Participants in Subic Bay tourism events surge in 1st quarter

Subic Bay once again proved itself as a tourist magnet, as total visitor arrivals here rose by 12 percent for the first quarter, as against last year.

In particular, there was a noticeable upsurge in the number of participants in Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibits (MICE) and other tourism-related events, and sports events, which grew by 254 percent and 308 percent, respectively, for the first quarter of 2013, compared to the same period last year.

Statistics from Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo revealed that Subic Bay succeeded in drawing some 72,780 participants in MICE and other tourism-related events, and 21,620 sports enthusiasts from January to March. In contrast, only 20,569 visitors for MICE and other tourism-related events, and 5,300 sports players were registered for the first quarter of 2012.

“This big increase really goes to show that Subic is living up to its twin title of ‘Premier Convention Capital in Northern Luzon’ and ‘one of the Top Destinations in the country’. It also validates the fact that Subic has indeed emerged as a favorite venue of sports organizers,” Marcelo said.

The biggest crowd drawer under the MICE and other tourism-related events category was Ayala Malls Harbor Point’s special event featuring the cast of the movie, “Must Be Love”, which pulled in some 10,000 fans.

On the other hand, the biggest sports event for the quarter was the Subic leg of the Philippine National Red Cross Million Volunteer Run “I choose to run to save lives”, which attracted some 9,000 participants last February.

As in other destinations, Marcelo also noted that while visitor arrivals would traditionally peak in summer, as well as during the Christmas and New Year holidays, summer visitor turnout this year had been particularly heavy.

“Vehicular count for the 2013 Holy Week alone, for instance, reached 50,000, bringing in roughly some 200,000 visitors based on a conservative estimate of four passengers per vehicle,” he added.

The said vehicular count, which compared to last year’s Holy Week increased by 25 percent, covered the total number of vehicles that entered Subic Bay Freeport via SCTEx Tipo and also via the other entry points to the Freeport during the period.

In welcoming the bright tourism developments in Subic Bay for the quarter, SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia said, “We look at these increases in our tourism figures as an undeniable sign that people of varied interests and from all walks of life truly enjoy Subic and its many attractions and year-round events, and that we're on the right track as far as attracting arrivals here is concerned." (AMF/MPD-SBMA)

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Tourism and sports events in the first quarter drew unprecedented record crowds at the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Young guns carry fight in Subic meet

Rising stars led by gold medalist Yuan Chiongbian bagged six medals and carried the day for the Philippines in the recent K-Swiss ASTC Subic Bay Asian Triathlon Championships at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Chiongbian, of Cebu City, towed Brent Valelo of Clark and Lance Vincent Plaza of Laguna to an all-Filipino podium finish in the 13-14 years category.

Chiongbian covered the 350M swim, 10K bike and 2.5K run event in 35 minutes and 36 seconds. Lavelo finished second, seven seconds behind, with Plaza checking in third in 36:15.

Chiongbian’s female teammates in the same age-group of the championship sponsored by K-Swiss, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Tourism Department, Standard Insurance, Century Tuna, Speedo, David’s Salon, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Gatorade, Fitness First, Garmin, Canon, PLDT, Harbor Point Ayala Mall, SM Olongapo, Lighthouse Marina Resort and Philippine Sports Commission also won medals.

Shaia Ruth Uy, who also hails from Cebu City, clocked 40:04 to bag the silver medal. Margarita de los Reyes of Quezon City finished 16 seconds behind, good for the bronze.

Completing the cast of Filipino teenaged medalists was Magali Echauz, daughter of Ernesto Echauz, the Philippine Sailing Association president.

Campaigning in the 15-16 age category (Youth Olympic Games aspirants), Echauz settled for the silver in the 500M swim, 18K bike and 3.3K run event in 1:01:57. Thai Nichapat Kaewma won the gold medal.

With her feat, Echauz installed herself as a top contender, along with Louie Lalanto of Cagayan de Oro, for a slot in the Asian Youth Olympic Games qualifier next month in Kazakhstan.

“We are happy over the success achieved by our youth triathletes. We are monitoring the improvements of young triathletes from around Asia and we have decided to invest more on the youth triathlon development program headed by coach Melvin Fausto,” said Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco. (Malaya)

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China triathletes win mixed relay

China emerged victorious in the first-ever Asian mixed relay, even as the Philippines, Malaysia and Korea bagged the three gold medals disputed in the Para-triathlon at the close of the 2013 K-Swiss Subic Bay ASTC Asian Triathlon Championships yesterday at the Subic Bay Freeport.

The Dungaree Beach was the site of the action in the third and final day of the event organized by Triathlon Association of the Philippines, in cooperation with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and presented by K-Swiss with the mixed relay held at the 750-m swim, 18-k bike and 5-k run, while the Para triathlon was raced at the distance of 300-m swim, 6-k bike and 2-k run.

Fan Dan, Duan Zhengyu Huang Yuting and Bai Faquan displayed their mettle as they led from start to finish leading to the best time of one hour, 31 minutes and 22 seconds in the race also supported by Standard Insurance, Century Tuna, Speedo, David’s Salon, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Gatorade, Fitness First, Garmin, Canon, PLDT, Harbor Point Ayala Mall, SM Cares Subic and Philippine Sports Commission.

Another Chinese team made up of Xin Lingxi, Xu Zheng, Wang Lianyuan and Zhang Yiming came in second at 1:31:58, but rules state that only one country can win a medal, thus the silver went to Japan made up of Ohara Sumire, Tanaguchi Shiruba, Matsumoto Fumika and Furuya Jumpei with a time of 1:32:41.

A full minute back at third (1:33:41) was the Hong Kong-China team represented by Joyce Cheng Ting Yan, Wright Andrew, Lee Yuk Ying Aggie and Tam Joe Dick Dickson.

“The team did an excellent job in today’s race. In general, I’m happy with our athletes’ performance. Japan remained the top team in triathlon this year, but all other countries, including China are trying to catch up with them,” said Chen Xiaoran, the secretary general of China Triathlon Sports Association thru an interpreter.

Meanwhile, five competitors saw action in the race for the differently abled, with Sabki Bin Arifin Mohd of Malaysia dominating the Tri-4 category. (Manila Standard Today)

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Ex-champs shine in Subic tilt

Former national champions showed they’re not over the hills yet by ruling their respective age-group divisions in Day 2 of the K-Swiss Subic Bay ASTC Asian Triathlon Championship yesterday at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Fifty-year-old Frank Lacson, acknowledged as the country’s first Filipino triathlete to compete abroad in 1992, joined George Vilog, Arthur Compra and Sandra Araullo-Gonzales at the podium after winning the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40km bike and 10km run contest in the 50-54 age category in two hours, 38 minutes and 27 seconds.

Vilog stamped his class in the 35-39 class by clocking 2:22:26 while Compra clocked 2:17:01 to reign supreme in the 45-49 category of the event organized by Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) in cooperation with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SMBA) and presented by K-Swiss.

Not to be left out, Araullo-Gonzales, a many-time SEA Games campaigner, dominated the women’s 30-34 class in 2:36:18.

Among those who made the mark in the sprint distance were Rajiv Gurung of Nepal and Yaugood Ahmed of Maldives as they won the gold (1:09:57) and bronze medal (1:16:51) in the 20-29 category.

Sharing the limelight with the former national champions was Ma. Lourdes Casareo, better known in the celebrity circle as Angelika dela Cruz. The sexy star bagged the silver medal in the female 30-39 age group after posting a time of 1:45:42 in the event backed by Standard Insurance, Century Tuna, SPEEDO, David’s Salon, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines (ACIP), Gatorade, Fitness First, Garmin, Canon, PLDT, Harbor Point Ayala Mall, SM Cares Subic and Philippine Sports Commission.

Other prominent names who won were former national duathlon champions August Benedicto (2:13:40) and Monica Torres (2:27:47), who topped the 25-29 age group. (Kristel Satumbaga, Manila Bulletin)

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Japanese bets rule Asian Triathlon tilt

Japanese triathletes Yuichi Hosoda and Mariko Adachi survived the tough challenge to retain their Elite Asian titles in yesterday’s K-Swiss Subic Bay ASTC Asian Triathlon Championships held at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Racing under searing heat, the 29-year-old Hosoda relied on his nerves of steel as he managed to keep up his pace leading to a convincing win against Chinese bet Jiang Zhihang.

A gold medalist in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and a veteran of the 2012 London Olympics where he finished 43rd overall, Hosada negotiated the 1.5-k swim, 40-k bike and 10-k run in two hours, one minute and 32 seconds to keep the title he won in the 2012 Tateyama ASTC Triathlon Championships.

“The weather was hot and I was dehydrated going into the run. I had to slow down in the last lap and was lucky to survive and win the race,” said Hosoda who was six seconds ahead of Zhihang at 2:01.51.

Another Japanese bet Ryoshuke Yamamoto took the bronze medal at 2:01.52 while China’s Bai Faquan, who ruled last year’s race organized by Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) in partnership with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), this time, settled for fourth at 2:03 and compatriot Zhang Yiming claimed the fifth spot at 2:03:01.

Earlier Adachi, winner in the female Elite in Tateyama, overcame a slow start with a big windup in the second loop of the four-loop run leg to steal the victory from compatriot and 2012 Asian Youth Games gold medalist Yuka Sato.

POC President Jose Cojuangco Jr. joined SMBA Chairman and CEO Roberto Garcia, ASTC President Yu Kung Sun and TRAP President, POC Chairman and ASTC SVP Tom Carrasco Jr. in awarding medals to the winners.

The 29-year-old, Osaka native Adachi used her experienced to the hilt as she allowed 21-year-old Sato to take control in the swim and bike before pushing herself to her limit in the run. (Manila Bulletin)

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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 reports “full house” for Holy Week

As temperature soars in this top summer destination, hotels and other lodging facilities here announce a “full house” situation, as hotel rooms get sold like cold “halo-halo” treats in the sweltering heat.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said that hotels and other housing facilities here have been fully booked for the summer as early as February.

“Our hotel owners and operators are very happy about the huge volume of tourists coming in to Subic for the Holy Week. This only shows that Subic continues to be a favorite destination for vacationers and devotees during the Lenten Season,” Garcia said.

The high influx of local and foreign tourists in Subic only supports the Department of Tourism (DoT) citation last December that the Subic Freeport is one of the “Top Destinations in the Country” because of its “wide array of quality-standard tourist facilities and level of visitation it generated.”

The Subic Freeport was also DoT’s unequivocal choice as the “Premier Convention Capital of Central Luzon” after a careful and in-depth evaluation of all convention facilities in the region in October 2012.

Garcia said that Subic Bay is now better-equipped to meet bigger tourist arrivals after several business locators built a total of 130 new hotel rooms here in 2012.

A 26 percent increase in other tourism-related establishments, like Ayala Land’s Harbor Point mall and 31 new restaurants in the area, further raised the bar for local tourism, Garcia added.

Meanwhile, SBMA deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo announced that in connection with the observance of Lenten Season in Subic Bay, the SBMA Tourism Department has lined-up a mixture of more fun and religious events here.

Starting with the celebration of Palm Sunday, the re-enactment of the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem, the whole Holy Week will be highlighted by the traditional “Pabasa” or chanting of the life, passion and death of Jesus Christ, as well as a procession on Holy Wednesday around the free port’s Central Business District.

On Good Friday, a grand procession will start at 6:00 p.m., to be followed by the Healing Prayer and Musical Concert, “Five Wounds of Jesus” by Rev. Fr. Mario Bije. On Easter Sunday, “Salubong,” a procession for the Risen Christ, will be held at 4:00 a.m. along Manila-Dewey Avenue here, to be followed by Agape breakfast for all and an Easter egg hunt.

Meanwhile, live concerts by local and Manila-based bands, food festivals, inflated playground display, animal shows and encounters, sports exhibition games, bike and car displays, and film viewing, all for free will be featured at Subic Bay's Boardwalk Park.

“Subic is not just a place to enjoy music and food this time of the year. Subic is also a place to turn ourselves to God and find spiritual fulfillment during the Lenten Season,” said Marcelo. (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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