PHL’s first full-distance Ironman event to happen in Subic Bay

It’s official! Ironman’s full distance triathlon is happening here in Subic Bay.

The Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines triathlon, the country’s first-ever full distance IRONMAN race, will take place here in June next year in celebration of the decade-long presence in the Philippines of the popular endurance race.

The full distance Ironman race will be a special edition for one year only to mark the tenth anniversary since the first IRONMAN 70.3 event took place in Camarines Sur in 2009, said Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, founder of Sunrise Events, which owns and organizes IRONMAN races in the country.

The event was jointly announced the other day in Manila and in Tampa, Florida as the latest addition to the IRONMAN series that has grown to become a global sensation with more than 200 events across 50 countries.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator and chief executive officer Wilma T. Eisma said that the SBMA takes pride in the fact that the Subic Bay Freeport has become a favorite destination for races and sports events that require a combination of superb natural environment, challenging but beautiful courses and modern facilities for both the players and their families.

Organizers said that next year’s Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines will aim to build upon the successes of the Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay and provide athletes with a challenging, yet beautiful course to tackle.

For the full distance race, athletes will begin their IRONMAN journey with a one-loop, 3.8-km swim in the calm, pristine waters of Triboa Bay, starting and finishing at ACEA Resort, which will also play host to the first of the split transition areas.

Once onto their bikes, athletes will head out of Subic and onto the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) for a fast and flat two-loop, 180-km ride, which will bring riders back into transition 2 at the Remy Field here.

Then the 42.2-km, two-loop marathon run will be the last leg, taking the participants along some of the best coastal views that Subic has to offer. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

A scene from the Century Tuna IRONMAN held in March this year at the Subic Bay Freeport (photo from http://ap.ironman.com)

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Subic volunteers plant 5,000 trees on Arbor Day

About a thousand volunteers from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), business locators and stakeholder groups in this free port planted some 5,000 trees on Friday during the Arbor Day celebration here.

SBMA administrator Wilma Eisma said the volunteers braved the long walk to the planting site in the foothills of Barangay Bangal in Dinalupihan, Bataan, which is still part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“My heart swells with pride to see people here very early in the morning—sweaty, hands soiled and shoes muddy while planting, and not complaining at all,” Eisma said. “It’s such a beautiful sight! No food and shirts for free, yet they’re still here.”

The tree-planting project was attended by representatives from Subic-registered companies like Jollibee, Ocean Adventure, Petron, Koryo, SubicWater, Jobin, IDESS, RP Energy, Crown Peak, Toyota, Koushin, Mega Subic, Aura College, as well as the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce.

The government sector was also represented in the activity by the PNP-Special Action Forces, Olongapo City Council, Barangay Gordon Heights, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) Olongapo City, and the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Community groups like the Philippine Association of Certified Public Accountants were also present.

According to Patrick Escusa, chief of the Social Development Division of the SBMA Ecology Center that spearheaded the activity, the volunteers planted around 5,000 seedlings in a graded 2.2-hectare land in the middle of a forested area in Bangal.

The seedlings, mostly narra and some fruit-bearing species, were from DENR-CENRO, the SBMA nursery, and some stakeholders.

This was the third tree-planting activity held as part of the Arbor Day celebration here, which is part of the agency’s environmental preservation and conservation advocacy program under Republic Act 10716, the law that revived the observance of Arbor Day in 2012 and authorized government units to observe the annual event with tree-planting activities.

Arbor Day is observed every June 25, but the SBMA held it two days earlier to enjoin more employees and other stakeholders to join the activity.

“I’m very happy that this is happening today—that we are helping in taking care of the environment,” Eisma also said on Friday, as the volunteers completed the project by mid-day.

“I hope this happens every day with similar gestures—by picking up the plastic that we throw, by making sure we conserve on water. Any little thing we could do to save the environment will help,” Eisma added. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA Administrator and CEO Wilma T. Eisma prepares to plant a narra seedling during the Arbor Day tree-planting activity last Friday in the Subic Bay Freeport.

[2] SBMA Administrator and CEO Wilma T. Eisma and SBMA Director Tomas Lahom III lead employees in a tree-planting activity in the Subic Bay Freeport in observance of Arbor Day last Friday.

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SBMA posts P614.28-M earnings in just 4 months

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) continues to generate positive revenue figures this year, recording a total of P615.28 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in just the first four months of this year.

SBMA Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency’s various strategic units contributed a total of more than P1 billion in operating revenues in the said period for a 9.5 percent increase over the P919.6 million posted last year.

Minus the operating expenses of P313.5 million and bad debts account of P78.2 million, Eisma said the SBMA managed a P56.9 million increase over the 2016 EBITDA of P558.3 million for a 10.2 percent increase in earnings.

“We’re very much optimistic that while 2016 was considered a banner year in SBMA finances, we just might be able to top that at the rate we’re going this year,” Eisma said.

“The SBMA is actually riding an upward trend that began in the past few years, and I believe we can sustain that and that further growth will continue,” she added.

According to a comparative report from the SBMA Finance Group, agency earnings increased further this year compared to 2016 records. The agency’s net income, for example, surged by 148 percent from P18.5 million in the first quarter of 2016 to P46.76 million in the first quarter of 2017.

The biggest revenue contributor among the SBMA business units as of end-April this year was the Port Authority Group, which delivered P476.4 million in the first four months. The Business and Investment Group followed with total revenue of P426 million; Public Services Group, with P67.5 million; Regulatory Group, with P18.38 million; the Chairman and Administrator’s Group, with P9.25 million; and Support Services Group, with P7.19 million.

The biggest increases as of end-April this year over figures in the same period last year came from the Business and Investment Group, which posted close to P55 million in variance, and the Port Authority Group, which provided an increase of P17.85 million.

Meanwhile, the SBMA Tourism Department reported a 28 percent increase in revenues from visitor and tourist arrivals, as well as hotel occupancy, from January to April this year.

A report from SBMA Tourism showed a total of 894,603 visitors and 161,046 tourists arriving in Subic in the first four months. These figures represented respective increases of 70,648 and 30,284 over 2016 arrivals.

The 2017 arrival figures included some 289,600 visitors who arrived in the Subic Freeport for the Holy Week.

According to the report, the increase in the number of visitors and tourists this year generated actual revenues amounting to P2.74 million, which is 28% higher than the P2.1 million revenue record last year.

Among the events that generated much tourism traffic in the first four months this year are the arrival of the luxury cruise ship MS Bremen, and the three-day Summer Siren beach music festival that was held here in May. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] A cargo ship unload at the New Container Terminal and the Sattler Pier in the Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] Visitors saunter along the waterfront during the Summer Siren beach festival, one of the recent tourism crowd-drawers at the Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Traders share best practices with entrepreneurs in Subic Freeport forum

“Don’t prove me wrong, prove me right! Can you deliver?” This was the challenge sounded by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Blesila Lantayona at the opening here on Wednesday of the agency’s “Kapatid, Mentor Me Program” session some 200 local entrepreneurs.

The program, held at the Subic Bay Travelers Hotel, tapped speakers from among some of the highly successful entrepreneurs in the country today and aimed to help micro and medium enterprises grow and attain sustainability.

According to Lantayona, from 70 to 80 percent of small to medium businesses have a short life span due to insufficient knowledge among owners on how to manage the business. The mentoring project, she added, seeks to help small and medium enterprises in Zambales and Olongapo City penetrate markets more stably and consistently.

During the forum, Paul Anthony de Guzman from the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurs and CEO of Go Negosyo, reminded participants that all entrepreneurs, big and small, should live by the vision of “Kapatid, angat lahat!”

He stressed that all entrepreneurs must lift and encourage one another, allowing small companies to benefit from and with their bigger counterparts.

Tokyo Tempura CEO Jorge Noel Y. Wieneke III, meanwhile, shared the origins of his entrepreneurial mindset and impressed upon the audience the need for an attitude of gratitude, all the while introducing his listeners to the “power” within them.

Wieneke said his business-centric mentality that originated from his infatuation with a childhood toy, which caused him to inadvertently find ways to make money through odd jobs. The same determination, risk-taking, passion and outgoingness carried into his adulthood and birthed his business, Potato Corner, which he had built with close friends and family.

The businessman would later on receive an award for sharing his insights on how to attain success.

Meanwhile, Business Mentors Inc. president Wilfredo Victor Arcilla contended that while overseas Filipino workers are recognized for their contribution to the Philippine economy through remittances, entrepreneurs play a bigger role in nation-building.

“The money OFWs collectively generated, if these were divided among the individuals OFWS, would still be a paltry amount. The OFWs weren’t going to change the Philippines; only enterprises will,” he concluded.

Asec Lantayona also urged the entrepreneurs of small and medium businesses and enterprises not to underestimate themselves, pointing out that their businesses “provide a whopping 62 percent of the jobs in the Philippines.”

She also cited the success of their mentees from Tacloban who had collectively generated P14 million after only five months of using a business model formulated under the DTI’s Mentor Me Program.

Lantayona said the DTI plans to extend the program into more easily accessible territory with web seminars, or webinars.

The mentoring session carried well into the afternoon with Arcilla lecturing on current marketing trends, followed by inspirational success stories from local entrepreneurs led by James Lee, chairman of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council of Olongapo. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Tokyo Tempura CEO Jorge Noel Y. Wieneke III shares his passion for business with entrepreneurs during a session of the DTI’s Mentor Me Program in the Subic Bay Freeport.

[2] (DTI) Assistant Secretary Blesila A. Lantayona (3rd from right) urges entrepreneurs to aim for sustainable business by learning about best practices from successful businessmen.

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Betten beats ’em all again for 3-peat in Regent 5150

Subic Bay Freeport - Sam Betten came through with a hot performance on a cold, rainy Sunday to complete a golden treble in the Regent 5150 Triathlon here.

Pouncing on the relatively cooler conditions on a turf he’s familiar with, Betten left his challengers playing catch-up throughout the 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run and reached home unmolested for his milestone three-peat.

Sam Betten winning his third Regent 5i50 title (photo from Regent 5i50 Facebook page)

Betten covered the wet course in 1:55:58, checking in nearly five minutes ahead of compatriot Mitch Robins (2:00:27), who settled for No 2 again. American Iain Alexandrinis (2:01:46) took third.

“I’ve never won a race three times in a row and to come here and do that, it’s pretty amazing,” said Betten, getting a loving hug from girlfriend Rebecca Ohlwein after crossing the finish line.

The 6-foot-4 Betten emerged from the waters of Acea Beach after 19 minutes, 57 seconds with Robins (21:30) and Alexandrinis (21:34) on his wake. Notwithstanding the rains that made the roads slippery, the Aussie out-pedaled his rivals and even added two minutes to his lead as they headed into the culminating run towards Remy Field.

“I felt really good out there. The heat wasn’t too bad so I didn’t have to push quite hard (than usual), which was really advantageous to me. If it were really, really hot, it would have been a different story,” said Betten, who’s developed a fondness for Subic, where he’s raced five times overall.

“Subic Bay is one of my favorite places in the world to come race in. I was lucky this year I was able to bring my girlfriend along to watch the race and enjoy Subic. For me, this is such a great triathlon location and it’s a dream come true to be able to dominate for three years in a row,” he said. (Olmin Leyba, Philippine Star)

Read more: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2017/06/05/1706859/betten-beats-em-all-again-3-peat-regent-5150

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President Duterte visits Japanese escort Flotilla in Subic

President Rodrigo Duterte visited on Sunday, June 4, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Escort Flotilla One comprised of helicopter carrier JS Izumo and guided missile destroyer JS Sazanami berthed here in Subic Bay Freeport for a four-day port visit to the Philippines.

In an interview with media, President Duterte said he was happy to board the JS Izumo, noting the state-of-the-art ship that can respond to both conflict and humanitarian missions.

Duterte added that he is the first head of state to board the JS Izumo, which was commissioned in 2015.

Japan has been a historical friend of the Philippines helping the country in different ways particularly through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Japan is also providing the Philippines with defense assets such as ships and trainer planes, he said.

"Our ties with Japan is historical and I know that we will be with them for all time. They can count on our gratitude for helping us and also our friendship to fight with them," he told reporters.

"We have so many problems in this world and I said we are friends, historical ones. We have a lot to say thank you to you. And I’d like Japan to know that we are a people of gratitude," he added.

Aside from visiting JS Izumo, the President also met Katsuyuki Kawai aboard the Japanese helicopter carrier. Kawai is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's special adviser.

The Japanese contingent is headed by Rear Admiral Yoshihiro Goka, the commander of the JMSDF Escort Flotilla One. The JS Izumo together with several patrol helicopters and 800 officers and crews are here for a goodwill visit to the Philippines prior to its participation to the Malabar Naval exercise in India.

The four-day visit includes a series of confidence building activities between the Philippine Navy and the JMSDF personnel.

The Escort Flotilla One's port visit is expected to enhance the strong relationship between the Philippine Navy and the JMSDF. (PND/PNA)

PHOTOS:

[1] President Rodrigo Duterte is escorted by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño and Administrator Atty. Wilma Eisma during the chief executive's tour aboard the biggest Japanese helicopter carrier JS Izumo docked at the Alava Port in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

[2] President Duterte poses with his officials and the visiting officers and crew of the JS Izumo. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

[3-4] The helicopter carrier JS Izumo (DDH-183) (top) and the Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami (DD-113) (bottom) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Escort Flotilla One, both docked in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a four-day visit to the Philippines. (RBB/MPD-SBMA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/993315

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Subic, Clark affirm partnership in regional growth, nat’l development

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) reaffirmed on Wednesday their partnership as global gateways to boost development in the Central Luzon region and to propel national economic growth.

Speaking during the CIAC 2017 Roadshow here, SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma and CIAC President and CEO Alex Cauguiran expressed their continuing commitment to work hand-in-hand towards regional growth and outlined their vision for a more effective partnership.

“President Duterte has always emphasized that he wants to connect Clark and Subic free ports in order to turn Central Luzon into a major logistics hub,” Eisma said in a message read by SBMA Chief Marketing Executive Ronnie Yambao. “And this is how it really should be.”

“As world-class gateways, Clark International Airport and the Port of Subic can and should serve as the twin turbo-engine of growth for Central Luzon, a super duo – if I may call it – that can help alleviate urban blights like vehicular traffic and port congestion in Metro Manila,” Eisma added.

Eisma also pointed out that by coordinating the operations of Clark airport and Subic seaport, CIAC and the SBMA can serve the needs of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMs), as well as large manufacturing industries in the region; spur growth in tourism and the MSMEs and big industries through the efficient movement of people, goods, and services to and from Central Luzon and other parts of the country; and create more employment and livelihood opportunities in the region.

“So as you can probably surmise, our only option is to work effectively, efficiently, and harmoniously together if we are to support and fulfill the President’s agenda for Subic and Clark,” Eisma added.

For his part, Cauguiran emphasized the need for a common development platform between Clark and Subic, as well as the nearby communities, so that they may fulfill their roles in the national development agenda.

“We are promoting not only Clark, but also Subic Bay and the provinces of Bataan and Zambales,” Cauguiran said, adding that this is in line with the vision of President Duterte to decentralize development and disperse growth to different regions in the country.

Cauguiran, who served as member of the Philippine panel that negotiated air service agreement with other countries in the world, said that as early as six years ago, he was already batting to maximize the use of the airports in Clark and Subic because the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila was already overloaded.

“I said that we should open other airports,” Cauguiran recalled saying. “We should make (the Clark and Subic) airports night-rated, give them entitlement, develop their terminal, and develop their runway.”

“And I believe that the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) has entitlement to develop and fully utilize its airport because I always make sure that what will be put in the proposal will include not only Clark but Subic and other airports outside NAIA,” he added.

The Subic Bay Freeport and the Clark Freeport are now considered the prime catalysts of economic progress in Central Luzon and the biggest generators of livelihood opportunities for residents of communities devastated by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 and the subsequent withdrawal of US military forces the following year from the former Subic Naval Base and Clark Airforce Base.

Because of this, Eisma likewise stressed that Subic and Clark “are not competitors, but members of the same national team.”

“As separate entities, we are no doubt expected to accomplish a lot, but together we are also expected to do much, much more,” the SBMA official said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

[1] CIAC President Alex Cauguiran (right) and SBMA Chief Marketing Executive Ronnie Yambao give “thumbs up” signs to show unity between the Subic and Clark free ports in undertaking their joint development roles for the Central Luzon region. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Importance of environment in tourism stressed in Subic forum

Senator Cynthia Villar and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Wilma Eisma both expounded on the importance of protecting the environment to sustain the growth of the tourism industry in the country, as the three-day 2017 Subic Ecotourism Festival opened here on Monday at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

The two women leaders told festival participants that tourism cannot be sustained without caring for the environment, and that sustainable development needs commitment from the people.

According to Villar, protection of the environment is at the heart of sustainable tourism. Without environmental preservation and protection, tourism is not sustainable.

She cited her project, the Las Piñas-Zapote River Rehabilitation Program, which gave birth to several livelihood projects where water lilies, plastics and other used materials that clogged rivers were turned into handicrafts pieces and even furniture.

Meanwhile, SBMA Administrator Eisma recalled how the more than 8,000 volunteers of the Subic Bay Freeport cleaned up and safeguarded the former Subic Naval Base after the US Navy left in 1992.

Calling them heroes of local ecotourism, Eisma said the volunteers showed their “malasakit” (caring) and “kusang-loob” (initiative) without being paid for their work, thus helping in transforming Subic into what it is today.

She said that malasakit and kusang-loob are the benchmark of ecotourism in Subic Freeport. Like when you put your foot forward without expecting any in return, because at the end of the day, this is your home.

The 2017 Subic Ecotourism Festival was organized by Subic International School for Sustainable Tourism headed by Dr. Mina Gabor, in celebration of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
Clockwise from top: [1] Dr. Mina Gabor, president of the Subic-based International School of Sustainable Tourism, sounds a native gong to formally open the 2017 Ecotourism Festival at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center; [2] SBMA Administrator Wilma T. Eisma welcomes participants to the 2017 Ecotourism Festival; [3] SBMA Administrator Wilma T. Eisma chats with Senator Cynthia Villar during the opening of the 2017 Ecotourism Festival at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA places Subic Freeport on security alert

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has placed the entire Subic Bay Freeport Zone on heightened security alert on Friday (June 2) to protect workers, business locators and residents and to ensure an atmosphere of safety in the area.

SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma said the security alert has been implemented “only as a precautionary measure to ensure everyone’s safety.”

With this, she said the SBMA has placed members of its SWAT Team at the Freeport gates, and augmented by personnel from the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police (PNP-SAF).

“At this stage, and taking into consideration what has been happening in certain parts of the country in recent days, we have to make certain that Subic remains safe as there is a large concentration of people here, including a lot of foreigners,” Eisma explained.

“We cannot err on the side of caution. We now have SWAT and SAF teams, but mainly to show everyone that we are ready for any eventuality. These officers are there to ensure public safety,” she added.

At the same time Eisma asked public cooperation in the enforcement of stricter security measures.

She also called on all stakeholders in the Subic Bay area to be vigilant and to help Subic authorities ensure a peaceful atmosphere that is conducive to business.

“Subic is our home, so let us help one another in keeping it safe for everyone. As always, we need your malasakit so that we may continue to make Subic a better place for everybody,” Eisma also said. (HEE/ MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA chair warns smugglers: ‘Heads will roll’

Subic Bay Metropolitan (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño warned crooked businessmen not to use the Subic Bay Freeport for their smuggling operation, adding that the Subic agency will not spare anyone in its campaign against corruption.

Diño issued the warning as he announced the seizure of a 10-wheeler truck (RNK 394) loaded with 36 units of used industrial sewing machine and other office equipment with an estimated total value of P2.65 million.

The cargo was declared as assorted scrap materials from the Subic Bay Apparel Corp., a company which has closed at the Naval Magazine area here. The cargo was declared as worth only P10,000.

Diño said that SBMA law enforcers and personnel of the Bureau of Customs (Port of Subic) stopped the cargo truck last Friday, May 19, after its driver Roel Taloban, 24, of New Cabalan, Olongapo City, failed to show a clearance from the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

Diño added that because of the incident, BoC CIIS Lt. Gino Minguilian asked Subic authorities to review the documents and CCTV footages of haulers exiting the Freeport gate at Tipo Road.

From these it was found that on May 11, 12 and 15, five other hauling trucks loaded with 109 heavy duty sewing machines, computers, office chairs, 300 rolls of fabric and other materials, have passed through Tipo Road. The cargoes were reportedly transported to the San Simon Industrial Park in Pampanga.

“We will know who were involved in this, where it passed, or whether this was happening regularly,” Diño also said. “This time we are sending a clear signal to all businessmen, as well as our people at the gate, that the SBMA is serious in stopping smuggling here.”

The SBMA official further said that he is consulting now with the agency lawyers to find ways on how to run after smugglers.

“Definitely, like what we are doing at the VACC (Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption), there will be heads rolling here,” he assured the media.

Meanwhile, Minguilian said that he has already relieved BoC personnel who were assigned in Tipo at the time when the trucks in question passed the Freeport gate. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Rescued ‘pawikan’ released in Subic Freeport on World Turtle Day

The Ocean Adventure Marine Theme Park here celebrated World Turtle Day last Tuesday (May 23) by releasing “George,” an Olive Ridley sea turtle that was found by a fisherman in Olongapo City eight years ago.

George was released at the Camayan Beach Resort under the supervision of animal experts from the Ocean Adventure Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (OARRC).

According to OARRC personnel, George was brought to Ocean Adventure in 2010 by Olongapo fisherman Rodrigo Poblete, who found the turtle at a beach when it was still a juvenile that weighed only two kilos.

Poblete kept the sea turtle as a pet for over a year until it eventually outgrew the kiddie pool where it was kept. Then Poblete turned over the sea turtle to the local government unit of Olongapo, which then referred him to the Wildlife In Need (WIN) Rescue Center.

WIN brought George to Ocean Adventure where he was rehabilitated and fed with the proper nourishment, and where veterinarians conducted monthly physical examinations to ensure his health.

And after several months of close monitoring, George was moved to a large natural lagoon where other rescued sea turtles were rehabilitated.

SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma lauded the effort in saving the sea turtle, pointing out that it “certainly makes a huge difference in the preservation of the pawikan, which are known to lay their eggs in beaches at the Subic Bay Freeport.”

Eisma added that the SBMA has been working hand-in-hand with local government units and private organizations in rescuing endangered animals such as sea turtles.

The OARRC had so far accepted 62 sea turtles that were rescued in the Freeport and various towns of Zambales and Bataan. These included 19 Hawksbill sea turtles, 16 Green Sea turtles, and 27 Olive Ridley sea turtles.(JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

“George,” a sea turtle rehabilitated at the Ocean Adventure Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is released to the sea on Tuesday by Ocean Adventure OIC Robert Gonzaga, Community Environment Officer Marife Castillo and SBMA public relation manager Armie Llamas. The release coincided with the celebration of World Turtle Day, which aims to provide awareness for turtles and tortoise and to encourage human involvement for their survival. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Gordon opens PRC training center in Subic Freeport

Senator Richard Gordon presided over the inauguration here on Sunday of a training center that would provide vocational education to residents from disaster-stricken areas in the country.

Gordon, who is also chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), said the training center is a joint undertaking of PRC and the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Royal Charity Organization (RCO).

Gordon, along with RCO Secretary General H.E. Dr. Mustafa Alsayed, led the ribbon-cutting and turnover ceremony for the facility located at the former Naval Magazine area of this free port.

The PRC has previously established its logistics center for local and international disaster-response operations in the same area.

According to Gordon, the vocational training center will help ensure sustainable growth through education to victims of disaster-stricken areas in the country.

“The center will provide people with market-driven skills and training so they can secure steady, well-paying jobs,” Gordon said.

He added that the center is part of the recovery projects that Bahrain’s RCO had promised to fund to help improve the lives of victims of Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Yolanda, which devastated several parts of the country in November 2013.

Alsayed, meanwhile, was ecstatic over the opening of the Subic vocation training center and expressed hope that it will produce students who will use their education to uplift their calamity-stricken community.

Gordon and Alsayed also inaugurated a similar vocational training center in Tacloban City a day before the Subic launch. Tacloban was the community worst-hit by Haiyan.

Gordon said these centers will offer training courses in electrical installation and maintenance, plumbing technology, carpentry, masonry, commercial cooking, bread and pastry production, seafarers rating, and a finishing course for call center agents.

The training centers each have four rooms that consist of two workshop rooms, an equipment storage area and one administration office. They both have a capacity to seat 30 to 40 students at a time, or from 15 to 20 students for laboratory sessions.

According to PRC Secretary General Oscar Palabyab, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will also play a big role on the project, since the agency will be accrediting the students who will graduate from the vocational courses.

“This is also an expansion of our humanitarian service, as well as our relationship with different partners,” Palabyab added.

Palabyab said the PRC training center in the Subic Bay Freeport was constructed at around P7.8 million, while the facility in Tacloban costs around P5.3 million. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)


PHOTOS:

[1] Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, receives a symbolic key to the PRC Training Center in the Subic Bay Freeport from Dr. Mustafa Alsayed, secretary general of the Royal Charity Organization (ROC) of the Kingdom of Bahrain, during the recent inauguration and turnover ceremony of the facility that was financed by the RCO. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] Officials of the Philippine Red Cross headed by Sen. Richard Gordon, and the Royal Charity Organization (RCO) of the Kingdom of Bahrain headed by Dr. Mustafa Alsayed, link arms in a symbol of unity following the recent inauguration and turnover ceremony of the Philippine Red Cross Training Center in the Subic Bay Freeport, which was financed by the RCO. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Huge field gears up for Regent 5150 in Subic Bay

Organizers of the Regent 5150 Triathlon brace for a record field clashing for top honors in the local version of the world’s largest Olympic distance triathlon series, which stages its third edition on June 4 in Subic Bay.

Six hundred forty entries have so far entered in the main event while around 300 have registered for the side event Sunrise Sprint, a short distance race series put up by the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. last year, with the roster expected to swell 10 days before the event.

For details and listup, visit regent.5150philippines.com.

Sam Betten headlines the elite field in the men’s pro division with the top 6-4 Australian triathlete gunning for a three-peat against the likes of fellow Aussies and veterans Ben Allen, the 2016 Australian ITU Cross Triathlon champion and a former XTERRA As-Pac titlist, Mitch Robins and Dan Brown.

American Iain Alexandridis, a consistent top 10 Ironman 70.3 finisher, is also in the hunt in the 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run event sponsoored by the country’s leading snack manufacturing company.

Focus will also be on the women’s pro side with veteran campaigner and be-medalled triathlete Dimity-Lee Duke, also of Australia, Hungarian Anna Eberhardt, and Kerry Mulholland and Annelies Jeffries, also both from Down Under, disputing the crown won by absentee Amelia Watkinson of New Zealand last year.

The event will also feature the Alaska Ironkids Philippines, featuring the country’s future triathlon stars on June 3 at the WOW Recreation and Activity Center/Remy Field.

Inspired by its successful inaugural last year, the Sunrise Sprint, a 750m swim, a 20k bike and a 5k run, will again be held for beginners wanting to immerse themselves into triathlon racing, a tri warrior who has been off the circuit and out to make a comeback or simply a triathlon enthusiast.

Backers of the event are Dept. of Tourism Region 3 and Tourism Promotions Board as presentors, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority as host venue and Acea Subic Bay as host hotel, along with 2GO Express, Powerade and Wilkins Pure, TYR, Hoka One, Active Network, Philippine Star, Trilife, AsiaTRI.com, Finisher Pix, HyperHD on Cignal, AlcoPlus, Autohub, Cetaphil, Daylong, Devant, Omega, PLDT Subictel, Sanicare, Storck, Garmin, Alaska, David’s Salon, GU, Intercare, Pioneer Insurance and Sante Barley, the Lighthouse Marina Hotel, Court Meridian, Subic International Hotel and Active Network.

PHOTO:
Aussie triathlete Sam Betten flashes the No. 1 sign as he celebrates after crossing the finish line at the Remy Field during last year's 5150 triathlon held at Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic eyed as distribution hub for ultra-light flying boats

An Italian company which manufactures ultra-light aircraft has relocated its base of operation in this premier free port to take advantage of Subic’s ideal position as product distribution center.

Ramphos Corporation, owned and operated by Italian designer Enos Gaiga, has been in the business of making ultra-light aircraft in Italy since 1998. However, seeing the huge potential of Subic in transhipping product to other parts of the world, Gaiga brought the business to Subic in 2015 and made his first ultra-light flying boat here last year.

“The reason we relocated here is the potential of transhipping our product to other parts of the world without much hassle,” Gaiga explained. “Moreover, Filipinos are great craftsmen when it comes to manufacturing boats and vehicles.”

Gaiga said the firm’s first ultra-light flying boat, which was called Ramphos amphibious, was made in 1998 for recreational use. The next year the model saw commercial production.

According to Gaiga, Ramphos flying boats are easy to fly and can be used for sight-seeing tours, fishing, adventure trips, search and rescue operations, sea and river patrol, light cargo delivery and even special military operations.

In 2003, Ramphos won the best trike of the year award at the Sun and Fun air show in Florida.

So far, Ramphos products have been sold in 32 countries worldwide, with the Ramphos amphibious priced at around P1.9 milion.

The flying boat has been certified under different civil aviation authorities, among them in Europe, United States, Australia, China, Canada and Mexico.

As a registered investor in the Subic Bay Freeport, the Ramphos Corporation plans to sell its ultra-light flying boats to resort owners and sports enthusiasts here.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the company is a welcome addition to the growing number of investors in Subic, and expressed optimism that more ultra-light flying boats are made in the Subic Bay Freeport. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

A Ramphos amphibious ultra-light flying boat takes off in Subic Bay last week, demonstrating the versatility of the leisure craft. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

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Another white lion born in Subic Freeport

Another white lion was born at the Zoobic Safari animal theme park here recently, the third time that such birth was recorded in this free port.

Zoobic Safari owner Robert Yupangco said the white lion was born last April 3 and is now one and a half months old.

The lion cub was named Christian Amando as a tribute to former Zoobic Safari staff Christian Hon, who died before its birth, and Australian ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely, who visited the theme park recently.

Currently, Christian Amando consumes some 72 ounces of kitten milk replacer (KMR) every day to complete the prescribed food for nursing kittens.

Yupangco said that lion cubs need supplemental feeding after being breastfed by their mothers for the first three days. They also need colostrum for strengthening of their immune system.

“If ever, Christian Amando will be the first white lion bottle-feed survivor,” said Noe Pasilan, the park’s zoology supervisor, who helped deliver the cub at Zoobic Safari.

Amando’s parents, Tisay and JB, both came from a white lion family imported from the Middle East.

The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion. They were thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest recorded sighting in this region was in 1938.

White lions in the area of Timbavati are of the same subspecies as the tawny Southeast African lion (Panthera leo krugeri) found in some wildlife reserves in South Africa, and in zoological parks around the world.

Until 2009, when the first pride of white lions was reintroduced into the wild, it was widely believed that the white lion could not survive in the natural environment. It is for this reason that a large part of the population of white lions now reside in zoos. (Camille Pelagio/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO
Christian Amando, a white lion cub born at Zoobic Safari in the Subic Bay Freeport and the first white lion cub to be bottle-fed by animal keepers at the park, sucks on the finger of a visitor. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA welcomes hosting of int’l ecotourism meet in Subic

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has welcomed the scheduled staging here of the Subic Ecotourism Festival, which will bring together a powerhouse cast of international experts in the field of ecotourism to discuss global best practices.

SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma said the festival is slated on May 29 to June 1 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center under the aegis of the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) and the Department of Tourism.

“We’re very much delighted in hosting this event, because we take pride in the Subic Bay Freeport being one of the few remaining places with very high biodiversity in the country today,” Eisma said.

“We will be happy to share with the participants in this forum the challenges and successes that we have experienced in the field of ecotourism since Subic was established as a free port in 1992,” she added.

According to ISST president Mina Gabor, the event will be biggest of its kind in the country as it will bring together the leaders of the Global Ecotourism Network (GEN) and its regional subsidiary, the Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN).

“The event will be a rare opportunity for delegates to learn from and network with the best practitioners in the industry,” said Gabor, a former Tourism Secretary who pushed ecotourism during her tenure, making it a byword in the industry years later.

“Given the fact that the Philippines’ tourism industry is driven largely by its natural attractions, it is important to balance economic benefit, conservation and respect for local communities which the GEN board members are greatly recognized for,” she added.

The festival has been scheduled here in line with the declaration by the United Nations World Tourism Organization of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

The event will gather together ecotourism experts like Glenn Jampol and Tony Charters, GEN chair and vice-chair respectively, and general board members Robert Holmes of Australia, Hitesh Mehta of Kenya, Masaru Takayama of Japan, Nabil Tarazi of Jordan, and Albert Teo of Malaysia.

Other foreign speakers are Lizzie Corke of Conservation Ecology Center Australia, Paul Niederer of ASSOB International, Tan Thi Su of Sapa O'Chau (Vietnam), Imtiaz Muqbil of Travel Impact Newswire, Kaetwa Muangasame of Mahidol University International College, Greg Duffel of Bond Asian Ventures Limited, Ary Suhandi of Indecon Indonesia, and Randy Durband of Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Meanwhile, local speakers will include DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau director Teresa Mundita Lim, National Commission on Culture and the Arts-School of Living Traditions executive director Rico Pableo Jr., National Commission on Indigenous Peoples socioeconomic and special affairs director Marie Grace Pascua, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity executive director Roberto Oliva, Cebu provincial tourism officer Boboi Costas, Philippine Airlines SVP for operations Ismael Augusto Gozon, and El Nido Resorts head of sustainability Mariglo Laririt.

Gabor said the event is designed for government policy-makers, infrastructure development executives, tourism, travel and hospitality professionals, and faculty and students. Festival participants also conduct a case study for the development of an ecotourism project in the Subic Bay Freeport area.

The Subic Bay Freeport, which sits on a large portion of the Subic Forest and Watershed Reserve, is touted to be one of the few places in the Philippines with high biodiversity. It has a total of 745 plant species belonging to 429 genera and 122 families, and a total of 122 wildlife vertebrates from 99 genera and 57 families.

The Subic Freeport is also home to several rare animals that include seven bird species like the Philippine Fairy Bluebird (Irena cyanogaster), two mammal species like the Striped Shrew Rat (Chrotomys minbdorensis), one reptile specie, and two amphibian species. (HEE/AMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS (clockwise):

[1] Sailboats romp on fresh breeze at the Subic Bay Freeport, a leading eco-tourism destination in the country today, which will host the 2017 Subic Ecotourism Festival on May 29-June 1.

[2] Long-tailed macaque monkeys play at a housing area in the Subic Bay Freeport, a leading eco-tourism destination in the country today, which will host the 2017 Subic Ecotourism Festival on May 29-June 1.

[3] Fruit bats roost on trees at the Subic Bay Freeport, a leading eco-tourism destination in the country today, which will host the 2017 Subic Ecotourism Festival on May 29-June 1.

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SBMA vigilant against entry of illegal drugs

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is closely working with law enforcement agencies to strictly monitor incoming vessels here against the possible entry of illegal drugs in the country via the Port of Subic.

This is in consonance with the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs, said SBMA Administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

Just recently, elements from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region III, Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Olongapo City, SBMA Seaport and SBMA Law Enforcement Department (LED) conducted a joint operation following intelligence reports that a ship arriving here was carrying illegal drugs.

According to a report from the SBMA Law Enforcement Department, the ship in question was a Panamax vessel carrying a cargo of soya from the United States. It arrived at the port of Subic early in May and anchored outside the limits of the SBMA Seaport.

Upon its arrival, government law enforcers led by PDEA, PCG and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group boarded and search the vessel using K-9 drug sniffing dogs, with SBMA Seaport and LED representatives observing the operations.

The search turned out negative and the operation was terminated on Tuesday, authorities here said.

Administrator Eisma said the recent inter-agency operation was a clear sign that the agency will not tolerate the entry of illegal drugs through the Port of Subic.

She said there are strict procedures and safety nets in place to ensure that no contraband, especially illegal drugs, could enter the country through the port of Subic.

“The SBMA is also implementing random checks for illegal substance that might be on board any of these incoming vessels,” Eisma added.

The administrator also issued a stern warning against those who are even thinking of shipping illegal drugs into the country and using Subic Bay as the port of entry, saying they will be harshly dealt with the full force of the law. (RBB/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport eyes more cruise ships

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is looking forward to the arrival here of more cruise ships under its “Tourism Star” development agenda to promote Subic’s tourism potentials and maximize its attractiveness as a world-class tourist destination.

SBMA Administrator and CEO Wilma Eisma made this announcement on Monday following the arrival here of MS Bremen, an expedition ship operated by the German tour giant Hapag Lloyd Cruises.

“With the recent port call of the MS Bremen, we have proven once again that the Subic Bay Freeport can easily be a preferred destination for cruise ships,” Eisma said.

“This is really fortuitous for us, because under our Tourism Star program, the SBMA seeks to promote Subic as the next cruise ship playground, alongside other objectives like creating a Subic tourism brand and expanding existing tourism programs,” she added.

The 111-meter long MS Bremen docked at the Alava Wharf last Friday, bringing more than 150 tourists, as well as a complement of ship crew that included some naturalists.

The visitors were welcomed at the dock by the SBMA brass band, as well as tourism staff waving flaglets. SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma was also around during the reception and gladly received a ship memento from Ship Captain Roman Oprist.

“This is the first time that we had docked in Subic Bay Freeport,” Oprist told Eisma. “We have already travelled to Java and Borneo, and this is our next stop.”

Oprist said the MS Bremen is a cruise ship operated by Hapag Lloyd since 1993. He said the ship is an expedition ship of a special kind because it was designed to navigate where other cruise ships fail — on thick ice or in shallow waters.

He added that the four-star vessel carries only a maximum of 160 guests during its cruise.

During its Subic Bay visit, some passengers of MS Bremen visited the Pamulaklakin Forest Trail where they witnessed demonstrations of jungle survival techniques by the local Ayta tribe, while others went to the Zoobic Safari theme park.

Eisma said that with plans to upgrade the ports and wharves inside the Subic Bay Freeport, the Agency is working to attract more cruise ships to this premier Freeport and tourism center.

“Subic has got what it takes to be a cruise ship playground. And the arrival of Bremen is a good sign,” Eisma added. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)


PHOTOS: (Clockwise)

[1] The Bahamas-registered MS Bremen cruise ship is moored by dock hands at the Alava Pier during its arrival on Friday at the Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] A brass band welcomes the arrival of the MS Bremen cruise ship at the Subic Bay Freeport on Friday, signalling a warm welcome to this tourist destination that aims to become the next cruise ship playground in Southeast Asia. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[3] SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma receives a ship memorabilia from MS Bremen captain Roman Oprist, following the arrival of the Bahamas-registered Hapag Lloyd Cruises vessel at the Subic Bay Freeport on Friday. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[4] An Ayta elder at the Pamulaklakin Ayta Village in the Subic Bay Freeport demonstrates tribal bushcraft to tourists from the MS Bremen following their arrival in Subic Bay on Friday. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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200 Subic volunteers join new ‘Protect the Bay’ project

Members of the Subic Bay Freeport community have again answered the call for community cooperation and banded together for another initiative to protect the coastal environment.

Some 200 volunteers from various community groups and government agencies joined the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (RP Energy) for a one-day coastal cleanup project at Sitio Kinabuksan in Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales held recently.

The volunteers included students from Kinabuksan, members of the Calapandayan Fisherfolks Association, personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Olongapo City, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), SBMA Ecology Center, SBMA Public Relations Department, and representatives of RP Energy.

RP Energy CSR Officer Jason Gavina said the project was the first installment of the power firm’s “Protect the Bay” initiative that seeks to promote environmental awareness, establish sustainable livelihood for fisher folks, and to protect Subic Bay.

“This is part of our social responsibility. We believe in supporting our community and not just making profit. We believe in environmental awareness, preservation and sustainability,” he said.

“I’m sure that if we’re going to do this three times this year, mahihiya at mahihiya na tayong magkalat sa ating kapaligiran,” Gavina added.

Aside from the cleanup, RP Energy will establish sustainable livelihood programs for the fisherfolk in Subic Bay, he said.

For the second coastal cleanup activity, Gavina said the RP Energy will implement on May 27 the “Basura Palit Gamit Eskwela” project, whereby children in the Cawag community could bring recyclable waste and exchange them for school supplies.

Meanwhile, Community Environment Officer Marife Castillo lauded the “Protect the Bay” project for its contribution to the government’s environmental protection campaign.

“We appreciate the initiatives of RP Energy in doing this kind of activity for the community,” Castillo said during last Saturday’s cleanup project.

RP Energy, which is developing a state-of-the-art coal-fired power plant at Subic’s Redondo Peninsula, will be using environment-friendly technology for its 600-megawatt power plant. (Jyssilee Marcillano/Tin Fortuna/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
Volunteers led by (from left) SBMA Public Relations Officer Amie Llamas, RP Energy CSR Officer Jason Gavina, Olongapo Community Environment Officer Marife Castillo, and Philippine Coast Guard’s George Cosme segregate garbage collected from the beach during a coastal clean-up held recently at Sitio Kinabuksan, Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales. (AMD/EVS/MPD-SBMA)

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Port efficiency to attract more shipping lines, users to Subic

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) continues to make a strong case for the Subic Bay Freeport as a key international trading gateway of the Philippines after achieving productivity levels at par with that of the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).

Two Panamax quay cranes at the New Container Terminal (NCT) 1 recently handled close to 400 twenty foot equivalent units (TEU) with each crane averaging 40 and 33 moves per hour, respectively. The productivity levels were achieved during the inaugural call of Evergreen Marine Corp.’s 1,440-TEU boxship Cape Fulmar.

Cape Fulmar berthed at the New Container Terminal 1 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

The call signaled the start of Evergreen’s South Korea-Taiwan-Philippines (KTP) service, a new route to facilitate improving regional trade between the three economies. The service plies the ports of Incheon and Kwang Yang, South Korea; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Batangas, Manila and Subic Bay, Philippines. Aside from Cape Fulmar, 1,440-TEU boxship Cape Faro is also chartered to the weekly service.

“It was a great effort and a big win for ICTSI’s Subic operations. This goes to show that Subic is at par with the productivity levels in MICT. We are continuously working on improving our services to attract more shipping lines, and for northern and central Luzon businesses to use the container terminals in Subic,” says Roberto Locsin, Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC) President.

He adds: “As a national port operator, ICTSI ensures that each Philippine marine terminal under its helm remains competitive. Subic, in particular, was developed not only for the industrial locators of the Freeport but for the local markets in Luzon north of Metro Manila.”

MICT, ICTSI’s flagship terminal, primarily serves the Metro Manila market and its adjacent markets, where most of the economic activities of the country happen being the country’s capital. “Metro Manila as a market will continue to grow,” says Locsin.

“But, as the northern and central Luzon countryside develops driven by industrial centers like Subic, Clark, Bataan and Tarlac also continuing to grow, the Subic Bay Freeport is that gateway ready to link its products to global markets. We have the equipment and facilities. We carry ICTSI’s brand of service and efficiency,” he adds. (Manila Bulletin)

http://business.mb.com.ph/2017/05/08/port-efficiency-to-attract-more-shipping-lines-users-to-subic/

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‘Summer Siren’ beach festival comes to Subic Freeport

One of the biggest and most exciting beach events this time of the year is coming over to the Subic Bay Freeport on May 12 to 14.

The Summer Siren Festival, touted by organizers as one of the country's most exciting destination festivals, will be held for the first time at Subic’s waterfront area and is expected to provide a whole new summer experience to visitors in this premier tourist mecca.

“This brings the Subic summer experience to a whole new level,” Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Wilma Eisma said as she announced the three-day event on Tuesday.

“Subic’s popular waterfront area will be transformed into a giant entertainment park with beach-music and arts theme, and we’re very much excited because this has been one of the entertainment concepts for Subic that we really like to push,” she added.

The festival was previously staged at beach venues in Zambales, but the SBMA and festival organizer Travel Factor signed a memorandum of agreement last week to bring it to the Freeport.

Eisma said the SBMA, along with the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) and the Subic Bay Hotels, Attractions and Tourism Stakeholders Visitors Board (SBHATSVB), will sponsor the event.

Meanwhile, festival organizers have agreed with partner resorts in the area to put up a series of various themed pool parties, three days of art workshops and fitness activities by the shore, and two evening concerts featuring some of the country’s biggest rock, alternative and pop acts.

The featured artists will include Ron Poe, Quest, Ronthug, Ace Ramos, Borhuh, David Ardiente, DJ Highrise, Up Dharma Down, and Gab and John of Urbandub.

Eisma said the event will certainly push the already high number of visitors in the Subic Bay Freeport to record-breaking figures since the summer season is not over yet.

She also stressed that the SBMA will be implementing strict security measures to keep Summer Siren drug-free and safe for everybody.

“We don’t want drugs to proliferate in the event, just like what happened in another concert someplace,” Eisma added. She said that she has urged the organizers to cooperate and for the SBMA Law Enforcement Department to be vigilant.
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“Subic has previously been named by the Department of Tourism as the number one tourist destination in Central Luzon and we’re pushing for the Subic Freeport to retain this title. Summer Siren is really one ideal event that would push Subic’s tourism ranking even a notch higher,” Eisma added. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO

SBMA Administrator and CEO Wilma T. Eisma (right) signs a memorandum of agreement with Cedric James Valera, managing partner of TF Adventure Travel Inc., for the holding of the Summer Siren 2017 in the Subic Bay Freeport. The three-day beach festival will be held along Subic’s Waterfront Road entertainment strip. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic companies open 3,000 jobs on Labor Day

More than 3,000 jobs were offered to jobseekers here on Monday during a jobs fair organized by locator-companies and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Labor Department in line with the celebration of Labor Day.

SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma said the huge volume of jobs being opened to workers could be attributed to the growing number of investments in the Freeport, and the participation of businessmen from the nearby city of Olongapo.

Eisma said more than 100 business locators participated in the job fair and offered jobs ranging from housekeeping, various skilled positions for electricians, plumbers and welders, and engineers.

Thousands of applicants from Olongapo and the nearby provinces of Zambales and Bataan filled the jobs fair venue at the Ayala Harbor Point mall to full capacity, she said.

The SBMA official added that the increasing number of job openings in the Freeport indicates the growing success of the SBMA in attracting more investors to Subic.

“As of late, Evergreen Shipping Company made its maiden voyage at the port of Subic. The SBMA also negotiated for the establishment of an industrial city at the Redondo Peninsula, and last week the country’s first ship-to-ship transfer operation of liquefied natural gas commenced here. All these signal more jobs and more opportunities for local workers,” Eisma said.

She also noted that while SBMA is doing its best to attract new investors, it also promotes harmonious working relationships between workers and management, and initiates projects for workers’ welfare.

“We believe that quality performance by employees is not only the end result of getting good salary or working in a big company. Quality performance also comes about if workers feel good about their employers, and if investors feel good about their employees and the SBMA,” she explained.

Meanwhile, SBMA labor manager Severo Pastor Jr. said the job fair was just one of the activities they organized for the Labor Day celebration here.

“We had a fun run, and as early as 5:30 in the morning, we already had 750 worker-runners doing the 3-kilometer fun run around the Freeport’s Central Business District. Then we also had a company float parade, singing contest, and muse and dance competitions,” Pastor said.

The contestants in the various competitions were all workers from Subic-based companies, he added.

Pastor also said that during the May 1 event, Freeport workers choose to relax alongside colleagues from other companies, as well as SBMA employees.

“We make a big difference here in Subic because while many of our labor organizations are joining street protests and rallies to celebrate Labor Day, workers in Subic Freeport run for fun and good health. This is a day for camaraderie and to thank every member of the labor sector for a job well done,” he added. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

Workers from business-locators in the Subic Bay Freeport take part in a fun run, motorcade, and singing and dance contests organized by the SBMA Labor Department to celebrate the International Labor Day. A jobs fair offering local and overseas jobs was also conducted for jobseekers in cooperation with the Olongapo City Public Employment and Services Office. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA okays US$798-M solar farm and industrial city project

More manufacturing companies and light to heavy industries are expected to locate in this premier Freeport, as the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) approved the development of a 982-hectare industrial estate at Subic’s Redondo Peninsula.

SBMA Chairman Martin B. Diño and SBMA Administrator Wilma T. Eisma announced the approval of the US$798-milion project proposed by Dynamic Konstruct International ECO Builders Corp. (DKIEBC), a duly-registered enterprise inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The proposed project site for the solar farm and industrial city at the Redondo Peninsula

“This project is our answer to the inquiry of investors looking for thousands of hectares of flat land for manufacturing and light to heavy industries inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone,” Chairman Diño said during the State of the Freeport Address (SOFA) hosted by the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) last Monday.

He added that the SBMA has been conferring with nearby local government units to identify more areas suitable for the development of industrial estates that will be under the Subic Bay Freeport’s tax- and duty-free regime.

Administrator Eisma meanwhile pointed out that the proposed solar farm and industrial city, when fully realized, will generate about 50,000 new jobs.

“When the Subic Naval Base closed down in 1992, we were all so depressed to be losing the 35,000 jobs generated by the US Navy. But under the SBMA we have long surpassed those numbers— as of February 2017 our active workforce within the Freeport is 115,272—and we keep on working to bring about more employment,” she added.

The SBMA officials also clarified that out of the $798-million investment commitment, the DKIEBC will spend about $300 million for the proposed 402-hectare solar farm, which is designed to produce 200 megawatts of green energy to primarily supply the proposed 580-hectare industrial city.

The industrial city project will include commercial buildings, factories, warehouses, utilities for water and electricity, fire and law enforcement facilities, and sanitation and landfill facilities.

According to DKIEBC, the solar farm shall primarily benefit the investors and locators of the industrial city with green and low-cost energy supply and reduce the risk of exposure from the spot market. (NBM/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA cites positive outlook for Subic Freeport

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) foresees better days ahead for this premier Philippine free port, as the new administration seeks to build on past accomplishments to bring the Subic Bay Freeport to greater heights.

Expressing optimism for better performance by the Subic agency in terms of revenue, job generation and contribution to the economy this year, SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma outlined measures to improve and expand Subic operations and urged both locator-businesses and workers here to do better.

“We must look back into the past, so we could build a brighter future,” Eisma said during her State of the Freeport Address (SOFA) at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) on Monday.

“Taking into account our performance last year, what we have accomplished can certainly be improved upon,” she added.

According to the Subic official, the Subic agency earned a total of P727.6 million in the first quarter of this year, compared to P676.3 million in the first quarter last year.

Similarly, she pointed out that the SBMA posted a net income of P46.7 million in the first quarter of 2017, which represented a 148 percent increase over last year’s P18.8 million net income.

Eisma also announced that the total cash and investments made by the Subic agency in the first three months of 2017 amounted to P4.57 billion, or a 24.84 percent increase over last year’s P3.6 billion record.

On the other hand, the agency’s total debt decreased by 8.79 percent in the first quarter, with a total of P6,644,026,284.10 for this year compared to P7,284,520,865.20 last year.

The administrator also pointed out that the agency’s key performance indicators such as the number of investments, new locators, import value and export value all rose significantly for the Subic Bay Freeport in the same period.

“The number of total new investments here have slightly increased by one percent, from last year’s P1,406,476,765 to P1,420,747,404 this year,” Eisma announced during the SOFA, adding that the agency registered 47 new business locators in the first quarter.

Eisma also noted a similar increase in import value, from US$653.8 million last year to US$2.75 billion— or a 321 percent increase, and a 10 percent increase in export value, which rose from U$406 million last year to US$536.3 million this year.

Eisma added that companies such as Datian Subic Corp. and Toyota Subic, which located in the Subic Freeport this first quarter, have improved Subic’s business outlook, along with the approval of Dynamic Konstruct Corp.’s P42-billion investment for industrial park development and renewable energy project.

She also said that the SBMA sees more revenue outflow from the ship-to-ship transfer operations of liquefied natural gas by Jovo, the largest clean energy provider in China which is expected to contribute an annual port revenue of P200 million, as well as that of Teekay Swan, a joint venture that controls the world’s most expensive fleet of gas carriers.

Another billion-peso investment that the SBMA recently approved is the DM Leisure Corp.’s P4.6-billion golf course and leisure complex project. Eisma said that this will not only increase investments in the Freeport, but also boost the number of workers employed and the number of tourists visiting Subic.

Administrator Eisma made the State of the Freeport Address along with SBMA Chairman Martin Diño, who enumerated several development projects planned for implementation by the Subic agency. The SOFA is an annual event presented and organized by the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA Chairman Martin Diño (right) and SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma (second from right) receive recognition from Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce president Rose Baldeo (second from left) and SBFCC treasurer Edna Canlas, along with Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Sergio R. Luis-Ortiz Jr., during the State of the Freeport Address on April 24. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma outlines measures to further develop the Subic Bay Freeport during her State of the Freeport Address on April 24. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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China’s JOVO starts LNG ship-to-ship transfer in Subic Freeport

The country’s first ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operations for liquefied natural gas (LNG) by China’s Jovo Group Company Ltd. Guandong (JOVO) started operations here Thursday (April 27), the first major investment in the Freeport under the Duterte Administration.

The 105,335-ton Malaysian-flagged Seri Bakti, which arrived from Australia, is now anchored in Subic Bay and has just completed transferring an initial load of LNG to feeder vessel S/S Polar Spirit, a 72,524-ton Bahamas-flagged vessel.

S/S Seri Bakti skippered by Capt. Sydney De Silveira, is operated by MISC group, a leading provider of energy-related maritime solutions and services.

On the other hand, Polar Spirit is operated by Teekay Gas Service and is under the command of Capt. Nenad Bezic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Wilma Amy Eisma said Seri Bakti is among the largest gas carriers operating for maritime transport.

“Because of the depth of our port, Subic Bay could accommodate this gigantic vessel, or any other super-size ship for that matter,” Eisma explained.

The ship-to-ship transfer operations involves a large mother vessel loaded with LNG and anchored off-shore, and smaller vessels that will bring the cargo to ports of destination where bigger ships are not allowed to anchor due to maritime issues.

Eisma said Seri Bakti’s operations in Subic Bay involves an initial minimum of two transfers per month and will increase to a maximum of six transfers per month by the third quarter of the year at the earliest.

In terms of revenue, it is expected that the Port of Subic will earn from this project tens of millions of pesos from services, including tug boat services, port services and anchorage, chandlers, bunkering and food supplies.

According to SBMA Seaport general manager Jerome Martinez, Seri Bakti will discharge LNG on two separate occasions to S/S Polar Spirit.

Martinez also stressed that the STS transfer operations will be safe as LNG has less greenhouse effect and is not highly combustible like gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas.

“It burns slowly, and does not mix with water nor kill fish or any other marine life. LNG is very environmental friendly,” he said.

“And in case that it is accidentally mixed with water, LNG will immediately evaporate without affecting the chemical property of the water, which will remain safe for aquatic life or even for drinking,” he added.

Aside from JOVO, the SBMA Board of Directors has already approved three more ship-to-ship service providers to operate in Subic Bay.

“JOVO is the only privately-owned gas company in China and is one of the leading clean energy service providers in the world,”JOVO manager Chris Huang said.

Earlier, JOVO International business general manager Yuan Lu said the firm’s STS operation in Subic may lead to the establishment of an LNG regional hub here to accommodate the delivery of LNG to local market and the rest of Southeast Asia.

He added that JOVO’s long-term plan is to introduce the LNG to the Philippine market, especially those in transportation sector that use trucks, haulers and school buses that prioritize safety and clean environment.

Lu also gave the assurance that JOVO has decades of comprehensive experience in clean energy shipping, storage, processing, and sales without accident and assured that its LNG STS operation will be environmentally safe. (RAV/RBB/HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] The 105,335-ton Malaysian-flagged Seri Bakti (right) is flanked by S/S Polar Spirit over the waters of Subic Bay as it transfers thousands of cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the feeder vessel. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] Aerial of S/S/ Seri Bakti and S/S Solar Spirit over the waters of Subic Bay.

[3] Officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) led by Administrator Wilma Amy Eisma (center) and officers of S/S Seri Bakti on board the Malaysian LNG tanker.

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