Olongapo receives 8 new generators for health centers

The City of Olongapo received eight new generators from the Department of Health (DOH) worth P400,000.00 which will be turned over to several barangay health care centers around the city.

Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino said that it is part of the city’s effort to strengthen the capabilities of barangay health centers.

“What I ultimately want is that all barangay health centers in the city act like hospitals just like James L Gordon Hospital, we are trying to decongest JLGMH. The plan is to equip all barangay health centers with proper equipment and personnel so that it would be appropriate enough to serve the needs of the residents,” Paulino said.

“I have also talked to some private individuals who are willing to assign nurses and doctors in each barangay health center to cater to the needs of the residents,” Paulino added.

He further explained that the new generators are very essential so that barangay centers would function even without power.

Among the barangay health centers that will receive the new generators are Barretto Health Center, Gordon Heights Health Center, Kababae Health Center, Pag-Asa health Center, Old Cabalan Health Center, West Bajac-Bajac Health Center, and New Cabalan health Center.

According to City Health Officer Roderick Bustamante, another set of donations from DOH which is now being processed are medical equipment such as nebulizers, microscopes and baby apparatus which will also be distributed to health centers around the city.

Meanwhile, Victory liner Inc. donated one passenger bus with an estimated value of P1.4million.

The passenger bus, which was personally handed over by Pocholo Galian, Branch Manager of Victory Line Inc. would be of great help to the city, according to Mayor Rolen Paulino.

“We would not rent anymore, this can also be used by students, teachers, non- government organizations, our senior citizens and others for their respective activities outside the City,” Paulino said.

He added that this could also be use for emergency situations.

“This only proves that the local businessmen in the city are trying their best to help us (local government) in our efforts to better the condition of the city” Paulino said. (PAO Olongapo)

PHOTO:
Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino (3rd from right) and City Health Officer Dr. Roderick Bustamante (2nd from right) pose with representatives of Department of Health during the turnover of 8 new generators worth P400,000.00 which will be distributed to different barangay health care centers.

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Subic Bay historical marker unveiled

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) unveiled here on Tuesday a historical marker for the port of Subic, recognizing the contribution of the area and the role of Filipino workers in the economic development of the nation.

The marker, which cited the area as the “Himpilang Pandagat ng Look ng Subic” or the Subic Bay Naval Station, was unveiled by NHCP executive director Ludovico Badoy with the assistance of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Roberto Garcia.

NHCP is the government agency responsible for the conservation and preservation of the country’s historical legacies, as well as the commemoration of significant events and personages in Philippine history.

The marker was placed on the outside wall of the “Spanish Gate” at the corner of Dewey Avenue and Sampson Road here, which served as the entrance to the former Spanish Naval Port that was constructed in 1885.

The unveiling ceremony was graced by Region 3 tourism director Ronaldo Tiotuico, Subic Bay Chamber of Commerce president Danny Piano, representatives of local tourism establishments and civic organizations, and members of the SBMA board of directors.

Badoy said the marker represents the whole Subic Bay Naval Station, which served as the entrance to and from the Spanish garrison that existed here from 1885 to 1899, when it was forcibly taken by the American forces.

Badoy explained that despite the fact that the area was used as naval port by foreign occupation forces—the Spanish, American and Japanese armies— the contribution of the Filipino workers who toiled here during the time and after the hostilities “is so significant to the development of the region and the national economy.”

The NHCP official also commended the administration of the SBMA for preserving, maintaining and protecting the historical structures and values of the port, adding that he would recommend to the NHCP board of directors the proposal of SBMA to declare the San Roque Chapel inside the Freeport as another historical landmark.

For his part, Chairman Garcia said that marking the Spanish Gate as a historical site will boost the tourism industry in the Subic Bay Freeport.

“Some tourists who come here only remember that Subic was a former recreation area of the US forces. With this historical marker, it will be known to everyone that this free port is a place with a history of its own,” Garcia said.

The SBMA official also noted that the historical marker reflects the undertakings of Filipino workers who have worked hard to build a better community—be it in time of war or peace—and succeeded in developing a place that now contributes to national economic progress.

“This may be the first historical marker for the Subic Bay Freeport, but it symbolizes the long history of the endeavors and heroism of Filipino workers,” Garcia added. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (left) and National Historical Commission executive director Ludivico D. Badoy unveil the historical marker which declares the old Spanish West Gate in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone a historical site.

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LandBank extends $27-M loan to SBMA

State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines recently approved a $27-million term loan for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

In a statement, the bank said that the loan will be used to refinance and take-out part of SBMA’s existing foreign loans.

“A top dollar depositor of the LandBank Subic Branch, the SBMA plays a major role in promoting tourism and enabling industrial, commercial and investment growth in the Subic-Clark region, which in turn generates employment and contributes significantly to the country’s economic growth,” it said.

Roberto Garcia, SBMA chairman and administrator, and Edward John Reye, LandBank senior vice president for Corporate Banking, signed the loan agreement.

LandBank recently reported that its loan portfolio grew to P280 billion in the first nine months of 2013, up by 16 percent from P241.9 billion in September 2012.

Loans to its priority sectors expanded to P221.7 billion, representing 79.2 percent of the bank’s total loan portfolio.

LandBank’s priority sectors comprise, among others, agri-aqua-related projects of local governments and government- owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), small farmers and fisher folk, microenterprises and small and medium enterprises, and socialized to medium-cost housing, and utilities. Loans to agri-aqua-related projects of local government and GOCCs reached P45.2 billion

Meanwhile, the bank registered a P10.4-billion net income for the third quarter of the year, a 36-percent increase from its year-ago level of P7.6 billion. Its nine-month net income translates to a return on equity of 17.44 percent. (Mayvelin U. Caraballo, Manila Times)

http://manilatimes.net/landbank-extends-27-m-loan-to-sbma/55892/

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PH to host 1st ASPAC Drive Tourism Confab

The Philippines will be hosting the first Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference and Exhibition on January 30 to February 2, 2014 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

The event’s theme is “Saving Lives, Saving Costs, and Saving the Planet” and is in support of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 that aims to save five million lives and prevent 50 million injuries worldwide.

The Drive Tourism Conference and Exhibition is presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the National Auto Club.

The DOT and AAP are encouraging people to see more local attractions in its Drive Tourism caravans. Unlike seat-in-coach tours, Drive Tourism allows participants to tailor fit their visits according to their preferences.

Reasons for visiting local destinations vary from cuisine, culture to water sports and others. Drive Tourism caravans allow travelers to focus their visit based on what interests them more and gives them flexibility.

The participants and guests to the Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference and Exhibition 2014 may opt to do side trips and pit stops in Bulacan, Pampanga and Olongapo.

Prior to attending the event, they may wish to visit historic Barosaoin Church in Malolos and buy Bulacan sweets for pasalubong or bird watch in Candaba swamp and have lunch at Susie’s Kitchenette in Angeles City.

Music lovers can bar hop along Magsaysay Avenue in Olongapo and check out the different bands playing there on the eve of the conference.

The president of the Paris-based Federation Internationale d’Automobile, Jean Todt, will be the keynote speaker for the conference. Other invited speakers are the transport ministers of Malaysia and New Zealand and the tourism ministers of Indonesia and South Korea, Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and FIA Region 2 president Ross Heron. FIA Region 2 consists of Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Japan, China, Taipei, Korea, Indonesia, Macao, Nepal and Thailand. (Malaya)

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/special-features/ph-host-1st-aspac-drive-tourism-confab

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SBMA gears up for ISO certification on environmental management

Preparations are now underway for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to be certified for ISO 14000, the international standard for environmental management.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said he has ordered the creation of a technical working group that will oversee the agency’s preparations for certification.

“We hope to have the SBMA certified within a year,” Garcia said, pointing out that the SBMA was granted early this year the ISO 9001:2008 certification, which is the international standard for quality management systems set by the International Organization for Standardization.

SBMA director Benjamin Antonio III recently announced the plan for the ISO certification to locators during the 2nd Environmental Awareness Forum held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

According to Antonio, the agency will specifically work for the ISO 14001:2004 certification, which sets out the criteria for an environmental management system and maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective environmental management system.

“Since the certification’s scope is geographic, it will include all SBMA offices. In fact, it’s going to include the entire fenced area of the Subic Bay Freeport,” Antonio explained.

“Everything under the control of the SBMA should be part of the scope of the environmental management system,” he added.

Antonio said that one of the requirements for the certification would involve the SBMA conducting environmental risk assessments. This would allow the Subic authority to identify environmental impacts, assess which ones are considered critical, and address the critical environmental aspects that exist within the agency.

“What’s going to happen is we are going to embed the environmental consciousness, awareness, and environmental stewardship in many, if not all of the positions in the SBMA,” he said.

The risk assessment will be done by the entire agency through the respective department managers, and the findings of which will be consolidated and implemented.

Antonio added that apart from the risk assessment, ISO 14000 would also require SBMA to have environmental emergency preparedness and response which will be tested regularly.

“Meaningful change like this one takes time, especially when it involves such a huge agency,” Antonio noted. “It’s not an easy task, but we’ll try our best to get it done in one year.” (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA cancels Christmas party; funds to go to typhoon victims instead

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has cancelled this year the traditional Christmas party for employees in sympathy with victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia made this announcement on Friday following the decision of the SBMA board of directors to cancel the scheduled party for the agency this year.

“It was a unanimous decision on the part of the board,” Garcia said. “We also ratified a resolution donating the amount intended for the Christmas party to the typhoon victims.”

“This is just a small contribution, we know, but we hope that this would somehow make some difference in the life of our kababayans who have suffered a lot,” Garcia added.

The re-channeling of the SBMA Christmas party budget to the Yolanda relief drive was the latest in the humanitarian response here for typhoon victims, as the SBMA rallied the Subic Freeport community last week following the devastation in the Visayas.

Garcia said that employees of the SBMA and locator-companies in this free port have been collecting donations and sending them to concerned agencies to help in the government’s relief efforts.

Garcia launched the relief drive here during the Monday flag-raising ceremony following the weekend disaster.

According to the SBMA Public Relations Department, which is coordinating the collection of donations here, the SBMA has already sent via LBC cartons of assorted food items, water and clothing weighing more than 2,000 kilos. The items were donated by individual SBMA employees, and various Freeport companies and organizations.

The SBMA Tourism Department, on the other hand, reported that it has already received more than P220,000 in cash and bags of in-kind donations from various locators and investors.

Early this week, Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation (HHIC)-Philippines, the Korean shipbuilder based in this free port, said it has delivered P4-million worth of rice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Pasay City.

Meanwhile, Theodore Huang, chairman of the Subic Bay Development and Management Corp., donated P4.5 million, while Moon Kang, another investor here, gave P200,000 worth of rice.

Garcia said that more donations from Subic Freeport workers and companies are forthcoming. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Gov’t, private firms give more typhoon aid - SBMA launches donation drive

Government agencies and private companies have sent more donations to victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas.

Last Monday, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia launched a campaign to gather donations from companies and employees in Subic.

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines, a South Korean shipbuilder based in Subic Bay, donated 2,041 sacks of rice worth P4 million and these were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Hanjin has responded to our call for donations to help our government in the relief efforts. Other locators here are also having their own way of collecting goods that they may send to the typhoon victims,” Garcia said.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has sent an initial 10,000 family emergency medical (FEM) kits to the typhoon victims in Leyte and Samar.

The FEM kits contain medicine for common illnesses such as fever, cough, colds and diarrhea.

Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, PCSO general manager, said the FEM kits will be distributed in evacuation centers where displaced families took refuge at the height of the typhoon.

PCSO chairman Margarita Juico said the PCSO Board of Directors also made it a policy to subsidize the hospital bills of patients directly affected by calamities who are being treated at government hospitals and healthcare facilities.

The policy was applied after Typhoons Sendong and Pablo, the monsoon floods in 2012, landslide in Compostela Valley and other natural calamities in the past.

Meanwhile, the Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (AMWSLAI), the second largest non-stock savings and loan association in the country, has started giving calamity loans at reduced interest rate to its members in calamity-stricken areas in the Visayas. It also devised a system that will speed up the processing and release of loans.

There are more than 207,000 AMWSLAI members all over the country, most of them soldiers and policemen and their families.

“To pay tribute to their unparalleled heroism and patriotism and to assist them rise above and rebuild their livelihood, AMWSLAI has started giving out calamity loans at reduced interest rate for its members who were adversely affected by the two recent calamities: the earthquake in Bohol and Super Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern, Central and Western Visayas,” AMWSLAI chairman Ricardo Nolasco Jr. said.

The Board of Trustees of AMWSLAI also gave donations in kind and in cash, including the budget for their Christmas party this year, and mobilized its personnel to help in rehabilitation efforts.

Maynilad Water Services, Inc., on the other hand, donated potable water, food and other relief items.

Its employees also helped in relief operations. They proceeded to the DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City to help load relief goods to delivery trucks that will transport the items to relief centers.

Samar group airs appeal

Convenors of a newly formed group of Samareños aired an urgent appeal to fellow Samareños here and abroad for help in rebuilding communities in two Samar provinces that have been devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Tindog SAMAR convenors, led by Omi Royandoyan, Rene Nachura and Charo Cabardo, said victims of the typhoon in both Eastern Samar and the main Samar province deserve more than solemn prayers. They need immediate relief for their survival.

“We urge big businesses, international aid agencies, non-government organizations, and Samarnon patronal organizations in Metro Manila and in the United States to help the towns of Basey and Marabut in Samar; and Lawaan, Balangiga, Giporlos, Quinapondan, Hernani, MacArthur, Salcedo, Mercedes and Guiuan in Eastern Samar,” Tindog SAMAR said in a statement.

Convened a week after Yolanda slammed into the country, Tindog SAMAR aims to help facilitate relief and rehabilitation operations in Samar.

Tindog SAMAR convenors saw the need to form the organization to help extend the reach of relief operations, especially for typhoon victims in both Samar provinces who have yet to get help.

Meanwhile, the local government of Legazpi, in partnership with Sunwest Group Holding Co. Inc. and other private firms, is deploying more aid to Central Visayas.

Team Bicol is sending additional dump trucks, a boom truck and fuel tanker together with a 19-man contingent of electricians, mechanics and cooks from Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. and Misibis Bay.

Other volunteers from private firms in Legazpi City were also mobilized to augment the first team of Sunwest volunteers who first arrived in Leyte on Nov. 12.

Team Bicol has deployed more than 20 dump trucks and earth moving machines courtesy of Sunwest Group. The team is currently helping in massive clearing operations in Palo, Leyte.

Container vans donated to Red Cross

Harbour Center Port Area Inc. donated 40-footer and 20-footer container vans with generator and air conditioner to the Philippine Red Cross. These vans will serve as blood bank and PRC office in Tacloban, replacing the temporary blood facility in Leyte Park Hotel.

Chairman Richard Gordon said the PRC has augmented blood supply in Leyte, particularly at the Divine Word Hospital and other areas in the Visayas hit by Yolanda, from the PRC headquarters blood bank in Manila and Cebu City chapter.

Cebu Pacific continues humanitarian flights

Cebu Pacific, for its part, continues to operate daily flights between Cebu and Tacloban and Manila and Tacloban.

The airline reserves seats for humanitarian purposes in its Tacloban flights.

Cebu Pacific has also transported 3,000 kilos of relief goods from the GMA Kapuso Foundation to Iloilo; another 3,000 kilos to Cebu and 9,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban earlier this week.

The airline will be transporting an additional 30,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban. (Perseus Echeminada, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rhodina Villanueva, Ric Sapnu, Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/11/22/1259499/govt-private-firms-give-more-typhoon-aid

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Subic Freeport eyed as retirement haven by American retirees

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has its sights set in further developing the Freeport as a destination for retirees.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia recently met with officials of the American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW) for a possible development of a retirement facility in this Freeport.

ABHOW is a non-profit and non-sectarian corporation, which is committed to providing exceptional service to older adults, their families and the wider community.

ABHOW president David Ferguson said that they have conducted a survey among American and Filipino-American seniors and many are considering retiring in the Philippines.

“We are excited with the opportunity and see what Subic has to offer,” Ferguson said.

In the meeting, Garcia told Ferguson and company that the Subic Bay Freeport is a preferred retirement destination for retirees and now has numerous retirement facilities that are operating here.

“Subic is a perfect destination for American retirees because of the rich American culture here, a result of Subic's being a former US naval base,” he added.

Garcia also stressed that the huge number of nurses in the country can provide adequate care for the retirees.

“We are happy that you are considering Subic as your location and we will be ready to support and assist your group,” he said.

Meanwhile, Randall Stamper, chairman of the ABHOW board of directors, added that accessibility is their main reason for considering Subic as a location.

Aside from being connected to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, which cuts travel time to Manila to just two hours, the Subic Bay Freeport also has its own seaport and airport.

Subic has also become a popular location for several retirement homes due to its modern health and wellness facilities amid a healthy natural environment and laid-back atmosphere. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Lyceum Subic enters PCCL '16'

MANILA - Lyceum of Subic Bay rolled back Lyceum Northwestern University of Pangasinan, 86-74, recently to rule the North-Central Luzon Regional conference of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) at the UNP Gym in Vigan City.

The Sharks, who won their sixth straight United Central Luzon Athletic Association (UCLAA) championship last month, took the half, 43-31, on their way to a comfortable win and a ticket to the Sweet 16 stepladder phase.

To advance further, the Sharks will have to defeat the South Luzon-Bicol champion on Nov. 25 in Tanauan, Batangas to forge a showdown with the winner of the Metro Manila qualifying games.

In the battle for third place, dethroned North-Central Luzon champion La Finns Scholastica of La Union poured out its frustration on the University of Baguio Cardinals, 87-82.

The South Luzon-Bicol regional games are ongoing in Sorsogon City with University of Batangas, Lewis College, Naga College Foundation and Amando Cope College seeing action.

Additional information on league developments, schedules and happenings can be accessed via the PCCL website (collegiatechampionsleague.net), through its official Facebook fan page (Philippine College Champions League) and twitter account (@pccleague2013). (Olmin Leyba, The Philippine Star)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/11/17/13/lyceum-subic-enters-pccl-16

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Hanjin Subic shipyard donates P4-M rice for “Yolanda” victims

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil), a South Korean shipbuilder based in Subic Bay, has donated 2,041 sacks of rice for the victims of typhoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas region.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the rice donation, with an estimated value of P4 million, was transported by Hanjin to Pasay City where it was formally turned over to representatives of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Last Monday, Garcia formally launched a campaign to gather donations from Subic-registered companies and their employees for typhoon victims in Tacloban and other areas devastated by Yolanda.

First to heed the call was the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team, which donated P10,000 of the cash award they recently received for winning the 2013 Kalasag Awards in the national level for urban search and rescue.

“Hanjin has responded to our call for donations to help our government in the relief efforts. Other locators here are also having their own way of collecting goods that they may send to the typhoon victims,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, HHIC-Phil managing director Joong Gyu Kim, on behalf of his company, commiserated with the Filipino people in the wake of the typhoon which killed thousands in the Visayas.

“We express our deepest sympathy to those affected by this great human tragedy,” Kim said in a statement.

“We join hands with the Filipino nation in this hour of need to at least ease the suffering of the people hit by such disasters of immeasurable proportions,” Kim added.

As a business locator here, HHIC-Philippines has been actively pursuing corporate social responsibility projects and initiatives which focus on the improvement of public infrastructure, education, health, disaster response, employee welfare, and human resource development.

On November 5, HHIC-Phils received a Certificate of Recognition and Plaque of Excellence from the Philippine Board of Investments (BoI) for its outstanding efforts in implementing various CSR programs in local communities. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport stakeholders set monthly river/coastal clean-up

Thousands of volunteers joined on Saturday the kick-off ceremony for the monthly river and coastal clean-up, a multi-sectoral project that aims to maintain beauty and biodiversity of rivers and coastal areas in the Subic Bay area.

The activity is a joint project of the Subic Bay Metropolitan authority (SBMA), the city government of Olongapo headed by its Environment Sanitation and Management Office (ESMO), the Subic Bay Workforce Development Foundation, Inc., the Department of Education (DepEd), and other volunteer organizations.

The first activity drew around 2,000 students, company workers, government employees and members of community organizations from the Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City, who undertook clean-up in various areas of assignments.

These included the beaches of Subic Bay, and the coastline of two main channels of freshwater from the city of Olongapo that empties into Subic Bay: the Kalaklan and Kalalake river channels.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the project is part of a comprehensive program of the agency, in cooperation with stakeholders, in maintaining the cleanliness and healthy eco-system of all water bodies that flow into Subic Bay.

“These channels bring into the bay whatever is carelessly thrown into them. Some of these debris are snagged along the river banks during low tide, so we’ll pick them up before they reach the beaches,” Garcia said.

Garcia explained that a large part of tourists coming down to the Subic Freeport and Olongapo City go to the beaches either for swimming or some form of water sports.

“A vacation in Subic or Olongapo will never be complete without the sea and the beach. These are our major attractions here,” he said.

That is why, Garcia added, stakeholders here are putting great effort into maintaining and preserving Subic Bay by conducting coastal clean-up drives regularly.

SBMA Labor Department manager Severo Pastor, Jr. said that after this weekend’s kick-off clean-up, the activity will regularly take place every second Saturday of the month.

“People are joining because we will not only be cleaning our rivers and beaches; we will also be ensuring a better future for our children, their communities and their livelihood here,” Pastor said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Participants in the river/coastline cleanup comb beaches in the Subic Bay area during the kick-off of a monthly cleanup program initiated by stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport area. The project is being supported by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the Olongapo City government, as well as various locator companies, schools and community organizations in the Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City.

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SBMA sends multi-awarded rescue team to Tacloban; launches help campaign

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has dispatched its multi-awarded Search, Emergency and Rescue Team (SERT-SBMA) to assist in search and rescue, as well as clearing operations in typhoon-stricken areas in the Visayas.

SBMA Fire Chief Ranny Magno said that ten members of the SERT-SBMA were flown from Clark Freeport via a C-130 military aircraft to Cebu City. From there, they will be transferred to ships that will deploy them to Tacloban City.

The SBMA rescue workers were joined by some members of the Philippine Red Cross 143rd Volunteer Group from Olongapo City.

Magno said the team brought all their equipment and communication gear to ensure effective operations in areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda, which has reportedly killed thousands of residents in the affected areas.

At the same time, SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the Subic agency has launched a collection drive for food stuff, water and used clothing for the typhoon victims.

“The people of Tacloban need our help,” Garcia told SBMA employees on Monday, as he implored them to give what they could donate.

“Sa pinsalang kanilang dinanas, matatagalan pa po bago malubos ang rehabilitasyon ng lugar na iyon kung kaya sana, matulungan pa natin sila,” he said.

Garcia also announced the decision of SBMA-SERT members to donate a part of their P100,000 prize money from the recent “Gawad Kalasag” Awards.

The SBMA team received last month the 2013 “Gawad Kalasag” for being chosen as the best in Urban Search and Rescue (URBAN SAR) in the national level.

It was the team’s second such award since 2009. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA recognition of Kalasag Awardees

MAKING SUBIC PROUD: SBMA Fire Chief Ranny Magno and other members of the SBMA Emergency Rescue Team present SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (second from right) with a citation that they received for being the Best in Government Emergency Response Management at the 2013 Gawad Kalasag Awards. It was the second such award for urban search and rescue that the SBMA team had won since 2009.

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Subic Freeport, Nayong Pilipino turning in profits

CLARK FREEPORT—The financial viability of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Nayong Pilipino sa Clark Expo (Nayong Pilipino) appears to have turned for the better lately in spite of prevailing global economic uncertainties brought about by slow-downs in First World markets (the US and Europe) and political turmoil besetting the Middle East.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia reported that the country’s first free-port zone sustained a profitable operation this year that began in 2012 ending a losing streak since it opened for business in 1992.

But due to increased expenditures, this year’s SBMA gains would somewhat be lower than last year’s P800 million on the back of projected year-round total operating revenues of P1.476 billion. In 2012 operating revenues reached P1.151 billion.

On the other hand, the losing Nayong Pilipino also began posting moderate gains beginning in 2012, when gross revenues soared to P24 million.

Nayong Pilipino trustee and Executive Director lawyer Apolonio B. Anota Jr. said the facility is now stronger financially both in gross and net revenues.

Anota traced the turnaround in the cultural-cum-resort venture of Nayong Pilipino in this free port to increased visitor arrivals in the past 20 months from a measly annual number of 20,000 to 300,000 as a result of improved management and introduction of new attractions.

Both Garcia and Anota were guests in Friday’s double media forum “Balitaan,” hosted weekly by the Capampangan in Media Inc. at its headquarters at the Bale Balita (House of News) here.

Garcia reported that locators’ committed investments in the SBMA this year could hit P24.8 billion, a hefty jump from the preceding year’s P2.3 billion.

The SBMA’s current 1,000 locators, which provide some 89.921-percent employment opportunities, are forecast to register a 33-percent dip in export receipts to $650 million this year from $963 million the previous year due to the global economic slowdown.

But there’s excitement in the Subic free port, Garcia said, brought about by the rising number of prospective locators, as well as those that have actually implemented their plans, led by the rising P20-billion complex of Resom Resort City Subic and the expansion of the floating terminal of Vale Holding Shipping Pte. Ltd., which services major iron-ore suppliers to China.

The SBMA, together with this free port, has been picked to host the senior ministerial meeting of next year’s scheduled Apec summit the Philippines is hosting, which could trigger the realization of the planned Subic-Clark business corridor, Garcia said.

As envisioned, the land on both sides of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway connecting Clark and Subic is to be developed into commercial-industrial areas to attract more local and foreign business locators.

“We’re also looking forward to generating fresh revenues from the prospective transfer of some of the operation of the Philippine Air Force to Subic,” Garcia said.

With its improving financial muscle, Garcia expressed optimism that the free port could finally pursue the programmed upgrading of its port and other facilities, as well as an increase in the compensation of SBMA personnel.

Sources said that the SBMA management has submitted to the Office of the President its proposed P65-million wage-hike package for SBMA employees. (Ashley Manabat, Business Mirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/economy/22632-subic-freeport-nayong-pilipino-turning-in-profits

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Subic Freeport business locators march for breast cancer awareness

Business locators in this free port lent a hand in raising breast cancer awareness by holding the Second Breast Cancer Awareness Fun Walk recently at the Subic Techno Park.

The event, now on its second year, is organized by the the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM) in cooperation with the Subic-Olongapo Cancer Foundation, Inc. (SOCFI). The stakeholders also joined a slogan-making contest as part of the activity.

During the event program, Daisy Lorenzana, a breast cancer survivor, shared her experience in her battle with breast cancer.

“The key to my survival was early detection and a healthy lifestyle,” Lorenzana told employees who joined the march. “We have to share to other people what we have learned in order to save lives.”

According to Charo Simmons, vice president of SOCFI, the event was held to honor breast cancer survivors, as well as those who lost the fight to the illness.

She said that SOCFI aims to educate people that the threat of cancer is real and should not be taken for granted.

Simmons recalled that SOCFI was founded 10 years ago by two doctors dealing with cancer: Dr. Jaime Roco, an oncologist, and Dr. Resty Acosta, himself a cancer survivor.

According to the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women in the Philippines.

The country is said to have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the Asian continent. An estimated three out of 100 Filipino women contract the disease before age 75, and one out of 100 die before age 75, studies indicate.

The campaign on breast cancer awareness in the Subic Bay Freeport is actively supported by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Workers from various business locators at the Subic Bay Freeport march for a good cause during the 2nd Breast Cancer Awareness Fun Walk at the Subic Techno Park recently.

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