SBMA releases P74.5-M revenue shares, renews partnership with LGUs

Officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the eight local government units (LGUs) adjacent to this free port renewed their pledge of cooperation on Thursday (August 1), as the Subic agency formally turned over revenue shares for the communities contiguous to and affected by the operations of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Mayors of the eight adjacent LGUs received a total of P74.5 million in revenue shares from SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia during a simple turnover ceremony here.

The LGU shares were derived from two percent of the five percent corporate taxes paid by Subic Bay Freeport-registered enterprises from January to June 2013.

“This is an historic occasion, and I thought it would be best that we have this kind of ceremony, not only for you to meet the SBMA officials, but maybe also for us to meet you, considering that you are our partners in the development of the free port zone,” Garcia said as he welcomed the local officials.

On hand to receive their “lion’s share” of revenues were Olongapo City mayor Rolen Paulino who received a cheque in the amount of P18.12 million, which is the highest share; SBMA director Joseph Khonghun who received P11.05 million for the town of Subic, Zambales on behalf of his nephew, Mayor Jay Khonghun; and Mayor Angela Garcia, who received P9.35 million for Dinalupihan, Bataan.

Also present to receive their town’s shares were Mayor Estela Antipolo of San Antonio, Zambales, who received P9.02 million; Mayor Danny Malana of Hermosa, Bataan, P7.6 million; Mayor Jose Angelo Dominguez of Castillejos, Zambales, P6.57 million; Mayor Jorge Estanislao of Morong, Bataan, P6.44 million; and Mayor Jose Rodriguez of San Marcelino, Zambales, P6.36 million.

During the meeting, Garcia revealed that the Subic Bay Freeport “is doing quite well,” having posted a net income of P811 million last year, which is the highest recorded income in the 20-year history of the Freeport zone.

Garcia also committed the SBMA to further assist in the development of the Subic Bay area and help move the country forward by introducing new strategic initiatives.

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Meanwhile, SBMA deputy administrator for internal services Ramon Agregado briefed the local executives on how the distribution of revenue shares came about, noting that this was the first time that a ceremonial turnover of LGU shares was held.

Agregado disclosed that the amount received by the mayors consists of the P67.2-million revenue share for the first semester of 2013 and the P7.3-million withheld from the revenue shares released in the first semester of 2011 under a 10-percent retention scheme.

He reiterated that the revenue shares are intended to supplement development projects in health, education, peace and order, and livelihood generation of contiguous LGUs.

The SBMA began releasing the shares directly to LGUs starting August 2010 to ensure the prompt release of shares to the local communities. The LGU share is determined according to population (50 per cent), land area (25 per cent), and equal sharing (25 per cent).

According to Agregado, SBMA had released a total of P318.3 million to the LGUs from 2010 to 2012.

After the formal awarding of cheques, Mayor Paulino acknowledged the support of the SBMA for the development of adjacent communities.

“In behalf of all the mayors near the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, we’d like to thank Chairman Bobby Garcia for showing that the neighboring municipalities of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone are important to you. And we acknowledge your efforts for us to work as one, in only one direction, since after all this is our place,” Paulino said.

“Rest assured that wherever the direction of the SBMA will be, that will be our direction, too,” he added.

The next distribution of LGU revenue shares will be on February 1 next year. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (fourth from right) pose with local chief executives and other SBMA officials after the release of P74.5-million revenue shares for LGUs contiguous to the Subic Bay Freeport. In photo are (front row, L-R): Mayor Estela Antipolo, Mayor Jose Angelo Dominguez, Mayor Rolen Paulino, Mayor Angela Garcia, Mayor Danny Malana, Chairman Garcia, SBMA director Joven Reyes, Mayor Jose Rodriguez, SBMA director Wilfredo Pineda; (second row, L-R): Mayor Jorge Estanislao, SBMA director Joseph Khonghun, and SBMA director Benjamin Antonio.

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SBMA, JobStreet.com to develop microsite for Subic Freeport jobseekers

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and JobStreet.com recently signed an agreement to improve job-seeking opportunities in this free port.

The agreement will ensure the development of a microsite that will be made exclusive for Subic Bay Freeport business locators to post their job vacancies and labor requirements.

“It’s just like the huge bulletin boards we maintain for the benefit of job-seekers in the Subic Bay area and adjacent communities. Only this time, we will be going digital via the Internet,” said SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia.

“This project will actually serve both the public and the companies inside the free port, as the microsite will serve as a vehicle for locators to inform the community about their labor needs and for jobseekers to know of existing opportunities,” he added.

SBMA labor department manager Severo Pastor Jr. signed the agreement on behalf of the Subic agency, while marketing director Yoda Buyco did the same for JobStreet.com.

For easier access, Pastor said the microsite will be linked to the main page of JobStreet.com athttp://www.jobstreet.com/ and the official SBMA website http://www.mysubicbay.com.ph/.

Pastor said that the microsite will particularly be helpful to Subic Freeport locators who are looking for workers with specialized skills that sometimes cannot be sourced locally.

“This will open job opportunities even for those skilled workers residing outside Zambales and Bataan. This microsite will reach out to them,” Pastor said.

He added that this project will also give options to jobseekers to apply on-line instead of filing walk-in applications.

As of 2012, companies in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone employ a total of 89,104 workers, most of them in industries like manufacturing, services, and tourism.

Garcia recently said that the Subic agency is coordinating with local government units adjacent to Subic for them to accommodate some spill-over investment projects from the free port in order to provide more employment opportunities to residents in the Subic Bay area. (FMD/MPD-SBMA))

PHOTO:
SBMA labor manager Severo Pastor Jr. concludes an agreement with JobStreet.com marketing director Yoda Buyco for the development of a microsite for job postings in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Mali going to Zoobic

MANILA - Mali the elephant is finally leaving the Manila Zoo, but only temporarily, and not for a sanctuary in Thailand.

The elephant will stay in a park in Subic once the renovation of the Manila Zoo starts.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada yesterday said he agreed to the request of Zoomanity Group (ZG) to allow the company to take care of Mali at least temporarily.

“It would be temporary because we will be constructing a world class Manila Zoo. While it’s being constructed we might give (Mali) to Subic... We will not let go of Mali,” he said.

ZG of the Yupangco Group of companies operates several farms and zoos including Zoocobia Fun Zoo at Clark Freeport, Zoobic Safari in Subic and the Paradizoo Theme Park in Cavite.

In a letter to Estrada, ZG said it could provide better care for the elephant.

The request came amid the campaign of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to transfer Mali, a gift from Sri Lanka to former first lady Imelda Marcos during the 1970s, to a sanctuary in Thailand.

PETA said Mali has been suffering from loneliness and a possibly fatal foot ailment.

Estrada has repeatedly rejected PETA’s call, adding that Mali would soon have company as two more elephants from Sri Lanka would be given to the city government. (Aie Balagtas See, Philippine Star)

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Navy, Air Force transfer to Subic still under study

The Department of National of Defense yesterday said a plan to transfer Navy and Air Force units to Subic in Zambales is a result of a “confluence of events,” including the South China Sea dispute.

The plan is still in the discussion stage. It was formulated last year amid moves to develop Sangley Point in Cavite City and Clark Air Base in Angeles City, said DND spokesman Peter Paul Galvez.

Sangley Point is home of the Philippine Fleet, a major unit under the Navy. Clark Air Base is the home of the 1st Air Division of the Air Force.

“It just so happened that there was confluence of events,” said Galvez.

“We’re looking into how this may be implemented. As to the specific timeline, there none,” he also said.

“It’s a requirement of the AFP to perform its mandate. At the same time, it’s also parallel with our modernization,” he said, adding that assets that will be acquired in the modernization may be based in Subic.

Galvez also noted that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is taking over Sangley Point while there is a move for a commercial expansion in Clark Air Base to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.

“It’s to address all our security defense concerns in Northern Luzon and surrounding maritime domain,” said Galvez when asked if the South China Sea dispute was also taken into consideration in the planning.

It is in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea where the disputed Spratly Islands is situated. The chain of islands and islets is being claimed in part or in whole by Philippines, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.

“It (Subic) has always been looked into as a very good area for us to address issues in the western side (of the country). There are maritime issues there (in Zambales) also, protection of our EEZ (exclusive economic zone, monitoring our maritime domain so confluence of all these factors,” he said.

Subic is more than a 120 nautical miles away from the Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal which is disputed by China and Philippines. China is in virtual control of the shoal following a standoff in April last year.

Galvez said the location of Subic is “very strategic to address whatever issue there may be in the west side of our country.”

He said Subic has a deep water port that can accommodate large ships, including the Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, another Hamilton-class cutter which is due to arrive in the country this week.(Victor Reyes, Malaya)

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Major forces moving to Subic

Manila, Philippines --- The Philippines plans to relocate major air force and navy camps to Subic Bay, a former US naval base north of Manila, to gain faster access to the West Philippine Sea, according to the country’s defense chief and a confidential government report.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said yesterday as soon as relocation funds are available the government plans to transfer air force and naval forces and their fleets of aircraft and warships to Subic Bay, which has become a busy free port since the 1992 departure of the US Navy.

“It’s for the protection of our West Philippine Sea,” Gazmin told The Associated Press by telephone, using the name adopted by the Philippine government for the disputed South China Sea.

“We’re looking now for the funding,” Gazmin said from South Korea, where he was on a visit.

Subic Bay is a natural deep harbor that can accommodate two large warships acquired recently by the Philippines from the United States, a defense treaty ally, he said, especially compared to shallower waters at the naval fleet base at Sangley Point in Cavite province, south of Manila.

A confidential defense department document obtained by the AP says Subic’s location will cut reaction time by fighter aircraft to contested South China Sea areas by more than 3 minutes compared with flying from Clark airfield, also north of Manila, where some air force planes are based.

“It will provide the armed forces of the Philippines strategic location, direct and shorter access to support West Philippine Sea theater of operations,” the document said.

The report said the cost of repairs and improvements for an air force base in Subic would be at least P5.1 billion (about $119 million). It said that compares with an estimated P11 billion ($256 million) that it would cost to build a new air force base, because the vast Subic complex about 80 km west of Manila already has a world-class runway and aviation facilities.

Relocating about 250 air force officers and men to Subic, along with “increased rotational presence of foreign visiting forces” would bolster business and trade at the port, the military document said.

The Philippines plans to grant visiting US forces, ships and aircraft temporary access to more of its military camps to allow for a larger number of joint military exercises than are currently staged each year.

A larger US presence could be used for disaster response and serve as a deterrent to what Philippine officials say have been recent aggressive intrusions by China into its territorial waters. (Associated Press)

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Another Navy warship to arrive next week

MANILA, Philippines - A second warship acquired from the US is expected to arrive (next week).

Navy spokesman Lieutenant Commander Gregory Fabic said the BRP Ramon Alcaraz is expected to arrive in Guam this weekend before sailing for the Philippines.

“It is really a big boost to our capability since it will be deployed within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” he said. “We are looking at BRP Ramon Alcaraz as a source of pride not only for us but also the Filipino people.”

Fabic said the warship will dock on Aug. 4 at Subic Freeport, where it will be repainted grey, the color of the Philippine Navy.

An arrival ceremony is slated for Aug. 6, and the Alcaraz is expected to be commissioned by the second week of October, he added.

Navy officials are now meeting with officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to prepare for the arrival of the Alcaraz, Fabic said.

Discussions will also be held with officials of the Presidential Management Staff since President Aquino is expected to be the guest of honor at the welcome ceremony.

The arrival ceremony will likely feature a “meeting procedure,” where a naval ship welcomes a vessel that will become part of the fleet.

The government spent more than P600 million to acquire the Alcaraz, which can accommodate up to 180 personnel.

The Alcaraz is the second warship acquired from the US, after the BRP Gregorio del Pilar that was commissioned in December 2011.

Commodore Ramon Alcaraz was a Navy officer who commanded a patrol boat during World War II.

The US Coast Guard used the Alcaraz for drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue, living marine resources protection, and defense readiness.

The Alcaraz departed from its homeport in Charleston, South Carolina last June 10.

It made port visits to San Diego, California and Honolulu, Hawaii before sailing for Guam. (Alexis Romero, The Philippine Star)

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SBMA to release first semester 2013 LGU share of P74.5M

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is set to release a total of P74.5 million worth of revenue shares for the first semester of 2013 to communities adjacent to this premier free port.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto Garcia disclosed that the said figure consists of the P67.2-million revenue share for the first semester and the P7.3-million 10-percent retention withheld from the revenue share released in the first semester of 2011.

The funds will be disbursed on August 1, he added.

Garcia said these shares are intended to supplement development projects in health, education, peace and order, and livelihood generation of contiguous local government units (LGUs).

“The SBMA is continuing with its task of attracting more investments. The more investments we generate, the more revenue share we can collect from corporate taxes. And these will be forwarded to neighboring communities of the Subic Bay Freeport,” Garcia said.

According to SBMA Treasury Department records, Olongapo City will receive the biggest chunk of shares with a total of P18.12 million, while Subic, Zambales follows next with P11.05 million. Next comes Dinalupihan, Bataan, with P9.35 million; San Marcelino, Zambales, P9.02 million; Hermosa, Bataan, P7.6 million; San Antonio, Zambales, P6.57 million; Morong, Bataan, P6.44 million; and Castillejos, Zambales, P6.36 million.

The LGU shares are derived from two percent of the five percent corporate taxes paid by Subic Bay Freeport-registered enterprises from January to June 2013. The other three per cent of the taxes paid are remitted directly to the national government through the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The SBMA began releasing the shares directly to LGUs after a new tax collection scheme was implemented in August 2010 by the agency to ensure the prompt release of shares to the local communities.

The LGU share is determined according to population (50 per cent), land area (50 per cent), and equal sharing (25 per cent). (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

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Ang, Torres grab limelight in jet ski race

Two Filipino ace riders – veteran internationalist BJ Ang and Excel Torres of Iloilo Watercraft Association (IWA) – grabbed the spotlight following their dominating feats recently in the SBMA Jet Ski Invitational Race at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Ang, the lone Filipino jet ski rider in the 2013 Asian Motorboat Liuzhou Open in China this Sunday, displayed superb skills in his fast all-stock 2011 Sea Doo to open a wide lead and capture the Expert Runabout Open crown.

The event is organized by the Jet Sports Association of the Philippines (JSAP) under its new president Harley David and race director Joey Millionado with the support of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Torres overcame a talented field of champion riders as he gained the Expert Runabout 4-Strokes championship in the race supported by Networx Jetsports, Irma Fishing, R33 Car Exchange and the Philippine National Red Cross.

The country’s No.1 rider Paul del Rosario showed the crowd the top form and experience that made him the 2010 World Jet Ski Expert Runabout Open champion as he unveiled remarkable endurance and unparalleled speed throughout the four-lap race to dominate the Open Ski class over top female riders Jam Mangio and Abby Reyes.

The event drew the participation of the Iloilo Watercraft Association headed by Vincent Tajanlangit. Australian Jet Ski Association vice-president Dan Fox regaled the crowd with his equally impressive skills that earned him the Novice 4-Strokes title over Iloilo bet Noy Mercado and third placer Raymond Ronquillo.

A decorated rider with several international stints including the prestigious competitions in Dubai and Malaysia, Ang proved why he’s one of the country’s best when he controlled the tempo from start to finish in the eight-lap first Moto of the Expert Runabout Open. (The Philippine Star)

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Subic-Born Dolphin dies

After being the first dolphin to be born alive in the country, Vi’s baby died yesterday in her nursing pen at the Ocean Adventure Marine Park inside this premier Freeport.

According to a statement released by the marine park, an initial medical examination revealed one of the dolphin’s lungs was significantly smaller than the other.

There was also an indication of significant infection associated with that undersized lung which spread to the other lung and its liver, the statement added.

Ocean Adventure said the calf’s organs were sufficiently developed to support life but not to support the demand of the baby’s growth and development.

Currently, the park’s resident veterinarians are still examining the precise cause of death as they wait for the histopathology results.

The marine park pointed out that only 30% of the calves of first-time mother dolphins like Vi survive. The survival rate of dolphin calves overall is about 50%. In the wild an experienced mom will have two surviving calves every decade, it added.

This was the reason why the marine park’s experts had been monitoring Vi round-the-clock and its calf since its birth last May 27. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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SBMA reaffirms commitment of cooperation with neighbor LGUs

The top official of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment of support and cooperation with neighboring communities and renewed its pledge to help in promoting local development.

The reaffirmations of commitment were made by SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia recently, as he visited Mayor Rolen Paulino of Olongapo City, Mayor Jorge Estanislao of Morong, Bataan, and Mayor Jay Khonghun of Subic, Zambales, in their respective localities.

During his visits, Garcia informed the local chief executives that the SBMA is continuing with its task of generating investments that, in turn, would generate employment opportunities for local residents.

“SBMA is continuously receiving investment proposals, but the Subic Freeport has no land available for industrial parks or expansions,” Garcia told the mayors, adding that this is probably the right time for the LGUs to start discussing the prospect having the Subic Bay Freeport Zone expand into their respective areas.

Garcia explained that by virtue of Executive Order No. 675, local government units can allow SBMA to extend the Freeport beyond the “secured area,” along with the tax- and duty-free privileges as granted by the law, by having their local councils pass an enabling resolution.

In Subic, Garcia was welcomed by Mayor Khonghun, Vice Mayor Lauro Simbol and members of the Sangguniang Bayan.

Khonghun happily informed Garcia that since the shipbuilding company Hanjin Heavy Industries Inc. (HHIC)-Philippines started operations in Subic, most of the able-bodied residents have been employed.

Khonghun added that he would propose to the Sangguniang Bayan the immediate deliberation of the proposed expansion of SBMA in Barangay Cawag at the Redondo Peninsula.

In Morong, Mayor Estanislao thanked Garcia for considering his town to host a Japanese investor who is looking for some 120 hectares of land to be transformed into a commercial-industrial zone.

“We really appreciate your effort to bring investors to our municipality. It’s a big help to our efforts to generate employment and promote economic development here,” Estanislao told Garcia as he promised to open the matter of expansion to the municipal council.

Garcia also agreed to send SBMA disaster management experts to Morong to further train the town’s emergency rescue team on disaster management.

Meanwhile in Olongapo, the SBMA chairman was welcomed by newly elected City Mayor Rolen Paulino, Vice Mayor Rodel Cerezo and some members of the city council at the city hall.

Paulino assured Garcia that his administration is willing to cooperate with the SBMA in promoting tourism and investment in the area, and lauded the SBMA's offer to broaden local cooperation in terms of development, employment generation and tourism.

Garcia also discussed with Paulino a proposed memorandum of agreement between SBMA and a Freeport investor who wants to dredge two rivers in the city for free, in exchange for the right to transport and sell the sand to Singapore.

Based on calculations of CST Bluemax Subic, Inc., about 110,000 cubic meters of lahar/sand could be dredged from the Kalaklan and the Kalalake rivers, which separate the Subic Bay Freeport from Olongapo. The dredging operation would cost about P11 million without the exchange deal.

Paulino and Cerezo lauded Garcia for the proposal and pledged support for the project. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic locator to dredge Olongapo river for free

Olongapo City - A locator inside Subic Bay Freeport has proposed to dredge the river channel of Olongapo City for free in an attempt to alleviate the worsening flood situation in the city.

The proposal was announced by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia during his courtesy call to Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino.

Garcia said that CST Bluemax Subic Inc. will dredge the river channel as part of their corporate social responsibility which would cost an estimated P11million.

Olongapo has a long history of flood, the worst recorded last year.

Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino welcomed the proposal saying that the city needs all the help it can get in cleaning up the river channel.

“We are very much thankful for this proposal, if we (local government) dredge that portion of the river it would cost us million of pesos, but here come a locator inside Subic Freeport that is willing to dredge it for free, what more can we ask for.” Paulino said.

He added, “We will do our part to make this proposal push through.”

Garcia explained that in exchange, Bluemax will have the right to market the good quality sand since the company is currently engaged in shipping and selling volcanic sand from Zambales as a reclamation and construction material to Singapore.

The dredging of the river channel between SBMA and Olongapo City was identified as a priority project of SBMA through the Governance Committee of the Board of Directors which formulated the Task Force Subic Bay Clean Up and Rehabilitation.

Aside from the dredging, Garcia also assured Paulino his support for the City of Olongapo. (Pao/ 07182013)
Photo:
Olongapo City vice mayor Rodel Cerezo (left), SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (Center) and Mayor Rolen Paulino (left) inspects a map of the city for the proposed free dredging operation offered by a locator inside Subic Freeport. Garcia during the visit assured Paulino his full support for his administration.

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Bottlenose dolphin gives birth at Subic marine park

A bottlenose dolphin at the Ocean Adventure marine park here has given birth to a healthy calf recently, reportedly the first live birth of such marine mammal in “human care” in the Philippines.

The baby dolphin was born on July 6 to Vi, an 11-year-old first- time mother, with a little help from a marine-mammal veterinarian who induced true labor.

The calf measured less than a meter long and weighed about 12 kilos at birth, said Timothy Desmond, chairman and CEO of the Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc., operator of the marine park.

“Mother and calf are doing just fine,” Desmond said in a statement on Sunday. “From the moment of birth, Vi has been a great mom. She’s done everything right!”

Vi’s pregnancy was discovered in February during a routine ultrasound, Desmond said. Following this, the park built a special birthing pen and nursing lagoon, installed cameras and observation deck to enhance monitoring, while Vi herself trained with a special dolphin “puppet” to encourage nursing behavior.

Throughout her 12-month pregnancy, Vi continued to participate in the park’s training sessions and programs, but spent the nights in the birthing facility with her best friend dolphin Nala, park officials said.

Like her pregnant human counterparts, Vi was also encouraged to continue light exercises in the last three months under the observation of animal experts. When the birth finally neared, Ocean Adventure summoned world-renowned marine veterinarian Dr. Robert Braun to lead final preparations for the delivery.

But the birth of the first baby dolphin here was “not without drama,” Desmond said.

In the afternoon of July 3, a Wednesday, Ocean Adventure went into full alert as Vi showed signs of labor, he said.

However, even as intermittent contractions were observed in the next two days, there was no hard labor seen. This led Dr. Braun, in consultation with other international marine mammal experts, to decide to intervene, said Desmond.

On July 6, after Ocean Adventure trainers gained Vi’s voluntary cooperation with a critical ultrasound exam that confirmed the baby was alive, Braun administered the human drug, Oxytocin, to induce labor.

At 5:30 p.m. on July 6, Vi went into true labor and within 30 minutes, a tiny tail emerged. After 90 minutes, Vi delivered the healthy baby calf.

Vi then pushed the baby to the surface for its first breath, then took it for progressively longer and deeper swims underwater to help increase its lung capacity.

“Within five hours, the baby was nursing, an impressive short timeframe for most newborn dolphins,” Desmond said.

Still, baby dolphins are very vulnerable, said Carlo Magno, director of Ocean Adventure’s animal-care department.

Magno said that every scratch on the baby’s delicate skin is a potentially lethal source of infection until its immune system fully develops. Meanwhile, it must swim continually to stay afloat with a soft tail that takes hours to become rigid enough for efficient swimming.

As of now, the park’s animal experts work around the clock to assure optimal care for mother and baby. Trained volunteers also record the baby’s swimming patterns, respiration rates, and nursing bouts.

Desmond said the baby dolphin will still be at risk for the first 30 days.

“However, with a wonderful mother like Vi, we have high hopes that this little guy will survive. We’ll continue doing everything humanly possible to insure a successful outcome,” he said. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

PHOTO:
Vi, the new mother dolphin, swims on July 12, with her seven-day-old calf at the Ocean Adventure marine park in the Subic Bay Freeport. (Photo courtesy of ocean adventure)

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Olongapo rounds up mendicants to uplift lives

The local government of Olongapo city headed by Mayor Rolen Paulino recently rounded up mendicants (beggars, street children, scavengers) roaming around the city in an effort to help uplift their current situation.

It was the first order that Mayor Rolen Paulino sent out after assuming office last July 1.

“Ayaw ko makita ang mga kababayan natin na ganyan ang sitwasyon, kaya nung pag-upo ko as Mayor pinakiusapan natin agad ang City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) para hanapan ng solusyon ang problema,” Paulino said.

The CSWDO rounded up 86 mendicants and lectured them about livelihood program the city is currently undertaking that can fit their situation. Meanwhile the street children were also advised on how the city can help them get back to school.

The measures have been started not only to help medicants better their lives but also make Olongapo City, especially the thoroughfares such as Magsaysay drive, Rotonda and Fendler, welcoming sites for tourist both foreign and local.

Mayor Paulino explained that boasting the tourism industry in the city will generate more jobs and income for its residents as more locators will be enticed to operate their business in the place. (Olongapo City PAO)

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New investments in Subic expand by 1,215%

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently reported a hefty increase of 1,215 per cent in the amount of committed investments that came into this free port for the first half of the current year.

From US$43.86 million posted for the same period in 2012, committed investments from new approved investments rose steeply to US$575.33 million from January to June this year.

“Despite a drop of 55 per cent in the number of new investment projects in the Freeport for the first half of the year, compared to (the first half of) last year, bigger investments have been signed up this year,” SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia disclosed.

According to the agency’s business group, the top five investments for the period were Resom Resort Philippines, Inc.’s expansion project, FFC Subic Seafood Corporation, Johanna-Subic Seafood Corporation, Simon and Stanley International Trading and Development Corporation, Inc., and Subic Bayview Development Corporation.

The combined committed investments of these projects alone added up to US$554 million, or 96 per cent of the total amount of committed investments from January to June.

Projected employment from new investment projects also climbed by 60 per cent – from 1,790 in 2012 to 2,868 this year. The increase largely came from the same top five investment projects, which made up 73 per cent of the projected employment for the period.

Garcia attributed the agency’s latest performance to the favorable economic trends in the country, noting further that with the country enjoying one of the fastest growth rates in the world and its recent investment rate grading upgrade by prestigious ratings agencies, “the Philippines today is definitely a big conspicuous blink in the radar screen of investors worldwide”.

“Encouraged by this scenario, we hope to sustain the positive inflow of investments into the Freeport for the rest of the year, especially in light of SBMA’s improved finances, which now allows us to plow back part of our earnings into upgrading our support infrastructure and equipment for better business and investment services,” he said. (AMF/MPD-SBMA)

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PAF’s transfer to Subic eyed

Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president Arnel Casanova bared this yesterday during a meeting with members of the Capampangans in Media, Inc.

An estimated 146 hectares of the free-port are currently under lease to investors.

The PAF facility is home to the 600th Air Base Wing under an annually renewable agreement between the BCDA and the Department of National Defense (DND).

Six other PAF units that comprise two thirds of the country’s entire air force are also based in Clark.

Some 2,400 hectares of land here are being managed by the BCDA’s implementing arm Clark Development Corp. (CDC).

Another 2,200 hectares comprise the aviation complex under the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).

The air base is occupying an area being administered by the CDC and the CIAC.

Clark Field was a former United States air force base until 1991 when the Philippines-US bases agreement was revoked and the Americans left.

The US withdrawal paved the way for the government to declare the area as an economic zone, although 360 hectares were reserved for the PAF base.

The PAF area has features all left behind by the Americans, including spacious housing units, a hotel, a small golf course, an Olympic sized swimming pool, an officers club building, among other facilities that could otherwise be ideal for tourism projects.

“The BCDA is eyeing the transfer of the Philippine Air Force from Clark to enable us to have more land for leasing. We plan to implement this during the term of President Aquino,” Casanova said.

At the same time, Casanova said the BCDA has remained open to bidders for the development of a master plan for a Clark Green City covering some 36,000 hectares of lands in the so-called Sacobia area north of the free-port. The site used to be military reservation for the US military base.

When completed, it will make Clark a beautiful, highly integrated, high-tech, green community just like Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City that could be compared to Silicon Valley in California, Casanova said.

Casanova also noted that the BCDA has already invested P33.8 billion in Central Luzon to create opportunities for investment and employment in the region.

Of the P33.8 billion, P30.68 billion was used in the construction of the 94-kilometer Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) that was dubbed the most modern tollway connecting the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Clark Freeport.

“BCDA, together with its subsidiaries, CDC and CIAC, is committed to actively pursue the development of Central Luzon. The development of Central Luzon is not merely a local or regional concern, it is a matter of national interest,” Casanova stressed. (Ding Cervantes, Philippine Star)

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