Gordon bill to expand Subic, Clark ecozones gains support

A proposal by Senator Richard Gordon to allow the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) to develop more economic zones in neighboring areas gained more adherents during committee deliberations on Wednesday.

Gordon, who heads the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, received assurances from concerned national government agencies, government corporations and local government units (LGUs) that they would support development thrusts in the Subic-Clark growth corridor as envisioned in Gordon’s bill.

The agencies included SBMA and CDC, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Department of Finance (DoF), and the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

Representatives from the provincial governments of Zambales and Bataan likewise attended the hearing and expressed support to the proposal.

According to Gordon, Senate Bill No. 143 seeks to maximize the vision of the Subic-Clark growth corridor to decongest Manila and open up more livelihood opportunities in areas between the Subic, Clark and Manila, as well as along the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).

Gordon also said that by creating more special economic zones near the two free ports, the government could optimize the use of the three airports in Subic, Clark and Manila, the two seaports in Subic and Manila, and the connecting highway and railway in Luzon.

Agreeing to Gordon’s proposal, SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza suggested that funds for the acquisition of lands for conversion into economic zones be sourced out from the 5 percent gross revenue tax collected by SBMA and CDC from their business locators.

“The challenge would be in the consolidation of the adjoining lands, and to spur the development of the prospective ecozones we shall need adequate funding,” Arreza said, pointing out that most of the lands along the SCTEX are already titled, based on a recent survey conducted by the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC).

Meanwhile, PNR chairman Mike Defensor commended Gordon for coming up with a proposal to hasten the development of the Subic-Clark growth corridor.

Defensor revealed that his agency will be starting the Northrail project next month to enhance the benefits of the SCTEx and encourage more trade and livelihood opportunities in the Central and Northern Luzon regions.

“We will support the development of more economic zones,” Defensor pledged.

He added that, in particular, the Northrail project will further boost existing means to transport commuters and products in the area.

In the same hearing, Gordon also brushed off concerns by representatives of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) that Gordon’s proposal would duplicate the PEZA law by creating another agency to oversee economic zones.

“This is not a territorial tug of war. What I want to see out of this bill is just development,” Gordon added.

Aside from getting their support, Gordon also asked the concerned agencies and LGUs represented in the hearing to form a technical working group to collate suggested measures for incorporation in the bill.

“We’ll put the bill on the floor in two weeks,” Gordon said.

Two other measures seeking to amend Republic Act No. 7227, otherwise known as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority Act of 1991, are under deliberation by Senate committees.

The bills, which both seek to expand revenue allocations from the sale, lease, joint ventures and other transactions involving military bases and reservations in the country, are authored respectively by senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodolfo Biazon. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Philip Morris starts phase 2 of P1-B Subic warehouse project

Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI) has signed a 50-year lease agreement with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), increasing the company’s investment here and paving the way for the construction of a P1-billion tobacco leaf regional warehouse.

In the lease agreement signed by SBMA administrator Armand Arreza and PMPMI managing director Christopher Nelson on Tuesday (Aug 18), PMMPI increased the total land area of its project here to 49,279 square meters, from the current 9,600-square meter warehouse it has refurbished when it started its Subic operation in 2007.

Once completed, the state-of-the-art warehouse will have a capacity to hold some 24,000 metric tons of tobacco. At present, the P30-million peso refurbished warehouse can only accommodate 6,100 metric tons.

Nelson said the new warehouse will boast of features like humidity control, fire suppression equipment, and air conditioning to handle the imported tobacco leaves from foreign suppliers, which will then be shipped and processed in cigarette manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to Arreza, the agreement, which extended PMPMI’s lease agreement to 50 years, "strengthens Subic Bay Freeport’s competitive posture as South East Asia’s logistics hub, as envisioned by President Arroyo."

He added that this free port’s multi-modal transport (air-land-sea) capabilities, world-class infrastructures, modern road networks, and tax incentives might have prompted PMPMI to sign an agreement that spans half a century.

"A global brand such as Phillip Morris would not make hasty decisions, which means the firm has really found Subic an enviable logistics hub," said Arreza.

Just recently, Subic scored another milestone in its thrust to become a leading logistics hub when a major cargo forwarder based in the United States established its North Luzon hub in this free port, Arreza added.

Nelson, for his part, said that PMPMI continued to expand since their establishment here in 2007 at the Subic Technopark, and even posted growth during the global economic slowdown which hit the country in the last quarter of 2008.

Nelson added that the warehouse expansion is "a reflection of our faith in the Philippine government, particularly the SBMA."

The PMPMI managing director also expressed confidence that the company will sustain profitability and competence against its competitors, despite the increasing competition in the tobacco industry.

"If you plan well ahead, and stay committed, this country will reward you in many ways," Nelson said.

He added that the 50-year lease extension is another expression of PMPMI’s gratefulness to the Filipino people.

"It may be difficult to get us, but once you have us, it would be difficult for us to leave you," said Nelson.

Also on Tuesday, Nelson and other PMPMI executives visited the Nellie E. Brown Elementary School in Olongapo City to turn over the PMPMI-sponsored "Proficient Measures for Quality Education" project, which would benefit five local public elementary schools.

This project, which PMPMI said will be replicated in other areas such as Bataan, provides access to curriculum-based TV programs through the Knowledge Channel, in partnership with the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO: SBMA administrator Armand Arreza and PMPMI managing director Christopher Nelson sign an agreement expanding and extending the firm’s regional leaf tobacco warehouse project in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

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Historic past combines with modern present in Subic Bay festival

While a Hollywood-inspired parade spiced up this year’s “Karakol” festival in this free port, the original religious message of thanking Subic’s patron saint San Roque remains the core of the festivity.

In the street dancing activity that kicked off the Karakol celebration recently, characters from hit movies like “Grease,” “Sister Act,” “The Matrix” and “Moulin Rouge,” as well as Miss Universe “contestants” assembled at the San Roque chapel here, their attractive costumes lending color and fun to the otherwise sedate occasion.

The cast of Hollywood characters were actually employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and students of schools here, who donned well-prepared costumes and heavy make-up in an effort to please the crowd of tourists that looked forward to the annual Karakol festival.

However, the festivity has not abandoned its original religious purpose despite the modern elements, said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

Arreza said the modern celebration only reflects the Subic lifestyle, which he described as a merger of the past and the present.

“You can call this a strategy to catch the younger generation’s attention, so that they are introduced to their historical roots,” Arreza said.

“But that is just like icing on a cake. The celebration’s core message— the spiritual significance— remains unaltered,” he added.

Arreza noted that this “past-present strategy” is applied by the SBMA even in the physical development of the Subic Freeport, wherein modern facilities are being constructed to blend with historical landmarks that date back to Spanish and American periods.

Raul Marcelo, SBMA deputy administrator for tourism, said the Karakol festival is one of the most awaited events held annually at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

He said SBMA departments and business locators here took turns sponsoring the week-long mass offerings at the San Roque chapel, which was built for Spanish sailors and Filipino converts to Christianity during the 1800’s.

Enshrined in the chapel is an image of San Roque from Segovia, Spain, which was given as a gift to the people of Olongapo by a prominent resident of Cavite in 1905.

Marcelo added that while modern facilities mushroomed here in the past two decades, historical landmarks such as the San Roque chapel were preserved, thereby providing a venue for residents and visitors alike to trace the cultural roots of the Subic Bay area.

Aside from the San Roque chapel, other top historical attractions here are Tappan Park, the oldest park in the Subic Freeport-Olongapo area; the Spanish Gate, the main gate to the Naval Station built here by Spaniards; and the Admiral’s Guest House, which was built during the early American period.

These structures are all within the central business district of the Subic Bay Freeport and are now easily accessible to tourists.

Outside of the business district, historical attractions include the World War II-era battery installations at the Grande Island, as well as several shipwrecks at the bottom of the Subic Bay. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO: Modern festivities blend with religious tradition in the Karakol Festival, which honors Subic Bay’s patron saint San Roque.

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SCADC consults building, zonal officers on SCTEX billboards

A business with no sign is a sign of no business.

For the development stakeholders of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), there is no better sign that they mean serious business than the panoramic view of the mountains, rivers and the countryside that they are seeking to preserve.

In keeping with its mandate to oversee and direct policy development, the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC) met with building and zoning officials of all the local government units along the expressway corridor for a consultation on the drafting of Additional Rules and Regulations (ARR) on Signs and Signboard Structures.

As presented by Director Teresito Tiotuyco of the SCADC Directorate for Utilities and Infrastructure, the proposed additional rules and regulations are further amplifications of Rule XX of Presidential Decree 1096, also known as the National Building Code of the Philippines, and Section 5 of Administrative Order No. 160. Specific provisions have been inserted to address the particular need to preserve the SCTEX panorama along the “view corridor,” that Clark-to-Subic segment that has been identified as most scenic by stakeholders.

The objective of the addenda is to keep the most scenic views of the expressway free from any advertising structure or signage, such as those currently found along the major highways of the country, more notably, EDSA. This would afford people the opportunity to behold nature’s beauty and rustic landscapes while travelling in comfort and safety. At the same time, it will be synchronized with the long term goal of transforming the corridor into a mega logistics hub that is competitively at par with the best in the Asia Pacific region.

However, locations will be identified where service providers can put up signs and structures according to specifications detailed in the ARR. Engr. Tiotuyco observed that in certain places, billboards may even help add to landscape aesthetics, and provide illumination as well for night drivers.

Aesthetics is not the only subject considered in the ARR. Mr. Audey Orleans of the Ads Standards Council gave an overview of their vetting process in approving advertising content. He said that community standards, discretion, truthfulness of claims and even size are taken into account for every advertisement submitted to them. He noted that giant billboards are of particular concern, because their size tends to amplify dimensions of images.

Commenting on the proposed additions, Director Emmanuel Cuntapay of the National Building Code Development Office stated that the SCADC initiative has moved the Department of Public Works and Highways to fast-track its move to formulate its Implementing Rules and Regulations covering billboards and signs along expressways and other similar thoroughfares. He also enjoined the officials to be always on the watch for violations of existing laws and regulations.

For its pro-active resolution totally prohibiting any construction or posting of advertising structure, the Sangguniang Bayan of Floridablanca was praised by resource speakers and attendees. Floridablanca lies within the “view corridor,” and boasts of the picturesque Palacol River.

SCADC is planning more future consultations as more issues are raised and consensus is built. According to Arch. Armando Alli, land utilization consultant, “this is an opportunity to plan the future with foresight. Having learned from our own sad experiences, and from the benchmarks set by other countries, we hope that the SCAD Corridor shall become a showcase of the Filipino’s capability to be the best.” (SCADC)

Photo Caption : Director Emmanuel Cuntapay of the National Building Code Development Office stresses a point during the SCADC Consultation Meeting on Signs and Signboard Structures held at the Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga last August 12, 2009.

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SBMA rescue team bags ‘Kalasag’ award

Preparedness and the willingness to respond to emergency calls at all times proved its worth for the rescue team of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), as it was conferred a special citation presented by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on August 12.

The SBMA Fire and Rescue Team received special recognition for being the “Best Support Organization/Institution” in the national level during the 2009 Gawad Kalasag awarding ceremony at the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday.

The awards, which are given out by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), recognize individuals, groups or institutions that have shown extraordinary courage, heroism, self-sacrifice, and bravery against all odds in times of emergencies and disasters.

Aside from the SBMA team, 57 other entities received the award from President Arroyo and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

NDCC executive officer Glenn Rabonza said that the special citation for SBMA recognized the Subic rescue team’s “invaluable services, competence and commitment in preparing for and responding to emergencies within and outside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.”

SBMA Fire Chief Ranny Magno, who received the Kalasag award with his team members, meanwhile shared the citation with the rest of the SBMA employees.

“This is not something that only the SBMA fire and rescue team should be proud of,” Magno said. “We earned this national award because of the support of everyone in the SBMA.”

Magno said his team has also received several commendations for various emergency responses and rescue missions made over the years.

On July 28, the Cordillera Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (CRDCC) recognized the SBMA team for its support in recovering and retrieving trapped miners at Itogon, Benguet, in September 2008. The award was presented by CRDCC regional director Olive Luces in Baguio City.

The SBMA team also received a certificate of appreciation from Director Neri Amparo of RDCC-3 for the same heroic acts in Benguet.

Magno recalled that after getting the emergency call from Baguio City in the afternoon of that fateful day in September, the SBMA rescue team was immediately organized that by midnight all were already heading for Baguio.

A few minutes after the team's arrival at the collapsed mine shaft, the operation to retrieve the trapped miners started. Before noon the following day, the team had retrieved the first miner, Magno said.

Meanwhile, SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza gave the assurance that the SBMA will always be ready to send its fire and rescue teams anytime, anywhere to provide assistance and to save lives and properties.

“The SBMA also has a mandate to contribute to the development of neighboring communities, and that includes making sure that these communities are a safe place to live in,” Arreza said.

He said the latest emergency that the SBMA team responded to was in Botolan, Zambales, where floodwaters trapped hundreds of residents in 10 barangays after a lahar dike collapsed due to heavy rains from typhoon “Kiko.” (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO: SBMA fire chief Ranny Magno (left) presents an award received by the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team to SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

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Longboard lures visitors to Subic even during rainy season

The rainy season here actually draws more tourists, and the recent arrival of longboarding is expected to boost the number of visitors even more.

A variant of skateboarding also known as “sidewalk surfing,” longboarding is the latest addition to the extreme adventure sports being held in the free port.

“This is the latest adventure craze here in Subic during the rainy season,” said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo.

“In fact, some longboarders even love it more when faced with extreme weather conditions,” Marcelo added.

Longboarding, developed by skateboarders in the US who wanted to recreate the feeling of surfing and snowboarding on the street, was introduced here early this month at the former naval magazine area.

Longer boards with bigger wheels are supposed to be used for this sport, but participants in a recent event here simply used modified skateboards for better maneuverability on the makeshift short course that was lined with protective air bags and cushions.

It now joins the list of other sports that lure tourists, including rappelling, wall and rock-climbing, windsurfing, sailing, jet skiing, biking, diving, parasailing and auto racing.

“We have the forests, the bay and man-made structures that provide a myriad of challenges for those who hunger for the extreme experience,” Marcelo said.

“The great thing about adventure tourism is that even the rains cannot stop it. In fact, the inclement weather adds another dimension to the challenge,” he said.

“Because of this, you can spot thrill-seekers going to Subic on weekends even when there’s a typhoon,” Marcelo said. “That’s because they can still have fun here with their jet skis, surfboards, mountain bikes, skateboards and other sports gears.” (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror Correspondent)

IN PHOTO -- A Longboarding enthusiast test the turns and downhill stretches of the course at the former naval magazine area.

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SBMA grants P4 million to Subic fisher folks

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has extended P4 million in assistance to a fisher folk group here to jumpstart their livelihood and marine resources conservation programs in accordance with the sustainable development of the bay of Subic.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said the fund, which was created as a condition under the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) issued for the Subic Bay Port Development Project and the Hanjin shipbuilding venture here, will be spent on social and environmental activities that will balance the industrial thrust of this maritime port.

The Subic Bay Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council (SB-IFARMC), a non-government organization representing fishing associations and communities that rely mainly on Subic Bay’s marine resources, will receive the P4-million environmental guarantee fund.

“The fisher folks, who have been dependent on Subic Bay’s bounty even before the creation of the Subic Bay Freeport, will be the beneficiaries of this grant,” Arreza said.

“They may have been affected by restrictions imposed in Subic as the maritime sector boomed, but this grant proves that the SBMA also champions the interest of the fishing sector,” he added.

On Tuesday, Arreza and SB-IFARMC chairman Laureano Artagame signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) governing the terms and conditions of the P4-milion grant.

Artagame, who profusely thanked the SBMA for providing the assistance, said the fund will be spent mostly on building artificial reefs, as well as scholarship and livelihood programs for fisher folks.

Under the SB-IFARMC program, the SBMA will assist the group in the implementation of its projects, along with other government agencies like the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Arreza, meanwhile, assured the fishers group that while the Subic port modernization program and the Hanjin shipyard project are contributing much to the government’s revenue collection in Subic, the SBMA has not overlooked the importance of the fishing industry.

“That is why the SB-IFARMC was formed in 2002, as a result of the SBMA Ecology Center’s initiative to empower the fishing sector, as mandated under Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fishing Code of 1998,” Arreza said.

The SBMA chief explained that the formation of the SB-IFARMC was also aimed at coordinating the enforcement of fishery laws, and boosting the integrated and sustainable management of Subic Bay’s ecological values and marine resources.

“Organizing is the first step in social empowerment, and that is the first thing the SBMA did for the fisher folks here,” Arreza said. “And what better way to manage Subic’s marine ecosystem than to involve those who consider the sea as their lifeblood?”

In response, Artagame gave the assurance that the SB-IFAMC will immediately implement proposals from fishing communities, which have lain dormant for the most part due to lack of funding.

He added that the membership of SB-IFARMC has grown over the years to more than 3,000 fisher folks from the coastal communities of Zambales, Bataan and Olongapo City. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO: SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza (left) signs an agreement with SB-IFARMC chairman Laureano Artagame for the release of a P4-million environmental guarantee fund to benefit fisher folks in the Subic Bay area.

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GMA inaugurates one-stop wellness center in Subic Bay

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will inaugurate on Aug. 14 the George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center - the only one of its kind in the Philippines- located at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center is a 100-bed tertiary hospital owned and operated by the George Dewey Medical College, Inc., a 5-year old nursing college. It sits on a 12-hectare facility, perched on top of a hill surrounded by a lush forest.

"The Center is our response - the Philippine response-to the Challenge posed by our neighbors like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia for leadership in Medical tourism," Dr. Carmen Dinglasan, the George Dewey president said.

President Arroyo will lead a group of leaders from Olongapo City, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Guam and the medical community in the opening of the one-stop medical and wellness center.

Located at Villa Amorosa, Upper Cubi, inside the Freeport, the center has the potential to become a leader in medical tourism. Many of its medical staff were trained in the United States and Europe and are some of the best in their fields of specialization in the country. Many of the doctors are speakers in International conventions.

Because of its proximity to Central and Northern Luzon, the George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center can serve the medical and health needs of the residents from Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, parts of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, CagayanValley, Isabela, La Union, the Ilocos provinces and the Clark Economic Zone.

Some of is services include cardiac surgery; joint and hip replacement; reconstructive surgery; corneal transplant; refractive surgery and multi-focal intraocular lens implantation; stem cell rejuvenation; sleep disorder therapy; transplant surgery; laboratory analysis; pain management; fertility clinic and dental implants.

In addition, the Center is a health resort for retirees. It caters to persons seeking medical treatment, checkup or have concerns about their well-being. When fully developed, it will have boutique stores, mini-groceries, a sports complex, a 500-unit condominium, a business center, fine restaurants, coffee shops, a conference center and places of worship for people of all beliefs.

Some of the people behind George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center are Dr. Fe Hidalgo (President George Dewey Medical College, former Undersecretary, Dept. of Education); Dr. Ruby Cereneo (VP for Academic affairs, George Dewey Medical College; former Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Lyceum of the Philippines; Rony Diaz (former publisher, The Manila Times, former Labor undersecretary and former chief of a regional program of the International Labor Organization based in Islamabad); Dr. Carmen N. Dinglasan (President, George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center and one of the two owners of Makati Eye Laser Center at the Fort); Ms. Winnie C. Monsod (former head of NEDA and the UP School of Economics. She is the George Dewey Medical and Welless Center chairperson) ; Dr. Manuel Chua Chiaco (Medical Director, George
Dewey Medical and Wellness Center, a well-known, highly respected heart surgeon from the Philippine Heart Center); and Jose Araullo (former chairman of the Araullo, Punongbayan and Associates).

George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center is part of Villa Amorosa, a self-contained health resort for retirees, medical practitioners and medical students. A $30 million medical- tourism project, it employs 200 medical staff and health-related workers and would need another 300 for its shopping areas, sports complex, restaurants and condominiums when they open in 2010. It is the first of its kind in the Philippines. (PIA)

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SBMA rescuers continue assisting Botolan evacuees

BOTOLAN, Zambales — The emergency response team of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), along with some medical staff, will remain in this town to assist evacuees whose numbers continue to rise days after floodwaters inundated 10 barangays here.

At the instruction of SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, who conferred with Botolan Mayor Rogelio Yap on Friday, the SBMA Rescue Team has set up its evacuation command post at the Porac Elementary School here.

Two doctors and some nurses were also stationed by the SBMA on 12-hour shifts at the said command post to augment two other doctors and some nurses sent there by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The SBMA medical team is backed up by an ambulance.

Arreza said the combined rescue and medical staff will stay in the area “for as long as the area is under a state of emergency,” referring to the declaration by Zambales Governor Amor Deloso on Friday..

The emergency unit has instructions to prioritize giving medical attention to women and children, as well as to provide noodles and bottled water to flood victims, Arreza added.

The SBMA’s emergency response team is composed of 14 rescue operators from the SBMA Fire Department, who were among the first to respond to calls for help from Botolan officials on Thursday, when a lahar dike protecting the municipality broke during heavy rains brought about by typhoon “Kiko.”

The team was later augmented by 25 rescue operators from the SBMA Law Enforcement Department, who brought in five rubber boats to evacuate residents from flooded areas.

Other rescuers who assisted in the evacuation were from the Philippine National Red Cross, Olongapo City Rescue Team, Philippine National Police, the Naval Education Training Command of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Army, and the Philippine Coast Guard-Subic Station.

According to Mayor Yap, the flooding was caused by the overflow of the Baquilan and Balin-Baquero rivers that both drain from the Mt. Pinatubo area.

The overflow destroyed a five-kilometer length of the San Juan lahar dike, thus sending floodwaters to 10 barangays in the municipality, he added.

The flood affected about 1,000 families who began evacuating to temporary shelters at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, Yap said.

Most of the flood victims were brought to evacuation centers at the Porac Elementary School and Bucao Elementary School, both in this town.

Arreza also said that lahar deposits from Mt. Pinatubo had collapsed the approach of the Bucao bridge, cutting off access from south Zambales to the Botolan town proper and five other municipalities in the north, including the capital town of Iba.

Gov. Deloso had reportedly ordered the construction of a temporary steel bridge to fill the gap. In the meantime, those who would like to go to northern parts of Zambales would have to take a roundabout route passing through Pangasinan, Arreza said.

In the meantime, Arreza said that the SBMA and the PNRC have set up a joint desk at the lobby of Bldg. 229, the main SBMA office in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Arreza said the agencies are soliciting donations in cash or kind to be delivered to Botolan flood victims. Prospective donors may arrange details with the SBMA at telephone numbers (047) 252-SBMA, added Arreza. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO: SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza (right) confers with Botolan Mayor Rogelio Yap at the height of rescue operations on Friday.

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Subic seaport hits 2009 revenue target in 7 months

Revenue collections by the seaport department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in the first seven months have already exceeded the agency’s target for the entire 2009.

SBMA deputy administrator for operations Ferdinand Hernandez said collections from vessel lay-ups in Subic Bay, as well as wharfage fees on imported products boosted
seaport revenue to a total of P319.73 million, or P3.43 million more than the revenue target for this year.

The amount also represented a 15.7 percent growth over 2008 figures, Hernandez pointed out.

Comparative figures from the SBMA Seaport Department showed that from January to July, the SBMA collected P131.23 million in vessel charges, P91.67 million in cargo charges, P21.56 million in processing fees, P34.62 million in SBMA shares for port-related services, P35.6 million in leases and rentals, and P5 million in other charges.

These figures included a total of P68.3 million from fees paid by laid-up vessels, P39.8 million in wharfage fees on grains, wheat, fertilizer and rice, and P21.5 million in wharfage fees on imported petroleum products.

The P319.73-million collection from January to July 2009 was 169.7 percent more than the target for the same seven-month period, SBMA figures showed.

Because of the record collections, the SBMA Seaport Department has upgraded its 2009 target collection to P440.84 million, Hernandez said.

Hernandez said that despite the global economic slowdown, the SBMA Seaport Department “has consistently recorded banner revenues.”

“June 2009, which brought in P60.69 million is worth highlighting because it is the seaport’s highest monthly record thus far — ever since the SBMA was created in 1992,” he said.

“For the remaining quarters of 2009, it is a foregone conclusion that the targets will be surpassed,” Hernandez added.

Earlier, Subic seaport officials reported that the SBMA generated revenue worth P276.49 million from seaport operations in January to June 2009. This total also slightly surpassed the revenue posted during the 12-month period of 2008.

“This only goes to show that the SBMA is on the right track in its effort to market the Port of Subic to more shippers, importers, brokers and cargo forwarders,” said
Hernandez.

SBMA officials also attributed the record-breaking seaport figures to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s vision for Subic and the huge investments in infrastructure like the
Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), and the Subic Port Development.

“These have made the SBMA’s marketing strategies for the port very effective, thus enabling us to greatly enhance Subic’s performance as a logistics hub,” Hernandez also explained.

Meanwhile, SBMA seaport manager Perfecto Pascual disclosed that the SBMA’s goal-setting program has so far worked wonders for seaport operations.

Pascual said his department first made revenue forecasts in 2006, the same year when seaport income rose significantly, allowing the department to achieve 94.75 percent of its P201.46-million forecast. This was followed by a 93.54-percent completion of the P233.21-million forecast in 2007, and the chart-busting record of 121.05-percent in 2008 when Subic posted actual revenue of P276.24-million against a forecast of P228.2 million.

Pascual added that the monthly collections this year have surpassed all previous records since 1993 as the SBMA Seaport Department posted P37.62 million in January, P41.57 million in February, P51.01 million in March, P44.49 million in April, P41.07 million in May, P60.69 million in June, and P43.24 million in July. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Subic, Clark to harmonize business permit systems

The neighboring free ports of Subic and Clark will soon be utilizing a unified business permit system designed to further harmonize their business operations and facilitate the entry of more investments in the two economic zones.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza said the two free ports will start implementing the Subic-Clark Business Permit System in September this year.

The implementation of the harmonized system, Arreza said, was contained in a memorandum of agreement signed on July 22 by the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC), Clark Development Corp. (CDC), Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), and the SBMA.

The agreement also called for, among others, a unified system for the issuance of Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption (CRTE), Permit to Operate (PTO), and other business permits, in compliance with RA 9485, otherwise known as the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.

Arreza said the harmonized Subic-Clark business system is part of a strategic program to propel the Philippine economy toward heightened global participation.

“It’s the most logical recourse — to complement each other and play on each other’s strengths, rather than remain as islands of autonomy and inefficiency,” he said.

“By complementing each other, Subic and Clark will have the best chances of ever becoming the two most progressive investment sites in the Philippines, as well as globally-competitive logistics and service hubs that President Arroyo has envisioned,” Arreza added.

Harmonized business operations would also enable Subic and Clark to capitalize on both their US military-built ports and newly-constructed facilities to bolster their bid for economic significance in the Asia-Pacific region, the SBMA official said.

Efforts to turn Subic and Clark into interdependent nodes of development in Central Luzon have been the focus of the SCADC, which is headed by Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan.

In August last year, the SCADC brokered the signing of an agreement and joint memorandum order between the SBMA, CDC, and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) for the harmonization of immigration, customs and quarantine (ICQ) procedures in Subic and Clark.

These documents institutionalized the National Single Windows program in the two free ports, and facilitated the implementation of Electronic Transit Admission Permit System (e-TAPS), an automated cargo clearance and releasing facility.

Last month, the SCADC also embarked on a 15-day economic mission to the United States to promote Subic and Clark as twin logistics hubs.

Arreza said the mission resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the SCADC, SBMA, CIAC, and the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority (SCLAA), and the move by US-based door-to-door cargo forwarder Atlas Shippers International to make Subic its hub for North Luzon operations.

The SCADC also conducted a forum on the Subic-Clark International Logistics Hub during the U.S. mission to drumbeat developments in the two free ports and promote their potentials in catering to the needs of the Asia-Pacific region.

Arreza noted that Subic and Clark previously operated as competing economic zones that boasted of contrasting strengths — a seaport for the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and an airport for the Clark Freeport.

However, the two free ports that are now connected by the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) “have realized that their diversity could provide a common strength that will define, focus and magnify their individual capacities,” he added.

With these complementation efforts, Subic and Clark are steadily moving towards combining their assets to become catalysts of development for Central Luzon and other parts of the country, Arreza said. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Morong residents benefit from SBMA medical mission

More than 150 residents from remote areas in Morong, Bataan, benefited from a medical mission initiated by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on the occasion of the 80th birthday celebration of Chairman Feliciano Salonga on Thursday.

The medical mission, which was conducted on Friday at the multipurpose hall of the Bataan Technology Park, Inc. (BTPi) in Sabang, Morong, provided medical check-up, as well as medical supplies and supplemental vitamins, to a total of 53 indigent families.

The SBMA also distributed food supplies, and bags and slippers for children, during the mission that was held in cooperation with a leading pharmaceutical company in the country.

According to Armina Belleza-Llamas, head of the SBMA Public Relations Department, which spearheaded the project, the beneficiaries came from the remote areas of SitioTimak and Sitio 12 in Morong’s barangay Mabayo, and Sitio Nossil and Sitio Repakpak in barangay Binaritan.

“A lot of residents from these remote areas lacked medical attention because of their remote location. We thought of this project to somehow help fill this gap,” Llamas explained.

The SBMA mission was also joined by Dr. Solomon Jacalne, head of the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department, and volunteer doctors Eve Lozano-Natividad and Conchita Carvagal.

They were assisted by members of the SBMA medical staff, SBMA forest rangers, and nursing students from the Subic Freeport-based Mondriaan Aura College.

The medical mission was part of a community service program undertaken by the agency on occasion of Salonga’s birthday on Thursday, July 23.

Aside from the medical mission on Friday, the SBMA initiated a tree-planting activity and conducted a seminar on waste management and recycling for families from neighboring communities on Thursday.

The conduct of these community-based activities during Salonga’s birthday, Llamas said, has become an SBMA custom since Salonga assumed the SBMA chairmanship in 2005. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTOS: Residents from remote areas in Morong, Bataan receive medical check-up during a medical mission initiated by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority on Friday at the Bataan Technology Park.

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SBMA marks Chairman Salonga’s day with community service

Employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) again commemorated the birthday of Chairman Feliciano Salonga on July 23, with community service by planting trees, conducting a seminar on waste management, and undertaking a medical mission for indigent patients in communities near the freeport zone.

Salonga, who turned 80 on Thursday, said that employees from various SBMA departments planted a total of 800 seedlings to mark his birthday.

“We’ve been doing this ‘green’ celebration of my birthday for the past four years,” said Salonga, who became SBMA chairman in 2005. “This is my humble gift to Mother Nature, which has provided Subic with so many natural attractions.”

Unlike most government executives, Salonga celebrates his birthday without the usual big bash and, instead, spends the day with his family doing community work.

Salonga said that SBMA’s core values of “malasakit,” excellence and passion complement his desire to share with his “kababayans” the blessings and opportunities that he receives in life.

He added that planting trees is also one way of investing in the future of Subic and the next generation of residents and workers in this freeport.

Aside from planting trees on Thursday, SBMA employees also conducted a seminar on waste management and recycling at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC).

In this activity, some 500 residents from neighboring villages in Olongapo City, Zambales and Bataan, learned how to turn waste materials into usable and sellable items from Philippine Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Inc. experts.

“It is a very simple training that gives one the idea and technical know-how on how to turn, for example, empty tetra packs into bags,” said Armie Llamas, manager of the SBMA Public Relations Office, which coordinated the livelihood training activity.

The seminar speakers also demonstrated how to produce pesticides from used cigarette butts, vinegar from santol, burger patties and vinegar from plantain banana peelings, and tea from sweet potato leaves, among others.

The SBMA, in cooperation with a leading pharmaceutical company in the country, also conducted on Friday a medical mission at the remote village of Timak in Morong, Bataan as part of the community service activities for Salonga’s birthday celebration. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO: SBMA employees plant 800 tree seedlings at Cubi Point in the Subic Bay Freeport to commemorate the birthday of SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga on Thursday.

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SBMA worker nominated for top CSC award

An employee of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has made it as semi-finalist in the Presidential “Lingkod Bayan” Award, the highest category in the annual search by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for outstanding government workers in the country.

Edmond de Jesus, who is a Community Development Officer III at the SBMA Ecology Center, was among the 23 public officials and employees nominated to the individual category of the “Lingkod Bayan” competition, according to the CSC awards secretariat.

Nominees in the same category this year included Commissioner Marcelino Libanan of the Bureau of Immigration, Home Guaranty Corp. president Gonzalo Benjamin Bongolan, Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba, Pampanga, and Philippine Merchant Marine Academy president Fidel Diñoso.

Meanwhile, 19 other candidates have made it to the semi-finals of the “Dangal ng Bayan” competition, the next level in the honor awards program, and 12 in the CSC Pagasa award category, the CSC added.

De Jesus, who was named SBMA employee of the year in 2008, was nominated by the agency for his passionate undertaking of a mission to organize Aeta tribesmen in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone for the purpose of forest conservation.

According to SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, De Jesus began living with the Aetas for weeks at a time since 2004 in order to introduce the concept of conserving the forest as a resource base, and to inculcate among the tribesmen their unique role as stewards of the environment.

“It was an uphill struggle for the first year or so,” De Jesus said, recalling his experiences with the tribe who then still practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, or kaingin, in the foothills of Subic’s forested mountains.

But De Jesus, an agriculture graduate with a background in education and psychology, persevered until he virtually became an adopted child of the Aetas.

According to Amethya dela Llana-Koval, manager of the SBMA Ecology Center, De Jesus “has become an Aeta at heart” in the process of accomplishing his mission for the agency. “Edmond lives with them, eats with them, and fights for them — especially on issues regarding the Aeta culture and their ancestral domain,” she said.

The patience and passion of De Jesus soon paid off, as his band of Aeta “environmental warriors” were later credited for planting and nurturing more than 100,000 new trees in the Subic Bay Freeport in the last four years.

It then became the job of De Jesus and his hundred-strong Pastolan Forest Conservation Group (PFCG) to replant areas where previous projects had failed, as well as to scout for new reforestation sites in the 140 hectares of grasslands that the SBMA has designated for tree planting.

De Jesus said the Aetas became very effective in tree-planting programs because members of the PFCG lived in areas near the reforestation sites and could thus devote more time to crucial care of the tree seedlings in the first three years.

As a result, it was determined that of the 152,713 new trees that survived under the various reforestation programs in Subic, a total of 102,100 were planted by De Jesus’ group since 2005. The PCFG group also posted a high survival rate of 94 percent for its reforestation projects, thus exceeding its annual reforestation target of 20,000 trees.

De Jesus, meanwhile, said he has found much satisfaction in working with the Aeta tribesmen.

“The Aetas have also taught me a lot,” De Jesus said, pointing out the two-way exchange of knowledge and skills that marked his relationship with the indigenous people of Subic. “They have been one of my best companions in this journey through life.”

He added that his nomination as a semi-finalist for the Presidential “Lingkod Bayan” Award was a feat “beyond my wildest dreams.”

“This too, I would like to share with the Pastolan Aetas,” De Jesus said. (SBMA Corporate Communications)
PHOTO: Edmond de Jesus leads in reforestation programs at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone with the help of Aeta tribesmen, who helped plant more than 100,000 trees since 2005.

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SBMA Official Statement on Legenda Employees

OFFICIAL STATEMENT by SBMA Labor Department Head, Atty. Roy C. Pastor
Re: Legend International Resorts Ltd. (LIRL) Employees
Date: 20 July 2009

We have been advised that the management of Legend International Resorts Ltd. has temporarily suspended the company’s hotel, food and beverage, and related facilities, as well as its administration and support functions, and has thus temporarily suspended as well the payment of all wages and benefits to 151 of its 250 employees for next six (6) months.

In a memorandum to its employees, LIRL said it was constrained to undertake such measures due to the SBMA’s actions against the company.

To pass the blame for the situation of these employees to the SBMA is grossly unfair.

The real culprit here is the mismanagement of LIRL, which has caused the company to accrue huge debts to the Philippine government, including unpaid obligations to the SBMA, amounting to PhP850 million.

In fact, the SBMA has worked on a debt restructuring scheme with the LIRL management, which the company has not complied with.

Nonetheless, the SBMA shall do everything within its power and authority to protect the welfare of LIRL employees, especially those who have been affected by this move by the LIRL management.

The SBMA Labor Department, in particular, will look into possible labor violations arising from LIRL’s action, including its alleged failure to file the appropriate notice with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The SBMA will definitely not allow and will never allow these employees to become victims of LIRL’s mismanagement, resulting in its continued refusal to settle its outstanding debts to its creditors.

-End of Statement-

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