Brazil's Vale offers spot iron ore from Subic Bay, Philippines

SINGAPORE - Brazilian miner Vale has offered spot iron ore for tender Monday, sailing from its Floating Transfer Station at Subic Bay, Philippines, market participants said Monday.

Previously, most of Vale's spot offers have been for cargoes loaded on vessels passing through Singapore within two weeks from the date of sale, but the shipment sailing from Subic Bay will be able to reach the Chinese port of Qingdao in a shorter time span of four-and-a-half days.

Vale is offering a 175,000 mt cargo of 65%-Fe Brazilian sinter feed Carajas fines in a tender closing Monday, 1730 Beijing time (0930 GMT) on a CFR China basis. The cargo will load from the Floating Transfer Station at Subic Bay by Wednesday.

China's Ministry of Transport in January applied stricter administration procedures for large dry bulk vessels. Those with a capacity of more than 350,000 dwt have to go through new demonstration-appraisal-approval procedures before they can call at Chinese ports.

Sources said the Carajas fines spot cargo offered was probably unloaded from Very Large Ore Carrier, or Valemax, vessels at Subic Bay before being loaded into smaller Capesize vessels prior to sailing for China.

"It is the first time I heard Vale offering an iron ore spot shipment that sails straight from Subic Bay," a Hong Kong-based trader said.

Another Singaporean trader said: "Shorter traveling time between the Philippines and China will be popular among steel mills who need very prompt loading cargoes, but it may not be equally popular with traders who have a shorter time to sell their cargoes."

Vale wasn't immediately available to comment. [Melvin Yeo, (Platts) Singapore]

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Environmentalist is SBMA’s 2011 Employee of the Year

An environment conservation officer who is so passionate about her work bested five other finalists and was chosen by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) as Employee of the Year for 2011, the highest recognition given by the agency to its employees.

Rhea Jane ”RJ” Pescador, a 28-year old environmentalist Management specialist at the SBMA Ecology Center, was conferred the honors under the agency’s EOY program, which recognizes exemplary employees through a monthly selection process that culminates in the selection of the year’s “best of the breed.”

SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia said each of the monthly finalists sustained high quality and quantity of work delivered on time, manifesting the quality customer service the SBMA would like to uphold to ensure that ‘malasakit’ and honesty always come first for the good of one’s department and the Authority.

“That is why we are very delighted that these employees are part of the SBMA team,” Garcia said.

Pescador was particularly recognized for the Ecology Center's “Adopt-A-Giant Clam Program” that she conceptualized and initiated in December 2010 to encourage Subic Freeport stakeholders to help seed giant clams (Tridacna Gigas), considered a highly endangered species, in the waters of Subic Bay.

Ecology Center manager Ameth Dela Llana-Koval said that Pescador who became Employee of the Month (EOM) in June 2011, sees to it that every project she handles is excellent, not just ‘Ok’. “RJ makes it sure that the project becomes successful and more than exceeds expectations,” she added.

Pescador’s division chief, Lilia Alcazar, also pointed out that the conservation officer also thought of a way to raise funds to be used in purchasing giant clam seeds. This became the “Takbo Para sa Taklobo” fund-raising and awareness campaign that successfully involved various sectors of the Subic community.

The first edition of the “Takbo” in December 2010 was joined in by more than 1,500 runners from around the Freeport area and raised some P54,000. The second “Takbo” in December last year drew more than 2,000 participants and raised more than P84,000.

Aside from Pescador, the SBMA also honored five other winners. They are EOY first runner-up Sheryll Rose Santiago (Business and Investment Department–Leisure) who was cited as one of the top account officers of the Business and Investment Group and handles mostly large and complex accounts, like the Ayala Harbour Point mall account; second runner -up Marilou Dungog (Public Relations Department) who, aside from her administrative functions in her department, does community relations work at fisher folk communities; third runner-up Elizier Martin (Special Project Group supervisor, Maintenance and Transportation Department), who was noted for his resourcefulness and competence in completing construction work despite lack of funds; fourth runner-up Conrado Gareno (Data Comptroller, Legal Department), who was cited for epitomizing the SBMA core value and work virtue; and fifth runner-up Edgardo de Leon (Harbor Master from the Seaport Department), who ensured the safety of every vessel entering Subic Bay to load or unload cargoes.

Under the SBMA’s EOY program, two SBMA employees have been conferred the Pag-Asa Award by the President of the republic. These were SBMA printing machine operator Randy Canlas (EOY 2009) who was Pag-Asa awardee in 2010, and SBMA security officer Joel Viray (EOY 2007) who received the award in 2008.

SBMA EOY 2008 Edmund De Jesus, meanwhile, made it all the way to the Pag-Asa Awards regional finals in 2009. (RAV/MPD-SBMA))

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia, SBMA director Anne Gordon, and SBMA deputy administrator for regulatory group Joy Alvarado join SBMA 2011 Employee of the Year Rhea Jane Pescador (fourth from left) and other finalists in the competition: Sheryll Rose Santiago, Marilou Dungog, Elizier Martin, Conrado Gareno, and Edgardo de Leon.

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World’s largest floating book fair visits Subic

The world’s largest floating book fair, M/V Logos Hope, has arrived in this free port on Friday (March 16) for a three-week book bazaar and cultural interaction with the local community.

The ship, which replaced the decommissioned floating bookstore M/V Doulos, features greater space for visitors and a more comfortable browsing experience with its air conditioned book fair and café area.

The book fair has an expanded selection of over 5,000 titles available at affordable prices, said Rahel Von Rotz, project coordinator of the visit.

The ship also has a Visitor Experience Deck, which will be open for the public to explore, and the International Café, which will serve ice cream, drinks and snacks.

M/V Logos Hope will be open to the public from March 17 to April 8. Opening hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday and from 1:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Entrance fee is at P20, but children under 12 are free of charge. However, they must be accompanied by an adult.

Aside from the book fair, the ship will also have cultural performances by the ship’s crew, which consists of 400 volunteers from 45 countries.

Von Rotz said that the new ship remains faithful to its predecessor’s mission of bringing knowledge to people.

“We have three purpose statements: to bring knowledge, help and hope,” Von Rotz said. “It’s knowledge not just through books, but also through programs on board the ship.”

Von Rotz explained that they have educational programs designed for primary school children. These they can watch at the ship’s 400-seat theater.

She added that on the ship’s first Sunday in Subic, visitors will have a chance to interact with the crew and visit other areas on the ship.

“That is quite a unique opportunity where we can bring children and expose them to international people,” she added.
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M/V Logos Hope is operated by GBA Ships e.V., an international, charitable organization registered in Germany. The visit of Logos Hope is conducted in partnership with Operation Mobilisation Philippines.

GBA Ships have visited Subic seven times, with the most recent visit in December 2007, seeing 60,000 visitors on board the M/V Doulos. (FMD/MPD-SBMA))

PHOTO:
Members of the international community in the Subic Bay Freeport welcome M/V Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, as it docks at the Alava Pier on Friday.

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Cargo volume up 7.8% at underused NCT-1

Cargo volume at the New Container Terminal (NCT-1) operated by Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. ( SBITC) rose 7.84 percent to 27,671 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2011 from 25,661 TEUs in 2010.

SBITC, a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), has been promoting Subic to industrial locators and shipping lines to increase containerized cargo handling business in the freeport zone, as the port remains underutilized.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said the port’s average annual throughput from 2007 to 2011 was 24,275.90 TEUs, representing 8 percent of the total capacity.

The estimated handling capacity of NCT-1 is 300,000 TEUs per year.

SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia, in his State of the Freeport address, said NCT-1’s cargo volume in 2010 was 25,661 TEUs, up 17.14 percent from 21,906 TEUs in 2009, and 3.41 percent higher than the 21,184 TEUs recorded in 2008.

NCT-1 is a 14-hectare terminal with a 280-meter berth and a controlling depth of 13 meters.

As of December 31, 2011, SBITC had two post-panamax cranes, three reach stackers, five forklifts, nine prime movers, four manual spreaders and 15 chassis.

SBMA and ICTSI signed the contract for the operation and management of the NCT-2 for a period of 25 years on July 27, 2011.

NCT-2 is a 14-hectare terminal that includes a 280-meter berth with 13-meter depth and two quay cranes. The NCT-2 has an annual throughput capacity of 300,000 TEUs.

NCT-2, together with the adjacent NCT-1, is a primary component of the $215-million Subic port modernization program that was funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). (Genivi Factao, Malaya Business Insight)

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Hanjin to make steel frames for Petron plant

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil) has secured a $38.39 million contract to manufacture steel frames needed by Petron Corp. to modernize its refinery plants in Bataan.

Hanjin signed an agreement on February 28 for the manufacture of the steel frames for the oil company’s refining plant being developed by Korea’s Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd.

The project is part of Petron’s Refined Master Plan Phase 2 (RMP-2) project. The steel frames will be built at HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard.

HHIC-Phil said the steel frames project will take about 15 months to finish.

Daelim Industrial won an order to build for Petron a $2 billion oil refinery plant, the biggest project in Southeast Asia.

"The RMP-2 project, ordered by Petron Corp., is a mammoth project to produce high value-added oil products by extensively modernizing existing refinery plants located in Limay, Bataan, about 150 kilometers southwest of Manila," said Daelim.

HHIC said the severe economic slowdown in the domestic shipbuilding and construction industries and increase in overseas competition has prompted the company to diversify its business structure.

The company has accelerated its overseas plant development business by improving its competitiveness in bidding for construction projects.

Hanjin has also taken advantage of the strength of its Subic shipyard. It plays the role of a steel manufacturing factory with perfect facilities and environment for the manufacture of steel frames, spools and pressure containers.

HHIC is capable of manufacturing high-quality steel frames using state-of-the-art cutting, welding, plating and painting facilities.

It also plans to manufacture various equipment and facilities that will be used in oil refineries, power plants and petrochemical factories that will be constructed in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The company has two bulk carriers that can transfer goods from Subic to their destination, making the operation very cost effective. HHIC said it is highly competitive in terms of manufacturing costs and transportation costs in the Philippines compared with Korea and China.

"The HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard will be a future growth engine in the shipbuilding sector and strategic base for overseas plant business at the same time," an official from HHIC said.

"We would be able to overcome the current economic slowdown if we keep expanding our overseas business through the Subic shipyard," the official said.

HHIC plans to focus on maximizing synergetic effects in the shipbuilding and construction sectors.

Its Subic Shipyard has maintained competitiveness and productivity with state-of-the-art automation facilities and skilled labor. (Genivi Factao, Malaya)

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Taiwan firms set Luzon expansion

Rep. Raymond L.S. Wang, of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, met last Tuesday with Taiwanese firms in Central Luzon on their expansion plans amid government moves to perk up the economy.

President Jeff Lin, of Subic Bay Development Center, and Freeport locators discussed loans, tax measures and rental issues at the economic zone.

Ambassador Wang said he would take up their concerns with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Vice president Huang Ming-Meng, of Tong Lung (Phils.) Metal Industry Co., said the firm ranked fifth worldwide among companies producing locks, earning NT$3.17 billion or around 4.6 billion pesos in 2011 with 850 workers at the Freeport alone.

In Zambales, Johnson Huang introduced organic farming at his Green Gardens on an 11-hectare property turning out fresh produce for a high-end clientele.

Robert Leng, TECO economic director, also joined the visit that included the 560-hectare watermelon farm of Victor Peng in Angeles City.

Known in the community as “King of Watermelons”, he employs technology and plant stock from Taiwan on fertile Pampanga soil to grow sweet, juicy and seedless varieties.

Last month, the Department of Labor and Employment said the Republic of China has extended the cumulative stay of migrant workers in the island.

In a statement, Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Filipinos allowed to work for a period of nine years will now be given up to 12 years stay.

“The extension of stay as approved by Taiwan’s legislative branch provides a reprieve to our OFWs, whose work in Taiwan are ending but are still desired by their employers,” she said in a statement.

About 83,000 Filipinos are employed variously as caretakers, maids, factory workers, nursing aides along with those in the fishing industry.

Labor Attaché to Taipei Reydeluz Conferido said the extension did not mean that more migrant labor would be taken in as a result of relaxing the staying period.

“The policies for employing foreign workers have not been eased,” he said.

Last February, Wang met with Baldoz for policy updates. They discussed future cooperation on alleviating placement fees, online recruitment for direct hiring, and attracting more Taiwanese investors. (Manila Standard Today)

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SBMA mulls redevelopment of Subic airport into world-class tourism facility

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is considering the possibility of turning the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) into a major world-class tourism destination.

According to SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia, the operation and maintenance of the Subic airport cost SBMA huge money, leading the SBMA to think of sustainable alternatives like converting it into an integrated family-oriented tourism facility.

Garcia said there are compelling reasons behind the idea to redevelop the SBIA, which he admitted is the most challenging concern the SBMA is facing.

“The Subic airport is superfluous because of Clark, and it is losing. And lastly, it is one of the last remaining prime real estate assets of SBMA,” he reasoned out.

“Huge problems require huge actions for huge solutions. The plan is very bold and very ambitious, but with the support of everyone, this plan will come through,” Garcia added.

The SBMA official also noted that the agency will not spend a single peso on the project because it will be implemented through a joint venture where SBMA will use the value of the land, currently occupied by the airport, as capital.

Since the project requires a big amount of money, the SBMA is hoping to bid the project internationally to attain international standards for the plan and design, he said.

Garcia explained that the basic idea is to turn the airport into something like Sentosa, a popular family-oriented resort in Singapore. The redeveloped SBIA will still be accessible because Subic is now just 45 minutes away from the international airport at the Clark Freeport because of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

The planned leisure complex will house at least two or three international theme parks, a new golf course, duty free shops, hotels and casino, an entertainment complex, a promenade, and a new marina and yacht club, among others.

“The opportunities that exist today are very tremendous, believe me,” Garcia said. “And with the help of every hand, our ambition of turning our airport into a major international tourism destination will come true.” (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA seeds more ‘taklobo’ in Subic Bay

More giant clams or “taklobo” have found their way into Subic Bay through a marine resources conservation program of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the active participation of various stakeholders in this free port.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the agency recently seeded the Ilanin Bay here with 200 taklobo seedlings for this year’s clam-seeding project, as part of the agency’s vision to make the Freeport an eco-urban center which merges industrial development with eco-tourism.

The SBMA purchased the giant clams from the UP Marine Science Institute in Bolinao, Pangasinan with proceeds from this year’s “Takbo para sa Taklobo” fundraising project initiated by the SBMA Ecology Center.

“This is already some sort of a social responsibility project supported by the whole Subic Bay Freeport community,” Garcia explained.

“Everybody pitches in here — from students to workers at locator-companies, to SBMA employees and Freeport Zone residents. We’re very much happy to be involved because we know we’re helping make a better world,” he added.

Giant clams (tridacna gigas), which can live up to a hundred years, are considered an endangered species and serve an integral part of the coral reef system.

SBMA marine biologist Dorothy Joyce Ardiente said their decline could have an adverse effect on the biodiversity of the marine ecosystem, which is why the SBMA has decided on clam seeding as its cornerstone marine conservation program.

The clams, which measure an average of 15 centimeters in diameter when they are seeded, can grow up to 1.5 meters in diameter and weigh up to 258 kilos.

The “Takbo para Taklobo” conservation run has caught on the Subic Bay Freeport community ever since SBMA environment specialist Rhea Jane Pescador conceptualized it in 2010 as a environmental awareness project of the SBMA Ecology Center

The event has been attended by some 1,500 runners in the inaugural run, and by more than 2,000 participants last year. The project raised P54,000 in 2010 and P84,340 last year. (MPD/SBMA)

PHOTO:
A volunteer diver holds up a crate containing giant clams bound for seeding at Ilanin Bay in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The project is part of the SBMA’s marine resources conservation program.

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SBMA bares bold strategy to make Subic top trade & tourism destination

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has bared a five-year strategic plan designed to generate more employment and investment opportunities in this free port.

In his first State of the Freeport Address (SOFA), SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia said that for the next five years, the agency will implement an audacious development program to take advantage of existing opportunities and to maximize Subic’s potentials.

“Until the end of our term in SBMA, in the next five years, we will be working on this very exciting plan, a very ambitious plan that we believe will turn Subic into a place that we will be proud of,” Garcia said.

Among the strategies the SBMA will be implementing under this plan is the development of tourism niche markets, which is envisioned to turn the Subic Freeport into a major tourism destination in the Philippines.

Garcia said the SBMA will also exert all efforts to make Subic the Theme Park Capital of the Philippines, a top sports tourism destination, an eco-tourism attraction, and a cruise ship playground.

Garcia also cited as a good start the arrival in Subic last week of the London-based MV Spirit of Adventure, the first cruise ship to arrive here this year with 378 passengers on board, mostly Europeans.

“Tourism Sec. Robert Jimenez specifically told me that Subic will become a cruise ship destination. And that is true because all of the passengers expressed their happiness in coming here, especially after seeing our rich eco-tourism facilities,” Garcia said.

The SBMA official also said the SBMA will enhance the promotion of maritime businesses here by getting the support of the Department of Transportation and Communications to attract maritime logistics players to come to Subic, maximizing the Vale ore transshipment project, and developing Subic as home base for super yachts.

Garcia’s five-year plan also calls for the development of various residential types for specific markets, such as high-end residences, middle-class housing and workers’ dormitories.

The SBMA will also shift from merely being a landlord to being a developer, Garcia said, saying the agency will develop unutilized and idle properties, and will improve the ease and competitive cost of doing businesses in Subic.

Garcia said the most challenging strategy is the conversion of the Subic Bay International Airport into an integrated family-oriented tourist destination like the Sentosa, a family-oriented resort in Singapore.

“Basically, the idea is to turn the airport into world-class tourism destination with international theme parks, new golf course, duty free shops, hotels and casino entertainment complex among others,” Garcia explained.

“The opportunities that exist today are very tremendous, believe me. And our plan is very bold and very ambitious but with the support of everyone, this plan will come true,” he added.

The SOFA, an annual activity here sponsored by the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC), was attended by Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon, Jr. and city councilors, Zambales Vice-Gov. Ramon Lacbain III, SBFCC officials and members, members of the SBMA Board of Directors, SBMA employees, and officials and workers from various Freeport companies. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia stresses a point during his State of the Freeport Address recently, wherein he unveiled a bold Five-Year Strategic Plan to transform Subic into a thriving maritime, ecotourism and high-tech industrial center.

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Hi-Fi tops Boracay Regatta

THE CHALLENGING and excitement-filled Subic to Boracay and the grueling Boracay Regatta Cup finished off in the late afternoon of March 2, 2012 in the pristine and alluring beach front of the Boracay Island.

Any avid sailor or sailing teams that have the knack and yen for sailing in strong wind conditions should not miss the opportunity to enlist for these annual sailboat races. The organizer expects more participants in the annual sailboat races in the years to come with the increase of foreign and local entries in the past two regattas.

Subic and Boracay were recognized and marked in the international sailing community as "must venues" for sailing in Asia.

Neil Pride and his professional crew on the sailboat Hi-Fi with four wins in a row won the much-coveted Boracay Regatta Cup and with Jun Avecilla’s (Phl) Beneteau First 36.7 Selma Star C! Calibre ROX won in the Cruiser/Racer Class. Ray Ordoveza’s (Phl) Excel 53 Karakoa clinched the Racing Class award with the Capri Carib 31 Freewheeler, skippered by David Wheeler, grabbing the PY Cruising Class award.

The event was organized by the Saturday Afternoon Gentlemen’s Sailing (SAGS) Club of Subic Bay under the auspices of the Philippine Sailing Association, Subic Bay Yacht Club, Philippine Tourism Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Watercraft Ventures, Inc., Lighthouse Marina Resort, the Government of Aklan, SBMA and the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce and with the sponsorship of San Miguel Corporation, PLDT, Cebu Pacific Air, Tieza, Tanduay, Nigi-Nigi Resort and BusinessWorld as media partner. (BusinessWorld)

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