Subic Freeport braces for tourists influx for Holy Week

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), in anticipation of high influx of tourists and devotees coming here, has lined up weeklong activities, in observance of the Holy Week celebration in the “new normal.”

During the opening of the Weekend Eco-Market over the weekend, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino said that Subic is almost in full swing opening more areas of destinations for more guests to visit.

“SBMA is again open. I really wanted people to come here in Subic during the Holy Week. But with what I see, it is more than I expected,” Paulino said.

Paulino’s appointment as SBMA Chairman and Administrator coincided with the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), downgrading Region 3 to Alert Level 1. He also vowed to make Subic Bay Freeport one of the most visited places in the country.

Over the weekend, the Chairman spearheaded the opening of the Subic Bay Weekend Eco-Market, an outdoor flea market located near the San Roque Chapel where some 30 micro, small and medium enterprise businesses from Central Luzon sell fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, meats, handicrafts and more.

Open from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, the Subic Bay Weekend Eco-Market, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), aims to help revive tourism and economy in the area, and will run all weekends until end of May.

Moreover, the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) also opened 2022 Subic Bay Banchetto and trade fair for the span of the Holy Week period, and provide a venue to unwind after the working class went back to work on a 100 percent complement.

“Since Region 3 was placed under Alert Level 1, we all have been working hard. And the Banchetto was organized in time for the Holy Week to give ourselves a much-deserved break,” said Benjamin Antonio III, SBFCC president and Subicwater chief executive officer and general manager.

He said that the Banchetto is also in partnership with the DoT and DTI aiming to revive tourism and economy as micro, small and medium enterprise businesses joined the trade fair.

The Banchetto will run daily from 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday only.

Meanwhile, for devotees of the religious activities, San Roque Chapel started the Holy Week with the Blessing of Palm, locally known as palaspas, the re-enactment of the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem, and the Station of the Cross.

On Holy Monday (April 11) until Holy Wednesday (April 13), there will be the “Pabasa sa Freeport,” the chanting of the life, passion and death of Jesus, from 8:00 AM onwards. A Holy Mass follows at 5:00 PM, and a religious procession at 6:00 PM.

On Maundy Thursday (April 14), there will be Holy Mass and Washing of the Feet (5:00 PM), to be followed by a Holy Mass at 6:00 PM. And the start of Visita Iglesia (7:00 PM- 12:00 MN).

On Maundy Thursday (April 15), Private Station of the Cross (6:00 AM- 12:00NN/SRC), Liturgy of the Word and Veneration of the Cross (3:00PM/ SRC). The Grand Procession follows at 6:00 PM.

Good Friday (April 17), the much-awaited Salubong (4:00 AM), the pre-dawn meeting of the images of the Risen Christ, and the grieving Mother Mary. Procession starts in front of Dispensary Building and the other is at Spanish Gate. Holy Mass at 5:00 AM. Easter Egg Hunting begins at 11:00 AM at San Roque Chapel.

The visitors can also take the opportunity to join the procession (Holy Wednesday) and the grand procession on Good Friday.

Chairman Paulino said that because of its security and cleanliness, the Freeport is a favorite vacation rendezvous with the family to remember the sufferings of Jesus, the meaning of His death, and His resurrection.

“As we would have wanted to have Alert Level 0, and come up with a better normal in the Freeport, we still enjoin everyone to follow minimal health protocols. Wear your face masks and sanitize your hands with alcohol whenever possible. Let us all stay safe,” Paulino said. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic chapel masses go live streaming for Holy Week

In face of quarantine rules that prohibit mass gatherings to prevent transmission of the new coronavirus (Covid-19), masses and other religious activities at the San Roque Chapel here will be streamed live on the Internet during the Holy Week.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said the first live streaming, which involved the simultaneous recording and broadcasting of the event in real time, covered the Palm Sunday mass celebrated at 9:00 a.m. today, April 5, by Fr. Audie Mozo Jr.

It was simultaneously broadcast live on the facebook pages of 89.5 Subic Bay Radio, an FM channel operated by the SBMA, and FUNtastic Subic Bay, the agency’s official tourism page, Eisma said.

The online broadcast of the holy mass here was the response of the SBMA and St. Columban Parish to the directive of Bishop Bartolome Santos, Jr. of the Diocese of Iba that “all celebrations shall be done on live stream so that people can virtually participate.”

The directive, dated the March 21, also indicated that the religious activities were to be programmed “so that we make our celebrations in the diocese simultaneously.”

To make the live streaming of religious activities here possible, Eisma said the SBMA Tourism Department consulted with Fr. Mozo, the parish priest of the Columban Church in Olongapo City, and came up with the following schedule for the San Roque Chapel:

• April 5 and 12: Sunday masses — live streaming at 9:00 AM;
• April 9: Evening mass of the Lord’s Supper — live streaming at 5:00 PM; and
• April 11: Easter vigil mass — live streaming at 7:00 PM.

Meanwhile, the directive from the Diocese of Iba also indicated that the processions on Holy Thursday and Good Friday may be undertaken with the public observing social distancing.

“After the Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion, without the faithful, the presider rides a pick up vehicle as he carries a Crucifix and goes to all the streets of the parish (and) people with lighted candles shall wait in front of their homes to venerate the Cross by kneeling down,” the directive said.

It added that because of the enforced curfew hours, the traditional “Salubong” will be omitted this year and may transferred to one of the Sundays of May.

Bishop Santos also said that the Chrism mass will be celebrated on April 30, Thursday, “to give our people the chance to participate in this joyful gathering.” He said the Vatican has given bishops the authority to change the date of the Chrism mass to a more suitable schedule. (MPD/SBMA)

PHOTO:

Schedule of Holy Week masses at the San Roque Chapel to be streamed live over SBMA's social media accounts.

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Weeklong Lenten program set in Subic Bay Freeport

Subic is not only ready for the crowd of vacationers this summer, but also for throngs of the faithful who are expected to observe the Christian traditions of praying, fasting and reconciling with their Maker during the Lenten season.

According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, the Subic agency, in partnership with various stakeholder groups, has prepared a weeklong religious program, as well as some cultural presentations for the Holy Week.

2019 Holy Week schedule of activities in Subic Bay 

The Holy Week, according to Christian tradition, is the culmination of the hallowed forty-day period of sacrifice leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. Christians observe the 40 days of Lent that begins on Ash Wednesday to replicate Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days.

Eisma said that because of its relative quiet and its peaceful atmosphere, the Subic Bay Freeport has become a favorite spot for religious reflection and meditation.

Subic’s Holy Week presentation starts at 8:30 a.m. on April 14, Palm Sunday, with the re-enactment of the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem and the blessing of palms, locally known as “palaspas.” This will be held at the San Roque Chapel, which was built in the 1800s for Spanish sailors and Filipino converts.

The San Roque Chapel

“Pabasa sa Freeport,” which is the chanting of the life, passion and death of Jesus Christ, starts at 9:00 a.m. on Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday also at San Roque Chapel.

On Maundy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Washing of the Feet will be held at 5:00 p.m., to be followed by Visita Iglesia at 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight.

Slarted on Good Friday are the Stations of the Cross, 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, San Roque Chapel; Guided Way of the Cross Meditation, 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Holy Land Subic Sanctuary, which is located at the Tipo area; and Liturgy of the Word and Veneration of the Cross, 3:00 p.m. at San Roque Chapel.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to join the religious procession on Holy Wednesday and the grand procession on Good Friday at 6:00 p.m. Both will go around Subic’s Central Business District and end at the San Roque Chapel.

The grand event that will end the Holy Week here will be the Easter Sunday procession or “Salubong” that will start at 4:00 a.m. on April 21 and proceed along the Manila and Dewey Avenues, pass by the Spanish Gate area, and end at San Roque Chapel.

Meanwhile, SBMA Tourism Department manager Mary Jamelle Camba said that aside from religious activities, the public may also enjoy for free the live musical entertainment program that will start at 7:00 p.m. from April 18 to April 20 at the Boardwalk Event Center.

These musical presentations will showcase the bests of local bands in the Subic Bay area, as well as a gospel healing concert featuring the drama group Centurion’s Servant, the Bethesda Springs of Hope Healing Ministry, as well as singers Julie San Jose, Yael and Karylle Yuzon, and Ku Aquino.

The Holy Mass at 6:00 a.m. on Easter Sunday at San Roque Chapel will be followed by the “Agape Breakfast For All” and the Easter egg hunt for children.

Camba said that in preparation for the expected influx of visitors to Subic, the SBMA Tourism Department has established satellite information offices in four strategic locations in the Freeport to help motorists on their way.

These information centers can be found at the Tipo Toll Plaza, the front of San Roque Chapel, the Total Gas Station in front of Subic Yacht Club, and the Starbucks coffeehouse along Argonaut Hiway.

Camba said these info centers will open from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. during the entire Holy Week and will also be manned by medical personnel with ambulances on stand-by, police officers, and auto mechanics. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport gears up for holy week events

Honoring tradition, this premier Freeport is gearing up for the most solemn Catholic event, the Holy Week.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Atty. Wilma T. Eisma unveiled the agency’s plans for the upcoming Holy Week events yesterday, showing that this Freeport is not without observance of its religious traditions.

The start of the Holy Week will be welcomed with the Reenactment of Jesus Christ Entering Jerusalem at the San Roque Chapel, the oldest chapel in the area. This day’s event will culminate with the Blessing of the Palm on April 9, Palm Sunday.

Eisma said that aside from the event in San Roque Chapel, there will also be another reenactment in Holy Land, where a priest presiding in the mass will ride a donkey towards the chapel there. There will also be an animal parade at the religious theme park as mass goers will be able to interact with two camels, two donkeys, sheep, horses and ponies.

“On April 10 and 11, a ‘Pabasa’ will be held also in San Roque Chapel. And on Wednesday, a procession will be held at the San Roque Chapel, while the Boardwalk area will have food and specialty shops, with entertainment from local bands and DJs to liven up the place,” Eisma said.

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Washing of the Feet and the Reenactment of the Last Supper will be held at the San Roque Chapel. Tourists will be able to visit the chapel as part of the Visita Iglesia tradition on Maundy Thursday.

Good Friday events will include Private Station of the Cross at the San Roque Chapel, Guided Way of the Cross Meditation at the Holy Land, and a stage play of “The Passion and Death of Jesus” at the Boardwalk area.

Part of the Black Saturday events is the Black Saturday Concert at the Boardwalk area, and an Easter Vigil Mass will be held at the San Roque Chapel. The mass will include the Blessing of Paschal Candle, Blessing of Fire and Blessing of Water.

“And on Easter Sunday, we will have the ‘Salubong’ procession and an Easter Egg Hunt at the San Roque Chapel grounds. The ‘Salubong’ procession will be held at the Dewey Avenue as the Risen Christ and Mary Dolorosa will meet up at the San Roque Chapel,” Eisma said.

Eisma also said that these events are part of the SBMA’s thrust to show that the agency honor religious Filipino traditions and would like to make this an opportunity to get families closer while in Subic Bay Freeport. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Holy Week 2017 schedule of activities to be held in various locations at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

[2] Schedule of activities for this year's Holy Week at the Holy Land

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Subic Bay is all set for summer vacation - SBMA

The Subic Bay Freeport is now ready for the expected influx of summer visitors, especially during the Holy Week when thousands gather here for various religious activities, as well as for relaxation.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the agency has installed directional signs in strategic locations to guide motorists to the different tourist attractions here.

“The whole place is ready and visitor-friendly,” Garcia said. “Motorist assistance booths are in place, and police and medical teams are around to respond to any emergency. There are even some mechanics and towing service along the way,” he added.

Garcia also said that business establishments in Subic that cater to tourists have been prepping up for the summer vacation.

“This is especially true among the five theme parks operating in the free port. Most of them have added new attractions to make your visit more memorable,” he added.

Meanwhile, religious devotees will also find the Lenten activities in Subic more engaging, as the Subic community has prepared a Pabasa, Cenaculo, processions, and Salubong at the San Roque Chapel here.

On Maundy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Washing of the Feet is scheduled at 5:00 in the afternoon at the San Roque Chapel, to be followed by the Visita Iglesia at 6:00 p.m. and the re-enactment of the Last Supper at 6:30 p.m. at the Chapel grounds.

On April 3, Good Friday, a Grand Procession will start at 6:00 p.m., also at the San Roque Chapel, and will go around Subic’s Central Business District. This will be followed by the Healing Prayer and Musical Concert “The Passion of Jesus” featuring Karylle, Julie Anne San Jose, and Lauren Young at the Boardwalk Area, and capped by Party DJ Mixing at 9:00 p.m. by no less than the deejays of SBMA's radio station, 89.5 FM, MySubic Bay Radio.

On April 4, Black Saturday, a local band and some DJs will light up a party also at the Boardwalk Area starting at 4:00 p.m., with back-to-back performance by balladeer Nyoy Volante at 10:30 p.m.

Likewise the mass-blessing of the Paschal candle, fire and water will be held at the San Roque Chapel at 7:00 p.m. the same day.

On April 5, Easter Sunday, activities will start at 4:00 in the morning with the Lenten rites Salubong: Risen Christ, which will start at the intersection of Manila and Dewey Avenues, and Maria Dolorosa, which will begin at the Spanish Gate along Dewey Avenue. Then the First Mass at the San Roque Chapel will start at 5:00 a.m., followed by a community breakfast and an Easter egg hunt at the Chapel grounds.

Chairman Garcia added that local entrepreneurs will put up booths at the Central Business District to sell food, drinks, and souvenir items to visitors. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
BISI(KLE)TA IGLESIA. A cyclist pedals his way out of the San Roque Chapel grounds in Subic Bay Freeport after a church visitation as his own version of Visita Iglesia on Holy Monday. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

2015 HOLY WEEK ACTIVITIES IN SUBIC BAY FREEPORT:

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Subic Freeport all set for Holy Week

Subic is all set for the upcoming summer holiday, as it plays host to several events organized by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Freeport business locators to ensure a meaningful and enjoyable observance of the Holy Week here.

According to the SBMA Tourism Department, religious activities for the Holy Week will kick off with the “Blessing of the Palms” on April 13, to be followed the next day by the traditional “Pabasa”, which will run until April 16 at Subic By's San Roque Chapel.

A procession will be held on Holy Wednesday, while a re-enactment of the Last Supper will highlight of Maundy Thursday.

On Good Friday, devotees can join the guided “Way of the Cross” at the Holy Land Subic theme park in the morning and the “Veneration of the Cross” at the San Roque Chapel in the afternoon. There will also be the traditional Good Friday grand procession, which will go around the Freeport's central business district.

Meanwhile, the Bethesda Springs of Hope Ministry will hold its annual healing prayer and musical concert at the Boardwalk Park, featuring singers Karylle, Yael Yuzon, Gino Padilla and Jose Mari Chan. The event will also have actress Boots Anson-Roa and broadcaster Tina Monson-Palma as guests.

On Black Saturday, religious activities will include the “Blessing of Fire” and the Easter vigil mass at the San Roque Chapel.

Easter Sunday will start with the traditional “salubong” and Easter mass, followed by an Easter egg hunt at the San Roque Chapel grounds.

Apart from the usual religious activities slated for the Holy Week, visitors will also be treated to various contemporary fun events at the Subic Bay Freeport.

These include a group-dance competition at the Boardwalk Park on April 16, and a musical show headlining local bands and DJs until April 17.

On April 19, a concert featuring the Incre-T-Booms and Jireh Lim, as well as dance and acoustic band competitions will be held at the Boardwalk Park.

A food bazaar will also open to serve tourists visiting the Boardwalk Park area from April 16 to April 20. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Bay Freeport set for Holy Week

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), together with business locators and community organizations in this free port, is all set for the Holy Week with a program of activities planned for tourists who wanted to enrich both their body and soul.

Holy Week activities in Subic will kick off with the “Blessing of the Palms” rites on March 24, to be followed the next day by the traditional “Pabasa” at the San Roque Chapel. The latter will run until March 26.

On Holy Wednesday, a procession will be held along the parade route in the Central Business District (CBD), while a re-enactment of the Last Supper will be made on Maundy Thursday.

On Good Friday, devotees can join the guided “Way of the Cross” at the Holy Land Subic Sanctuary theme park in the morning and the “Veneration of the Cross” at the San Roque Chapel in the afternoon. There will also be the traditional Good Friday grand procession around the CBD.

On the same day, the Bethesda Springs of Hope will also hold their annual healing prayer and musical concert at the Subic Bay Boardwalk Park. The healing prayer will be led by Rev. Fr. Mario Bije while the musical concert will feature Karylle, Julie Anne San Jose, Ku Aquino, Anna Tirol, Danny Cruz and Coke Bolipata.

Black Saturday religious activities will include the “Blessing of Fire” ceremony and the Easter vigil mass at the San Roque Chapel.

Easter Sunday will start with the traditional “Salubong” and Easter mass, followed by and Easter egg hunt at the San Roque Chapel grounds.

Apart from the usual religious activities slated for the week, some fun and contemporary activities are lined up for visitors.

A food and fun festival dubbed as “Subic Pascha” will open on March 26, and run until March 31. The festival will feature events such as the Yamaha 3s display, the Kawasaki leisure bike display, and animal encounter.

Musical groups like Sub Projekt, Jeff Cifra & the Driven Band, and DJ Matthew Carbonell, as well as poi and fire dancers will entertain guests at the Subic Bay Boardwalk.

The festival, organized by Clawdaddy Restaurant with the participation of various restaurants at the Harbor Point Mall, will close with a concert featuring True Faith on Black Saturday at the Boardwalk.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia has assured visitors to the Subic Bay Freeport that emergency response teams, traffic and law enforcers will be on standby along major roads here throughout the Holy Week.

SBMA's new Tourism Info Center along Tipo Expressway, as well as several tourist info kiosks including one at Harbor Point Mall, will also be opened to assist visitors and tourists coming in for vacation in Subic.

"We expect a heavy influx of arrivals here this Holy Week, as Subic Bay has become a favorite destination at this time of the year", Garcia added. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic To Host Food Festival

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is pushing the boundaries of tourism by offering foreign and local visitors a variety of tastes at a week-long food festival that will be held during the Holy Week.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Tourism Raul Marcelo, the Subic Pascha 2013 food festival is the first of its kind inside this premier Freeport and would provide tourists the different cuisines that can be found here.

“The SBMA and restaurateurs here have come up with this food festival to further spur the tourism industry during the Holy Week. Tourists love to go to the Boardwalk area, so why not give them a treat?” Marcelo said.

Restaurateur Raymund Magdaluyo, who spearheads the festival’s operation, says that the Boardwalk area will also have live bands performing.

Magdaluyo said that the festival will incorporate the sacredness of the Lenten season by showcasing the different religious areas of Subic Bay Freeport such as the San Roque Chapel and the Holy Land theme park. A performance by artist Karylle will also be held at the food festival on Good Friday. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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Marian images featured in Subic festival

A motorcade featuring 22 Marian images went around the major thoroughfares in this free port and Olongapo City on Wednesday to highlight the week-long celebration of the birthday of the Blessed Mother here.

The celebration, spearheaded by the San Roque Chapel and the chaplaincy of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), started September 1 with the arrival of the 22 images owned by devotees from different parishes throughout Olongapo City and the province of Zambales.

The images were part of the “Lakbay Dasal” (prayer pilgrimage) program organized by the local faithful, said SBMA chaplain Fr. Audie Mozo.

While in the free port, the images were adopted by participating SBMA departments, business locators and religious organizations, which held daily prayers and prepared colorful floats for the birthday motorcade on Wednesday morning.

Fr. Mozo said that among the featured images were the Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla (Black Mother and Child), which was adopted by the SBMA Administrator’s Office; Our Lady of Expectation (the image of Mary as an expectant mother), adopted by the CFC Handmaids of the Lord; Our Lady of the Assumption, by Puregold Subic; Nuestra Señora de Esperanza, by Pier One; and Ina Poong Bato of Zambales, adopted by the Subic Montessori.

According to SBMA administrator Armand Arreza, the agency, through the San Roque chaplaincy, has promoted the observance of religious traditions in the Subic Bay Freeport and provided pastoral support to workers and residents, not only in the Freeport but also in nearby communities.

“This is why religious festivals and traditions such as Lenten and Easter activities, Christmas and Marian celebrations have also become tourist attractions in the Subic Freeport,” Arreza said.

“At the same time, these activities help provide the Subic community, especially the SBMA employees, with a well-rounded social life,” he added.

Fr. Mozon said meanwhile that this was the 12th year that the Subic Bay Freeport has been celebrating the birthday of the Blessed Mother, who is revered as protector of this former naval base.

In 2004, the entire Subic Bay was dedicated to the “Two Hearts” – the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Fr. Mozo pointed out.

Subic Bay is also the home of the Marian Peace Regatta, which started in 2008 and draws thousands who witness the fluvial parade of Marian images and take part in the day-long worship and prayers. (SBMA Corporate Communications)


PHOTO
Some of the Marian images on display at the grounds of the San Roque Chapel in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Subic braces for ‘purely Pinoy’ festivity this month

The Subic Bay free port community is gearing up for a full-blast barrio fiesta celebration on August 14-16 to commemorate the feast of San Roque, Subic Bay’s patron saint.

Everything from food, music, decoration and presentations will feature the countryside Filipino lifestyle for this year’s version of the Subic Bay “Karakol” festival, which since its inception in 2000 has drawn people to its core religious message.

To drive home the “Authentic Filipino Fiesta at Subic Bay Freeport” theme this year, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has also sponsored a “building dress-up contest” here, whereby building facades will be decorated with the best of indigenous materials to create a truly festive atmosphere throughout the celebration.

“So don’t be surprised to see nipa huts, farm implements, and ‘banderitas’ suddenly sprouting all over the Freeport,” said SBMA deputy administrator Raul Marcelo. “These native decorations will also be complemented by lights and sounds that will really set the mood for our rural-inspired festivity.”

The Subic Bay Karakol Festival, Marcelo explained, has become a form of thanksgiving for the sustained economic success of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone over its 18 years of existence.

“We give thanks specifically for having weathered the recent global economic slowdown, and then experiencing growth in the first half of 2010,” Marcelo added.

Subic’s upcoming barrio fiesta celebration will kick off on August 14 with a sand sculpture competition for 10-member teams at the Boardwalk Park here. This will be followed by indigenous games for children on the next day at the San Roque chapel grounds, as brass bands and various presentations will rev up the excitement.

The festivities will culminate with the Karakol Parade on August 16, the actual feast day of San Roque.

Marcelo added that on the last day, tourists and locals alike could also look forward to a street-dancing competition, highlighting colorfully-costumed participants and ethnic-designed floats that would make a round of the central business district here.

Group contests during the festival will be open to employees from the private and public sectors, non-government organizations, and schools in and near the Subic Bay Freeport.

Cash prizes ranging from P2,000 to P10,000 await the winning entries. Contest mechanics and registration forms are now available at the SBMA Human Resource Department at Bldg. 255, Barryman Road, Subic Bay Freeport. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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Subic records all-time high in Holy Week tourist arrivals

More tourists and visitors have chosen to spend the Holy Week here in the Subic Bay Freeport this year, resulting in record-breaking increases in both the number of tourist arrivals and hotel occupancy rates posted from April 5 to 10.

SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said that based on the vehicle count of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), a 74 percent increase in visitor arrivals was recorded here during the recent Holy week, when a total of 43,984 vehicles were monitored to have entered the Freeport through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), compared to only 25,300 in the same period last year.

“Using the standard multiplier of four persons per vehicle, this year’s vehicle tally translates to a total of 175,936 persons — a significant number of tourist arrivals to be recorded in a week’s time,” Arreza said.

On the other hand, hotel occupancy rates in Subic also jumped to an unprecedented level as 20 hotels and housing operators out of the 32 existing establishments in Subic reported 99.5 percent occupancy, Arreza also said.

The occupancy figure recorded in the same period last year was only 84 percent, he added.

The growth in Holy Week tourist arrivals, SBMA officials said, mirrors the growing popularity of Subic as tourist destination, especially in summer when schools close for a two-month break.

In February, tourist arrivals here reached a total of 124,503 and represented a 198 percent increase over the 41,815 total recorded in January.

In March, Arreza said that SBMA-operated facilities alone have recorded 25,957 visitors — a figure that excluded the arrivals recorded at hotels and private facilities wherein the bulk of Subic tourists register.

Arreza attributed the growing tourist traffic here during the Holy Week to Subic’s accessibility via the SCTEx, as well as Subic’s increasing popularity as a holiday haven that offers a wide range of natural and man-made attractions.

“Of course, Subic also has the reputation of having retained the best in Filipino culture, like the Lenten “pabasa” and “salubong” rites that attract a huge number of visitors,” Arreza pointed out.

SBMA deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo said that among the Lenten traditions that attracted a huge audience in the weeklong Holy Week program here include the re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem, a ceremony celebrated by Filipino Catholics as Palm Sunday; the “pabasa” chanting, which revolved around the life, passion and death of Jesus; and the grand procession and 14 Stations of the Cross.

Aside from these, Subic visitors were also treated to more contemporary Lenten events like the “Heal Me Lord” musical concert held at the Boardwalk Area on Good Friday. The religious musical featured singers and stage actors like Karylle, Christian Bautista, Ricky Davao, Iza Calzado, Jacky Lou Blanco, Kyla, and Yvette Ocampo, among others. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO: A religious procession ambles past Subic’s iconic Spanish Gate as part of the Good Friday celebration at the Subic Bay Freeport. The weeklong Lenten program in Subic attracted at least 175,000 visitors, SBMA officials said.

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