Hanjin workers to get mandatory safety training

Construction workers employed at the shipyard here of Hanin Heavy Industries Corp.-Philippines (HHIC-Phil) will undergo a mandatory safety orientation course starting next week to help address safety concerns at the $1.6-billion shipbuilding facility.

The training was required by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which have both expressed alarm over the number of fatal accidents at the shipyard since 2007.

“This will be a basic safety orientation course for construction workers, including safety officers, employed by both Hanjin and its subcontractors,” said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

“Everyday, starting September 1, there will be 120 shipyard workers attending the safety course,” he added.

The safety appreciation courses, which will be conducted by the DOLE’s Occupational Safety and Health Center, will cover five topics each day.
The primary target audience for the courses are safety officers employed by Hanjin and its subcontractors. These key personnel are then expected to echo the topics discussed among employees belonging to their respective work units.

Arreza explained that the safety orientation course was deemed necessary because investigations of the 15 fatal accidents in the shipyard indicated some safety lapses committed by workers themselves, aside from those by subcontracting firms.

“There were cases when workers refused to wear hard hats because they found it uncomfortable. So we have to really inculcate a culture of safety among the workers, too,” he said.

Aside from the courses set for next week, health and safety personnel from the DOLE and the SBMA have also conducted trainings at the Hanjin shipyard recently, according to the SBMA Occupational Health and Safety Office.

One of these safety courses was conducted on August 21 by the DOLE’s Bureau of Working Conditions and the Association of Safety Practitioners, Inc., a private safety group.

A five-day construction safety training is also being conducted by a DOLE team since Tuesday, with 58 participants from Hanjin and subcontracting firms.

Arreza also said that as part of the SBMA’s action plan to foster safety at the Hanjin shipyard, the agency will set up an office at the site, to be manned by occupational health and safety personnel as well as employees from the SBMA Labor Department.

“We (the SBMA) want to establish a strong presence at the shipyard, so we can enforce adequate control,” Arreza said.

At the same time, Arreza gave the assurance that Hanjin subcontractors who were found to have violated regulations on occupational health and safety and other labor requirements “won’t be tolerated by the SBMA.”

He said that of the 42 companies subcontracted by Hanjin for various operations in the shipyard, 18 have been terminated due to infractions or failure to secure proper accreditation. These included UT Corporation, whose worker Efren dela Cruz became the 15th fatality at the Hanjin construction site.

The other subcontractors whose accreditation were not renewed are: Electro Dynamics Construction Development Inc., AFR Construction & Development Co. Inc., Canall Corp., Ron Daniel Construction Corp., Traffic Control Product Corp., General Corp., Geoscience Technology, A.V. Subia Garden, Beton Bau Phils. Inc., Doublefold Construction Corp., Inyoung Phils. Inc., Jeil Sanup Corp., KMI-KJK Inc., LC Builders & Developers Inc., R.P. Alejandro Construction Inc., Wierig Industrial Products Inc., and I. Stone International Corporation. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Conservationists teach Subic residents how to live with wildlife

Subic’s rich and diverse wildlife may appeal greatly to visitors to this free port, but some residents and business locators have lately expressed concerns about wild animals becoming “too comfortable” with people.

To help residents and visitors live harmoniously with nature, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Wildlife in Need (WIN)-Subic recently launched an information-dissemination campaign dubbed “Living with Wildlife” — a series of presentations designed to familiarize people with wildlife found in this free port.

According to SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana-Koval, they have been receiving some complaints lately, mostly about monkeys becoming “too aggressive” in their foraging—overturning garbage cans and invading properties.

Koval said this prompted them to team up with WIN, a non-profit organization which has been promoting wildlife conservation here in 2003, and undertaking habitat protection and restoration, community-based action programs, public education, and professional training for wildlife protection.

“As you can see, nature and development sit side-by-side in this free port,” Koval explained, adding that it is not unusual for one to see snakes or wild boars crossing roads, or long-tailed macaque monkeys entering housing areas and raiding trash bins.

“We just have to learn how to deal with situations when we encounter wild animals,” said WIN president Gail Laude, who presented a slideshow describing the appearance and behavior of wildlife endemic to the Subic Bay Freeport.

According to Laude, it would be advisable for residents and visitors here to know how animals look like when they are afraid, defensive, confused or angry, so that untoward incidents could be avoided.

Monkeys, for example, bare their fangs when they are afraid, Laude said. “But you would know they are really angry when you see them pull their lips back at the same time that they show their fangs.”

Other animals, like monitor lizards, swish their tails when they are defensive.

Laude said that the best thing that people should do when encountering wild animals is to stay at a safe distance and to leave them alone.

Another rule, she added, is not to feed the wild animals, and to secure trash bins in order not to attract wildlife.

Laude said her organization believes that even with the fast-paced development of Subic, wildlife protection and conservation would still be possible in this free port where boundaries have been set to ensure that development will not creep into the habitats of wild animals.

“There will always be that kind of conflict—the competition for space,” Laude said. “But we believe there is a way for us—humans and wildlife alike—to live together and have enough space and freedom.”

Koval also clarified that while there is now a growing demand for residential and commercial spaces in Subic, the SBMA makes it a point not to sacrifice nature for industrialization.

She added that of the 55,102 hectares of land in Subic, the SBMA has classified a 3,000-hectare area as “core ecological zone” that environmentalists refer to as a “no-development zone.”

This serves as a wildlife sanctuary for the 122 animal species and 745 plant species that can be found in Subic, she added. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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SBMA probes 18 Hanjin contractors

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)has started investigating the subcontractors of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Philippines Inc. in the wake of workers’ deaths inside the shipyard of the Korean company in this Freeport.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said the agency’s investigation of the latest death at the shipyard, involving Efren de la Cruz who was electrocuted on Aug. 12 while working at Hanjin’s motor pool, yielded a troubling pattern among the subcontractors.

“In all the deaths, the common problem is that these workers were not wearing, or did not have, their safety gear or PPEs (personal protective equipment). Either they
were not given any, or they weren’t using it for some reason,” said Arreza.

De la Cruz, hired by Hanjin subcontractor Unicorn T (UT) Corp., died before reaching the San Marcelino Hospital. He was the 15th worker reported to have died while working at the shipyard. On Aug. 7, Arvy Mahinay, 19, who was employed by Hanjin subcontractor Bodahh Inc., died when he fell from a roof while retrieving his helmet that was blown off by the wind.

Poor judgment

In a statement, the SBMA said De la Cruz was electrocuted while working at the shipyard’s motor pool. He and four other workers were using an electricity- driven tool when the accident happened, the SBMA said.

Pyeong Jung-yu, Hanjin general manager, earlier said De la Cruz died after a heart attack. Yu said they did not report De la Cruz’s death immediately to the SBMA or the Department of Labor and Employment because he did not die in an accident.Arreza said most of the deaths could be attributed to “poor judgment on the part of the worker or workers involved in an accident and/or negligence on the part of Hanjin or its subcontractors.”

Fake papers

He said UT Corp., which is owned by a Korean, had faked its certificate of registration and tax exemption (CRTE), a document that allows them to operate within the Subic Freeport without paying duties.

“We found out that UT Corp. was using fraudulent documents while conducting our investigation into De la Cruz’s death. Also, they were not giving their workers the proper benefits, or paying their SSS (Social Security System) contributions. Plus, most of their workers did not have the proper safety gear, like De la Cruz,” he said.

The SBMA has since banned UT Corp. from doing business inside the freeport while Hanjin has terminated its contract.Arreza said the SBMA began cracking down on the subcontractors in July, after worker Benje Gamolo died that month when he was hit by
an eight-ton steel beam.At least 18 of 42 Hanjin subcontractors were either unregistered or had expired registrations, SBMA reports said.

“Without the registration, they (subcontractors) cannot work. For those subcontractors [who have] expired registrations, they can continue [operating in the free port]. [There is] automatic renewal if they have no violations,” said Arreza. (Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Northern Luzon)

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Subic, Clark harmonize customs procedures

The Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark Development Corporation (CDC), and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) signed the other day an agreement to harmonize customs systems and procedures in the free ports of Subic and Clark.

The agreement seeks to institutionalize partnership and cooperation between the parties to enhance the positioning and competitiveness of the two free port zones as a preferred international investment and tourist destination.

SCADC Chairman Edgardo Pamintuan, BoC Commissioner Napoleon Morales, SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, and CDC President Benigno Ricafort signed the memorandum of agreement that also adopted the National Single Window (NSW) program in Clark and Subic.

The NSW is a system that enables a single submission and synchronous processing of data and information, resulting in a single point of decision for the release of cargoes by the BoC.

At the same time, the BoC, SBMA and CDC also put into effect a Joint Memorandum Order (JMO) on automated transit and admission declaration of cargo for Subic and Clark, which outlined the administrative and operational provisions for the automated cargo facility.

The event was witnessed by Trade Undersecretary Thomas Aquino, BoC-Subic Collector Marietta Zamoranos, Dir. Filas Chen of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), and some Taiwanese locators in Subic and Clark.

Pamintuan said the agreement put into realization the vision of establishing an economic corridor to fully open trade linkages with Taiwan, particularly the Taiwan Export Processing Zone Authority.

He explained that the JMO intends to facilitate the conduct of business by providing, through the NSW program, a more efficient, less costly, and fully automated system for merchandise that are admitted, transited and transferred into and between the freeport zones.

“The MoA and JMO will be harmonizing the Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (ICQ) procedures and policies to facilitate a smooth and seamless transfer of goods and people from and to Subic and Clark, and the export processing zones in Taiwan,” Pamintuan said.

With the implementation of harmonized ICQ procedures, goods from Taiwan could be transshipped to Subic or Clark on real time — as envisioned by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Pamintuan further said.

For his part, Morales said the new system will also be “our way of fighting corruption” as BoC offices in Subic and Clark will no longer be accepting cash for payments, which shall now be done on-line with banks.

Arreza said meanwhile that Taiwanese investors in Subic “are very happy” with the signing of the agreement.

“Our locators, particularly the Taiwanese firms, believe that through the harmonized ICQ program in place, doing business in Subic and Clark will be truly at par with world-class standard,” Arreza said.

“Now, we will have an environment where investors can see that their goods are being handled on time and processed in a transparent manner,” he added. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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SUBIC-CLARK HARMONY: Clark Development Corp. President Benigno Ricafort, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council Chairman Edgardo Pamintuan, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator Armand Arreza sign a memorandum of agreement to harmonize customs procedures in the free ports of Subic and Clark.

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Firm allots $48-M to redevelop Subic golf course

A Korean-Filipino company is now set to pump in some $48 million to re-develop Subic’s 18-hole golf course into an all-weather championship fairways and to provide full-blown country club amenities therein.


According to Benjamin John Defensor, president and chief executive officer of Hanafil Golf & Tour, Inc., the firm’s multi-million development commitments include putting up additional nine holes, constructing a hotel and some villas, and improving the driving range at the Subic Bay Golf and Country Club.

The project is scheduled for completion within six years, he said, adding that the re-development would have to be phased after club members requested that the existing 18 holes be kept open while additional holes are constructed.

“We’re aiming for a full-blown country club concept,” Defensor told newsmen in a press briefing here. “The fairways would have to be reconstructed from scratch and some of the holes would have to be relocated.”

In re-designing the course, Defensor said his company is planning to engage the services of topnotch golf architects like Arnold Palmer or Robert Trent Jones II, who have both designed some of the world’s most exciting courses.

Palmer’s best courses include those at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida; the Classic Club in Palm Desert, California; and the Four Seasons Resort in Liberia, Costa Rica.

Meanwhile, Jones’s masterpieces include the Spanish Bay Links in Pebble Beach, California; the Prince Course in Kauai, Hawaii; and the Cabo Real Campo de Golf in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

In the same forum, Administrator Armand Arreza of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) revealed that Hanafil’s golf course project is but one of three leisure complexes to be established in the Subic Bay Freeport area within the next few years.

Arreza said the SBMA has also approved a 400-hectare site at Cawag in Subic’s Redondo Peninsula for a golf course and resort project by Neocove, another Korean company, while a third golf links will be established at the Morong area, which is being eyed as a resort and convention complex.

The three golf courses will be located in such a way that they won’t compete with each other, but instead ensure adequate facilities for the growing number of golf enthusiasts and visiting professional players, Arreza said.

The re-development of the Subic Bay golf course came after the SBMA awarded the project to Hanafil in a public bidding earlier this year.

The Subic authority took over the operation of the facility last year after it terminated the lease agreement of the previous operator due to its ballooning debts that ran to some $150 million.

Atty. Von Rodriguez, officer in charge of the SBMA Legal Department, said the Regional Trial Court in Olongapo City has affirmed the validity of the SBMA takeover last year.

The Supreme Court has also upheld in 2000 SBMA’s rights to take over the operation of the golf course when it did so in 1997 due to the failure of the previous operator to honor its development commitments.

Defensor clarified, meanwhile, the firm has retained the services of some 70 workers who were employed by the previous operator and would employ more local workers upon the start of construction and re-development activities. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Subic exports hit $416-M in 1st half; Imports rise by 28% to $1.1-B

Subic-made products exported to various markets abroad raked in a total of $416 million in the first half of 2008, $1.5 million more than the total recorded in the same period last year.
According to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Trade Facilitation and Compliance Department (SBMA-TFCD), Subic’s first semeter export figure was boosted by deliveries of electronic products, computer peripherals, and precision equipment, as well as the sale of the first subic-made ship by Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp.-Philippines (HHIC-Phil).

Wistron Infocomm Phils., a Taiwanese computer manufacturer that has consistently topped Subic’s exporters list, remained the leader in this period with a freight on board (FOB) export value of $142 million.

The top slot for the month of June, however, was snatched from Wistron by HHIC-Phil, when it posted an FOB value of $59.5 million for delivering MV Argolikos, the first container ship built by the firm here.

The ship, which was delivered to the Greek shipping company Dioryx Maritime Corp., also made HHIC-Phil the second biggest exporter during the first six months.

Completing the list of top 10 exporters in January-June 2008 are: Hitachi Terminals Mechatronics Phils. Corp. (Taiwan) with $41.9 million; Sanyo Denki Phils. (Japan), $38.4 million; Lets Do Mobile Phils. (HongKong), $20.4 million; Juken Sangyo Corp. (Japan), $17.2 million; Tong Lung Metals Inc. (Taiwan), $11.9 million; Hitachi Air Conditioning Products Inc. (Taiwan), $10.6 million; Nidec Subic Phils. (Japan), $8.3 million; and Nicera Philippines, Inc. (Japan), with $7.4 million.

SBMA records indicated that almost 86 percent of the total FOB value recorded in the first semester were produced by the top 10 exporters.

Within the six-month period, the biggest FOB value was recorded in June — $107.3 million, with more than half of this amount contributed by HHIC-Phil.

Meanwhile, imports by business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport during the same period reached $1.1 billion, representing a 27.7 percent increase over last year’s record of $854.2 million for the first six months.

Topping the list of importers here was PTT Philippines Trading Corp., which deals in oil and petroleum products, with a total import worth $278.4 million in FOB value.

PTT was followed in the list by HHIC-Phils. with $169.5 million; Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Corp., with $119.1 million; Lets Do Mobile Philippines, with $111.4 million; and top exporter Wistron Infocomm, with $101.5 million.

The other importers that made it to Subic’s top 10 in January-June 2008 were:Tri-Solid Movers Services, Inc., with $38.5 million; Sanyo Denki Phils. Inc., $21.3 million; Hitachi Terminals, with $20.7 million; Honeywell Ceasa (Subic Bay) Co., Inc., $16.5 million; and Juken Sangyo (Phils) Corp., $12..9 million.

The firms in the top 10 recorded about 82 percent of Subic’s total import value in the first six months.

In the same period, the SBMA said that seaport revenue reached P114.5 million, which is equivalent to a 10.9 percent increase over the P103.2-million posted in the first semester of 2007.

The seaport revenue was derived mainly from charges to foreign and domestic vessels that called at the Port of Subic, including wharfage and storage fees.

The SBMA Seaport Department also said that the January-June revenue this year surpassed Subic’s target of P111.7 million by 2.26 percent. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Shipyard Worker Electrocuted

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is set to issue another notice of violation to Hanjin Heavy Industries Inc. (HHIC) for “not enforcing the occupational safety regulations on its sub-contractors” following the death of another worker the other day (August 12, 2008).

The worker, identified as Efren de la Cruz, 23, native of Almasen, Hermosa, Bataan, was accidentally electrocuted while working at the shipyard’s Motor Pool (U-Ditch Area) using a power driven tool, together with four other workers of sub-contractor UT Construction.

Amethya Koval, manager of SBMA Ecology Center, said that initial investigation showed there was rainwater in the ditch about three inches deep.

“There were five of them in the group, however only three of them were wearing company-issued rubber boots,” Koval said.

She said that the jackhammer De la Cruz was using was connected to an extension wire that may have fallen or gotten in contact with the water in the ditch, thus electrocuting the unprotected worker.

The victim was immediately brought to the HHIC clinic for first aid treatment and transferred to the San Marcelino District Hospital for further medical treatment but was declared dead-on-arrival (DOA). The attending physician observed that the patient had “bleeding nose and ears, blackened lips and fingers” – manifestations that occur in electrocution cases.

In her report to SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, Koval recommended the issuance of a Notice of Violation to HHIC Construction, stressing its failure to enforce occupational safety regulations on its sub-contractors and the “lack of supervision by its safety officers on critical working environment.”

“In fact, no job safety analysis was conducted and no Work Permit for that activity was issued,” she said.

Koval also noted that the victim’s employer, UT Construction, a sub-contractor of HHIC Construction, has no SBMA Accreditation and Permit to Operate (PTO), having submitted the accreditation requirements to the SBMA Business Group only on August 7.

“Due to blatant negligence of the contractor to work safety standards, particularly on work environment assessment and provision of appropriate personal protective equipment to its workers, it is recommended that said contractor should not be issued any business permit,” Koval recommended.

Earlier, Arreza has asked Hanjin to terminate the accreditation of three sub-contractors which were found negligent in the implementation of occupational safety standards in the work areas of the shipyard. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Hi-tech passports issued in Subic Freeport

About 1,000 residents from communities around the Subic Bay Freeport, mostly employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and their dependents, availed of "high-tech" passports issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) here on Saturday during a mobile passporting project.

The DFA project, which was held jointly with the SBMA, made the long trip to the DFA office in Manila or Clark unnecessary since the passport-processing centers "are brought to the people instead," said Atty. Robert Martinez, SBMA deputy administrator for administration.

"Applicants get to save a lot on transportation, food, time and worries," Martinez added.

Aside from the convenience, the Subic passporting project also delivered the latest machine-readable passports (MRPs), said Renato Villapando, chief of the DFA's Office of Consular Affairs (OCA).

Villapando announced that the maroon-colored MRPs launched in 2007 were now issued in place of the green-colored ones which used handwritten entries.

"This will be the first time that MRPs were issued in Subic," he said.

The new passports, he said, had lamination bearing holograms and special printing that are visible only under high-tech decoding lens. These are but some of the security features that make MRPs harder to forge, he added.

Villpando said the use of MRPs is undertaken in compliance with standards agreed to by contracting states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which includes the Philippines.

The DFA-OCA chief also expressed satisfaction with the way SBMA handled the passporting project, saying the Subic event "has been the most organized so far this year."

Previously, Villapando's team has conducted similar projects in Marikina, Pasig, Palawan, Puerto Princesa and Baler, Aurora, among others.

Martinez said the SBMA has handled several mobile passporting projects since 2003 as part of its efforts to serve the community.

"The service gets better since the process becomes more streamlined as we hold the event annually," he added. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Redondo worker falls to death; subcontractor suspended

Another worker of Hanjin subcontractor Bodahh, Inc. died at the Korean project site in Redondo Peninsula after falling off the roof of a structure.

He was the fourth fatality in the subcontractor's record since last year.

According to initial information from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), 19-year old Arvy Mahinay, a resident of Pasig City, fell off the roof of a shelter under construction after he tried to go after his falling helmet.

The accident occurred at about 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday at Hanjin's Dockyard No. 5.

SBMA investigators said the victim was wearing a safety belt hooked to a lifeline while at work on the roof.

However when his safety helmet accidentally fell off, Mahinay reportedly unhooked his lifeline as he tried to retrieve his helmet.

The victim reportedly slipped and subsequently fell 29 meters to the ground.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said the agency is conducting further investigation into the incident, but announced at the same time that SBMA has ordered the suspension of any activity of the subcontractor.

Mahinay's employer, Bodahh manager Suk Ho Kang, was also given 72 hours to show cause why the company's certificate of registration should not be revoked.

Arreza added that SBMA is also studying the permanent cancellation of Bodahh's accreditation in view of its involvement in a number of accidents at the Redondo project site.

Previously, three other workers employed by Bodahh have figured in fatal accidents, including two who also fell off rooftops.

The first victim employed by Bodahh fell off the roof of an assembly shop on February 22 last year; the second, from a 9-meter high structure on March 11, 2008; and the third, in a vehicular accident only last June 11.

The latest incident is the 14th fatal accident to happen at the Hanjin shipyard here, where some 15,000 workers are employed by the South Korean shipbuilder and its subcontractors. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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SBMA tops Region 3 First Aid Olympics

Exhibiting heightened skills and efficiency that brought it to the forefront of rescue efforts in various parts of the country, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority's Disaster Management Council (SDMC) reigned supreme in the 5th Regional First Aid and Basic Life Support Olympics held on Thursday at the Subic Bay Sports Complex here.

The event, which was conducted by the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council 3 (RDCC-3) in the observance of the National Disaster Consciousness Month, pitted 10 rescue teams from various provinces, cities and volunteer groups in Central Luzon.

Representatives from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Philippine National Red Cross Region 3 (PNRC-3), and the RDCC-3 evaluated the performance of the participants.

After various events in the one-day Olympics, the SBMA Disaster Management Team, headed by SBMA Law Enforcement Department chief Vicente Tolentino, emerged as champion in the provincial level.

It also won three special awards for best situational analysis, focus on severe bleeding and bandaging; best situational analysis, focus on immobilization; and best in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and rescue briefing.

Teams from the provinces of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, meanwhile, copped the 1st and 2nd runner-up spots, respectively, in the provincial level.

In the municipal level, the disaster management team from Sta. Maria, Bulacan was adjudged the champion. The team from Bulacan, Bulacan was named 1st runner-up, while third place went to the team from Balagtas, Bulacan.

The city level, meanwhile, was topped by Palayan, Nueva Ecija, with Tarlac as runner-up.

The First Aid Olympics, an annual event held by RDCC-3, has been instrumental in improving the capabilities of rescue teams in the region, said P/CSupt. Errol Pan, PRO-3 regional director and RDCC-3 chairman.

"RDCC's well-equipped first aiders and volunteers have done well in helping save lives and reduce the effects of injury and trauma through the efficient practice of first aid," Pan said in his message read by P/SSupt. Gil Meneses, his deputy for administration.

"The First Aid Olympics provides opportunities for the participants to develop leadership skills and character," Pan also said.

Because of this skills competition, he added, rescue teams from the SBMA and Olongapo City are now considered as among the best in the country, along with those from Pasig and Makati.

Meanwhile, Neri Amparo, executive director of the RDCC, noted during the opening ceremony that continuous training in first aid is necessary among rescue teams, since lack of awareness and knowledge in basic life support (BLS) and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is common cause of death in accidents and other emergencies.

"In times of disaster, a lot of deaths could have been avoided if most of the people in the affected areas have acquired the basic techniques of first aid and CPR," she said.

The rescue and disaster management teams that competed included those from the Bulacan PDMC, Nueva Ecija PDCC, Palayan City DCC, Tarlac City DCC, Bulacan (Bulacan) MDCC, Sta. Maria (Bulacan) MDCC, Sto. Tomas (Pampanga) MDCC, Balagtas (Bulacan) MDCC, Olongapo City DMC, which was the defending champion in the city level, and the host team of SBMA, which placed second in last year's contest. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Subic 1st half investments top $212-M; 3,500 new jobs assured

New investment projects approved by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in the first half of this year reached a total value of $212 million, bringing cumulative investments in this free port to $5.7 billion.

The 94 new projects recorded in January-June 2008 will also generate up to 3,588 new jobs here — "a big boost to government efforts to stem rising unemployment in the Central Luzon region," said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

"More than 90 percent of the new projects that passed the review of the SBMA board are FDIs (foreign direct investments) coming from Norway, Canada, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, US, Taiwan, and Pakistan," Arreza said.

"It is also notable that about 90 percent of the total investment pledges came from the top 10 biggest projects, and these include two Filipino-owned firms," he added.

SBMA records show that Korean firms once more dominated the field in terms of investment value, with five of the companies in the top 10 occupying the first three slots.

Korean resort developer and operator Subic Neocove Corp., which pledged $175 million in April for a 500-hectare resort and golf course project at Subic's Redondo Peninsula, emerged as the biggest new investor.

Neocove's investment represented about 82 percent of the total for the first half.

The next biggest investors are Korean construction firm Hanil E&C Subic, Inc., which will design, plan and build medium- to high-rise commercial and residential buildings, with committed investments of $11 million; Hanafil Golf & Tour, Inc., a joint Korean-Filipino venture for the operation of golf, tour and recreational facilities, with $3 million; Palmgold Int'l Ltd., a Malaysian company that will import gaming equipment and operate a slot-machine arcade, with $1.93 million; and Grand Pillar International Development, Inc., a Taiwanese real estate developer, with $1.9 million.

In the next slots at the top 10 list are Buma Subic Development and Management Corp., another Korean-Filipino business to operate a seafood restaurant, wellness spa, travel agency and merchandise trading, with investments of $1.5 million; the World HDGD Federation Philippine Association, a Filipino firm that will develop a training facility with health facilities, with $1.22 million; and Philkor Utopia Corp., a Korean firm that will put up a hotel and restaurant, spa, grocery and souvenir shop, and travel and tour services, with $1.2 million.

Tied in at the ninth spot with $800,000 worth of investments each are three firms: Filipino-owned Janburlai Corp., which will operate a tollway service facility along the Subic portion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway; Pakistani-controlled M. Waseem International Corp., which will engage in printing press operation, as well as in import-export and transshipment of various products and equipment; and the Taiwanese firm Ta Zon (Phils) Color Paper Corp., which will import, manufacture, assemble, print and export various packaging materials.

Another Korean company occupied the tail-end of the top investors list: Kumboindustry Corp., which will engage in steel fabrication and production works for the Korean shipbuilder HHIC-Phil, with investments worth $725,000.

Arreza said that in terms of investment value by nationality, Filipino-owned firms were second only to Korean companies during the first half of 2008 with total investments worth $6.5 million.

Taiwanese firms ranked third with $2.7 million; Malaysians, fourth with $2.1 million; and Pakistani, fifth with $800,000.

Other new FDIs came from Japan, with a total of $417,000; Norway, with $161,000; United States, with $50,000; and Canada, with $40,000.

The SBMA also said the 94 new investment projects approved in the first half are projected to employ 3,588 workers.

Among the top 10 biggest new investors, Hanafil is set to employ the biggest number, at 1,495.

The SBMA said that the number of workers has consistently increased in the first half — from a total of 73,482 in January to 77,336 in June. The half year total represented a 12.35 percent increase over the first half total in 2007.

The biggest employers in Subic today are KC Tech, a Korean contractor at the HHIC-Phil shipyard, with 8,830 workers; Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Corp., with 4,960; Japanese firms Nidec and Sanyo Denki, with 2,451 and 2,226 employees, respectively; and Taiwanese computer manufacturer Wistron Infocomm Phils., with 1,629 workers. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Subic signs sister-port pact with Guangxi, China

In a bid to establish mutually-beneficial relations with major economic growth centers in the Asia-Pacific region, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has recently signed a sister-port agreement with Guangxi, considered to be China's gateway to the ASEAN countries.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Feliciano Salonga signed the agreement recently with Ye Shi Xiang, who chairs the Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port (Group) Co., Ltd.

The company administers three major ports in the Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region, and is now undertaking projects for a marine terminal and a logistics base.

Salonga said that upon his invitation, Ye has also agreed to attend this year's conference of the International Network of Affiliated Ports (INAP) that will be hosted by the SBMA on October 28-29 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center here.

The SBMA head said the sister-port agreement between Subic and Guangxi is expected to pave the way for stronger economic ties with China, which is emerging as a global economic power.

"Our proximity to China is one edge that Subic must exploit to its advantage," Salonga explained.

In the case of Guangxi, the demand for mineral products like iron ore and nickel "could be the basic platform to jumpstart the volume of shipment between the two ports," he said.

"We must also learn to match the use of our country's resources with current and emerging global situations," Salonga said.

"This is why we have fast-tracked the completion of the 600,000-TEU New Container Terminal (NCT 1 and 2) project here in Subic to boost our bid to become a major maritime industry player," he added.

Salonga said that since the SBMA has refocused its development efforts towards the maritime industry as a cornerstone, the port of Subic had initiated tie-ups with major ports around the world, aside from playing a more active role in INAP of which it is a founding member.

In October last year, a cooperation agreement between Subic and Maryland's Foreign Trade Zone led to a sister-port link-up between Subic and the port of Baltimore, now the top-ranking port in the U.S. East Coast.

This month, another sister-port agreement will be signed by Subic with the port of San Diego, in California, he said.

Salonga also said that as host of the coming INAP conference, the SBMA had already sent invitations to member ports, including the ports of Colombo in Sri Lanka, Qingdao in China, Tanjang Peak in Indonesia, Kochi in Japan, Iquique in Chile, Mokpo Newport in South Korea, and the port of Cebu.

In the conference to be held here in October, INAP is expected to be joined by two other ports: Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

South Korea's Mokpo Newport, meanwhile, has requested the SBMA for additional invitations for its governor, mayor and the director-general of its maritime office, Salonga said. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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$1-M 'sports hotel' rising in Subic Freeport

A $1-million "sports hotel" featuring an Olympic-sized swimming pool will soon boost the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority's thrust to promote Subic as a major sports destination not only in Luzon or in the Philippines, but in Asia as well.

According to SBMA deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo, the Korean firm Platinum Sports Subic, Inc. (PSSI) is now building a four-story, 45-room hotel on a 5,992-sqm site near the free port's main gate.

"This is a benchmark for Subic's sports tourism program," said Marcelo. "This hotel would feature facilities primarily geared to sports professionals and enthusiasts, hence the tag 'sports hotel'."

PSSI corporate secretary Elma Caquilala said the concept was inspired by a similar establishment in Dubai, which has attracted a huge patronage because of its unique amenities.

"We targeted this particular niche since we saw the emergence of Subic as a sports destination, aside from the fact that the investor is a sports enthusiast himself," said Caquilala.

She added that Subic is an ideal location for a sports hotel because of its strategic location, the soothing environment conducive to sports activities, and the security offered by SBMA.

As approved by the SBMA board of directors in August last year, the project would include a state-of-the-art gym, sports shops, a kids' pool, and PSSI's major commitment to the SBMA — an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

"That is exactly what Subic lacks," Marcelo said, pointing out that when Subic hosted the 3rd Philippine Olympic Festival qualifying games in April, the swimming events had to be conducted outside the free port for lack of facilities.

"That would not be the case anymore with this project. Finally, Subic could now host swimming competitions," he said.

The Olympic-sized pool, which is being built according to world standards, will be located near existing sports facilities here like the Remy Field oval, the Subic basketball gym, and tennis and badminton courts.

Construction of the hotel was started on May 20 by contractor Vision 3000, with completion scheduled in December.

Marcelo also said that the Subic Bay Freeport is fast becoming a major sports venue, which has hosted several national and international sports events like the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in 2005, the Philippine Olympic Festival, as well as international chess tournaments, regattas and triathlon events.

He added that the SBMA is continuously improving its facilities to draw more sports-tourism events here, and has recently solicited proposals to convert the golf course here to world-class, professional tournament venue.

He also announced that Subic will be hosting several sports events in the coming weeks. These include the Petron Ladies' Beach Volleyball Tournament on July 25-26, the ITU-Asian 03 Long distance Triathlon on August 2, the Philippine Sports Fishing Club's fishing tourney at the Alava Pier on August 3, and the Jet Sports Association of the Philippines' jet ski competition on August 23. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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‘Ecoprofit’ practices save millions for Subic’s ‘green’ companies

Greenhouse effect. Global warming. High fuel cost. Expensive power. While world leaders are busy finding ways to minimize these problems, some investors in this free port have found simple, practical and inexpensive solutions.


“We applied the ‘Ecoprofit’ approach and techniques that we’ve learned from joining the Green Philippines program, and we’ve found that they really work!” said Lyn Amor Doble, deputy manager of Hitachi (Leadus) Terminals Mechatronics Phils. Corp., Subic’s second biggest exporters last year.

Hitachi’s “ecoprofit” measures included the conservation and monitoring of water consumption, the scheduling of aircon maintenance, monthly energy audit patrol, re-use of packaging materials like cartons, and the strict implementation of waste segregation.

The results, said Hitachi’s comptroller Kazuhiro Yasuda, were “really surprising.”

The firm was able to reduce 226,700 kilowatts of its energy consumption, resulting to annual savings of P1.18 million, and to decrease its water consumption by 4,600,000 liters, thus saving another P193,500 per year.

The firm, however, only invested a total of P300,000 for these measures, and realized the payback after only 2.6 months.

The Ecoprofit approach, Doble said, was taught under the Green Philippines program, which was backed by the European Union to promote the integration of sustainable development principles with fast paced-industrialization programs.

“It is actually the process of reducing the environmental impacts of industrial activities within urban regions, while strengthening the environment and promoting sustainable economic development,” Doble explained further.

“You may not know it, but the solutions are already there, just waiting to be utilized,” added Yasuda, who helped form the company’s waste management committee composed of workers and management-level personnel.

He said the company now plans to implement more “ecoprofit” measures like the installation of additional plastic curtains, improvement of thermal heat chamber, replacement of fluorescent and hi-bay lamps to compact fluorescent lamps, further education on water conservation, and revision of the company’s waste disposal process.

Hitachi’s waste management committee has also started the mandatory switch-off of lights and air-conditioning systems in offices and halls during break time, and the promotion of a paperless, pencil-less office set-up where communications were routed through in-house computer networks, or intranet.

Yasuda added that as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, Hitachi has asked all its personnel and executives to participate in annual tree planting activities initiated by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Meanwhile, Tailin Abrasives Corp., another leading manufacturer and exporter based at the Subic Bay Industrial Park, has been benefiting hugely from similar ecoprofit techniques.

“When we first introduced the program in our company, there was strong resistance from among the workers who thought the management was simply being a miser by putting up the auto shut-off faucets,” said Daniel Escusa, the firm’s pollution control officer (PCO).

“But as they began seeing the benefits for them, they started to cooperate,” he said.

Escusa revealed that Tailin spent some P500,000 to implement Ecoprofit systems at its abrasives factory here, and in return generated savings that were almost double the installation costs.

Aside from converting conventional faucets to auto-shutoff types to minimize wastage of water, Tailin also implemented garbage segregation and recycling, replacement of oven-door gaskets to minimize temperature loss during product curing, and reducing layers of packaging wrapping from five layers to just two layers.

Because of these measures, the company realized annual savings of P158,500 in electricity consumption, P134,100 in water consumption, P84,000 in reduction of mixed wastes, and P109,000 by a 60 percent reduction of plastic foil consumption.

“We also realized that by simply adopting environment-friendly measures, like improving natural ventilation in our work areas, we could substantially reduce man-hours lost due to sickness and thereby improve our production output, too,” he said.

The Green Philippines program was introduced here recently by the SBMA’s Ecology Center as part of the agency’s initiatives to promote environmental protection and sustainable growth.(SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Korean firm puts up P890-million ‘conficetel’ projects

Seeing the rising demand in the past three years for commercial and residential spaces here in this free port, Korean property developer Subic Daesung Corp. (SDC) has now introduced the “conficetel” concept: a combination of condominium, office and hotel units.

Subic Daesung inaugurated on Tuesday the P120-million, three-story Subic World Plaza (SWP), its first “conficetel” project, and at the same time broke ground for the P770-million, 13-story Wellis Conficetel project.

Both projects are mixed-use commercial buildings that include condominium and hotel units, restaurant and retail shops, SDC chairman Kim Tae Wan explained.

The SWP, which is located within Subic’s central business district, offers 13 commercial spaces at its ground floor, while its second and third floors have 54 office units and 20 residential units.

The 13-story Wellis, on the other hand, will have 384 hotel and condominium units and a state-of-the-art elevator parking — a first in the country, Kim added.

Construction for the Subic World Plaza project started just eight months ago, and units therein are now ready to be leased. Units at the Wellis Conficetel, meanwhile, will be available 18 months after the groundbreaking, Kim said.

The Korean developer added that because of the “tremendous opportunities” in Subic, his firm is eyeing the construction of five 17-storey conficetels on a three-hectare lot at Subic’s Boton Heights commercial area.

The proposed conficetels would be worth a total of P6.75 billion, Kim revealed, also noting the influx of Korean investors and retirees here, and the upward trend of tourist arrivals since the opening of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).

“Subic has become the Philippines’ prime tourist destination. Koreans prefer the Philippines, especially Subic, as their place for retirement,” Kim pointed out.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Feliciano Salonga, meanwhile, gave assurances of the agency’s continued support to the Korean property developer, as well as other Korean investors present during the groundbreaking.

“Although the weather didn’t cooperate, the spirit of cooperation between Korea and Philippines continues without hesitation,” said Salonga, referring to the downpour that beset the ceremony.

Meanwhile, SWP project consultant Leonardo Mesiano credited the growth of property development projects here to the SBMA’s effective marketing program and the agency’s partnership with operators of Subic’s tourism facilities.

He said the resulting influx in tourist arrivals as well as retirees here has provided challenge for Subic Daesung to come up with innovative ideas like the “conficetel” concept. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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