SBMA, Manila Water plant trees

THE Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Manila Water are implementing tree-planting projects as part of their commitment to protect the environment.

The SBMA is planning to plant 25,000 more trees in this free port this month, taking advantage of the onset of the rainy season to make it easier to care for the seedlings.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said employees of the agency, along with volunteers from the free-port community, began the monthlong tree-planting program on Friday and will plant succeeding batches of seedlings three more Fridays hence.

For its part, Manila Water said it has planted more than 300,000 seedlings of assorted indigenous and endemic forest-tree species at the Marikina Watershed as part of its commitment to protect the environment.

Manila Water is the East Zone concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System that provides water and wastewater services to more than 6.2 million residents of eastern Metro Manila and Rizal province.

The commitment to help rehabilitate the Marikina Watershed was made by Manila Water to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) by planting trees in denuded portions of the Marikina Watershed.

The degradation of the Marikina Watershed, attributed to the massive cutting of trees at the watershed for fuel and for charcoal, which is a major source of income of upland dwellers in the area, is being blamed as the reason the Marikina River became heavily silted.

Because of the siltation, the river easily overflows, flooding low-lying portions of the city and neighboring cities in Metro Manila.

To date, more than 300,000 seedlings of various indigenous and endemic forest-tree species have been planted by Manila Water within the 500-hectare denuded portions of Bosoboso and Tayabasan sub-watersheds.

This also boosted the government effort to rehabilitate the country’s denuded forests.

Under the ambitious National Greening Program (NGP), the flagship reforestation program of the Aquino administration, the government aims to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of open, degraded and denuded forests all over the country by 2016.

Now on its second year of implementation, the program is anchored on the help and support of the private-sector partners of the DENR, the lead implementing agency of the NGP.

These two sub-watersheds cover more than 50 percent of the entire river basin, which has been identified as the major source of the floodwaters that inundated Metro Manila during Typhoon Ondoy.

On September 26, 2009, Typhoon Ondoy devastated the National Capital Region and surrounding areas, including the Metro Manila’s east zone, damaging more or less 65,000 water connections and other vital water and wastewater facilities.

The SBMA tree-planting program will supplement a similar project undertaken three years ago by its employees, school children and workers from various companies in the free port.

“As with the first tree-planting program, we would need the help of community organizations and individuals to assist us and bring this worthy endeavor into another successful conclusion,” Garcia said.

“We need more volunteers to get this job done,” he added.

This year’s tree-planting project will bring the volunteers again to the Mount Santa Rita area, which provided the same locale for the reforestation project in 2010. That year some 10,000 seedlings were planted in a month’s time.

Angel Bagaloyos, manager of the SBMA Ecology Center, which is spearheading the tree planting, said various species of forest trees, mostly endemic to the region, and some fruit trees will be planted.

Bagaloyos said the trees planted three years ago are now “already grown and established” because part of the SBMA tree-planting program involved caring for the plants for a period of three years, or until the seedlings have become self-sustainable.

The remaining open patches of land in the largely grassy hillsides of Mount Santa Rita would be ideal planting sites for this year, he added.

As manager of the Subic Bay Special Economic and Freeport Zone, the SBMA is mandated to care for the environment through the agency’s Ecology Center.

Garcia noted that under its environmental conservation program, the SBMA has established its own nursery to collect seeds and grow saplings for reforestation projects.

Through the Ecology Center, the agency has also donated seedlings to schools and community organizations for its tree-planting projects, he said.

Garcia added that individuals and groups who would like to volunteer their help in the upcoming tree-planting activities may register with the SBMA Ecology Center. (Henry Empeño & Jonathan Mayuga, Business Mirror)

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Subic dolphin records first live birth (Subictimes.com)

Ocean Adventure Subic announced Sunday that one of its bottlenose dolphin gave birth last week (July 7) to a healthy calf making it the first live birth in the country.

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Subic’s customs collections rise 58% to P5b

The Bureau of Customs here said revenue collections in the first half grew by more than 50 percent year-on-year and exceeded the goal for the period.

Port of Subic customs collector Adelina Molina said the Freeport zone collected P5 billion in customs duties and taxes in the January-June period, or 58 percent higher than the P3.1 billion posted in the same period last year.

The agency also surpassed its first-half target of P3.03 billion by P1.09 billion, or 62.6 percent.

Molina said BoC-Subic showed strong collection performance in the months of April and June, when it achieved record-high monthly collections of P1.09 billion and P1.05 billion, respectively.

The strong April and June collection took the Freeport’s second-quarter tally to P3.09 billion, or 85.5 percent more than the P1.42 billion it collected in the second quarter last year. The figure also represented a 95.5-percent increase over the P1.58-billion quarterly revenue target.

Data from the BoC’s statistics division showed collection in the first quarter grew 26.5 percent to P1.8 billion from a year ago. It also surpassed the target collection of P1.45 billion for the period by 26.5 percent.

Molina attributed the collection performance to the ‘team effort’ shown by different departments of her office as well as close cooperation with Freeport authorities.

Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon made a surprise visit recently to the Port of Subic to personally commend Molina for achieving an unprecedented collection performance for the month of April.

Biazon showed his appreciation and support to the team of Molina, including deputy collectors Ernelito Aquino for assessment, Andrew Fernandez for operations, Irineo Onia Jr. for administration, BoC law enforcement head Elpidio Manuel, Customs intelligence and investigation service chief Jose Du.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia cited Molina for a “job well-done” not just for the high collection performance but also for strict enforcement of its mandate to curb smuggling. (Cecille Garcia, Manila Standard Today)

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Subic wows Japan defense chief

Seeing the economic capabilities of this premier Freeport, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera came here to talk to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials on how to convert Okinawa into the next Subic Freeport.

Onodera’s delegation, who came before the 19th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), met with SBMA Chairman Robert Garcia, who showed off an audio video presentation of how Subic Bay Freeport transformed from a military base into the country’s economic flagship.

Last year, the United States and Japan agreed that about half the US Marines in Okinawa will soon leave, a move that could help alleviate the Japanese resentment building up due to the presence of Americans in their island.

The move is also one of the plans of the Obama administration in the US to spread their military forces all over the Pacific region, a move that has irked the Chinese government.

The planned transfer would leave the Japanese government parcels of land that they can use for other purposes, mainly economic.

Subic Bay Freeport’s Cinderella tale came when the US military left the area after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.

On March 13, 1992, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 7227, known as the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, creating the Subic Bay Freeport as the first Philippine free port, in anticipation of the pullout of the US naval base facilities.

Section 13 of RA 7227 created the SBMA and with free port incentives lobbied for by Richard Gordon – the city mayor then – resulting in an amendment granting tax and duty-free privileges and incentives during the bicameral committee hearings. Consequently, Gordon, then the mayor of the City of Olongapo, became the first SBMA chairman.

Mayor Gordon with 8,000 volunteers took over the facility to preserve and protect US$8 billion worth of property and facilities when the last US Navy helicopter carrier USS Belleau Wood sailed out of Subic Bay on Nov. 24, 1992 and started the conversion of the military base into a free port like Hong Kong and Singapore.

Richard Gordon was SBMA chairman until June 1998, when then President Joseph Estrada issued Administrative Order No. 1, appointing former Bataan Representative and Harvard-trained Felicito C. Payumo in Gordon’s stead.

In August 2004, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 340, reorganizing the SBMA’s Board of Directors, and defining the powers, functions and duties of the chairman. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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SBMA to plant 25,000 trees this season

Employees and officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), along with members of the Subic Bay Freeport community, will be planting some 25,000 seedlings this rainy season as part of the agency’s environmental conservation program.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia said the month-long tree-planting activity will start on July 12, a Friday, and will be held three more Fridays hence.

The tree-planting program will supplement a similar project undertaken three years ago by SBMA employees and community volunteers.

“As with the first tree-planting program, we would need the help of community organizations and individuals to assist us and bring this worthy endeavor into another successful conclusion,” Garcia said.

“We need more volunteers to get this job done,” he added.

Angel Bagaloyos, manager of the SBMA Ecology Center, which is spearheading the activity, said the tree-planting project will be held again at Subic’s Mount Santa Rita area, the same locale where the SBMA planted 10,000 seedlings in 2010.

Different species of forest trees, mostly endemic to the region, and some fruit trees will be planted in the area, he added.

Bagaloyos also said that the trees planted three years ago are now “already grown and established” because part of the SBMA tree-planting program involved caring for the plants for a period of three years, or until the seedlings have become self-sustainable.

The remaining open patches of land in the largely grassy hillsides of Mount Santa Rita would be ideal planting sites for this year, he also said.

As manager of the Subic Bay Special Economic and Freeport Zone, the SBMA is mandated to care for the environment through the agency’s Ecology Center.

Garcia noted that under its environmental conservation program, the SBMA has established its own nursery to collect seeds and grow saplings for reforestation projects.

Through the Ecology Center, the agency has also donated seedlings to schools and community organizations for their own tree-planting projects, he said.

Garcia said that individuals and groups who would like to volunteer their help in the tree-planting project this year may get in touch with the SBMA Ecology Center at (047) 252-4656 to register their names. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

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Subictel opposes Wi-Tribe application

The plan of San Miguel Corp.-led telecommunication company, wi-Tribe, to invest P354 million to operate at the Subic Freeport was opposed by a local firm offering the same service.

Wi-Tribe in its application filed with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said that it plans to invest P354 million to offer telecom services in Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ).

But Subic Telecommunications Corp. (Subictel) has filed a petition before the NTC to oppose the request of wi-Tribe to operate in areas within the Subic Freeport.

In a filing with the NTC, Subictel said that “wi-Tribe entry into the Subic Freeport Zone would not serve public convenience in that: Subictel has the necessary facilities, capital and technical capability to serve the needs of SBFZ.”

“Subictel has invested so much capital on its facilities and equipment and has build up sufficient capacity to meet the requirements of current and future customers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone,” it added.

The Subic-based firm added that it has outside plant facilities of over 95 percent of its service areas, except for uninhabited and forested mountain areas.

Subictel also said that the capital expenditure which wi-Tribe intends to invest should be channeled to areas where there is a dire need for telecommunications services, rather than crowded area with a very limited market adequately served by Subictel.

Subictel further said that as a prior operator in the area, the company it is entitled to protect its huge investments. It is also constantly innovating and updating its technology, consistent with the requirements of current and future customers in the area.

“The SBFZ is already adequately served by Subictel in terms of coverage, technology and level of service,” it added. (Rosalie C. Periabras, Manila Times)

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SBMA exec signs Integrity Pledge to boost Subic business climate

In an effort to strengthen further the agency’s good governance platform,Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia recently signed a pledge to practice ethical business and good corporate governance, joining a growing number of ethically-conscious business leaders who aspire to create positive change in the country.

The SBMA chairman was joined by SBMA directors Joseph Khonghun and Joven Reyes during the signing of the so-called Integrity Pledge with Makati Business Club executive director Peter Perfecto last week to set the tone from the top and commit the SBMA and all its officers and employees to behave with integrity and to carry on their responsibilities ethically.

“This is in consonance with the agency’s corporate governance initiative and in line with the national government’s platform of good corporate governance,” Garcia explained. “We’d like to stress here that transparency and accountability make perfect business sense,” he added.

Garcia said the Integrity Program is the latest in a series of moves by SBMA officials to instil a culture of transparency and accountability in the Subic Bay Freeport, a growing hub for business and industry.

“This is a very important step,” Garcia said. “Aside from seeking to strengthen the agency’s corporate governance initiatives, this is expected to create a more conducive investment climate in the Subic Freeport, which is what we’re after in the first place.”

Following the signing of the Integrity Pledge, Garcia said that he would require SBMA departments to come up with appropriate internal systems and controls to prevent, detect, and respond to any unethical conduct by employees; ensure good governance; and institutionalize the values of integrity and accountability in their business transactions.

“We also hope that this would set the ball rolling and inspire companies and agencies in Subic to do the same. We aim to prove that transparency, honesty and fairness can produce good results,” the SBMA official added.

The Integrity Initiative is a program developed by Transparency International (TI) as a tool aimed at preventing corruption in public contracting.

The adoption by SBMA of the integrity program has been recommended by experts from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), as well as Joel Ehrendreich, counselor for economic affairs at the US Embassy, who discussed the program during a visit in September last year. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (second from right) shakes the hand of Makati Business Club executive director Peter Perfecto after signing the Integrity Pledge with SBMA directors Joseph Khonghun (left) and Joven Reyes.

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Palace allays anxiety over US, Japan access to Clark and Subic

Malacañang has allayed anxiety over the impact on business locators at Clark air base and Subic naval base should the Aquino administration go ahead with plans to allow American and Japanese troops “access arrangements” to these former US facilities-turned-economic zones.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte said details of such access arrangements are still being worked out by the Department of National Defense as she downplayed concerns aired in the wake of reports that Clark and Subic—converted by law into prosperous economic zones after US military facilities shut down in 1991—may be the subject of yet another transformation, this time, to allow them to grant “increased access” to US, even Japanese, forces as America pivots to Asia and tensions grow in the South China Sea (SCS).

Asked if the shift to grant increased access to US troops could shake business confidence among the zone locators about the safety of their businesses, Valte indicated that the Aquino administration has not made any firm commitment on this despite increasing tension with China over conflicting territorial claims in the SCS, which Manila calls West Philippine Sea.

“At this point, we don’t want to discuss any details primarily because the details are still being studied,” Valte said, adding, “So, perhaps it it’s better to have that discussion when the defense department has a firmer proposal.”

Valte confirmed that defense officials are “still discussing...what we loosely call now the ‘access agreement’. I think that is what everybody loosely refers to as the access agreement; the details are still [being] studied.”

She noted that the assurance from the Department of National Defense is that whatever comes out of the study, the arrangement will follow the Constitution and the Visiting Forces Agreement. But she also admitted in Pilipino that they do not know at this time if this will be covered by a separate treaty because the defense department is still discussing its “shape and form.”

Talk of granting “increased access” grew last week after Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin met separately with US officials and Japan’s defense minister. He said Manila was seriously studying the possibility of granting increased “access” to American military forces as its way of cooperating in the “US rebalance strategy” and, impliedly, getting US assurance of support should Chinese aggression heighten in the maritime dispute with the Philippines.

Also, added Gazmin, Manila was open to granting greater access to Japanese military forces, as well. Defense authorities used the phrase “rotational presence” to stress that no permanent basing set-up is contemplated.

Under the Bases Conversion Development Act, passed by Congress years after the Senate voted not to extend the RP-US Military Bases Treaty in 1991, the former sprawling base lands were converted into economic zones.

Clark was the Americans’ air base in Pampanga, and now hosts the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport; Subic was the largest naval installation outside the US mainland.

Although Subic Freeport hosts a wide range of global and local businesses, Subic Bay has been hosting an increasing number of US warships making quick stops in the country the past few years. (Butch Fernandez, Business Mirror)

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SBMA recognizes 11 environment-friendly business locators

In line with the celebration of World Environmental Month, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recognized 11 top corporations in this free port that demonstrate sound environmental management practices.

SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia personally awarded certificates of recognition to the environment-friendly business locators in a simple ceremony held at the SBMA board room recently.

Those that received the SBMA citation were electronic data processing equipment manufacturer Hitachi Terminal Mechatronics Phils. Corp.; HDD spindle-motor producer Nidec Subic Phils., Inc.; cooling fan and servomotors manufacturer Sanyo Denki Phils. Inc.; semi-conductor diodes manufacturer Phil. Inter-Electronics Corp.; aircraft repair and overhaul provider Honeywell CEASA Subic Bay Co., Inc.; high precision plastic molding maker Koryo Subic, Inc.; electronics parts and accessories manufacturer Ringsthree Inc.; Fang Chan; Hitachi Air Conditioning Products (Phils), Inc.; inkjet cartridge and printer producer Cresc Inc.; and utility operator Subic Water and Sewerage Co., Inc.

Garcia said that the awardees, which have also attained ISO 14001 Certification, were recommended for citation by the SBMA Ecology Center after rigorous evaluation of their activities and environmental management program.

ISO 14001 is the world’s most recognized framework for Environmental Management Standard (EMS) which helps organizations both to manage better the impact of their activities on the environment and to demonstrate sound environmental management.

SBMA Ecology Center manager Angel Bagaloyos said the EMS is used by organizations worldwide to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste and drive down costs.

He said this standard, which has been adopted by more than half of the 160 national members of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is endorsed by governments around the world, integrates environmental dimension in business strategy “to restore the image of the industry due to common notion that industry is always associated with pollution.”

Meanwhile, Garcia lauded the companies who made it to the agency's environment-friendly list.

“You are the primary examples of locators we are looking for,” Garcia told company executives and ISO coordinators who attended the ceremony. “It is only proper to honor each of these 11 green companies, as they will serve as example to other locators in Subic to strive for the best towards the seemingly never-ending journey to quality.”

“It’s not enough to satisfy your customers, you have to delight them,” he added.

SBMA is very much active in the advocacy to preserve, protect and propagate the rich and lush environment in the Subic Bay Freeport. It provides assistance to indigenous tribal communities and fisher folks in and around the free port zone for their environmental protection projects; initiates beach and coastal clean-up drives, tree planting and other environment protection-related activities; and regulates the operation of business locators according to the Subic Bay Protected Area Management Plan.

The SBMA has also required retail stores, restaurants and groceries to use environment-friendly materials and banned the use of plastic and styrofoam packaging in the free port zone. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia (middle) pose with representatives of the top environment-friendly companies in the Subic Bay Freeport. With them are SBMA chief operating officer Joven Reyes (left), SBMA deputy administrator for regulatory Joy Alvarado (second from right), and SBMA Ecology Center manager Angel Bagaloyos (right).

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19th CARAT Philippines Supports Strong and Enduring Maritime Relationship

The 19th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Philippines exercise commenced with an opening ceremony in Subic Bay, June 27.

Continuing through July 2, CARAT Philippines 2013 consists of seven days of shore-based and at-sea training events designed to address shared maritime security priorities, develop relationships, and enhance interoperability among participating forces.


"For the past 19 years, CARAT Philippines has played a major role in the strong and enduring relationship between our naval forces," said Rear Adm. Tom Carney, commander, Task Force 73 and commander, Naval Forces CARAT. "This year’s exercise builds on that longstanding foundation, and offers many opportunities to conduct joint and combined training with the Philippine Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps."

CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste. CARAT Philippines began in 1995, and has since occurred in several locations throughout the Philippines, including Cebu (2009), Subic Bay (2010), Puerto Princesa (2011) and most recently General Santos City in Mindanao (2012).

Training events in each CARAT phase are tailored based on available assets and mutual training goals across a broad range of naval capabilities. CARAT Philippines 2013 will focus on maritime security operations, maritime domain awareness and information sharing. The exercise will also feature extensive training in diving and salvage operations, jungle warfare and marksmanship, tactical combat casualty care, civil affairs, riverine and boarding team scenarios, sporting events, community service projects and public band concerts.

More than 600 U.S. Sailors and Marines are participating in CARAT Philippines 2013.
Participating ships include the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) with embarked Commander, Task Group 73.1/ Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 staff, and the diving and salvage ships, USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50) and USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52). A company of Marines from with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment will participate in shore-based events.

Also participating in CARAT Philippines are medical, civil affairs and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) evaluators from Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command (MCAST), divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 (MUDSU), P-3C Orion aircraft, and the U.S. Seventh Fleet Band, Orient Express. (CTF 73 Public Affairs)

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US access to Subic eyed

DEFENSE Secretary Voltaire Gazmin yesterday said government is crafting an agreement that will allow American forces to regain access to their former naval base in Subic.

He said the Americans will not be putting up military bases in the country.

Asked about reports that the military has revived plans to build new air and naval bases at Subic Bay, Gazmin said: “Let me clarify issues. We’re not going to construct bases. We will be accepting access. Right now, the agreement has not been firmed up. We are in the process of crafting the agreement relative to our Constitution and the Visiting Forces Agreement.”

The VFA, ratified by the Senate in 1999, allows US forces full access to Philippine bases.

Reuters, quoting senior Navy officials on revived plans, said the bases would allow the Philippines to station warships and fighter jets just 124 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, a contentious area of the South China Sea now controlled by China after a tense standoff last year.

It also said the proposed bases in the Philippines coincides with a resurgence of US warships, planes and personnel in the region as Washington turns its attention to a newly assertive China and shifts its foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, asked about the Subic plan, urged China’s neighbors to push for peace.

“China urges the Philippines and regional countries to meet one another halfway, make joint efforts to maintain mutual trust between countries, make positive efforts towards regional peace and security and play a constructive role,” said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

Gazmin, last April while there was tension in the Korean peninsula, said US forces might be allowed access to Philippine bases in case of “extreme emergency.” He also said then that the US would not be allowed to put up bases because that is against the Constitution.

Gazmin, in an ambush interview after meeting yesterday with visiting Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, said after an agreement is crafted and if it is approved, “then there will be equipment coming in from the United States.”

“We have not talked about specific equipment yet but we do welcome the inclusion of a new technology, very new to us, so that this is part of our education,” said Gazmin.

On whether other countries like Japan would also be allowed access, Gazmin said: “We do welcome other countries, particularly Japan since Japan is a strategic partner, in accordance with our existing protocols.”

Onodera said he and Gazmin discussed during their meeting the US rebalancing program. He acknowledged that the US presence in the region is “very important.”

“We agreed that Japan and Philippines will work together to make this rebalance a reality,” said Onodera.

“I have heard they (Philippines) are making efforts to further increase rotational deployment of the United States forces and I also heard or learned that the Philippine side is now discussing with United States further increase of United States presence in the Philippines,” he said.

Gazmin said the increased rotational presence of US forces can be done through “high value, high impact” exercises that are being regularly conducted by Filipino and US forces.

Defense department spokesman Peter Paul Galvez, asked to elaborate on Gazmin’s statement that an agreement allowing US forces to have access to their former naval base is being crafted, talked of a “plan” instead.

“A plan being made is the transfer of some PAF (Philippine Air Force) units to Subic. Moreover, Subic has deep water port for the warships Alcaraz and Del Pilar,” said Galvez, referring to the Hamilton-class cutters BRP Ramon Alcaraz and Gregorio del Pilar acquired from the US.

“It is coincidental that Subic is near Bajo de Masinloc,” said Galvez, referring to Scarborough Shoal.

“It is to allow access to our military facilities to strategic partners,” said Galvez, without elaborating on the extent of the access that is being planned to be given to the US.

MIX-UP?

Asked what will be the difference between the “access” being given to US forces now and that being planned, Galvez said: “The two issues are being mixed up. First, what is being studied is the implementation of the US increased rotational presence under the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement). `Access’ is one of the modalities we are exploring to implement the increased rotational presence. Re Subic, the AFP is studying relocating units in some portions of Subic for strategic defense purposes.”

Subic, a deep-water port sheltered by jungle-clad mountains, has been a special economic zone since US forces were evicted in 1992, ending 94 years of American military presence in the Philippines and shutting the largest US military installation in Southeast Asia.

Since then, American warships and planes have been allowed to visit the Philippines for maintenance and re-fuelling.

US military “rotations” through the Philippines have become more frequent as Beijing grows more assertive in the South China Sea.

Reuters quoted the senior military officials as saying they believe the plan has a strong chance of winning approval as Aquino seeks to upgrade the country’s decrepit forces.

Another Philippine navy officer said the arrival in a few weeks of a second Hamilton-class cutter from the United States would put pressure on the navy to find a suitable port for large warships.

Since 2002, US forces helping fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants in Mindanao have shared several bases with Philippine troops.

US Navy surveillance planes are allocated spaces in a local air force base at Clark.

“We’ve seen a lot of similar ‘joint use’ arrangement. The US does not want bases, only access,” a Navy captain familiar with the Subic proposal told Reuters.

“We will share our bases with them and I am sure the US would love them.”

URGENCY

Congress last year approved $1.8 billion for military modernization, with the bulk going to acquisition of ships, aircraft, and equipment such as radar. The military had raised the plan in the past, but is now pushing it with more urgency following a series of naval stand-offs with China.

“The chances of this plan taking off under President Aquino are high because his administration has been very supportive in terms of equipment upgrade,” said a senior military officer who asked not to be identified.

“The people around him understood our needs and more importantly, what our country is facing at this time.”

A 30-hectare area has been identified for the bases, which would station fighter jets and the Philippines’ biggest warships that patrol the disputed sea, including the Hamilton-class cutter ships BRP del Pilar which arrived the country in 2011 and BRP Ramon Alcaraz which is expect to arrive next month.

The plan has taken on added urgency since the tense two-month standoff last year at the Scarborough Shoal. Chinese ships now control the shoal, often chasing away Filipino fishermen.

The South China Sea dispute will again loom large over regional diplomacy next week when US Secretary of State John Kerry joins his counterparts from Southeast Asian nations and China among other countries for an annual meeting in Brunei.

The Philippines plans to raise the issue of Chinese ships’ “encroachment” near another disputed coral reef where Manila recently beefed up its small military presence, diplomatic sources told Reuters. China in turn has accused the Philippines of “illegal occupation” of the reef, which is a strategic gateway to an area believed to be rich in oil and natural gas.

THEME PARK SHELVED

Roberto Garcia, chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, which oversees the Subic Bay Freeport, confirmed the plan to build the new bases, saying he had shelved plans in the area for a theme park to make way for it.

“I don’t see any problem if the government wants to build an air and naval base in the Freeport area,” Garcia said, noting the increase in the number of US military port calls to Subic.

This year alone, 72 US warships and submarines visited Subic, compared with 88 for all of 2012, 54 in 2011 and 51 in 2010, according to official data.

CUBI POINT

The Philippine military also wants to revive an airstrip that once handled some of the largest military aircraft in the US arsenal. The former Cubi Point Naval Air Station, carved out of a mountain adjoining Subic, served FedEx Corp cargo plans after the US forces withdrew.

But FedEx ceased operations at the airstrip, now called Subic Bay International Airport, in 2009. Two senior Air Force officers told Reuters the military had proposed to Aquino to convert parts of the airstrip into an air base. (Victor Reyes, Malaya - With Reuters)

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USS Fitzgerald docks in Subic for 19th CARAT exercise

The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) today (Thursday) docked at Alava Pier of former US Ship Repair Facility (SRF) here to participate in the ongoing 19th Philippines-United States Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise.

The Philippines and US Naval forces kicked off the CARAT exercise at the South China Sea right after an opening ceremony on Thursday morning at the former US Naval base here.

The ship's visit and CARAT exercise highlight the strong historic community and military relations between the Philippines and the United States.

The 19th CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

CARAT Philippines began in 1995, and has since occurred in several locations throughout the Philippines, including Cebu (2009), Subic Bay (2010), Puerto Princesa City (2011) and General Santos City (2012).

The training events in each CARAT phase are tailored based on available assets and mutual training goals across a broad range of naval capabilities, according to the US Embassy Information Office advisory.

CARAT Philippines 2013 will focus on maritime security operations, maritime domain awareness and information sharing.

The exercise will also feature extensive training in diving and salvage operations, jungle warfare and marksmanship, tactical combat casualty care, civil affairs, riverine and boarding team scenarios, sporting events, community service projects and public band concert.

On Friday, two more supply ships, the USNS Washington Chamber and USNS Salvor, will arrive in Subic Bay for the offloading of supplies and equipment for the CARAT exercise. (PNA)

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Subic is the next Guam, says real estate mogul

Tagged as among Asia’s icons in real estate and business development, Ronald Wang, chairman of property developer Century 21 Subic Bay, said that the Subic Bay Freeport could be the next Guam.

Wang, who is also chairman and chief executive officer of Century 21 Taiwan, Century 21 Asia Pacific, and Fantai Real Estate Management Co., expressed high hopes for Subic as the next best thing in real estate business.

“Subic is the next Guam in terms of economic growth,” Wang said in a statement read here by Dr. Johnson Yang, chairman of the Subic-based Grand Pillar International Development, Inc.

Wang was the guest speaker in the groundbreaking ceremony for Grand Pillar’s Mi Casa Terrace, a P170 million three-storey commercial and office building project to be constructed in the Freeport.

Wang said that when he was invited by Dr. Yang to Subic several years ago, he felt the passion in Subic and the opportunity that awaited in terms of leisure and commercial development.

“This is the reason why when I attended the 10th Asian Real Estate Association of America Global Summit held in Hawaii in May [2013], I was inspired and had the confidence to present to all the delegates and participants of the summit that Subic could be the next Guam,” he said.

Guam is a tiny island in the Western Pacific, which attracts more than one million tourists annually from Asia and America because of its more than 20 luxury hotels, duty free shops, indoor aquarium, entertainment venues, and several golf courses in what is dubbed as the Pleasure Island District.

Subic is said to have the potential to replicate Guam’s real estate boom because of its natural attractions that include mountain forests and a bay.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia, meanwhile, said that the proposed three-storey commercial building is another manifestation of the increasing demand for spaces intended for tourism-related businesses.

“There is now a continuous increase of tourist arrivals in the Freeport that investors see it as a good sign to start tourism-related businesses,” Garcia said.

He also noted that the Department of Tourism (DoT) cited the Subic Bay Freeport in December 2012 as “one of the top destinations in the country” due to the high influx of local and foreign tourists.

The DoT has also announced in October last year its choice of Subic as the “Premier Convention Capital of Central Luzon.”

Dr. Yang, for his part, lauded the SBMA chairman and other officials of the agency for the support they have given to Grand Pillar in setting another milestone for the real-estate company.

“I believe that Subic is in the right direction,” Yang said. “It is doing great business again,” he added. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA investment officer Kenneth Rementilla lowers a time capsule during the ground-breaking rites for the P170-million Mi Casa Terrace commercial building at the Subic Bay Freeport. With him are (from left): SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon O. Agregado, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia, and Grand Pillar chairman Dr. Johnson Yang.

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Subic packs in 900 athletes for 5i50 triathlon

Close to a thousand triathletes, including elite contenders from other countries, conquered on Sunday the 2013 Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon, acknowledged as the biggest Olympic-distance race in the country today.

Organizers said that local and international triathletes faced the daunting challenge of completing a difficult long-distance course with the Subic Bay providing a picturesque backdrop for the event.

The elite field was represented by participants from 23 countries, including top contenders from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States, Singapore, France, Germany, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.

Former Ironman champion Luke McKenzie topped the men’s pro elite division after completing the course that involved three legs: a 1.5-kilometer swim leg, followed by a 40-kilometer bike leg, and then a 10-kilometer run course.

The Australian champion finished the race in 1 hour 59 minutes and 25 seconds.

McKenzie was followed by Xterra Off Road Triathlon champion Ben Allen who clocked in at 2:02:40 and by Australian triathlete Michael Murphy who finished with 2:05:46.

Meanwhile, Belinda Granger finished first for the women’s pro elite with 2:17:33, followed by Michelle Gailey with 2:24:09 and Jaqui Slack with 2:26:05.

John Leerams Chicano led the local bets in the Filipino men’s elite with 2:09:45 and finished fifth overall.

Chicano was followed by Jonard Saim with 2:10:29 and Olympic hopeful Nikko Huelgas with 2:11:00. Another local bet, Monica Torres, finished fourth in the women’s pro elite with 2:26:19.

This is the second year that Subic has hosted the 5i50 triathlon. Last year’s race was voted by triathletes as the second best triathlon event in the Philippines for 2012.

The Century Tuna 5i50 triathlon has become one of the major sports events held in the Subic Bay Freeport, as Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia has put his focus on developing Subic as a premier sporting destination in the country.

"The 2013 edition of the Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon not only featured a scenic and challenging route but also enjoyed a substantial increase of 52 percent in terms of participants, compared to last year'," SBMA deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo said.

According to Marcelo, with SBMA chairman Garcia's focus on sports tourism and environmental protection, Subic Bay has become an environment- and sports-friendly destination. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Participants in the 2013 Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon brave the waters of Subic Bay during the 1.5-kilometer swim leg on Sunday.

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SBMA forbids feeding of wild monkeys

When in Subic, keep in mind not to feed the monkeys.

This is the warning given by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to visitors and residents alike, as it recently issued a policy strictly prohibiting the feeding of monkeys and other wild animals in pursuance of the agency’s wildlife conservation program.

“Feeding the monkeys is not doing the monkeys a favor,” SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia stressed, as he announced the policy approved by the agency’s board of directors.

“In fact, feeding them teaches them bad habits like stealing food and, more importantly, it creates a dangerous dependency that diminishes the survival abilities of these animals,” Garcia explained.

“You would actually be doing the monkeys harm when you give them food,” he added.

Garcia said the SBMA enacted the policy, firstly, to conserve wildlife in the Subic Bay Freeport pursuant to the Subic Bay Protected Area Management Plan (SBPAMP) and in accordance with the Philippine Wildlife Conservation Act.

Secondly, the policy is also meant to protect the public from harm because there have been cases when residents and visitors in the Freeport were bitten by monkeys, he added.

According to the SBMA Ecology Center, the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis philippensis), which also known as the crab-eating macaque or cymologous monkey,can be found all throughout the Subic Watershed and Forest Reserve.

A population survey made in 2010 indicated that there were around 11 individual macaques within a square kilometer of Subic forests. The monkeys preferred to live in forest areas near water sources, but with rapid urban development in the free port, they have increasingly gravitated to housing and commercial areas where they find food.

Local conservationists, however, pointed out that with this development, the monkeys have begun to scavenge for scraps of food from garbage bins instead of feeding on wild fruits and tubers, seeds, insects and small animals.

Lilia Alcazar, head of the Ecology Center’s Protected Area Management Division, warned that the availability of food from humans has altered the feeding habits of monkeys and may ultimately cause their extinction.

“Monkeys are wild animals and should not be made dependent on human food. It is their nature to hunt and travel long distances in search for food. Like humans, without physical activity they will become weak and may not be able to face the rigors of wildlife,” Alcazar explained.

Garcia said the policy prohibiting the feeding of wild monkeys and other wild animals here would be enforced strictly, with members of the SBMA Law Enforcement Department conducting patrols of areas where monkey-human encounters are common.

Meanwhile, the Ecology Center would undertake measures to educate the public about this policy, disseminate information about monkeys and other Subic wildlife, and promote safety precautions in encounters with Subic wildlife. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Long-tailed macaque monkeys could be found almost everywhere in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, but Subic authorities have prohibited feeding them as part of wildlife conservation.

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