Subic Freeport celebrates San Roque feast day Disney-style

People dressed as cartoon characters from popular animated films swarmed the Harbor Point Mall here on Thursday as the entire Subic Freeport community led by the Subic Bay Freeport Authority (SBMA) celebrated the feast day of San Roque, Subic Bay’s patron saint.

With the theme, “It’s More Fun-tasy in Subic @ Harbor Point”, this year’s edition of the annual San Roque Street Dance Competition required participating schools, business locators, and SBMA departments to do a ten-minute number inspired by an animated film.

In the contest, students from the Columban College Arts and Sciences Department successfully defended their title in the student category with their “Shrek”- inspired performance and took home the top prize of P20,000 cash.

The Olongapo City National High School Special Program for the Arts took the second place, while the College of Subic Montessorri placed third.

The Property, Procurement and Management Department, meanwhile, bagged the top prize for the SBMA category with their performance of “The Little Mermaid.” The Tourism Department bagged the second place with their “Tarzan”- inspired number.

For the open category, the group Grand Exquisite Dancers won the top prize, with the James O’Brien Dancers and the Kids Nxt Door placing second and third, respectively.

SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia said the San Roque Festival is a special day for him, since it was during last year’s festivities when he spoke to the public for the first time as the agency’s chairman.

Garcia also thanked San Roque for protecting the Freeport during the heavy monsoon rains that swept the country during the past weeks.

He also praised the efforts of the SBMA's rescue teams at the height of the flooding caused by the heavy rains, noting that the teams rescued around 350 individuals.

“When San Roque was looking over us, I think he is also helping our rescue teams help out residents in the communities surrounding Subic,” he said.

Garcia then wished for a prosperous year for the Freeport: “Sana tuloy-tuloy ang ating pag-angat dito sa Freeport; sana tuloy na gumanda ang negosyo ng mga negosyante dito para maakit ‘yung mga iba na mag-invest dito at mag-provide ng mga trabaho para sa ating mga kasamahan na taga-Olongapo, Zambales at Bataan,” he said.

This year’s San Roque feast day celebration was sponsored by the Ayala-owned Harbor Point mall and was organized by the SBMA through its Tourism Department. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Dancers in Disney animated film-inspired costumes compete in this year’s San Roque Street Dance Competition at the Subic Bay Freeport. The celebration coincided with the feast day of San Roque, Subic Bay’s patron saint.

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Tourists' Food Haven In Subic

Aside from shipbuilding magnate Hanjin Heavy Industries, and Construction (HHIC), other factories, auction companies and catering services are now eyeing this premier Freeport for its tourism potential.

With the construction of Ayala Land's Harbor Point mall, more and more restaurants and bars are opening just within the Subic Bay Freeport's gates.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials said the Subic Free port has been a favorite destination for local and foreign tourists.

These tourists want to explore this Freeport while having a great time and seek good places to dine.

This is where food stores and restaurants come in, officials said.


They said that tourists who come into this premier Freeport will need a fine dining experience and places to hang out.

Restaurants such as Gerry's Grill, Lighthouse Marina's, Coco Lime and Meatplus are just a few of the best restaurants that tourists here frequent when they stay at Subic Bay Freeport.( Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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Subic’s Ayala mall opens doors to indigenous communities

As part of Ayala Malls' corporate social responsibility program, Harbor Point, Subic’s newest shopping destination, is opening its doors to indigenous groups in communities surrounding the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The mall, which formally opened on April 26, envisions itself as a home for the different community groups in the Zambales and Bataan area, said Bobby Dy, Ayala Land’s senior vice president.

“We welcome all these groups, and we will work closely with them. We want this to be their home,” Dy said, adding that the mall’s management is in close talk with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to accommodate community events at Harbor Point.

He said the mall is planning to have community events Mondays to Thursdays. The mall is also providing business opportunities for local indigenous peoples, particularly the Aetas in this free port.

According to Armie Llamas, manager of the SBMA public relations department, Harbor Point has initially allocated a complimentary stall where Aetas from the Pastolan village in this free port can sell slippers that they have crafted. Proceeds from the sale will go directly to the livelihood program of the Aeta tribe, she added.

Llamas, who is in charge of the SBMA's outreach projects for the Aetas in Subic, as well as other community groups, said the tribe is thankful to the mall management for giving them some space in the Harbor Point mall.

She added that the SBMA is also looking forward to other programs that Ayala has lined up, especially for some opportunities for the Aetas to showcase their culture. “They do dance numbers and cultural productions, so Harbor Point can perhaps hire some Aetas for cultural presentations to give them an additional source of income,” Llamas said.

Conrado Prenilla, chieftain of the Pastolan Aeta community, also expressed gratitude for the additional income that Aeta women could earn from selling slippers at the Ayala mall.

“Marami sa mga kababaihan namin ang walang trabaho, kaya po malaking bagay para sa kanila itong ibinigay na livelihood project para po makatulong sa kanila,” he said.

Harbor Point, the latest addition to Ayala Land’s chain of shopping malls, was formally opened on April 26 by Ayala Land’s top executives, including Ayala Land chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. The opening was also graced by SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia, and Olongapo City mayor James Gordon, Jr.

Antonino Aquino, president of Ayala Land Inc., said that the mall will strive to complement the development that is happening within the Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City.

“This is extremely important for us because we know that this is something that is going to be contributing to the further development of Olongapo and Subic,” he said. “We would like to be part of the continued progress that is happening in this twin development.”

Aquino also stated that Ayala Land is looking forward to be a part of Subic and Olongapo’s future towards progress. “We would like to be part of that great journey, and we would like to make sure to start today here in Harbor Point, where every day is a holiday,” he said. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Pastolan Aeta women sell their handcrafted slippers at a complementary stall given by the management of Harbor Point, the newest mall in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Ayala Land keen to increase presence in central Luzon

Ayala Land, Inc. yesterday bared plans to further expand its presence in central Luzon by adding residential or office projects in the area after launching the Harbor Point mall here.

“We are definitely expanding our national presence. We have identified the Pampanga-Bataan-Zambales corridor as a key growth area, and with the opening of Harbor Point, you can say we have already deepened our presence in those areas,” Bernard Vincent O. Dy, Ayala Land executive vice-president, said in a press briefing.

Aside from Harbor Point, Ayala Land’s other developments in central Luzon included Anvaya Cove, a 320-hectare leisure complex in Bataan that the company developed in partnership with Subic Bay Development and Industrial Estate Corp.

“As you can see, we’re always on the lookout for opportunities, and right now, we are in discussions with the [Olongapo] city government and SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority) if we can expand further our product offerings. We’re looking at possible residential or office buildings, in addition to Harbor Point,” Mr. Dy said.

Harbor Point, the first Ayala Land mall opened this year, is located on a 3.5-hectare lot along the Subic Bay freeport’s Rizal Highway.

Around 80% of the mall is already leased out to tenants, from which Harbor Point expects to net some P100 million in revenues annually, Javier D. Hernandez, Ayala Land commercial business group assistant-vice president said. (Franz Jonathan G. de la Fuente, BusinessWorld)

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SBMA fast-tracks accreditation of Ayala mall merchants

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has processed the business application of more than 400 local and international companies wishing to locate at the Ayala Harbor Point mall here by conducting a one-day, one-stop business processing designed to fast-track the accreditation of the new business locators.

“This is a first time in SBMA that we have put together all permit-issuing SBMA departments in a business processing event to simplify the process,” SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said.

“We hope that we could encourage more merchants to invest here when they see how easy it is for businesses to set up shop in Subic,” Garcia added.

The one-stop registration process was introduced after an “unprecedented volume” of non-Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) enterprise firms signified intention to sub-lease commercial spaces at the Harbor Point Mall, which is now under construction at the central business district of this free port.

Harbor Point marketing manager Argee Gomez said Ayala is about to finish the basic structure of the mall and is now allowing merchants to start the development and provisioning of their stalls.

“This will, with the full support and cooperation of the SBMA, help fast-track the construction of the Harbour Point mall and allow us to meet the target operation date,” he added.

Among the requirements that each merchant should complete before operating a business in Subic are: business registration from the Business & Investment Department – Leisure; accreditation permit intended for suppliers, contractors or service providers from the Accreditation Department; building permit from the Building Permit & Safety Department; environmental permit from the Ecology Department; gate passes for employees from the Office Services Department; sanitary clearance from the Public Health & Safety Department; and vehicle passes from the Transportation & Communication Department.

After going through said requirements, the business locator then pays all fees to the SBMA Treasury Department before the permits would be released by the issuing departments.

During the one-day, one-stop accreditation process, the SBMA’s Management Information Systems Department and Tourism Department also provided support to smoothen the processing flow, noted Chairman Garcia.

In view of the accreditation of its sub-leases, Harbor Point expects to open up more than 2,000 job opportunities, initially, for residents of the Subic Bay Freeport, Olongapo City, and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan.

Gomez said a wide range of jobs will be available – store managers, human resource personnel, management trainees, supervisors, merchandisers, store marketing officers, accounting staff, customer service representatives, programmers, sales clerks, service crew, stockmen, kitchen staff, bartenders, security guards, maintenance personnel, massage therapist, cashiers, warehousemen, and janitors, to name a few.

Because of this, the company will be holding a job fair, dubbed as “Careers at Harbor Point,” on January 26 and 27, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Subic Bay Gym.

Gomez also explained that Harbor Point mall, which is fully owned by Ayala Land Inc., would feature open-air spaces, a garden, an active zone, aside from facilities where the public can shop, dine and relax.

It will also have international and local high-end stores, as well as a transport terminal with lounges and comfort rooms, and ample parking spaces for vehicles.

Gomez added that Ayala malls all over the country are named differently from each other to highlight the distinct characteristic of the place where they are built. As such, the Ayala mall here was named Harbor Point because of Subic’s bayside location. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO:
SBMA personnel assist more than 400 international and local firms that are registering for business operations at the Ayala Harbor Point Mall in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Court orders anew status quo vs. Ayala mall development

Regional Trial Court Judge Raymund Viray ordered the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to maintain status quo for a second time in two days on the controversial issue involving Ayala Land’s mall project and a local college here.

Judge Viray ordered SBMA and Ayala Land not to take any action to disturb the status quo for five days or until a decision is issued by the court.

Ansbert Joaquin, administrator of Comteq Computer and Business
College, said that they do not oppose the mall project, ‘since day one, we have made our position clear that all we want are equal space and amenities.’

Comteq urged the court to compel SBMA to respect Comteq’s lease agreements and provide facilities equivalent to the lease contracts in the event that it agrees to relocate in favor of Ayala Land’s mall. Comteq also asked the court to issue a permanent injunction pending resolution of the case. (30)

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$96-M Filipino investments outpace FDI in Subic

Investment commitments put up by Filipino-owned locator-companies in this free port have so far eclipsed foreign direct investment (FDI) recorded here this year, marking the first time in recent years that locals outshone imports.

According to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Filipino firms made it to the top of the chart by drowning out the competition with sheer numbers: a total of 139 investment projects that, taken all together, were worth about $96.22 million.
This translates to 57.74 percent of the $166.64 million total for investment projects approved by the SBMA board from January to November this year.

Korean firms, which held sway here since 2006 when shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp. plunked its initial $1-billion investment, slipped to the No. 2 position with only 26 investment projects worth a total of $55.86 million, or 33.52 percent.

This was less than a third of the $198.84 million (85.48 percent) committed by 46 Korean companies in 2008, the same year that 67 Filipino firms invested $10.09 million (4.33 percent).

The third slot among the biggest investors this year went to a Swiss-owned company, which put up a project worth $7 million or 4.2 percent; followed by six Taiwanese projects with a total worth of $2.86 million; and four Japanese projects with a total of $1.27 million.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said that FDI generated in the Subic Bay Free Port in the last 11 months actually fell by more than 67 percent, when compared with the total posted in the same period last year.

Arreza said that FDI in the January-November 2008 period totaled $224.82 million. For the same period this year, it was only $73.82 million.

However, even as foreign investment dropped this year, Arreza noted that Filipino companies “more than made up for the slump” and carried the day for Subic’s investment performance.

“This is an encouraging sign,” Arreza said. “As far as we can tell, Subic is fast regaining its footing in terms of investment generation.”

For the last two months alone, investment pledges in Subic reached a total of $44.42 million, with a total of $23.1 million committed by 12 investor-companies in October, and a total of $21.32 million pledged by 22 other firms in November.

Arezza said that among the biggest investors in the two-month period is Filipino real-estate giant Ayala Land Inc., which pledged $21.4 million for the construction, development and operation of a retail and commercial center.

Seven other Filipino companies made it to the list of top 10 biggest investors this year. These are Tountzis Shipping Inc. with $20.23 million; Jadelink Subic Inc., $16.85 million; Pure Petroleum Corp., $6.22 million; Subic Business and Technology College, $4.29 million; Bonsure Evergreen International Corp., $2.21 million; Chifil International Import-Export Manufacturing Co. Inc., $1.41 million; and Eastern Subic Fuel Depot Corp., with $1.05 million.

The only foreign companies in the same list are Korean casino-resort developer Ocean Nine Philkor Inc., which pledged $52.38 million; and Swiss-owned Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc., with $7 million for its warehousing operation here.

The SBMA also said that the 163 projects it has approved this year are expected to create a total of 6,340 new jobs. The Subic free port has an active work force of 86,631 as of October 2009.

The agency added that as of November this year, there are a total of 1,310 approved investment projects in the Subic Bay Free-port Zone. These projects are worth a total of $5.918 billion in committed funds. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror}

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Duty-free privileges key to Ayala Land’s Olongapo development plan

The tax- and duty-free regime that has made this free port one of the biggest generators of foreign direct investment in the country would also be crucial to the realization of a 7,000-sq-meter Ayala Land development project in this free port and nearby Olongapo City.

Armand Arreza, administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), said the project proponent has stressed that Subic’s tax- and duty-free privileges would be “a key component in realizing the P3-billion development project proposed by Ayala Land Inc. [ALI].”

According to ALI president and CEO Anthony Aquino, fiscal incentives like Subic’s minimal 5-percent gross income tax, if successfully extended to the 7,000-sq-meter Olongapo City Central Business District (CBD) Triangle, “would set the stage for robust trade in the area.” He added that the tax- and duty-free incentives would be part of the package that the developer could offer to prospective investors and business locators.

Aquino also said that the developer is eyeing the participation of businessmen from Olongapo for the proposed CBD Triangle project, adding that local investments would be the “lifeblood of this development.”

Arreza said he has assured Aquino that tax- and duty-free perks will be applied to the CBD project as soon as President Arroyo approves the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Executive Order (EO) 675.

Arreza also said that the IRR for EO 675 has become a collaborative work of the SBMA and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) office in this free port.

The IRR details the process of identifying, administering and regulating the areas where said incentives can be extended, he added.

Arroyo signed the said EO on Nov. 5, 2007, citing the need to expand the area where Subic’s tax- and duty-free privileges would apply.

Arreza said that EO 675 provides that tax- and duty-free privileges within the Subic Special Economic and Free Port Zone “shall apply within the secured area consisting of the presently fenced-in former Subic Naval Base and such other areas that may be identified, fenced, secured, or declared as additional secured area by the SBMA.”

“Once the President gives her approval, it is up to the city of Olongapo to decide what particular incentives to offer,” he said.

Arreza, Aquino and Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon Jr. signed a Memorandum of understanding last week for the proposed Olongapo CBD Triangle project.

Under the agreement, ALI will commission the master plan for free, granted that the Olongapo government would give ALI the option to develop or purchase, subject to applicable laws, the city’s properties inside the 7,000-sq-meter project area.

Arreza, who has pushed for the expansion of Subic’s free-port regime to nearby communities, said the proposed project will be the first step in the agency’s push to develop areas beyond Subic’s secured area.

The CBD Triangle project aims to develop adjoining portions of the Subic Bay Free Port and Olongapo City “into a green, environment-friendly residential, commercial and institutional area.”

The project is expected to boost Subic’s drive to gain more investments and create more livelihood opportunities for local residents.

Arreza also said that among the incentives offered to Subic business locators are tax- and duty-free importation; exemption from all local and national taxes, with only a 5-percent corporate tax on gross income; unrestricted entry of foreign investments; no foreign exchange control; visas for foreign nationals; and expanded allowable deduction and higher percentage of income allowable from sources within the Customs territory for regional enterprises. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

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Ayala Land eyes free port perks for Olongapo project

The extension of Subic Bay Freeport’s tax and duty-free privileges to the City of Olongapo will be a key component in realizing the P3-billion development project proposed by Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) for the city’s business district.

ALI president and CEO Antonino Aquino said that fiscal incentives like Subic’s minimal five percent gross income tax, if successfully extended to the 7,000-square meter Olongapo City Central Business District (CBD) Triangle, would set the stage for robust trade in the area.

Aquino said these tax and duty-free incentives would enable the planned tripartite committee to offer attractive deals to win the cooperation of Olongapeños, particularly the business group, which he said would be the “lifeblood of this development.”

SBMA administrator Armand Arreza assured Aquino that this prospect would be realized as soon as President Arroyo approved the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Executive Order No. 675, which was signed by the President on November 05, 2007 to expand the area where tax and duty-free privileges would apply.

“Once the President gives her approval, it is up to the City of Olongapo to decide what particular incentives to offer,” said Arreza.

Arreza and Aquino signed a memorandum of understanding with Olongapo Mayor James Gordon Jr. last week for the proposed Olongapo CBD Triangle project.

Per agreement, ALI will commission the master plan for the project free of charge, granted that the city government would give ALI the option to develop or purchase, subject to applicable laws, Olongapo City’s properties inside the 7,000-square meter project area.

The Ayala firm announced recently that it would invest P3 billion for a mixed-use master-planned community in the Subic Bay Freeport — a 7.5-hectare property separated from the proposed Olongapo City CBD Triangle only by a man-made channel.

Arreza, who pushed for the expansion of Subic’s free port regime to nearby communities, said the proposed project would boost Subic’s drive to gain more investments and create more livelihood opportunities for local residents.

He added that the recent moves of ALI, one of the biggest real estate developers in the country today, “clearly demonstrates what EO 675 can do to the regions between Subic and Clark.”

Arreza explained that under the EO 675, tax- and duty-free privileges within the Subic Special Economic and Free Port Zone (SSEFPZ) “shall apply within the secured area consisting of the presently fenced-in former Subic Naval Base and such other areas that may be identified, fenced, secured, or declared as additional secured area by the SBMA.”

The IRR for EO 675, a collaborative work of the SBMA and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) here, details the process of identifying, administering, and regulating the areas where said incentives can be extended.

Among the incentives the SBMA offers to investors registering in the Subic Bay Freeport are tax- and duty-free importation; exemption from all local and national taxes, with only a five percent corporate tax on gross income; unrestricted entry of foreign investments; no foreign exchange control; visas for foreign nationals; and expanded allowable deduction and higher percentage of income allowable from sources within the Customs territory for regional enterprises. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

Photo:
SUBIC-OLONGAPO BUSINESS TRIANGLE: SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon Jr., and Ayala Land, Inc. president Anthony Aquino sign an agreement for the development of a master plan for the Subic-Olongapo Central Business District Triangle project.

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Ayala Land Inc. to craft master plan for Subic-Olongapo business triangle

Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), one of the biggest property developers in the country, will be drawing up the master plan for a unique business-development project in this free port and the neighboring city of Olongapo.

The project, to be called the Central Business District (CBD) Triangle, will straddle the boundary between the Subic Bay Free Port and Olongapo City near the free port’s main gate.

Armand Arreza, administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), said the project will cover about 7,000 square meters of prime business land and will be the first step in the agency’s push to develop areas beyond Subic’s “secured area.”

ALI has formally committed to draw the project’s master plan in a memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday by ALI president Anthony Aquino, Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon Jr. and Arreza.

Arreza said in a statement on Thursday that the CBD Triangle project aims to make the adjoining portions of Subic Free Port and Olongapo City “into a green, environment-friendly residential, commercial and institutional area.”

“This will be the initial project in accordance with the SBMA’s thrust to extend the physical boundaries of the Subic Free Port, and in the process generate more livelihood opportunities for people in the surrounding communities,” Arreza said.

The CBD Triangle project “will effectively generate economic activities in the city, provide more jobs, and improve the quality of life of the residents,” he said.
According to a land-use plan presented by ALI, the project will be located inside the triangle formed by Magsaysay Dr., Rizal Ave. Ext., and Perimeter Rd. in Olongapo City.

It will also include the former SubCom area inside the free port, which will be transformed into a mixed-use area, but predominantly for retail establishments.

Olongapo’s famous entertainment district which is bounded by Magsaysay Dr. and Rizal Ave., will be transformed into a commercial-office block.

Nearby, an institutional area will rise within the area bounded by Fendler, Third, Hansen and First Sts., also in Olongapo.

ALI’s Aquino said all the construction projects in the CBD Triangle “will be relevant to the history, culture and dynamics of Subic Bay and Olongapo City.”

The project will be environment-friendly, with the banks of the Kalalake River inside the CBD Triangle turned into a waterfront garden for relaxation, picnics and small-group activities.

“Any transformation should be planned well. Otherwise, the deterioration of the environment will continue,” Aquino added.

Arreza said the SBMA began entertaining the expansion project into Olongapo after President Arroyo signed on Nov. 5, 2007, Executive Order 675, which granted tax and duty-free privileges to investors locating beyond the “secured area,” but within the Subic Special Economic and Free Port Zone.

He added that aside from undertaking the master plan for the CBD Triangle, ALI has also volunteered to draw the plans for beach areas in Olongapo City that are eyed for development into world-class tourist resorts. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

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ALI leases 7.5-ha Subic property for integrated master-planned development

MANILA, Philippines - Real estate developer Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) signed last Oct. 16 a 50-year lease agreement for a 7.5-hectare property along Rizal Highway within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Given Ayala Land’s unmatched experience and proven track record of world-class real estate projects, an integrated master-planned development which is envisioned to include a shopping mall, Business Process Outsourcing office building, and hotel will proudly rise at Subic’s Central Business District.

The proposed mall shall offer basic conveniences that will address the everyday needs of Subic and Olongapo, as well as unique concepts that will serve not only the immediate communities but also the tourists and transients.

ALI’s development will be a catalyst for growth in the Subic-Olongapo corridor and will be a major mixed use project in the Subic Freeport Zone that is well-planned, integrated and environmentally balanced.

With a total investment of approximately P3 billion including investments generated from the project’s multiplier-effect from retail, office and hotel locators, the project is expected to create about 10,000 new jobs from construction phase to operations. (Philippine Star)

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