Meralco pushes forward reparations at Subic plant site

The Subic freeport zone is likely the final plant site for the planned 600-megawatt coal fired power facility being lead-developed by the power generation arm of Manila Electric Company (Meralco) – primarily when a pending court case on the project eventually clears up.

A document from Meralco has hinted that the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is set to ratify the Lease and Development Agreement (LDA) for the proposed plant site “to reflect additional terms.” No further details were provided.

It must be culled that the original LDA was declared invalid by the Court of Appeals (CA), alongside its ruling on a Writ of Kalikasan filed by groups opposing the project.

The petition was filed before the Supreme Court, but it was subsequently remanded to the CA for hearing on the merits of the case.

The proposed 600-megawatt power facility was initially targeted for commercial operation by 2015, and it could have placed Luzon grid on ‘safe ground’ versus the feared power interruptions especially during the high-demand months of summer.

The project is to be undertaken under corporate vehicle RP Energy. Meralco PowerGen is the majority equity holder, while its partners are Therma Power, Inc. of the Aboitiz group and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corporation.

On pre-construction activities, the Meralco document indicated that “RP Energy is proceeding with certain development activities that are not hampered by the SC proceedings.”

As of March this year, it was emphasized that “site preparation work is almost complete and RP Energy has commissioned its contractor to conduct preliminary engineering works on the power plant in order to reduce the overall construction period.”

An environmental compliance certificate (ECC) was already issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the two blocks of 300-megawatt electricity generating units designed for the facility.

Full implementation, however, could not move forward until the legal hurdle of the pending Writ of Kalikasan is resolved by the courts.

While the appellate court has initially denied the Writ of Kalikasan petition, it conversely noted “certain deficiencies in the process of the DENR in its issuance of the original ECC for the 300MW coal-fired plant” which has also affected the LDA for the project site. (Myrna Velasco, Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/meralco-pushes-forward-reparations-at-subic-plant-site/

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Subic Port container throughput rises 21% from January to ­April

CONTAINER traffic at Subic Port grew 20.87% in the first four months of the year with the gateway handling 13,529.25 twenty­foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared with 11,193.25 TEUs in the same period a year ago.

Figures provided to PortCalls by terminal operator Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation showed that containerized volume at New Container Terminal 1 increased starting February.

For April alone, NCT 1 handled 4,072.25 TEUs, or 699.25 TEUs more than the 3,373.00 TEUs registered in April 2013.NCT l's average monthly container throughput is 1,197.65 TEUs.

For the whole of last year, the terminal handled 34,847 TEUs. (PortCalls)

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Garcia: Subic Freeport ready for more investments

The Subic Bay Freeport Zone is ready to take on more investments that may come into the country following the recent turmoil in neighboring Vietnam and Thailand.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia revealed this during a briefing last week at the Subic Bay Yacht Club for members of a trade delegation from Virginia Beach, an independent city in the state of Virginia, which recently forged a sisterhood pact with neighboring Olongapo City.

Garcia shared with the delegates that because of Vietnam’s row with China and the coup d’état in Thailand, many foreign investors are looking into relocating their companies in the country.

He said that the Philippines has earned the trust of investors after it received investment upgrades from different rating firms.

He noted that the Philippines is currently enjoying a BBB rating from Standard and Poor’s, which means that the country has adequate capacity to meet financial commitments, but more subject to adverse economic conditions.

“President Aquino’s program of good governance has generated a lot of trust, and this trust has translated into foreign investments coming into the Philippines,” Garcia told the Virginia trade mission.

“They see that the present economic climate is very different from before,” Garcia added.

The SBMA official also said that the Subic Bay Freeport welcomes this development, since it could mean more investments, as well as jobs that could be generated here.

Virginia Beach councilor James Wood said that he is very impressed with the improvements in the country’s economic standing.

He also noted that Subic and Virginia Beach have a lot of similarities, and a possible collaboration is in the horizon.

“I think there are a lot of possibilities since we are near the Port of Virginia (which is) next to our city and we have a number of container ships similar with what you have here. It is possible,” Wood said.

He added that the new defense agreement between the United States and the Philippines can have a positive effect on the possible partnership between the two ports.

“I think also that because we have a large Navy presence in our place and with the change in our defense treaty, we see a lot of ships arriving,” he added.

The SBMA under Garcia’s helm has boosted its thrust to improve its fiscal situation, approving last year a total of P27 billion in investment pledges and posting a net profit of P1.079 billion, its highest in the agency's entire 21-year history.

Garcia said that the SBMA is looking forward this year to more investments, especially those coming from other Asian economies. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (left) briefs delegates from Virginia Beach on the recent developments in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The visitors, headed by Councilor James Wood (near Garcia) and Warren Harris, Virginia Beach director for economic development, arrived under a sisterhood agreement with neighboring Olongapo City.

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BSP conducts Conference on Gearing Up for External Competitiveness in Subic

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recently held a Conference on Gearing Up for External Competitiveness in Subic Bay in a bid to prepare the business sector inside and within the peripheries of the Freeport for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic integration come 2015.

Among the topics discussed include key global economic developments and their impact to global growth and Philippine exports; trends, issues and policies concerning foreign exchange rate; strategies for managing foreign exchange risks; BSP regulations on hedging and measures to improve the competitiveness of Filipino exporters; and strengths of selected countries in achieving external competitiveness.

“The upcoming ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 highlights further the need to take serious measures in implementing reforms. The ASEAN markets could provide domestic firms with market opportunities for greater trade and investment,” BSP Deputy Director Tomas Cariño Jr. said.

Carino added that the discussions would help build a stronger macroeconomic and institutional environment, which is crucial in elevating competitiveness in a larger playing field. (CLJD/MJLS-PIA 3)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2661401670693

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Subic underscores importance of giant clams

At four o’clock in the morning, the sound of a motorized banca breaks the silence as personnel from various agencies start to move huge cases containing giant clams – for transfer from Barangay Calapacuan to Snake Island in Subic town.

At least 40 true giant clams wrapped in watertight plastic bags were planted on Snake Island after being harvested from Bolinao in Pangasinan on Tuesday.

The seeding of these giant clams is part of the “Launching and Seeding of Giant Clams” project of the Subic Marine Protected Area Management Council.

The council is composed of officials from the Municipal Agriculture Office of Subic, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Subic Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council, Philippine National Police, Provincial Maritime, Philippine Coast Guard, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and the local government unit of Subic under the Integrated Coastal Resource Management Program.

According to SBMA representative Marilou Dungog, the seeding program is expected to spur the growth of organism in the reef.

She added that these giant clams are an integral part of the reef, serving as nurseries for a host of fish and invertebrate species, including damsels, gobies, and tiny commensal crustaceans such as shrimp.

She added that sedentary organisms like sponges, tunicates, corals, and algae find giant clam shells perfect substrates for attachment.

Giant clams also act as filter feeders, sifting planktonic debris from the water for food, thereby improving overall water quality. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/subic-underscores-importance-of-giant-clams/

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Keeping pride alive (feature)

Subic Bay Freeport – In the Aeta villages of Pastolan and Kanawan in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, children are learning to merge the ways of the old and new.

Take, for instance, Francine Calubhay, who graduated valedictorian last year from Pastolan Elementary school. She went through the usual rigamarole of students all over the country—waking up at 5 a.m. to do her chores, while her mother prepared breakfast and readied her uniform. After the morning ritual, she would fix her hair, pick up her bag, and head for school.

This year, Francine is off to high school at the Olongapo City National High School.

But that doesn’t mean she will stop helping her elders and community catch fish, hunt game and fowl, gather produce in the forest, and attend to filial duties. She also will not cease nor forget how to perform traditional dances and display jungle survival skills to tourists, in the way her elders taught her.

Francine is her village’s pride. This year, 230 more Aeta kids might just make their families equally proud as they troop off to attend the elementary school inside the Pastolan Aeta Village found in Subic Bay Freeport. More than 20 of them will be graduating this school year and will subsequently take their secondary education at the OCNHS.

Aeta elders believe that educational advancement and development should not clash with the Aeta culture. The youth are reminded to hold on to their identity and be proud of their heritage.

Mizpah Diago, Pastolan Elementary School’s first Aeta teacher, is an inspiration to Francine, who also aims to help develop the education in the village. Like her, Diago started as just a student of the village, gaining honors during her elementary years. But, just like this new batch of graduates, she had to take her secondary education in Olongapo.

Francine’s and Diago’s advancement would not be possible without the help from the government and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). The SBMA is the benefactor of all indigenous communities within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. A part of the income generated inside the zone is allocated to the indigenous people here, as stated in the Joint Management Agreement (JMA) signed between the village captains and officials of the SBMA.

One of the SBMA’s plans for Pastolan Elementary School is to add a high school department so that its graduates don’t have to transfer to OCNHS.

It’s already achieved that for the fishing village of Kanawan, whose school now has a high school department. Just like Pastolan, Kanawan only had an elementary school last year.

Kanawan, which had around 150 students last year, produced 17 elementary graduates.

Stereotypically cast as nomadic vendors selling knickknacks to tourists in the Subic, it looks like Aeta kids are out to change that impression.

Next time an Aeta comes up to you in Subic, take a good look–he or she may just be one of the most hardworking students in the province, and the hope of his village. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/keeping-pride-alive/

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Hanjin Subic enters world’s top 10 shipyards

According to Clarkson Research Studies in the U.K., the world’s leading shipping services provider, HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard ranked 10th in the world for the first time in terms of Compensated Gross Tonnage (CGT) with 1,757,000. This landmark was hit in five years since it was launched in April 2009, the company said in its press release.

It has no doubt that HHIC has been a pioneer in domestic shipbuilding industry, building Korea’s first steel vessel, oil rig, Asia’s first membrane LNG carrier, air cushion vehicle, cable ship and icebreaker. Because of economic crisis in 2008, emergence of Chinese shipbuilders and competitive competition, however, it felt behind.

Thanks to the completion of HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard, the Korean shipbuilder was finally able to overcome its limitation in building high value-added vessels. Empowered by the improvement of mid- and long-term competitiveness, HHIC has established its ground to develop into the world’s leading shipbuilder.

Last month, HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard won the bid to build the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) for the first time. In the past, HHIC didn’t even attempt to participate in this kind of bid due to its narrow shipyard in Yeongdo.

Entering this year, in particular, HHIC has been successful in several bids including 300,000DWT VLCCs and over 10,000TEU VCLSs. So far, the company has book advance orders (nearly US 3.2 billion dollars, 50 ships in total) for three (3) years. Now, HHIC is treated as one of the world’s leading global shipbuilders.

HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard is a global shipyard (900,000 pyeong) situated in Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). It features all kinds of state-of-the-art facilities including two huge docks, 4km-long quay, four ultra-large gantry cranes and 1km-long automated assembly lines. In particular, the world’s largest dock (Dock 6, 550m in length, 135m in width, 13.5m in depth) is capable of building six container carriers at the same time.

An official from HHIC said, “We believe that we would be able to move higher with the Subic Shipyard.” He added, “We are going to develop HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard into a global hub for shipbuilding and make Yeongdo Shipyard concentrate on passenger & cargo carriers and special-purpose vessels to evolve into a global shipbuilder.” (PortNews)

http://en.portnews.ru/news/181257/

Photo: http://www.hhic-phil.com/aboutus/shipyard1.aspx

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Slowest in ASEAN: Faster internet speed pressed

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto is urging government to also mandate internet service providers (ISPs) and telecom companies to increase the minimum speed of their internet service to 10 Mbps (megabits per second) from the current internet speed of 3.4 Mbps.

Recto said with 3.4 Mbps, the country has the slowest internet speed in South East Asia followed by Indonesia with 4.1 Mbps, Malaysia at 5.5 Mbps, with Singapore as being the fastest in the ASEAN region with a lightning internet speed of 61.0 Mbps.

The global internet speed to download information and pictures from the worldwide web is 18.4 Mpbs.

“Unfortunately, the Philippines ranks at the tail-end of world broadband speed rankings and is also tagged as one of the most expensive,” Recto said.

The Senate leader added: “The national march towards a broader internet or Wi-Fi access should be in cadence with a decent internet speed. Aanhin mo ang Wi-Fi kung puro ka naman antay?”

Recto said Filipino internet users are also paying more than their ASEAN counterparts with a monthly average of $24.92 or roughly P1,120 compared to the fraction spent by other nationalities.

He said his Senate Bill (SB) 2238 dubbed “Bilis Konek Act of 2014” would empower the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to require a minimum internet speed for all ISPs and telcos offering internet service of 10 Mbps for mobile broadband/internet access.

The speed should be faster at 20 Mbps when it comes to fixed and fixed wireless broadband/internet access or those installed at home. The transition to a faster internet speed would be two years after the enactment of the law.

“This bill recognizes the importance of high-speed internet connections in increasing productivity and the growing demands for connectivity,” he said, noting that faster internet has correlation to economic growth according to a foreign report.

Recto stressed mandating a minimum internet speed makes sense since the country aside from being the "Texting Capital of the World" was also named by the Global Web Index as having the Fastest Growing Internet Population with a 531% growth in the last five years.

“If the Human Rights Council of the United Nations General Assembly declares internet access as a basic human right, internet users should also have the right to faster internet -- call it internet on steroids,” he said.

Recto has also filed SB 2232, which seeks the roll out of free Wi-Fi access to all public places in the National Capital Region (NCR) as a companion measure to his "Bilis Konek Act."

Recto said an NCR-wide free internet access would provide equal opportunity to all, especially the marginalized members of society and promote efficiency and productivity in businesses.

“Providing free internet access to public buildings and facilities in the national capital will also ensure that our growing labor force will be updated with employment opportunities,” Recto said in filing SB 2232.

He said a free internet access to the public would “mean providing access to the underserved in our society, including getting low-income people online.”

A free Wi-Fi service, according to him, would also give access to vital information available online such as school information for students; traffic reports and alternative routes for motorists; latest weather bulletins, basic goods prices such as oil and gas; and, updates on government services.

Recto said his proposed bill, if enacted into law, would mandate free internet use to the following public areas in the entire NCR:

· All national and local government offices
· Public health services and hospitals
· Public elementary and high schools, and state colleges and universities
· Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Terminals I, II, III and IV)
· Public libraries
· Tollways and expressways
· Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and other national roads
· Public transport terminals
· Port of Manila; and
· Rail transit stations (LRT Line 1, MRT Line 2, MRT Line 3, and PNR south rail).


He assured that once seamlessly in place in Metro Manila, other major cities in the country should be also accorded with free Wi-Fi service.

The Recto bill mandates the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as the lead agency. (RBB/SNL)

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OPM Hitmen in Subic

OPM crooners Richard Reynoso, Chad Borja (front), Renz Verano, and Rannie Raymundo (back) motorcade around Subic Bay Freeport as part of their concert-for-a-cause, "An Evening With The OPM Hitmen sa Subic," staged at the Subic Bay Exhibition & Convention Center on Sunday, May 24. Proceeds went to the volunteer sweepers of the freeport and the Philippine Red Cross.

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SBMA task force recovers stolen marine artifact

A Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) task force formed recently to recover items stolen from some shipwrecks in Subic Bay has retrieved an anchor believed to be part of a stash hidden by looters.

According to a report from the SBMA Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED), Subic authorities mounted operation “Oplan Bawi Bakal” to recover artifacts and other items stolen from various shipwrecks in Subic Bay.

The operation was undertaken after an unnamed informant reported that scrap metals, including marine anchors, were stashed in the waters some 200 meters away from the shoreline off Barangay Mabayo in Morong, Bataan.

On May 14, the team composed of elements of the SBMA-LED, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Olongapo City, Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Maritime Unit-3, PNP-Special Action Force, and Morong PNP aboard two SBMA Harbor Patrol boats, the M/T Redondo and a vessel from the Boardwalk Dive Shop proceeded to the area identified by the informant.

After coordinating with the officials of Barangay Mabayo, SBMA-LED divers recovered an old common anchor full of barnacles, measuring approximately seven feet high, and three feet and five inches across.

The SBMA-LED stated that no other artifact was recovered from the area, as residents said the other items in the loot “were hidden away hastily the night before the operation was conducted.”

The recovered anchor is currently in the possession of the SBMA-LED for safekeeping.

SBMA officials said the Philippine Artifacts Commission will be notified for proper identification of the recovered common anchor.

Meanwhile, the NBI-Olongapo has assumed jurisdiction over the case and is set to conduct a follow-up operation for possible recovery of other stolen artifacts and for the arrest and filing of appropriate charges against the looters.

Last March, five suspects from Morong, Bataan, were apprehended in connection with the looting of the San Quentin, a Spanish-era shipwreck that is a favorite dive site in Subic Bay.

All were subsequently released, however, due to lack of evidence.

Among other shipwrecks within the Subic Bay waters are the El Capitan, USS New York, the hell ship Oryoku Maru, Seian Maru, and a Tank Landing Ship (LST). (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

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Power supply a challenge to investors

Power outages across the Philippines amid shutdowns at electricity plants and increasing summer demand are raising concern the country’s stunted generation capacity will stifle investment and economic growth.

Two of the Philippines’ three main islands are on “Red Alert” after supply fell below peak demand this week as aging facilities shut for repairs and temperatures rise to near 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Delays in building new plants may slow the expansion of Asia’s second-fastest growing economy, according to Erramon Aboitiz, president of Aboitiz Power Corp., the nation’s second-largest utility.

“It’s time to worry,” Aboitiz said in an interview at the ASEAN Finance Ministers investor seminar in Manila on May 20. “Investors are always forward-looking and when they see projections of a potential power problem, they’ll decide to put their investments somewhere else.”

The strain this summer on power plants highlights how the Philippines’ under-performing electricity sector threatens the country’s economic growth, which is second only to China in the Asia-Pacific. Gross domestic product rose 7.2 percent in 2013 and is poised to remain among the world’s five fastest-expanding until 2016, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

As the economy expands, so has the country’s demand for electricity. Consumption jumped 50 percent in the 10 years to 2012, more than three times the 16 percent growth rate over that same period for the nation’s generating capacity, according to government data.

Some new projects are being delayed because of environmental concerns, such as Aboitiz Power and Manila Electric Co.’s 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant at the Subic Freeport zone north of the capital, which was blocked by a court order. The companies in July 2011 said the first 300 megawatts of the plant will be available by 2014.

“The power crisis is going to be costly,” Ronald Mendoza, executive director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center in Manila, said in a telephone interview yesterday. “It will affect manufacturing and services, so there will be implications on production. Investors may scale back or delay investments.”

With peak power demand forecast to grow about 4 percent annually until 2030, the country will need more than 13,000 megawatts of additional capacity, or 80 percent more than what’s installed, according to Department of Energy data. The government estimates that will require 2.8 trillion pesos ($64 billion) of investment. About 1,800 megawatts of new generation has been committed so far.

The central Visayas region, home to the famous beaches of Boracay island, had zero power reserves yesterday. The southern Mindanao region is on a reserve deficit of nearly 100 megawatts, according to data from National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, a transmission company. Mindanao has suffered from outages for years as a third of supply comes from hydroelectric plants that are unreliable during dry season and subsidized electricity prices discourage constructing new plants. Summer temperatures are driving higher air-conditioning use.

The “Red Alert” warning means outages are to be expected in the two regions. On May 16, the Philippine capital Manila and nearby provinces under Manila Electric’s franchise experienced an hour of rotating power outages.

Aboitiz Power may spend about $5 billion building 2,000 megawatts of new capacity in the next five years, adding to its current portfolio of 2,300 megawatts, Aboitiz said in the interview. Profit in the three months ended March fell for the fifth straight quarter, down 9 percent to 4.2 billion pesos after revaluing its dollar loans and power sales declined. (BLOOMBERG)

http://www.mb.com.ph/power-supply-a-challenge-to-investors/

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1st bird park in Luzon seen to boost tourism in Subic

Touted as the country’s premier survival course provider, JEST Camp opened its doors this month to bird lovers and enthusiasts all over the country with the launching of the Magaul Bird Park, the first bird park in Luzon, which is expected to boost tourism in this freeport.

Along with the introduction of the bird park was the launch of a bird show that showcased a hundred birds of different species, some of which belong to the endangered list.

Katrina Lacap, JEST Camp general manager said the bird park hopes to be recognized globally which also runs parallel with Subic’s aim of making it a world-class eco-urban center.

“JEST Camp is one with the local government in promoting both local and international tourism for Subic Freeport Zone while preserving the forest environment that is unique to the area. Companies in Subic including those involved in animal preservation are not competing among each other but rather working together to help promote Subic,” she said.

“Here (in Subic), we already have land (Zoobic Safari), marine/water (Ocean Adventure), and this time, we giving them Air (Bird Park). So kumpleto na kami dito. We want people to know that we’re promoting the province and not the individual businesses,” she added.

To achieve this goal, she said JEST Camp must become a center for sustainable living technologies and must create a haven for city dwellers inside a forest, a destination for nature lovers who want to learn about eco-friendly living.

Apart from the being the only bird park in Luzon, Lacap said it offers 10 other attractions, with three talk-and-feeding and two amazing shows. (Franco G. Regala, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTO:
A bird park trainer shows off how a red-vented cockatoo follows orders from her using hand signals and a whistle at the JEST Camp inside Subic Freeport. 

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APO to operate ecozone in Subic

ANGLO Philippine Holdings Corp. (APO) will operate an economic zone from its property inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Bataan.

Adrian Arias, Anglo Philippine executive vice president, said necessary paperwork and representations have already been made with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to accredit the property, with a size of about 300 hectares. When completed, the development will be the country’s newest ecozone.

He said the company expects to secure the necessary approvals within the year. Arias said APO acquired the said property, situated in Tipo Valley in Bataan, from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for about P250 million to P290 million. The company may spend the same amount to develop the area.

The said project is expected to attract locators from the Subic Bay Freeport, which is a favored destination of logistics and manufacturing companies as the area has a sea and air gateways, and direct access to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

Arias said many locators in Subic wanted to expand operations, while many more want to come in but the free port’s developed area is already full. “All of the available spaces in Subic are already [parceled in] smaller cuts. So we thought, why not develop since the land is already there,” Arias said.

“If we ever get into it, we will probably [develop the property in] phases,” Arias said, adding that it may take 10 to 15 years before the company will realize gains from the said project.

APO has a huge stack of cash in its coffers after the private placement of majority shareholder, the Ramos family’s Alakor Corp., resulted in about P4.2 billion in fresh funds.

The bulk of this amount—or about P1.6 billion—will be spent to buy additional shares in The Philodrill Corp. to increase shareholding to 34.3 percent from 11.8 percent.

The remaining cash will be used to pay maturing debts, acquire more dividend-yielding asset and boost other assets, such as APO’s economic interest in the TriNoma shopping mall in Quezon City.

The company has investments in United Paragon Mining Corp., Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., Philodrill, North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp., MRT Development Corp., MRT Holdings Inc., Brightnote Asset Corp. and Filipinas Energy Corp. (VG Cabuag, Business Mirror)

http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/business/companies/32495-apo-to-operate-ecozone-in-subic

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Delos Reyes claims Subic bike fest title

Bike King’s Joey Delos Reyes showed his might in the road race as he topped the punishing 90-kilometer Stage three to also steal the overall individual title in Category 2 at the close of the Bike United Tour of Subic 2014 last Sunday at the Subic Bay Freeport.

The 26-year-old bike mechanic and Unilab Active Health’s Ben Rana pulled away from the peloton right after the first 25-kilometers before the two engaged in an exciting sprint finish won by Delos Reyes.

“Mas gusto ko ang ahon kesa sa flat kaya talagang plano ko na umatake agad,” said Delos Reyes who negotiated the race that saw stiff uphill climbs in two hours 38 minutes and 46 seconds.

Fresh from a second place finish in the 60-kilometer road race Stage two, Delos Reyes accumulated a total time of 5:08:58 to win the individual title in this two-day bikefest organized by Bike King headed by Raul Cuevas and presented by Unilab Active Health.

Cebuano rider Ramonito Espinosa who seemed headed for the title after topping the first two stages, suffered a mechanical problem in the middle part of the race and arrived 14 minutes behind Delos Reyes (2:52:56).

“Naputulan ako ng kadena at ilang minuto rin ako nahinto dahil nilagyan ko pa ng clip. Sayang, kungdi nangyari ito, makakasabay ako sa kanila,” said a dejected Espinosa who settled for seventh spot over with 5:22:31 time.

Rana, who was a second behind in stage three (2:38:47), finished second overall with 5:11:22 while Mervin Santiago of Sante Barley, who came in third in the final race (2:43:00), bagged the third overall with 5:13:44.

Franzia’s lady rider Marella Vania Salamat topped the race to complete a sweep of the three stage event also supported by Aboitiz, Subic Holiday Villas, AboitizPower, Orbea, Pocari Sweat, Crystal Clear Purified Water, Shimano, OtterBox, Maxxis Tires and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)-Tourism Department. (Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/delos-reyes-claims-subic-bike-fest-title/

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Delos Reyes edges Rana, rules Bike United Tour

Bike King’s Joey Delos Reyes dominated the road race as he topped the 90-km Stage three to likewise steal the overall individual crown in Category 2 at the close of the Bike United Tour of Subic at the Subic Bay Freeport last Sunday.

The 26-year-old bike mechanic and Unilab Active Health’s Ben Rana pulled away from the main pack right after the first 25kms before Delos Reyes outsprinted Rana in a thrilling finish.

“Mas gusto ko ang ahon kesa sa flat kaya talagang plano ko na umatake agad,” said Delos Reyes who negotiated the race that had stiff uphill climbs in two hours, 38 minutes, 46 seconds.

Fresh from a runner-up finish in the 60km road race Stage two, Delos Reyes posted a total time of 5:08:58 to win the individual title in the two-day bikefest organized by Bike King headed by Raul Cuevas and presented by Unilab Active Health.

Cebuano rider Ramonito Espinosa, who topped the first two stages, suffered a mechanical problem midway through the race and arrived 14 minutes behind Delos Reyes (2:52:56).

“Naputulan ako ng kadena at ilang minuto rin ako nahinto dahil nilagyan ko pa ng clip. Sayang, kungdi nangyari ito, makakasabay ako sa kanila,” rued Espinosa, who settled for seventh spot in 5:22:31 time.

Rana, second behind in Stage three (2:38:47), finished second overall in 5:11:22 while Mervin Santiago of Sante Barley, who came in third in the final race (2:43:00), bagged the third overall with a 5:13:44 clocking.

Franzia’s lady rider Marella Vania Salamat topped the race to complete a sweep of the three-stage event also supported by Aboitiz, Subic Holiday Villas,AboitizPower, Orbea, Pocari Sweat, Crystal Clear Purified Water, Shimano,OtterBox, Maxxis Tires and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)-Tourism Department.

The 20-year-old UE student taking up dentistry timed at 3:00:45 for an impressive total time of 5:36:06.

“My goal was to really go hard on the hills to determine who my rivals would be. I’m happy to have defended my title,” said Salamat.

Veteran cyclists Doray Ellis and LC Langit of Boys Get Chicked settled for a far second and third overall at 6:07:37 and 6:13:29, respectively, even as Jerard Estilo of ASG Quickspeed Philippines emerged champion in the men’s Category 3 in 5:16:17, edging Christopher Lobanon of Shell V-Power Nitro+ (5:17:12)and teammate Agustin Querimit (5:20:42).

Fitness First Cycling Team ruled the Team Competition event in 15:53:00 while Sante Barley Cycling Team took second place in 16:03:58 with Unilab Active Health Elite team finishing third at 16:21:36. (The Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/sports/2014/05/21/1325562/delos-reyes-edges-rana-rules-bike-united-tour

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