SBMA launches 1st Quarter Offshore Clean-up in Subic Bay

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), along with other authorities in the Port of Subic launched the 1^st Quarter Off Shore Clean Up 2022 in response to the call for a cleaner and safer freeport.

Newly installed SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen Paulino lauded personnel from SBMA Seaport Department, Philippine Coast Guard, PNP Maritime Group, and Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) who participated in the activity.

Earlier this month, in his first appearance as SBMA Chairman, Paulino appealed to employees, locators, residents and stakeholders to help in maintaining cleanliness and safety in the freeport to attract more tourists and investors.

As part of the strategic measures to revitalize the business climate, the SBMA Seaport Department launched the off-shore clean-up drive which kicked off on Friday, March 18.

“The objective of this off shore clean-up is to engage people to remove trash and debris from beaches, waterways and other waterbodies,” said Jerome Martinez, manager of the Seaport Department.

The project also aims to identify the sources of litter that come to the bay, to change behaviors that cause pollution and raise awareness on the extent of the marine debris problem.

Meanwhile, Diego Aviles, chief of Maritime Safety Branch of the Seaport Department, said the SBMA has launched several activities that have safeguarded and protected Subic Bay’s marine and coastal resources such as information and education campaigns, oil spill and fire exercises, and off shore clean-ups.

Using three SBMA watercrafts and two PNP Maritime patrol boats, the group cruised off shore and scooped plastics and other non-biodegradable litter from the water.

An hour into the clean up activity, the group proudly shared that only a few plastic trash and soda bottles and were collected. “This is the result of our regular clean ups around water bodies of the bay,” Aviles said.

“This activity will serve only as an exercise for the group. We expect that the real work will come during the rainy days when bulks of trash will be directed to areas surrounding the ports by strong winds and waves,” Aviles added.

Aviles explained that the offshore clean-up drive will be held every quarter, and may extend farther offshore with the added participation of more individuals and organizations who may wish to join in this environmental protection campaign. (MPD-SBMA)

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Volunteer cleanups propel Subic Freeport tourism

Hundreds of volunteers from the various community organizations, schools and government agencies converged here on Sunday to clean up the beach along the popular Boardwalk Park here in preparation for the Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay triathlon event here on June 2.

The volunteers from the Philippine Coast Guard-Subic, its auxiliary PCGA 111th Squadron, the Philippine National Police, Ramon Magsaysay University in Subic, Zambales, and local schools Aura College and Gordon College, scoured the coast for trash, and bagged them for sorting and eventual disposal.

But this was nothing extraordinary, said SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who takes pride in a strong culture of volunteerism among stakeholders of the Subic Bay Freeport.

“This Freeport may have its natural attractions to thank for being a major tourist destination in the country today, but it is the culture of volunteerism here that keeps the local tourism industry moving forward,” Eisma said.

“Without the cooperation and support of the Subic Bay area community, the SBMA would not be able to make Subic the top tourist destination in Central Luzon for the last six years,” she added. “Volunteers help keep Subic tourism alive.”

The initiative of stakeholders that include SBMA employees, Freeport business locators, socio-civic organizations, residents, and even visitors to volunteer in clean-up activities here is a result of Eisma’s call for “malasakit” or concern for the common good.

This summer, as Subic prepared to host a mix of sports, entertainment and religious events, volunteer groups led by various SBMA departments buckled down to work to keep beaches, river banks and vacant lots clean and pleasing to the eye.

Today, members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Subic Station, Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) 111th Squadron, and the Subic Bay Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SBMPC), conduct monthly coastal clean-up along Malawaan Park and Boardwalk area.

“PCGA is mandated to support and assist the community in the protection of the marine environment and its resources, so we are happy to volunteer in cleaning our beach areas, especially in Subic Bay,” said Commander Eduardo Mabita Jr., director of the PCGA division in Subic.

Other groups such as Toyota Avanza Pilipinas (Olongapo Chapter), Lions Club of Olongapo, Gordon College and Aura College, the Police Regional Maritime Unit (Subic) are among the regular participants of the beach clean-ups along the Boardwalk Park here.

The Boardwalk Area is a favorite place for outdoor concerts, and will be the venue for several beach and water sports events in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games that Subic will host on November 30 to December 10.

Jem Camba, manager of the SBMA Tourism Department, noted that with 1.7 million guest arrivals last year, the Subic Bay Freeport continues to hold its position as the best tourist destination in Central Luzon based on the Department of Tourism’s 2018 report.

“With the help of our Subic Bay stakeholders, we are able to provide excellent customer service and create worthy and enjoyable events, and thus make Subic Bay a perfect getaway destination,” Camba also said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

Various stakeholder groups participate in the clean-up along the Boardwalk Park in the Subic Bay Freeport in preparation for the Ironman 70.3 triathlon on June 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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More business locators join SBMA ‘war on waste’

The country’s premier free port maintains its reputation as home to booming industries and businesses amidst a thriving natural environment due to the collective effort of stakeholders here to minimize waste.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Ecology Center manager Amethya Dela Llana said more Subic Freeport companies have joined the agency’s “War on Waste” program since the start of the Recyclable Collection Event (RCE) project in 2016.

“Our business locators now see the benefits of properly disposing trash: it’s orderly and more efficient, as well as economical,” Dela Llana said on Thursday during the 6th RCE held at the former mini-golf course along Waterfront Road here.

The participating companies brought to the collection event various recyclable items like used car batteries, cardboard and paper scraps, and light bulbs.

“It has been our company’s initiative to properly dispose of our hazardous wastes, being a company that conducts inspection, verification and tests on various products such as gas, oil and other chemicals,” said Marge Lingad, the administrative officer of SGS Subic.

Lingad said the firm used to outsource treatment of wastes generated by their operation. “But now we have found an economical way to dispose of these and at the same time, help raise funds for the environment,” she added.

Recyclable items generated through the SBMA project are sold to recyclers, and proceeds are donated to the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, which funds the Bantay Kalikasan, an organization that promotes healthy environment for local communities.

In the recently concluded 6th RCE, the SBMA Ecology Center recognized Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. for religiously donating recyclable trash since the pilot collection event three years ago, as well as for donating recyclable trash worth P32,160 during the previous RCE.

Apart from Hanjin, the companies recognized for their contributions to the recycling project include Subic Truckboy, SGS (Subic Bay) Inc., Broadband Broadcast Services, Nidec Subic Philippines, Sanyo Denki Phils. Inc., Koryo Subic, Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC), Wistron Infocomm Phils., Mateen Tokyo Intl. Inc., and Apollo Subic International Trading Corp.

Among the SBMA departments, meanwhile, the Procurement and Property Management Department (PPMD) was recognized for turning in recyclables worth P297,380 at the 5th RCE in November 2018.

In a short program that kicked off the 6th RCE, Dela Llana pointed out that when astronauts go to outer space, they experience the “overview effect” where they feel how fragile the earth is.

“I hope we do not have to go to outer space just to realize how fragile the earth is. With the series of earthquakes and aftershocks, let us help our environment adapt to the changes by doing environmentally-sound practices,” she added.

Dela Llana also announced that recyclable items like old tires, expired medicines, rubber shoes/slippers, and used clothes will also be accepted in the next collection event.

The RCE is part of the SBMA’s “War on Waste” program that also included an anti-littering drive, regulated use of plastic straws and plastic bags for wet products, and ban of single-use plastics. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Companies located at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone bring recyclable items to the 6th SBMA Recyclable Collection Event on Thursday. (MPD-SBMA)

[2] Volunteers teach the art of turning recyclable items into reusable or alternative-use products during the 6th SBMA Recyclable Collection Event on Thursday. (MPD.SBMA)

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SBMA urges neighbors to join recycling effort

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) urges communities around the Subic Bay Freeport to participate in its recyclable collection project to minimize the release of wastes into the environment and help raise funds for resource conservation.

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ramon Agregado said during the 5th Recyclables Collection Event (RCE) here Thursday that gathering recyclable wastes is the flipside of SBMA efforts to clean up the coastline and waters of Subic Bay, which is acknowledged as the lifeblood of both tourism and trade in the greater Subic Bay area.

“We should not only endeavor to make this recyclable collection event a periodic institutional activity, but we should strive to make it something bigger that will also encompass the neighboring localities of Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan,” Agregado said.

“This war on waste should not be an exclusive mandate for the SBMA. It should, instead, be a communal effort on the part of various stakeholders in the Subic area so that we can produce more significant results,” he added.

Agregado admitted that since attending the RCE last year, he began to collect recyclable plastics in preparation for this year’s event.

“If this activity affected me and encouraged me to collect recyclable trash, I hope others would also realize that we need to help save the environment in our own small way,” he added.

SBMA’s recyclables collection project is part of the agency’s bigger “War on Waste” program, which has recently included an anti-littering campaign and a ban on the use of single-use plastics in SBMA workplaces.

SBMA Ecology Center manager Ameth Dela Llana said the RCE was undertaken in partnership with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and in cooperation with the Bureau of Customs, as well as various treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities like VAG General Merchandising in Pampanga, Genetron International Marketing, Evergreen Environmental Resources, Inc., and Semi-Recycling Joechem in Bulacan.

During the event, SBMA also presented tokens of appreciation to 10 companies inside the Subic Freeport, which delivered the biggest volume of recyclable trash during the 4th RCE.

These are Hanjin Heavy Industries Company (Phils.), Subic Water and Sewerage Co., Nidec Subic, PTT Phils. Corp., Subic Track, Koryo Subic, SGS Subic Bay, Petron Freeport Corp., Subic Bay International Terminal Corp., and Jack Electronics Corporation.

The recyclables brought in by the participating firms, as well as by the community groups and households, are paid for by recyclers.

In some cases, the firms pay for the trash brought in for treatment and subsequent disposal.

Dela Llana said that the SBMA collection program generated proceeds amounting PHP137,000 last year. During the 3rd RCE in 2016, the proceeds reached PHP230,000.

She said the cash proceeds are turned over to the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, which funds the “Bantay Kalikasan” organization that promotes healthy environment for children, and helps communities earn revenue from protecting and turning their natural environment to tourism destinations.

The 5th RCE was held at an open space near the Boardwalk Activity Center here, drawing business locators and residents from both the Subic Freeport and Olongapo City to bring in their solid, hazardous, and electronic wastes to either sell or donate.

Some volunteers also took the time to teach the public techniques in making decorations out of wastes like plastic bottles, straw and food wrappers. (Malou Dungog, PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054164

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SBMA creates anti-littering task force

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) created an anti-littering task force to effectively implement its no-littering policy and set fines to discourage violations.

SBMA chairman and administrator Wilma T. Eisma said that the agency has started enforcing a policy that prohibits dumping or throwing of garbage, rubbish or any kind of waste in parks, roads, beach, forests, rivers, streams or on any open or public place inside the Freeport.

It is also illegal under the policy for anybody to urinate, defecate, dispose of cigarette butts, or spit in public places.

To ensure effective implementation of the no-littering policy, Eisma issued an order creating the SBMA Anti-Littering Task Force manned by marshals from the SBMA Ecology Center, Law Enforcement Department, Maintenance and Transportation Department, and Tourism Department.

She said these personnel are deputized to apprehend violators and recommend issuance of Notice of Violation (NoV) to any Subic Bay Freeport Zone establishment caught violating the policy.

She also said the agency has imposed a fine of PHP1,500 and four hours of community service for individual offenders and pet handlers found violating the policy.

The same fine of PHP1,500 and four hours of community service will be imposed for Subic Bay Freeport residents for littering, or improper or untimely stacking of garbage outside their residences.

Meanwhile, stiffer penalty will be given to violators among business establishments in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone: PHP50,000 per day of violation for each count of littering, improper or untimely stacking of garbage outside the establishment, and for garbage with leaking foul odor.

Eisma urged the public to help in enforcement and report incidents of littering, including the license plate number of violators, to the Law Enforcement Department at 911 (landline) or 9111 (mobile) or to the “No Kalat” hotline at 09176852528.

The no-littering policy took off from SBMA’s war on waste (WOW) program, as well as the agency’s thrust to enhance public awareness on environmental "malasakit" (concern).

Last month, the SBMA banned single-use plastic like stirrers, forks and spoons, straws, cups, and take-out food bags inside SBMA workplaces.

The SBMA advised canteens, stores and other food establishments here to use alternative food packaging.

“We should show good example and walk the talk,” Eisma said as she encouraged SBMA employees and Freeport companies to join the “straw-less” drive, ban on single-use plastics, and the agency’s recyclables collection program. (Ruben Veloria, PNA)

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SBMA bans single-use plastics in workplaces

Starting October 1, single-use plastics which are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled, will no longer be allowed in workplaces of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency has banned single-use plastics as part of its solution to the growing global problem of pollution.

Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, include plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, as well as soda and water bottles which form part of most food packaging.

“We should show good example and walk the talk,” Eisma said in a September 19 advisory to SBMA employees. “I implore everyone in SBMA to refrain from using single-use plastics in their workplace,” she added.

She said that canteens, stores and other food establishments in SBMA buildings have already been advised not to use plastic articles anymore.

Exempted from this regulation are goods in original plastic packaging. These, however, cannot be placed in new plastic bag or container upon purchase by consumers.

Aside from enforcing the single-use plastics ban, the SBMA will urge business locators here to join the “strawless” campaign, the recyclables collection program, and cooperate in an intensified anti-littering drive that will be implemented this coming October to further strengthen the agency’s War on Waste (WOW) campaign.

Eisma said that single-use plastics account for most of marine pollution in the Subic Bay area, as could be seen from the trash that periodically pile up on the Freeport’s coastline mostly after typhoons or heavy rains.

“These plastic items are not only pollutive and harmful to wildlife and humans alike, but they also become an eyesore that negatively impact on the image of Subic as world-class Freeport,” Eisma said.

“There is already a standing ban on the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam packaging in the whole Subic Freeport, and now we are backing this up with the ban on single-use plastics and our strawless campaign because there is really an urgent need to save the environment — and this includes public health — from further degradation,” she added.

According to SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana, the intensified no-littering policy to be implemented in the Subic Bay Freeport aims to stop the dumping or throwing of garbage, rubbish or any kind of waste in parks, roads, beaches, forests, rivers, streams or on any open or public place in the Subic Freeport.

The same policy also makes it illegal for anybody to urinate, defecate or spit in public places, or throw cigarette butts anywhere in public areas.

Dela Llana added that it would also be illegal to dispose of litter from a boat or ship into a water body, and to transport uncovered, spilling, or leaking waste or waste containers within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The SBMA has set penalties for violators of the anti-littering rule: P1,500 for individual offenders and pet handlers, who would have the option to render four hours of community service instead; and P50,000 for companies or establishments per day until the violation is corrected.

The public is enjoined to report incidents of littering, as well as particulars like the license plate number of violators, to the SBMA Law Enforcement Department at 911 (landline) or 9111 (mobile) or to the No Kalat Hotline at 09176852528. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Volunteers pick up wastes washed up along the shore in the Subic Bay Freeport. (MPD-SBMA)

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