Subic Freeport workers run, sing and dance to celebrate Labor Day

Members of the Subic Bay Freeport work force joined workers and employees worldwide in celebrating Labor Day (May 1) with fun, music, and dance in the annual Freeport Games and Sports Festival held at the Harbor Point Activity Center here.

The celebration kicked off with a 3-kilometer fun run joined in by more than 750 runners from 33 Freeport-listed companies.

This was followed by a singing contest, a dance competition, and the Search for Ms. Freeport Games and Sports 2015.

Daisy Princesa of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Labor Department said the event drew participants from various departments of the SBMA, as well as from business locators in Subic.

“We are happy that despite the fact that it’s a holiday and they could be enjoying a long weekend vacation with friends and families, they opted to participate in this once a year Labor Day celebration,” Princesa said.

Maricel Maturbo of Koryo Phils. was among those who participated in the fun run. She crossed the finish line with her two-year old daughter Olivia Mae on a stroller.

“It was so exciting joining your co-workers in celebrating Labor Day this way. At least, we promote friendship and we feel that our company and the SBMA are acknowledging our contributions to our country,” Maturbo added.

Officials of the SBMA Labor Department, which organized the celebration, said that some 3,000 job hunters were also expected to flock to a job fair that would offer jobseekers with more than a thousand job opportunities at various companies inside the Freeport area.

The jobs fair is a regular part of the annual Labor Day celebration in this free port, and attracts applicants from the neighboring provinces of Zambales, Bataan, and Pampanga, as well as Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia earlier said that the Freeport’s workforce now number 97,000, with the 1,324 local and foreign companies in the Freeport that invested a combined amount of US$9.1 billion.

“Subic is now one of the major contributors to country’s improving economy and this is because of the professionalism and skills and expertise of the local manpower that are very important in business operations,” Garcia also said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
LABOR DAY FUN RUN: Workers from various business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone join a fun run in celebration of Labor Day. Aside from this activity, the SBMA Labor Department also organized song and dance contests, muse competition for the workers, and a jobs fair at the Ayala Harbor Point Mall. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)