LOOK: SBMA Chief Jonathan Tan meets with TWG to address public transportation needs in SBFZ

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan confers matters with the Technical Working Group (TWG) for Transportation to address concerns regarding the need for public transport providers within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“Our nightlife here needs reviving since most of the restos and bars close early because of the lack of available transportation after 9 pm. Yes we do have taxis, but for a simple employee of a restaurant or bar, taking the cab everyday would certainly hurt his or her income,” Chairman Tan said.

The official shared that the agency is eyeing the purchase of electric buses and creating more bus stops, especially in housing areas such as Binictican and Kalayaan. (MPD-SBMA)

Read More

Subic Freeport residents to welcome trick or treaters after a 2-yr. hiatus

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has finally allowed trick or treaters to go around the residential areas inside this premier Freeport to celebrate Halloween on the last day of October once again, after a two year-long hiatus due to the restrictions of Covid-19 pandemic.

According to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, the celebration of All Hallow’s Eve has long been a tradition inside the Subic Bay Freeport dating back when the area was still a United States naval base.

He said that the said activity will only be allowed as long as trick or treaters strictly comply with the minimum health and safety protocols such as wearing of facemasks, avoiding overcrowding, immediate washing of hands after the activity, and the use of alcohol spray after contact.

Public Relations Office manager Armie Llamas assured that the agency is all set to provide security in areas to control the flow of people going to the residential areas during the celebration of Halloween.

“This is a fun activity that has been long overdue since the start of the pandemic. We want people to know that the agency is, and will always be, looking out for the welfare of residents and visitors inside the Freeport,” she said.

The word “Halloween” is a contraction of All Hallows' Eve, which is observed on October 31, the evening before All Saints' (or All Hallows') Day. The celebration marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide, which lasts three days to be concluded on All Souls' Day.

Trick or treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries.

In the eve before All Saints' Day, children, and adults alike, in spooky costumes supposedly to scare homeowners when they go house-to-house, ask the homeowner, "Trick or treat?" to ask for treats.

The "treat" is usually some form of candy, although in some cultures money is given instead. The "trick" refers to a threat, usually idle, to perform mischief on the homeowner or their property if no treat is given.

Some homeowners signal that they are willing to hand out treats by putting up Halloween decorations outside their doors; others simply leave treats available on their porches for the children to take freely. Houses may also leave their porch light on as a universal indicator that they have candies. (MPD-SBMA)

Read More

Construction of access road linking Subic Bay Freeport to SCTEX-Mabiga Exit in Bataan underway

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started work on a 17.74-kilometer access road that will connect the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to the Mabiga Exit of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in Bataan.

DPWH region III director Roseller Tolentino said the new diversion road will bring the Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park closer to major seaports and airports in the region.

 

Tolentino said it will also be linked to the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, thus providing ease in inter-regional accessibility.

 

Starting in 2020, the multi-year project has an initial allocation of PHP120 million for the improvement of the 3.95-kilometer Mabiga-Morong segment, which had an accomplishment rate of 74.28 percent as of March 31, 2022.

 

Meanwhile,  the construction of the 7.264-kilometer Mabiga-Palihan section was given a total of PHP200 million under the 2021 national budget.

 

“Our thrust is to increase our road investments in the region. Expanding our existing road networks in the country’s industrial heartland will primarily benefit ecozone locators as there will be greater mobility that can result in lower business costs and faster delivery of goods and services,” Tolentino said in a statement.

 

The multi-year access road project has a total estimated cost of PHP4.05 billion and is expected to be completed in 2027.

 

“Right now, we are working on this project in phases and there is a lot of extensive work that need(s) to be done before it can be fully used by the public. The Regional Construction Division and our Bataan 1st District Engineering Office are committed to fast-track the implementation of this project," he added. (SNL)

 

Read More

SBMA Chair grants access to Olongapo City residents along the Freeport Perimeter Fence

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino has opened some of the gates at this premier Freeport’s perimeter fence, providing access to residents of Olongapo City.

According to the Chairman, the opening of gates at the perimeter fence is part of his administration’s thrust to create synergy with the adjacent community of Olongapo City where he was a former mayor.

Engr. Jomel Libut of the SBMA Engineering department said that the P70-million seven-kilometer Perimeter Fence project is now physically complete. He said that the fencing project will span from the Kalaklan Gate up to the Kalayaan Gate of this freeport.

He added that the P53-million 3.3-kilometer perimeter road rehabilitation project, which is already 80 percent complete, will improve the security and drainage of one of the thoroughfares of this premier Freeport zone.

Paulino, however, explained that the said access road was opened to ferry residents to medical facilities in case of an emergency, or provide access to firetrucks and ambulances since most of the houses near the fence are on hilly areas.

“These residents are situated very far from the access road of the city, and they cannot easily be reached in cases of emergency,” he said.

Paulino assured that he has already instructed the agency’s Law Enforcement Department (LED) to patrol the area to deter any criminal activities. The SBMA official has also discussed with current Mayor Lenj Paulino of putting barangay patrols in each gate.

Aside from the residential areas, the Upper Sibul Elementary School, which is also situated beside the perimeter fence of the Freeport, has started face-to-face classes with its students.

Paulino made rounds at the elementary school talking to teachers and students who used to go around the city proper just to go to school. They were elated to know that the chairman has given them access to the gates of the perimeter fence.

But Paulino reiterated that LED officers will inspect the IDs of students using the access road as part of their standard operating procedure.

“Proper identification should be done to people using the access road, not just for the security of the Freeport, but for the safety of the pedestrians using the road as well,” he said. (MPD-SBMA)

Read More

New Subic Freeport Expressway now open

The 8.2-kilometer expansion project for the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) that was designed to provide better, faster and safer access to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone was formally opened on Friday, Feb. 19, by the project developer and high-ranking government officials.

The project, which began in July 2019, was inaugurated by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC) President Jose Ma. Lim, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) President Rodrigo Franco, and NLEX Corp President J. Luigi Bautista.

Bataan 2nd District Representative Joet Garcia, Hermosa, Bataan Mayor Jopet Inton, and MPTC spokesperson Romulo Quimbo Jr. were also present in the occasion.

The expressway project, which was touted to further accelerate economic growth in the Subic Bay Freeport and surrounding communities, was built at a cost of P1.6 billion.

Chairman Eisma, who welcomed guests in the inauguration rites, acknowledged the heavy support of the national government in Subic’s development as a premier investment and tourism center and said that the project is another testament of President Duterte’s “strong support and love for the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.”

Eisma thanked Medialdea and the other top officials in the Duterte Cabinet for further pushing development here.

She also requested support for a proposed interchange that will benefit three industrial parks at the Tipo area, pointing out that these industrial projects signal the continued trust of foreign investors in the Philippines under the Duterte administration.

The SFEX capacity expansion project entailed the construction of two additional expressway lanes, two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut Road, and a new two-pane tunnel.

NLEX Corporation President Bautista said this will increase road capacity from one lane in each direction to two lanes in each direction, and thus will accelerate business activities and facilitate the flow of goods and services in and out of Subic.

“One of the key drivers of economic growth is a network of high-quality roads. The NLEX Corporation through NLEX, SCTEX, and the soon-to-be expanded SFEX not only intends to accelerate development, but also hopes to encourage travel convenience and road safety,” Bautista added.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque described the SFEX expansion as one of the key projects under President Duterte’s Build-Build-Build program and a testament that, under the Duterte Administration, the government is working non-stop to provide essential services to the people.

Thanking the MPTC for initiating the project, Roque said the SFEX expansion has significantly hastened travel from Manila to the Subic Freeport and provided motorists an alternative and faster route in and out of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The SFEX, which is also known as the Subic-Tipo Expressway or NLEX Segment 7, connects the Subic Bay Freeport to the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), which in turn links with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] An NLEX Corporation bus breaks the ceremonial ribbon during the formal opening of the newly completed 8.2-km Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) on Friday, Feb. 19.

[2] Top-ranking government officials led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, and SBMA Chairman Wilma Eisma headlined the opening of the newly completed 8.2-km Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) on Friday, Feb. 19.

Read More

Opening of new SFEX lanes to ease traffic in Subic

The temporary opening of the new lanes at the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) will greatly ease heavier-than-normal movement of people and goods at the Subic Bay Freeport before and after the New Year festivities.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency is expecting more people to visit or pass through Subic for the holidays, at the same time that business locators transport more products in and out of the Freeport.

“The opening of the new lanes, albeit temporarily, is very timely,” Eisma said on Monday after Public Works Secretary Mark Villar led the ceremonial opening of the new SFEX lanes.

“It will ease the movement of people and goods in the Subic Bay Freeport and further develop Subic’s business and tourism prospects,” she added.

Eisma also said the SBMA had opened the Subic Freeport to tourists during the holidays subject to strict health safety protocols, and that tourist volume had increased dramatically to almost the current 50 percent full capacity.

She added that the Subic agency had allowed children to come into the Freeport as long as they stay in open areas or alfresco restaurants and not in malls and other closed spaces.

“There are lots of people coming in and Subic is very much excited, in a way,” Eisma said.

Villar, along with Eisma and NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista, graced the ceremonial drive-through at the new 8.2-kilometer expressway lanes to mark the temporary opening on Monday. The new lanes will be open temporarily until January 15, after which more construction activities will resume.

During the expressway drive-through, Villar expressed satisfaction at the expansion project and said the new Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) is already 92 percent complete, with the remaining portion being the construction of the Jadjad Bridge.

Villar said the P1.6-billion SFEX Capacity Expansion Project is expected to be fully completed in the first quarter of next year.

It entails the conversion of the Subic Freeport Expressway into a 2x2 divided expressway, with additional two lanes, two new bridges and a tunnel, as well as the installation of expressway-standard LED lights, raising the elevation of Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction, and the enhancement of drainage systems for better flood management in the area.

Villar also noted that the project will enhance accessibility and promote travel efficiency along this key road that connects Bataan and Zambales, as well as boost Subic’s competitiveness as an ideal shipping gateway for Central and North Luzon.

The SFEX, which is operated by NLEX Corp., a toll road subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), connects the Subic Bay Freeport to the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, which further links with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. (MPD/SBMA)

TOP PHOTO:

Public Works Sec. Mark Villar, flanked by SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista, walks along the new lanes of the Subic Freeport Expressway past the new tunnel during the soft opening of the expanded expressway on Monday.

Read More

SBMA to restrict Freeport entry to check COVID threat

Officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have ordered temporary restrictions in the entry of persons to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) within the zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the order was unanimously approved by the members of the SBMA board of directors late Saturday in response to an immediate need to protect the safety and well-being of stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport in face of increased COVID-19 infection in nearby areas.

She said the entry restrictions will be effective for about a month, starting 12:00 a.m. on Monday, March 16, until 12:00 a.m. of April 14, or while the State of Public Health Emergency declared by Malacañang is in force.

“I know that this is a bitter pill to swallow, as it would hugely impact on business operations in the greater Subic Bay area. But the welfare of everyone in the community should always be our primary consideration,” Eisma stressed.

“The entry restrictions serve as a safety and preventive measure to check the spread of COVID-19 and minimize the danger of infection that each of us face today,” she added.

While the SBMA order temporarily restricts the entry of individuals into the Freeport, Eisma said the agency had identified exceptions who would be allowed to get in, among them Subic Bay Freeport residents.

Eisma said the SBMA ruled, however, that SBF residents who come from Metro Manila and other areas with local COVID-19 transmission should undergo mandatory self-quarantine for 14 days under the supervision of the agency’s Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD).

She said that SBF locators, employees, and students will be allowed entry provided they exhibit no signs or symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection and that they shall exit the Freeport on the same day of their entry.

This guideline applies as well to accredited service providers, logistics enterprises delivering or picking up goods or supplies, port users, employees of government agencies operating within the SBFZ, suppliers, manpower and logistics providers of ongoing SBMA projects, and emergency service personnel.

Eisma said the SBMA began enforcing health safety measures early last month when the coronavirus outbreak was spreading from China into other countries. These measures included a temporary ban on the entry of persons, vessels and aircraft coming directly from COVID-hit countries and thermal scanning and screening at Freeport gates.

Last week, the SBMA began disinfection protocols and enforced a one-door policy in SBMA offices after local transmission of COVID-19 was reported in Manila.

Meanwhile, Eisma urged all Subic business locators to conduct business with non-SBF enterprises via videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and encouraged SBMA clients to submit documents online to minimize personal contacts.

“These measures, like frequent handwashing and maintaining proper hygiene, may seem puny at first, but these actually enable us to keep safe and to be strong for others,” Eisma pointed out.

“Our system might be deficient and we might be ill-prepared for an emergency like this, but if we cooperate and support each other and exercise malasakit for our community, then we can survive this ordeal,” she added. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Advisory posted in Subic Bay Freeport's facebook page restricting pass through vehicles on all SBFZ gates.

[2] Thermal scanning is undertaken at the gates and building entrances in the Subic Bay Freeport where restricted entry will be imposed on Monday to keep COVID-19 infection at bay.

[3] Members of the SBMA management team headed by Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma conduct an outdoor meeting on Friday in a wooded park near the SBMA office to drive home the need for social distancing as a health safety measure in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Read More

SBMA starts P442.7-M Magsaysay bridge project

The much-awaited project to replace a US Navy-era bridge that serves as the major connection between the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and Olongapo City is now underway, 10 years after the concrete span was closed to vehicular traffic due to deterioration.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency has allocated P442.7 million to build a four-lane span to replace the two-lane Magsaysay Bridge, as well as improve the Main Gate security facilities and upgrade road network, drainage structures and signage in the immediate area.

The project, which is expected to be finished by the first quarter of 2021, is designed to improve access and mobility, revitalize business in the area, and generate more opportunities for local livelihood.

“Aside from improving accessibility to the Subic Bay Freeport because this connects to the main artery in Olongapo, which is the Magsaysay Drive and Rizal Avenue, this project also takes into consideration public safety and convenience because the bridge is heavy in foot traffic,” Eisma pointed out.

“It also reflects our preparations for the boom in local tourism business, as this will improve the appearance of the Main Gate, which used to be the iconic symbol of Subic since when it became a naval base,” she added.

The project, which will be undertaken by the consortium of Front Nine Konstruct Builders & Realty Development Corp., Qingdao Municipal Construction Group Co., Ltd., and Rebcor Construction and Trading Corp., is part of the agency’s rebuilding thrust to sustain Subic as an investment hub and center of economic growth.

Recently, the SBMA announced a P1.6-billion program to repair ageing facilities constructed when Subic was still an American naval base, a badly-needed upgrade Eisma said.

“For almost two decades now, the Navy-era facilities in Subic remained as they were. We’re now fixing these because the better our facilities are, the more businesses and jobs we can generate,” she said.

The deterioration of the Magsaysay Bridge, which was built by the US Navy in the early ‘60s, was detected as early as 1999 when experts restricted its maximum load capacity to 20 tons. The bridge was eventually closed to vehicular traffic in 2009.

However, actual construction was put on hold over the years due to budget constraints and it was only last year that the SBMA funded a new detailed engineering design for a new structure.

According to the SBMA Engineering Department, the new Magsaysay Bridge will be a 72.5-meter multi-span slab bridge, about 600 mm thick on the average and with a total carriage width of 24.15 meters. It will also have a covered walkway for pedestrians.

The bridge project will also involve the demolition and removal of the existing two-lane span; construction of security gate and fence at the Main Gate; and building of a new covered walkway from Magsaysay Bridge to the intersection of Rizal Highway, which is a major road in Subic’s central business district.

The package will also include construction of new intersection and road expansion in the Main Gate area; building of drainage structures; and relocation of existing facilities for power, water, sewerage and telecommunications.

As of now, the contractor is starting work on the foundations for a temporary pedestrian bridge that will be built before the existing bridge is demolished.

The new Magsaysay Bridge is expected to be finished within 540 calendar days, Eisma said. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS: 

Pedestrians monopolize traffic at the Magsaysay Bridge leading to the Subic Bay Freeport main gate since the span was closed to vehicles in 2009. Notice the park bench bolted on the surface of the span to serve as rest area for pedestrians.

Read More

20 new lanes to hike SCTEX toll capacity

NLEX Corp., the operator of the North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, continues to conduct systematic repairs, upgrading and capacity expansion to ensure safe, reliable and seamless travel for the motoring public.

After rushing repair works on cracks and deformations on road pavements caused by the recent earthquakes that hit the Porac and Floridablanca portions of SCTEX in Pampanga, NLEX Corp. engineers are now focused on capacity expansion works.

Due to start in July is the construction of 20 additional lanes in various toll plazas along SCTEX, including vital construction at the Subic Freeport Expressway.

The additional toll plazas at SCTEX is aimed at improving the customer processing time at exit and entrance booths, the company said in a statement.

The toll plaza capacity expansion project, which is expected to be completed by November this year, covers Clark North, Clark South, San Miguel, Bamban, and Tarlac toll plazas.

One new toll lane each will be built in Clark North entry/exit and Clark South B exit. Two new toll lanes each will be added at Clark South A exit and Tarlac entry/exit to serve the growing number of motorists traveling in these areas.

NLEX Corp. will further increase the service capacity of San Miguel (Luisita) entry/exit plaza and convert it to a full interchange. This means that San Miguel will be more accessible to motorists, as those coming to and from San Miguel will now have complete entry and exit points from both northbound and southbound directions.

Meanwhile, two lanes each will be constructed at San Miguel northbound entry and southbound exit and another toll lane will be added to the northbound exit.

The soon-to-open Bamban Interchange will likewise have three entry and three exit lanes. The new interchange will become the direct connection to New Clark City, the main venue for this year’s Southeast Asian Games.

Luigi Bautista, president and general manager of NLEX Corporation, said “the additional toll lanes will help improve SCTEX’s connectivity in its areas, particularly in Clark, which is being positioned as Asia’s next aerotropolis and investment center.”

The new lanes aim to enable speedy toll transactions even during peak hours and holidays when traffic volume on the expressway rises sharply.

In previous years, the NLEX Corporation, together with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, implemented several enhancement projects along SCTEX’s 94-kilometer stretch. These projects include the NLEX-SCTEX electronic toll collection integration, the expansion of Tipo Toll Plaza and the Mabiga Interchange.

CCTV System, LED lights, emergency call boxes, crash cushions, and reflective delineator plates were also installed at the expressway to enhance the safety of motorists. A new traffic control room was also built in Dolores, Mabalacat City to track real-time traffic at SCTEX.

The NLEX and SCTEX are safe for expressway users despite some pavement cracks observed in bridge approaches along SCTEX, following the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that seriously affected Pampanga and other parts of Central Luzon last April 22.

Meanwhile, post-earthquake assessment results conducted by NLEX Corp. and its engineering consultant AMH Philippines, showed there was no major structural damage found in NLEX-SCTEX bridges and slopes following the temblor, except for cracks and deformations on pavements and bridge expansion joints that were immediately repaired and are now 100% safe for expressway users.

NLEX and SCTEX bridges performed and behaved well and the cracks and deformations caused by the quake were all within anticipated range of structural-design assumptions. Comprehensive repairs have already been accomplished to ensure the riding comfort of motorists.

Repaired were four bridges in SCTEX Porac (Pasig-Potrero, Babo Pangulo, Planas, and Porac) and two bridges in SCTEX Floridablanca (Caulaman and Gumain) that sustained minor pavement cracks while steel plates and expansion joints that became uneven were now levelled.

“Our Quick Response Teams are on 24-hour stand-by mode and ready to immediately assist motorists to assure the safety of the public plying our expressways,” Bautista noted.

New expressway lanes, bridges, and tunnel will also be constructed at the Subic Freeport Expressway as the NLEX Corporation and Sta. Clara International Corporation recently signed the agreement for the P1.6-billion SFEX Capacity Expansion Project.

The project ― which involves the construction of two additional expressway lanes, two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut, and a tunnel ― aims to better accommodate the growing number of vehicles going in and out of the Subic Bay Freeport.

In addition, expressway-standard LED lights will be installed to keep the SFEX safe and convenient for motorists, particularly for those driving at night.

The SFEX Capacity Expansion is seen to improve traffic in the area and promote road safety as the new lanes will segregate northbound and southbound motorists along separate carriageways. It will also complement the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s infrastructure development program which includes the improvement of airport and seaport, the widening of roads, and the construction of an SBMA Corporate Center.

Bautista said their structures, including those elevated ones, were designed and built in such a way that they do not collapse during an earthquake. He also stressed that the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the elevated expressway from Karuhatan, Valenzuela City to Caloocan Interchange in C3, Caloocan City, is earthquake-resistant and can withstand high magnitude quakes.

“Rest assured that our roads adhere to world-class standards as we use top grade materials and undertake regular road condition surveys,” he added. (Orlan L. Mauricio, Manila standard)

http://manilastandard.net/lgu/luzon/295744/20-new-lanes-to-hike-sctex-toll-capacity.html

Read More

SBMA execs, locators tackle freeport issues and concerns

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño and Administrator Atty. Wilma Eisma met with freeport investors and stakeholders who raised various issues and concerns during a radio program at Grand Harbor Hotel.

The radio program “Pagawa at Iba pa” was the venue for locators such as Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction – Philippines (HHIC-Phil), Global Terminal and Development, Inc. and other companies to voice out some issues that their companies are currently facing.

One of the issues was the repair of the Balaybay-Subic-Cawag Access Road used by shipbuilding personnel to report for work at the Redondo Shipbuilding Facility of Hanjin.

According to Hanjin Executive Director Pyung Jong Yu, the access road is used by tens of thousands of employees who work at the shipyard.

The road, he said, has been incomplete especially near the Club Morocco Beach Resort and Country Club.

He added that a patch of the road there has been wiped off by recent typhoons and has been a bane for them whenever they have to go to Subic Freeport.

Eisma said that the agency will look into the matter, citing that the local government unit (LGU) governing should help in fixing the access road.

She cited contiguous areas such as Morong must take part in fixing roads that connected their area to the Freeport.

Eisma stated that the SBMA will talk to the LGUs to fix the roads using the revenue shares they get from the agency.

She said that these shares should be utilized to further enhance their areas as part of the development scheme of both the municipality and the Freeport.

Another issue that a locator cited was the Common Use Service Area (CUSA) and the environment and tourism administrative fee (ETAF).

But the administrator pointed out that these fees are necessary in maintaining cleanliness and orderliness inside the Freeport zone. (Jonas Reyes. Manila Bulletin)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Martin B. Dino and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma answer queries from Freeport locators, residents and business organizations in an impromptu forum during the anniversary celebration of Paggawa Atbp. radio program of the SBMA Labor Department held at the Grand Harbor Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/01/27/sbma-execs-locators-tackle-freeport-issues-and-concerns/

Read More

Seaoil builds P350-million station along SCTEX route

Competition of oil industry players along tollways onward to North Luzon is expected to intensify as independent player Seaoil Philippines, Inc. is now advancing to completion its P350 million mega-station along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) route.

The company is one of the ‘independents’ given the permit to put up a new gasoline station within the SCTEX stretch.

A portion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)

While other gasoline stations – generally by the oil industry majors – serve the expanse of proximate North Luzon Expressway, it is anticipated that the contest on cornering customer patronage will eventually converge among all tracts of these so-called fast travel-designed roads, including that of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

According to Seaoil, its SCTEX station is targeted for full commercial operations by the last quarter of this year.

This venture is its collaboration with Double Dragon Properties Corporation of Tony Tan Caktiong of the Jollibee Foods Corporation fame.

Seaoil president for retail and chief finance officer Mark L. Yu noted that the SCTEX mega-station “will be the company’s banner station that will greatly improve our brand presence.”

He added that this shall also be the oil firm’s new network “to serve more motorists, especially those travelling from Northern Luzon and cities like Baguio.”

It has been indicated that one of the distinguishing and striking amenities of the service station would be a mall within its compound, courtesy of its property developer-partner.

“The full service filling station will have an array of restaurants and convenience stores, and will feature spacious rest rooms, parking spaces and relaxation areas for travellers,” the oil firm said.

It was some sort of a prognostic vision for Seaoil, which sounded off years back, that it wants to be “the fuel of choice” – in some way parallel to “the fast food of choice matrix” that its partner’s food venture affiliate is known for.

For the longest time, the expressways had been confined to the petroleum retail service of the traditional players, but with the downstream oil industry’s deregulation, even these segments of the market also opened up for wider competition. (Myrna Velasco, Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/seaoil-builds-p350-million-station-along-sctex-route/

Read More

Five gov't satellite offices open inside Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Mall goers in Subic Bay can now do business while shopping as five national government agencies recently opened their satellite offices inside the Harbor Point Mall.

This was made possible after the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Social Security System (SSS) and PhilHealth signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Ayala-owned mall for the maintenance of their offices.

Said move primarily aims to provide clients with easier and more comfortable access to various services of the government.

During the MOA Signing and ribbon-cutting, DTI Regional Director Judith Angeles expressed her gratitude to Harbor Point for enabling DTI and other government agencies to prove their commitment in bringing their services closer to people.

"I hope that by next year, the DTI office here can also expand and be enrolled as a Negosyo Center,” she added.

Aside from Angeles, DILG Regional Director Florita Dijan, SSS Assistant Vice President Vilma Agapito, and Harbor Point Deputy Operations Manager Derrick Manuel also led the ribbon cutting.

Serving as witnesses to the MOA Signing were Subic Freeport Chamber of Commerce Chairman Emeritus Danny Piano and Director Cynthia Paulino. (CLJD/MJLS-PIA 3)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2661450245318/five-gov-t-satellite-offices-open-inside-subic-bay-freeport-zone

Read More

Subic Freeport gets ready for big “Ber” months tourist arrivals

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said it allocated P40.6 million to fund various infrastructure projects in anticipation of the influx of tourists in the last quarter of the year.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia revealed that the agency is currently implementing various infrastructure projects that include repair of roads and bridges, improvement of drainage systems, park development, as well as installation of road signs to give the Subic Bay Freeport a fresh and snappy look.

“The projects are very necessary not only to impress tourists, but to communicate the underlying message of the SBMA’s good fiscal performance,” Garcia said.

In March this year, the Central Luzon Regional Development Council commended SBMA for successfully turning around its income generation performance from negative P.2 billion in 2006-2011 to positive P1.3 billion in 2014.

Garcia noted that since SBMA is continuously performing well for the past three years, “It is only well and good that some of the income will be used to upgrade our infrastructure to provide safer roads and parks for our residents and visitors.”

“If you have noticed, not a single road was flooded in the Freeport in the past rainy days. It is because of the improved drainage system we put in strategic locations,” he pointed out.

Garcia also mentioned that the bridge leading to the Freeport’s main gate, which connects the Freeport to Olongapo City’s Magsaysay Drive, will also undergo repair and will soon again be opened to motorists after almost a decade of closure due to weakened foundations.

The bridge was constructed during the early years of the American tenure of the former US Naval Base here.

Garcia also said that the Boardwalk Park, the Freeport’s popular family and cultural venue, will be redeveloped and made ready for the 25th anniversary celebration of the SBMA in November this year. The rehabilitation will include the construction of a bigger stage and the installation of a permanent projection screen there.

The Boardwalk Park in the Freeport is not only a landmark and favorite place for picnics and watching the scenic Subic sunset, but is also the preferred venue for outdoor events and cultural shows, musical concerts, and sports activities.

The annual New Year countdown that attracts thousands of residents from the Subic community, as well as visitors from as far as Metro Manila, also takes place at the Boardwalk Park. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)


PHOTOS:

SUBIC ROAD REPAIR PROJECTS Workers undertake road improvement along the Rizal Highway in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, as the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) announced an infusion of P40 million for road repair and other infrastructure maintenance projects. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

Read More

More shippers now prefer Subic port

More shipping companies and port users in Central and Northern Luzon are now preferring to use the Port of Subic as transshipment hub because of easy access and lower cost.

The shippers lauded the advantages of the Subic port during the 2nd Subic Bay Maritime Conference and Exhibit, which was held here on Friday with no less than 500 delegates from shipping firms, trucking and forwarding consortia, customs brokers, import/export-related corporations, and other port users from Metro Manila, Central and Northern Luzon, as well as Southern Luzon.
.
The conference, with the theme “Subic Bay: Your Gateway to Central and Northern Luzon,” was organized by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in cooperation with Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC).

Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, who was keynote speaker in the event, said that “Most people are moving north and the number is up tremendously.”

Almendras, who is also head of the Cabinet Cluster on Port Decongestion, noted the successful transformation of Subic from a mere seaport with well-maintained facilities into an international seaport hub and the role it played at the height of the port congestion crisis and truck ban in Manila.

“The important part of the success in moving resources is the port. And when we turned to Subic in those times of crisis, there is no way turning back,” he said.

He said that delays in processing goods in Manila during the crisis had made companies turn to Subic in order to ship their replenishment stocks in less than two weeks.

Meanwhile, Vincent Gottman, operations manager of Hansa Creation, said that since they started using the Port of Subic for shipping in raw materials and transporting finished products to a factory in Manila, they never encountered a single problem.

“Since using Subic, our deliveries always arrived on time,” said Gottman whose company based in the Clark Special Economic Zone supplies toys to many zoos and wild parks worldwide.

He added that the government should tell stakeholders in the shipping industry about the changes that the Port of Subic underwent to provide better services, and to convince more companies to use Subic for their export and import operations.

For his part, Gary Algodon, the procurement manager of San Miguel Brewery, told delegates that as of 2014 San Miguel Brewery’s port operations had moved its transshipment to Subic because of the ease in moving goods in and out of the container yard.

“There was no problem that we encountered in transporting our shipments. Instead, we have a bonus from Subic and that is cost-saving,” Algodon said.

He noted that using Subic is more economical because of its easy access to Northern Luzon, adding that the company is now moving 80% of its product supply in Luzon, with only 20% contracted to Manila.

“Hopefully, this year, we can make that 100%,” he added.

For Anthony Eugenio, operations manager of Atlas Brokerage and Express Padala, Inc., using the port of Subic for receiving “Balikbayan” boxes from the United States has the same cost as in Manila—“Except that in Subic there is no problem about traffic and the threat of port congestion that might put the company’s service to test.”

Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PECI) in Region III president Cris Venzon, who spoke in behalf of his group, announced that PECI is supporting the initiatives of SBMA in improving the Port of Subic.

“We want to ship out (our products) through Subic,” Venzon said, adding that doing so will save them time and the cost of transportations compared to using Manila ports.

He explained that from anywhere in Central Luzon, Subic is accessible through major road networks, which are now undergoing widening and improvement to address the imminent increase of trucks and forwarders plying to Subic from various origins in the region.

For his part, SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said that the continuous improvement of the Port of Subic has already resulted in the entry of four more shipping lines.

Garcia said that the Japan-based Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, made its first direct route to the Port of Subic from Kaohsiung, Taipei in November last year with its MV Jakarta Towers.

China-based SITC Container Lines (Phils.), Inc. has also opened a direct route from Xiamen, China to Subic.

Maersk Line, listed among the largest container shipping companies in the world, brought to this premier free port the first good news for 2015, as MV Stadt Dresden marked its maiden voyage—a direct route from Singapore to Subic.

“Subic, today, is the most preferred and most competitive gateway to Central Luzon and Northern Luzon with its newly opened One-Stop-Shop Center at the New Container Terminal 1 that can connect shippers to the SBMA-Bureau of Customs and SBITC for faster transactions,” Garcia also told the conference delegates.(RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
[1] Cabinet Secretary Jose Almendras (left) and SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia prepare to cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the One-Stop-Shop at the New Container Terminal-1 to fast-track port transactions inside Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] Cabinet Secretary Jose Almendras (left) and SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia officially open the One-Stop-Shop with SBITC general manager Roberto Locsin, SBMA Deputy Administrator Mar Sanqui and other port officials at the New Container Terminal-1 in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

Read More

NLEX, SCTEX integrate to ease holy week traffic

Motorists using the two tollways, NLEX and SCTEX, during the Holy Week break will already experience the ease and convenience resulting from the integration of the toll systems.

“To handle the expected increase in traffic volume during Holy Week, we will pilot-test the integrated toll system to provide motorists with a foretaste of the smooth travel experience that the project, once completed, will bring about,” said Rodrigo E. Franco, president of the Manila North Tollways Corporation , builder and concessionaire of the expressway. “With the integration, travel through NLEX and SCTEX will be faster and more convenient.”

On April 1 and 2, northbound motorists exiting NLEX, except for those whose vehicles are equipped with Easytrip tags, will not have to stop and pay at the Dau Exit Toll Plaza. All manual lanes in the toll plaza will be designated as “pass thru” lanes. However, there will still be dedicated Easytrip lanes where payment stubs that serve as receipts will be given to motorists with Easytrip transactions.

At the Dau and Sta. Ines interchanges, temporary booths will be set up to collect toll from motorists exiting NLEX. On the other hand, motorists exiting NLEX and continuing on to SCTEX—either to Subic or Tarlac —will have to pay their combined NLEX and SCTEX toll at the SCTEX Mabalacat Entry Toll Plaza. Payment stubs and manual official receipts will be issued to motorists as proofs of payment.

In anticipation of the usual 20% increase in the expressway’s traffic volume during Holy Week, MNTC is putting up 20 additional booths in the area. And as an added treat to motorists going all the way from NLEX to SCTEX Subic or SCTEX Tarlac, they can buy Express Cards in any of the gas stations along NLEX that will entitle them to a toll discount.

Motorists traveling to SCTEX Subic or SCTEX Tarlac just need to surrender the payment stubs issued to them in Mabalacat or the Express Cards bought from NLEX gas stations when they exit the expressway.

On April 4 and 5, southbound motorists using NLEX will not need to stop at the Dau Entry Toll Plaza where all entry lanes will be designated as “pass thru” lanes. No transit tickets will be given out.

While traveling along the expressway, motorists can again buy Express Cards from any of the NLEX gas stations to entitle them to toll discounts. Toll payments as well as Express Cards will be collected at the Bocaue Toll Plaza. To speed up collection, 15 temporary toll booths will be installed.

“While this system is still temporary and just being set up for Holy Week, it will soon be a permanent fixture once the NLEX-SCTEX system integration is fully completed,” Franco said.

The agreement to integrate the two expressways’ toll systems was signed last January between MNTC and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the government-owned and controlled corporation that built SCTEX.

The integration will bring to SCTEX the modern features of NLEX’s toll payment system. These include dedicated short-range communication, radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker tags, as well as contactless and magnetic cards.

Under the integration plan, some toll barriers and toll plazas will be removed or transferred. Among the barriers that will be removed are the NLEX Dau Barrier and the SCTEX Mabalacat Toll Barrier. New toll plazas will be constructed at the existing entry and exit ramps at NLEX Dau and Sta. Ines. A new SCTEX Tarlac Toll Plaza will also be constructed.

The project is expected to be completed within the year. (Manila Standard Today)

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/03/29/nlex-sctex-integrate-to-ease-holy-week-traffic/

Read More