Central Luzon holds search, rescue drill

MARIVELES — The Office of Civil Defense has sounded the alarm over 20 to 30 townspeople missing amid storm signal No. 2 over widespread flooding caused by overflowing rivers.

This is a drill in a mission set by OCD director Josefina Timoteo at the incident command post during the 4th Central Luzon annual Water Search and Rescue Simulation Exercises, dispatching 20 go-teams from different localities.

Responding to the call were teams from Provincial Government of Bataan; city government of Balanga, Bataan; Provincial Government of Pampanga; Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; Provincial Government of Tarlac; Provincial Government of Bulacan; local governments of Marilao, Calumpit, Sta. Maria, Pulilan, and San Jose Del Monte City of Bulacan; Provincial Government of Nueva Ecija; and city governments of Palayan and Cabanatuan City of Nueva Ecija.

“We want to institutionalize ICP so that every local disaster management team will know how to handle any emergency,” she said.

Rescuers equipped with rubber boats, life vests, and oxygen tanks flocked to municipal waters under the watch of Mayor Jesse Concepcion who hosted the exercises.

“People will have more confidence to the rescuers if they know they are well-trained,” he said. “The camaraderie among rescue teams in the region was also reinforced in the holding of WASAR”.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council activated the Incident Command Post which coordinated the operations.

Administrator Luis Gonzales said Mariveles paramedics in ambulances participated in the drill. (Butch Gunio, Manila Standard)

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Vale, SBMA launch Subic Bay iron ore transshipment operations

Brazil’s Vale Shipping Holdings Pte. Ltd. (VSH), along with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), formally launched a partnership for the transshipment of iron ore from this free port.

In a ceremony held at the Lighthouse Marina Resort here on June 1, VSH executives led by Jose Carlos Martins, executive officer for ferrous minerals operations, and officials of the SBMA led by Chairman and Administrator Roberto Garcia, announced the start of Vale’s transshipment business here.

VSH is an affiliate of Vale SA, the world’s largest producer of iron ore, which also controls the largest share of the seaborne market for iron ore.

The company will carry out iron ore transshipment operations from its Valemax mother vessel to be anchored in Subic Bay, and then supply ore to smaller daughter vessels or feeders, which are either Panamax or Capesize types.

The project is expected to boost Subic’s port revenues by up to P70 million in the first year of operations alone.

In his message during the project launch, Martins thanked the SBMA for its warm reception of the project and expressed hope that the partnership between his company and the SBMA would continue to grow and benefit both the Philippines and Brazil.

“The Philippines is growing now at almost the same pace with China, and the Philippines is emerging in the world economy,” Martins noted. “With this opportunity, now is our time — now is the time for countries like Brazil and the Philippines.”

Garcia, meanwhile, said that the Vale project will help thrust the Philippines forward in the maritime industry and stressed its importance to the SBMA.

“In our strategic plan, we were very dead-set in continuing to promote the maritime business, and the Vale project is an important pillar of our strategy to maximize the use of Subic Bay,” he said.

“We have a very good future here,” Garcia added, pointing out that the Philippines is in a current state of rapid development, having achieved a 6.4 per cent GDP growth rate this first quarter compared to 4 per cent last year. “And what is outstanding is the fact that it is the second highest growth rate in the region, second only to China,” he added.

For his part, SBMA director and treasurer Joven Reyes said that the agency is much honored that VSH had chosen Subic Bay as its major transshipment port.

“We hope even more that your business continues to move from success to success and that this partnership, which we are officially launching today, would lead to better and greater developments for Vale, Subic Bay, and of course our country down the road,” Reyes said.

The Vale project began in late 2010 when SBMA and Vale proposed a solution that matched Vale’s transshipment operations model with SBMA’s logistics business model.

Stefani Saño, SBMA senior deputy administrator for business and investment development, said that Vale needed to optimize its large-scale iron ore distribution and delivery system and the SBMA offered the bay as a suitable offshore location.

“This logistics model would allow Vale’s huge vessels to tranship the commodity with maximum efficiency in terms of time and cost, given the scale of operations required,” Saño added.

Saño also said that apart from Vale, the SBMA is also trying to attract more logistics companies to invest in the Freeport. He said that at least two logistics companies engaged in different line of commodities for offshore-based distribution operations have expressed interest in locating at Subic Bay. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia welcomes Jose Carlos Martins, executive officer for ferrous minerals operations of the Vale Shipping Holdings Pte. Ltd. ( VSH), during the June 1 ceremonial launch of the Vale iron ore transshipment operations in Subic Bay. Looking on, at left, is SBMA chief operating officer Joven Reyes.

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US troops can use Clark, Subic bases

MANILA - American troops, warships and aircraft can once again use their former naval and air facilities in Subic, Zambales and in Clark Field in Pampanga as long as they have prior clearance from the Philippine government, a senior defense official said.

“They can come here provided they have prior coordination from the government,” Defense Undersecretary for defense affairs Honorio Azcueta told reporters after his meeting with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Monday.

oming straight from the just-concluded three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Dempsey was in the country the other day for a follow-up meeting with senior defense and military officials.

Azcueta pointed out that a shift of US security focus toward the Asia-Pacific region is expected to increase with more military engagements between the two long-time allies.

Earlier, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the US is increasing the deployment of its naval presence in the region, without necessarily establishing permanent military bases in any country in the region.

Asked if US troops as well as their warships and fighter planes would be allowed access to their former naval base in Subic, Azcueta said yes.

“That’s what we want... increase in exercises and interoperability,” Azcueta said.

Aside from offering a safe haven for ships due to its secured location from cyclones, the former US naval base in Subic has an airfield that can accommodate civilian and military planes.

During the Vietnam war in the 1970s, Subic Naval Base, especially its airfield, was used by the US military as staging point of all its major air operations against the Vietcong.

However, in 1992 Subic Naval Base and the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, the two biggest US military bases outside mainland America, were shut down after the Philippine Senate rejected an extension of their presence in the country.

China wary of US AsiaPac plan

Meanwhile, China’s top newspapers expressed concern over the US plan, saying that such move might widen the rift between the two countries.

Although Panetta gave assurance that the plan was not aimed at containing China, whose fast-modernizing navy has kindled worries among its neighbors, the People’s Daily did not buy that.

“Opinion across the Asia-Pacific generally does not believe that the United States’ strategy of returning to the Asia-Pacific is not aimed at China; it’s there plain for all to see,” said a commentary in the paper, which reflects the current thinking in Beijing.

“The United States verbally denies it is containing China’s rise, but while establishing a new security array across the Asia-Pacific, it has invariably made China its target,” it said.

“This strategy is driven with contradictions and undoubtedly will magnify the complexities of Asia-Pacific security arrangements, and could even create schisms.”

The People’s Daily commentary was blunter than Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin, who responded to Panetta’s announcement by saying China hopes the United States will respect its regional interests, and by calling the Pentagon’s steps “out of keeping with the times.”

Beijing appears keen to avoid outright confrontation with the US, but the comments in state newspapers reflected persistent worries that Washington is bent on frustrating its emergence as a major power.

“After this new (US) military deployment and adjustment is completed, the intensity of US meddling in Asia-Pacific affairs will surely increase,” the Liberation Army Daily quoted a People’s Liberation Army researcher as saying.

“This trend will increase people’s fears about the United States using its military dominance to interfere in the sovereignty of the region’s countries,” said the researcher, Han Xudong, a professor at China’s National Defense University.

China is focused on ensuring stable conditions for a Communist Party leadership transition later this year that will see the appointment of a new president to succeed Hu Jintao.

Still, Beijing and Washington have repeatedly been in dispute over US arms sales to Taiwan, which China sees as an illegitimate breakaway from its control; and the South China Sea, where China confronts a mosaic of disputes over islands and seas also claimed by Southeast Asian nations.

The US has backed a multilateral approach to solving those territorial disputes, which Beijing has rejected as meddling. (Jaime Laude, The Philippine Star)

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Tourists' Food Haven In Subic

Aside from shipbuilding magnate Hanjin Heavy Industries, and Construction (HHIC), other factories, auction companies and catering services are now eyeing this premier Freeport for its tourism potential.

With the construction of Ayala Land's Harbor Point mall, more and more restaurants and bars are opening just within the Subic Bay Freeport's gates.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials said the Subic Free port has been a favorite destination for local and foreign tourists.

These tourists want to explore this Freeport while having a great time and seek good places to dine.

This is where food stores and restaurants come in, officials said.


They said that tourists who come into this premier Freeport will need a fine dining experience and places to hang out.

Restaurants such as Gerry's Grill, Lighthouse Marina's, Coco Lime and Meatplus are just a few of the best restaurants that tourists here frequent when they stay at Subic Bay Freeport.( Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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Meralco says Subic plant running by ’15

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distributor, said it is on track to finish its 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the Subic Bay freeport zone by 2015 despite various challenges.

“The Subic project is moving, we recently filed for our Board of Investment (BOI) registration with the proper endorsement from the Department of Energy,” said Oscar Reyes, president and chief executive officer of Meralco.

Reyes said the biggest challenge, the transmission line, has been tabled for discussion with the National Grid of the Philippines (NGCP).

He added that certain matters raised by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) with the firm are being addressed as well.

“We are in constant communication with NGCP, SBMA, with the other stakeholders in the area, and the DOE,” Reyes said.

“We committed to bring this capacity on stream by 2015, and I think that remains to be our target because the Luzon grid clearly needs it,” he added.

The project is being undertaken by Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (RP Energy), a joint-venture company among Meralco, Aboitiz Power Corp., and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp. (TCIC).(Richmond S. Mercurio, Malaya)

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Puregold to set up Subic unit

LISTED Puregold Price Club Inc., the country’s second-biggest supermarket chain, is setting up a subsidiary to handle stores in the Subic Bay Economic Zone in Olongapo City.

In a filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Puregold said its board approved the incorporation of PPCI Subic Inc., which is wholly owned subsidiary.

The company has been widening its footprint outside Metro Manila, where the bulk of its stores are situated.

Earlier this week, Puregold acquired the 19-store Parco supermarket chain with 12 Metro Manila-based stores and seven in nearby provinces.

Following the acquisition of Parco and sister-company S&R Price Club Inc., Puregold +will have a total network of 131 stores, with more than half situated in the country’s capital.

The retailer reported earlier that net income in the three months to June rose 24 percent to P469 million as sales rose 30 percent to P10.7 billion. Puregold shares declined 0.44 percent to P22.60 each on Wednesday, giving it a market value of P45.2 billion.(Miguel R. Camus, Business Mirror)

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Redeveloped Subic airport to raise P150B investments

Redeveloping the Subic Airport site into a family-oriented tourism facility will raise investments of over P150 billion, according to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Moe Villamor, chief of staff of SBMA administrator Robert Garcia, in a presentation before government agencies about the Philippine Investment Promotion Plan, said the SBMA is pushing for the redevelopment of the 200-hectare property which had been largely unused after the pullout of Federal Express in February 2009.

SBMA wants the airport redeveloped since Clark, just 30 minutes away, is now being promoted as the country’s premier airport.

Tourism is the emerging industry in Subic, according to Villamor.

Villamor said the project is still under consideration of the Office of the President and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“We have some indicative plans on what we believe should be the layout. We have our own environmental impact study,” he said.

He added: “We are willing to coordinate with the appropriate agencies. But if the President says there is some other use for it, or if he says to maintain the facility, we are going to back off.”

Villamor said following the withdrawal of the FedEx Asia Pacific hub – which moved to Guangzhou in China – the Subic airport is hardly being used, mostly serving general aviation and flight training, and is not making as much money.

There are about 22 locators at the airport.

FedEx operated its AsiaOne hub in Subic for 13 years.

SBMA had been looking for a more viable use for the airport since 2010 as it had to shoulder up to P250 million annually to have the airport running, of which P150 million went to debt service and another P100 million to maintenance costs.

To break even, the SBMA had said in the past, the airport should be able to mount 12 to 15 flights a day.

The airport served as a secondary airport and the main diversion airport of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. This airport used to be the Naval Air Station Cubi Point of the United States Navy. .(Malaya Business Insight)

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Brazil’s Vale invests to get around Chinese megaship ban

Brazilian diversified mining major Vale, the world’s number two mining group in terms of market capitalisation, has announced that it is to establish a second floating iron-ore transfer station, in Subic Bay, in the Philippines.

This station will transfer iron-ore from the miner’s giant Valemax bulk carriers to smaller Capesize and Panamax ore carriers, which will then convey the ore to ports in China.

The first of these floating transfer stations, also in Subic Bay, started operations in February and cost the Brazilian group $52-million.

The Valemax ships are the largest bulk carriers in the world. Each of them has a length of 362 m, a beam of 65 m and is able to carry 400 000 t of iron-ore. Each Valemax can carry three times the cargo of a Capesize bulk carrier – Capesize ships currently carry 80% of the world’s seaborne iron-ore.

Vale has ordered 35 Valemax ships, of which eight have been delivered. But Chinese shipowners, alarmed by the competitive threat they pose, have persuaded the Chinese authorities to ban them from that country’s ports.

The floating transfer stations are Vale’s response. They allow the company to deliver its iron-ore some 85% of the distance from Brazil to China on board the more cost-efficient Valemax ships, and then conclude the last 15% on the smaller vessels.

In addition, Vale has an operational land-based distribution centre in Oman and is building a second such centre in Malaysia. Together, these floating transfer stations and the distribution centres will be able to absorb the total capacity of all 35 Valemaxes, which comes to 60-million tons of iron-ore a year.

However, Chinese steelmakers, eager to benefit from the cost reductions the Valemax ships could bring, are reported to be pressurising the Chinese government to lift the ban on the vessels. One of the first Valemax ships successfully docked at Dalian last year, before the ban was imposed.

Moreover, nearly half of the Valemax ships – 16 out of 35 – are being built in China by Rongsheng Heavy Industries, an order worth $2.1-billion. (The rest are being built in South Korea. One of the South Korean ships recently developed cracks in its hull on its maiden voyage, but Rongsheng states its ships are very safe.) Not all the Valemax ships will be owned by Vale, but those that are not owned by the group will be on long-term lease to it.

Should the Chinese government change its policy and allow the Valemax ships into its ports, this will not render the floating transfer stations superfluous. As each transfer station is actually a modified bulk carrier, they will simply be moved to new locations to serve other markets in Asia and South-East Asia.
The development and deployment of the Valemax ships has had a severe impact on the value of Capesize vessels. The website VesselsValue.com last month reported that new Capesize ships that had been worth $69.9-million in April 2010 were now worth $39.9-billion. The website also reported that, as a result of the Chinese ban, the value of Valemax ships had fallen by 36%. But, for Vale, it is the value of the iron-ore and the utility of the ships that are important; the book value of the vessels is a secondary issue.

Meanwhile, closer to home, the Brazilian miner’s Mozambican operation has ordered 33 200 railway sleepers from agriculture and forestry company Montara Continental, which operates in Mozambique and Tanzania and is 75%-owned by the British Obtala Resources group. The railway sleepers will be delivered over the next seven months and will be used in the upgrading of Vale-owned railways in Mozambique and Malawi and in the construction of a new line in Malawi. (Keith Campbell, Creamer Media's Mining Weekly)

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SBMA, LGUs take part in open space technology workshop

Taking up the challenge of President Aquino in forging a social contract with the local community, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) met with neighboring local government units (LGUs) in an Open Space Technology Workshop held on May 19-20 at the Subic Bay International Hotel.

The workshop was an open-type of seminar wherein the participants themselves determined the agenda that would be up for discussion the following day. It was facilitated by Greg Forbes, a consultant at the Office of the President-Adviser on Peace Process.

According to SBMA director Bienvenido Benitez, the workshop aims for transformational leadership, institutional reform, economic stability and inclusive growth in the province of Zambales and Bataan, the municipalities of Subic, Hermosa and Morong, and Olongapo City. These are the communities that will be greatly affected by the current developments in the Freeport.

“Hopefully we will find a common denominator amongst us, and we will pursue that common denominator. It could be about environmental issues, industrial issues, eco-tourism, housing, or education. Maraming mga field ang maaring lumabas,” Benitez said.

Benitez also mentioned that the SBMA board of directors had recently created a community program aptly named Project Unity, which endeavors to create synergy and development and promote investment projects that have larger multiplier effects on local economies.

“Its underlying goal is promoting inclusive growth and progress that will ultimately lead to poverty reduction and translate into a stronger platform for sustainable sub-regional development,” Benitez further noted, adding that the committee has already met with the LGUs to discuss issues concerning their respective communities.

For his part, SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia said that the Open Space Technology Workshop is an opportunity to create rapport with the communities surrounding the Subic Freeport.

“’Yung SBMA at ‘yung mga LGUs, hindi naman tayo magkaiba ng layunin,” Garcia pointed out. “Dapat sama-sama tayo dito. Kaya ‘yung kaunlarang mangyayari dito sa loob ng SBMA, ang gusto namin kasama kayo.”

Garcia then stressed the importance of letting the LGUs be aware of developments inside the Freeport.
“Importanteng malaman ninyo ang direksyon ng SBMA para sa ganun, kayo naman sa inyong pag-paplano tignan ninyo kung saan tayo pupuwedeng magkapit-bisig at gumawa ng hakbang,” he said.

Garcia said that he had already talked with some of the LGUs regarding projects that will benefit both the Freeport and the local communities. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

 PHOTO:
SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia asks for support from neighboring local government units during the Open Space Technology Workshop at the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Garcia bares Subic tourism masterplan

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is aiming to model the Subic Freeport after Singapore’s Sentosa Island in order to make it a truly viable world-class tourist destination.

SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia said during the Third Planning and Development Conference on Rural Tourism held here recently that the SBMA is conducting feasibility studies on the conversion of the Subic Bay International Airport into an integrated family resort similar to Sentosa.

“This is the centerpiece of our tourism program,” he said, pointing out that the conversion could bring in millions of foreign tourists to Subic.

He pointed out that Sentosa Island alone is responsible for bringing in 20 million visitors to Singapore and expressed hope that building a Sentosa-like theme park here will generate the same number of tourists for Subic.

“Remember that the target of the Aquino administration is to draw 10 million tourists by 2016. However, if we can build a world-class iconic tourist destination just imagine how many million tourists it would bring in,” he said.

Garcia also revealed that the SBMA will enhance its eco-tourism program and capitalize on existing nature-themed parks here like the Ocean Adventure Marine Park, Treetop Adventure, and Zoobic Safari.
“These three theme parks are responsible for bringing over 1.2 million tourists last year,” he said.

He added that Subic has other tourist attractions that let tourists enjoy horseback riding, trekking, and camping.

Apart from local tourists, Garcia said that Subic’s eco-based tourism is attracting more foreign visitors, as evidenced by the recent visit of a UK-based cruise ship, whose passengers were awed by Subic’s biodiversity and the culture of its indigenous Ayta tribe.

He also said that Subic is now well-prepared to host various international sporting events since the Freeport has the facilities and the manpower needed in staging events like the Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon on June 24 and the recent Subic International Triathlon held on May 5-6. “In fact, many triathletes actually live here in Subic because they love to train here in the natural environment that we have,” he added.

Garcia also noted that because of its well-protected bay, Subic is able to host different water sport events so that it is now being regarded as the sailing capital of the Philippines, after serving as venue for events such as the Commodore’s Cup, which is part of the Asian sailing circuit competition.

In his message, Garcia also invited the delegates to see what Subic has to offer and expressed support to the Subic-based International School for Sustainable Tourism (ISST), which organized the conference.

“SBMA always stands ready to constantly promote eco-tourism. That’s why we are fully supporting the international school headed by Dr. Mina Gabor to see in what way we can further promote Subic as an eco-tourism center, considering the unique environment that Subic has compared to many other places in the Philippines,” he said.

Noting the international delegates who participated in the conference, Garcia then expressed hope that they would be able to share with the SBMA their experiences in the promotion and management of biodiversity and eco-tourism areas. (FMD/MPD'SBMA)

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Hanjin Plans $700-M New Investments

MANILA - Hanjin, world’s leading ship manufacturer, is expanding its existing shipyard facility in Subic Freeport cementing the Philippines rank as the world’s fourth largest shipbuilder and construct a 200-megawatt power plant for estimated new investments of up to $700 million.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary for International Trade and Investment Promotion Cristino L. Panlilio revealed the Korean firm’s additional investment forays in the country after attending the recent investment promotion conference in Seoul organized by the ASEA-Korean Center where he spoke on the country’s favorable macroeconomic factors.

According to Panlilio, Hanjin through its local unit Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction – Philippines, Inc. (HHIC-Phil, Inc.) would undertake the construction of its third slipway drydock at a cost of $300 million and plans to put up a 200 megawatt power plant that may cost between $200 million to $400 million.

Of the 200-mw power, Hanjin is expected to allocate between 50 to 60 MW for its own requirement and the rest to be supplied to the national grid.

For its shipyard facility, Panlilio said the construction of the third drydock would enable the facility to further expand its capacity to accept more shiprepair jobs. At present, HHIC-Phil is concentrating on shiprepairs and maintenance jobs because of a global slowdown in orders for new ships.

Panlilio said that Hanjin, which occupies 600-hectare lot in Subic Freeport, is working on a lease contract with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for an additional 100 hectares in the Redondo Bay for the new drydock.

The expansion of its Subic facility followed after Hanjin’s decision to abandon its expansion plan in Phividec in Misamis Oriental as it encountered problems with the local government units. In fact, it reservation for a 400-hectare property inside the industrial estate had already expired.

Since its first vessel delivery in 2008, Hanjin has already accumulated worth P125 billion in annual export sales as of the end of 2011.

Jin Kyu Ahn, president of the Korean shipbuilder giant, said that the recent vessel deliveries by Hanjin highlighted the competitiveness of HHIC-Phil’s Subic shipyard which produced the state-of-the-art commercial vessels.

Its newly delivered vessels are: M/T Brightway, a DWT 160,000 Crude Oil Tanker ordered by a Liberian company Modmal Shipping Limited and M/V FMG Matilda, a DWT 205,000 Bulk Carrier owned by Bocimar Hong Kong Ltd. based in Belgium. Both ship owners are engaged in international shipping and maritime solutions.

At present Hanjin employs 20,000 people at its Subic facility and plans to hire more this year.

Ahn said that, once targets for ship orders are reached this year, Hanjin could add over ten thousand workers which “would clearly benefit the Philippine economy, and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers, and much needed revenue to the Philippine government.”(Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat, Manila Bulletin)

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US submarine docks at Subic Bay

A United States attack submarine, the USS North Carolina, docked at Subic Bay on Sunday, the US Pacific Command (Pacom) said in a report.

According to Pacom , the Virginia class fast attack submarine’s Philippine visit was part of the vessel’s Western Pacific deployment.

In a text message on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Asec. Raul Hernandez confirmed the sub’s Philippine presence. “USS North Carolina… [is] in Subic Bay, on routine ship replenishment.”

Hernandez noted the submarine will be in the Philippines until May 19.

“North Carolina is one of the stealthiest, most technologically advanced submarines in the world,” Pacom claimed.

With a crew of 133, the submarine measures more than 350 feet long and weighs more that 7,800 tons when submerged.

“She brings to the region the capability to conduct the full spectrum of potential submarine missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, naval special warfare involving special operations forces, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and mine warfare,” Pacom noted.

Master chief Jon Consford said the visit constitutes “rest and relaxation.”

“Everyone is looking forward to some good liberty, rest and relaxation during our port visit here in Subic Bay… The crew has worked hard and developed tremendously as a team over the last five and a half months,” he said in the same Pacom report.

A regular visit

Meanwhile, the country’s defense agency seemed clueless about the USS North Carolina.

“Wala pang official report. I have no knowledge of it,” Department of National Defense spokesperson Peter Paul Ruben Galvez told GMA News Online over the phone.

If a submarine visited in the country, it should be perceived as regular, he said.

“I have no information kung ano ‘yung nature ng visit kung meron man. Pero regarding that, may regular visits naman talaga,” said Galvez.

US presence escalates tension–CPP

Amid brewing tensions between Beijing and Manila over Panatag Shoal, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said in a statement on Sunday that US military presence escalates the tension between the two Asian countries.

“It is US military buildup… in the Asia-Pacific that is pushing China to further aggressiveness, resulting in worsening territorial conflicts and stoking diplomatic tensions between China and the Philippines,” the statement read.

Though the group backed the assertion of Philippine sovereignty over Panatag Shoal, it noted that the country should not lean on the US for military aid.

"In the past, the conflicts in the South China Sea have never been a source of great tension between the Philippines and China,” they said.

“Without the presence and interference of the US, claimant countries, including China, have been able to work together with each other with the aim of resolving the conflicts through diplomacy and negotiations,” CPP claimed.

Amid the dispute, the US and the Philippines issued a joint statement on April 30 reinstating the alliance “undergirding regional peace, security, and prosperity. (VS/KG, Rouchelle R. Dinglasan, GMA News)

PHOTO:
File photo of the the US Navy's USS North Carolina (SSN777) attack submarine.

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Hanjin to employ more workers

Helping boost the Philippine economy even through a slump in the world market, Korean shipbuilding industry leader Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines Inc. is set to aim higher and employ thousands of additional workers in its shipyard here this year.

Since its first vessel delivery in 2008, Hanjin had posted P125 billion in annual export sales as of end-2011, making it the consistent top exporter in this premier freeport. It has also made the Philippines into a shipbuilding nation in the process.

Jin Kyu Ahn, president of the Korean shipbuilder giant, said Hanjin’s recent vessel deliveries highlighted the competitiveness of its Subic shipyard in producing state-of-the-art commercial vessels.

The two vessels recently delivered were M/T Brightway, a DWT 160,000 crude oil tanker ordered by Liberian company Modmal Shipping Ltd., and M/V FMG Matilda, a DWT 205,000 bulk carrier owned by Bocimar Hong Kong Ltd. based in Belgium. Both ship owners are engaged in international shipping and maritime solutions.

Jin said that as operations of the Subic shipyard expand, “we will require more employees to join the Hanjin workforce, creating employment opportunities for residents in the surrounding area of the freeport zone, including the provinces of Bataan, Zambales, and the city of Olongapo.”

Once targets for ship orders are reached this year, Jin said Hanjin could add over 10,000 workers which “would clearly benefit the Philippine economy, and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers, and much-needed revenue to the Philippine government.”

Since 2006, Hanjin has been operating two state-of-the-art Skill Development Centers, one at this freeport’s Industrial Park and another in Cagayan de Oro City, to fully equip its Filipino workforce with skills in shipbuilding, which will enable them to attain global competitiveness.
(The Philippine Star)

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PLDT data center to drive Subic BPO development

MANILA - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s newly launched VITRO Data Center in Subic has been cited as a boost the development of the area’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

“We see BPOs sprouting all over the Philippines but it still remains very underdeveloped here. We aim to increase our BPO seats here as we pursue a major program for this industry,” Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Bobby Garcia said during the launch of PLDT’s VITRO Data Center at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“We hope we can make use of the facilities that PLDT has installed in the area. The data structure and the network that we have in place now is a reason why we can make Subic a central place for BPO. We are very happy to have PLDT as our partner”, he added.

The Subic VITRO Data Center provides companies the full information management and telecommunication services essential in business such as co-location, server hosting, disaster recovery/ business continuity, data security, network management, and other IT services. These services minimize costs of running and managing their own data centers which are essential for BPO companies.

“Subic’s continuously developing economic zone is home to a growing business community, one that will reap the many benefits of having our data center services within easy reach,” PLDT EVP and head of enterprise and international and carrier business Eric Alberto said.

“We are committed not just to building this facility but to replicate the achievements of our flagship site in Pasig – to ensure that we deliver the same consistent levels of quality service in all our data centers,” he added.

The opening of the Subic VITRO Data Center is also aligned with the SBMA objective of setting up a business operations resiliency zone in Subic. Garcia aims to declare Subic as a resiliency zone for companies in Metro Manila, especially for big multinationals, which are looking into setting up their disaster recovery centers.

“The VITRO Data Center in Subic assures stability, security, and reliability for the ICT demands of our clients, coupled by PLDT’s unparalleled domestic fiber network in the country as well as the robust wireless connectivity of Smart,” Alberto said.

The first VITRO Data Center in Pasig has already received numerous citations and multiple ISO certifications from various organizations. It acts as a global gateway for all major BPOs, local telcos, leading international telcos, and major Internet service providers (ISP). It houses the country’s only high-speed local IP peering platform that facilitates seamless delivery of bandwidth-intensive contents to carriers and ISPs. (Mary Ann Ll. Reyes, Philippine Star)

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Herbalife triathletes finally top team event

HARD work and team pride paid off for Herbalife Formula 1 as it ended Fitness First Body Comba’t four-year reign of the Team Competition in the recently held K-SWISS ITU Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT) presented by Century Tuna.

Composed of triathletes Monica Torres, Hiroshi Takei, Dante Macalintal, John Omar Paredes and Julian Valencia, Herbalife Formula 1 won the grueling 1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run event’s team competition at last with a combined time of ten hours, twenty-two minutes and fifty-four seconds. Fitness First Body Combat (members Rizelle Tangan, Melvin Wong, Mark Ellis, Miguel Lopez and Andy Leuterio) clocked 10:31:22 for the silver medal. For the previous few years, Herbalife Formula 1 won bronze medals

At third place in the event sponsored by K-SWISS, Century Tuna, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), SPEEDO, Harbor Point Ayala Malls, SM City Olongapo, David’s Salon, Travelers Hotel, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Gatorade, Fitness First, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Standard Insurance, was Fitness First Attack which timed 10:34:28.

Prior to the race, a late lineup adjustment was made between the two Fitness First teams with Doray Ellis transferring from team Body Combat to team Attack due to illness. All in all, over twenty-five clubs took part in the event which attracted around eight hundred participants from around the nation and overseas. (People's Journal)

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