SBMA Chairman warns unscrupulous traders to follow protocol or get banned

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan warned port users here engaged in truck trading to follow protocol or get banned from doing business inside the Freeport.

Chairman Tan in a meeting with 100 stakeholders on Thursday said that the agency is clamping down on illegal activities that are proliferating in the Freeport.

One of the most common is underdeclaration of the weight of shipped trucks to reduce the payment of their duties and taxes. Also common is the fraudulent upgrading of the trucks' year model through bribery, aside from the irregular shortening of process time or skirting of port policies by truckers who want their shipments processed earlier than scheduled.

“This is a fair warning to everyone. The President told me to give you a chance, he told me to save the truck industry. The processing of imported trucks should be done as stated by law,” he said.

“Most of the truckers here use bribes to speed up the processing of their papers. We will stop this illegal activity and will abide by the process on the releasing of trucks,” he added.

The SBMA is in the process of procuring a weighing scale that will be used on November 15, providing the agency equipment to determine the actual weight of imported vehicles and improve the deterrence of illegal activities in the port area.

“You have until November 15 to straighten your businesses or we will revoke your permit. This order is coming from the President, and I will coordinate with BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio to ensure that you are all following the protocols,” he said.

The agency chief further admonished that no one should ask for money using his name, that he will give his number to the truckers so that if anyone tries to ask for money, they can contact him.

Tan said that for the past 30 plus years, this has been the norm in the Subic Freeport, adding that things will be different. “Ngayon bago na, kung hindi niyo magawa ng tama yan, I will have to revoke your permit,” he concluded. (MPD-SBMA)

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PAL ends repatriation flights via Subic Freeport

After almost nine months of flying home overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other returning Filipinos via this free port, the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) landed its last “Bayanihan” repatriation flight here on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

The last flight into Subic consisted of 77 passengers from Koror City in Palau, an archipelago of islands southeast of the Philippines with a substantial population of Filipino contract workers.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the government’s repatriation flights to Subic Bay was stopped after aviation authorities increased the capacity of inbound international passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) when Covid-19 restrictions were eased.

“So, there’s no more need for PAL to reroute OFW flights via Subic. It is a bittersweet moment for us because PAL’s repatriation flights here somewhat revived our airport operations and brought much- needed income to Subic hotels during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Eisma said on Tuesday.

“Still, the lifting of passenger capacity limit at the NAIA is a sign that we are going back to normal and this is most welcome,” she added.

Eisma said that at the height of the government OFW repatriation program, Subic was connected to 10 cities and major destinations in the Indo-Pacific area. These are Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia; Bahrain; Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE; Doha in Qatar; Macau, Palau, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Diego Garcia.

She added that the use of Subic as an alternate port of since July last year has resulted in increased international aircraft and passenger movements, as well as improved income for the Subic airport.

According to Zharrex Santos, manager of the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA), PAL has made a total of 82 repatriation flights here since July when the SBIA was made an alternative hub under a government program to facilitate the return of OFWs during the Covid-19 pandemic. These did not include nine flights diverted to the nearby Clark Airport due to inclement weather.

With the 82 Bayanihan flights, a total of 20,522 passengers were processed through the Subic airport, then brought to Subic hotels for mandatory quarantine.

As of Feb. 6, the SBIA has generated more than P4.2 million in direct income from the PAL repatriation flights, Santos said.

Meanwhile, PAL consultant Charlie Yu expressed his gratitude to the SBMA, Bureau of Immigration (BOI), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard, Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA), and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) for handling the repatriation program via the Subic airport.

He also thanked quarantine hotels and other tourism stakeholders in the Subic Freeport for their support and service to the inbound OFWs and other returning Filipinos who flew home through Subic. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic ensures visitor safety with strict hotel protocols

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now enforcing stricter safety protocols to ensure the health and safety of visitors to the Subic Bay Freeport amid the recent surge in Covid-19 infections.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said hotels and accommodation facilities here will now require guests to present negative results for Covid-19 antigen tests taken in the past 24 hours or RT-PCR tests released 48 hours prior to check-in.

The new requirement was made effective Monday, January 24, following Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines placing the surrounding areas of Zambales, Olongapo City, and Bataan under Alert Level 3 on January 6, Eisma said.

“While interzonal travel is allowed under Alert Level 3, we want to take the extra step in ensuring the health and safety of, not only our visitors in the Freeport, but also our local businesses, workers, and stakeholders,” Eisma said.

She added that the SBMA is also checking for vaccination cards among visitors entering the Freeport and required negative RT-PCR test results for the unvaccinated.  

Previous Alert Level 3 guidelines from the IATF did not require antigen or RT-PCR tests for interzonal travel except when required by establishments or event organizers. “However, because of the recent surge in Covid-19 infections, there is a need for us to enforce stricter measures for the sake of both visitors and locals, and to keep Subic businesses going,” Eisma stressed.

Recently, Olongapo City, which provides most of the workers in the Subic Bay Freeport, was named as one of the cities with the highest rate of Covid-19 infections. The Subic Freeport, meanwhile, logged 78 active cases for SBFZ residents and 17 for Freeport transient workers and guests as of January 18.

“This is why we have to be more vigilant, and why we should not relax our guard,” Eisma explained.

Along with the hotel requirements, the SBMA also reminded Subic business locators and stakeholders to report possible cases of Covid-19 to the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department, pointing out that failure to do so shall be grounds for the cancellation of their certificates of registration.

Eisma said that under Republic Act 11332, or the “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act,” persons and entities who will not report Covid-19 cases or respond to Covid-19 health events may be fined from P20,000 to P50,000.

Business establishments in the Freeport were also required to announce to the public if they have been temporarily closed because of any recently confirmed Covid-19 case in their premises, she added.

Eisma said that both the SBMA and neighboring local government units have been increasing their target vaccinations and booster rollout to keep Covid-19 cases low and not overwhelm the healthcare system. “As the SBMA and neighbor-LGUs have proven well in the past, we are stronger together in every common undertaking,” she said.

She added that while the SBMA is not an LGU, it has initiated a vaccine drive primarily for Freeport employees, health workers, and residents. “At the end of the day, we can only beat Covid-19 if we practice malasakit and help each other,” she said.

The Subic chief also reminded the general public that while restrictions are in place, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is still very much open to everyone and will continue to be the premier business hub in this part of the country.

“As long as we follow the minimum health and safety standards like always wearing mask, keeping safe distance, frequent handwashing or disinfection, and, of course, getting vaccinated, we will get over this new surge as we have had before,” Eisma said. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA now requires vaccination cards for Subic entry

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Monday began checking for vaccination cards among persons entering the Subic Bay Freeport to prevent further transmission of Covid-19 in the area and maintain the health and safety of stakeholders in this vital economic zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said this is just one of the stricter measures implemented by the Subic agency after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) placed Olongapo City, along with Zambales, Bataan and 11 other areas in the country, under Alert Level 3 late last week.

Under the new SBMA guidelines, interzonal travel and intrazonal movement are allowed in Subic upon presentation of vaccination certificate showing completed doses. Meanwhile, unvaccinated persons would have to show negative RT-PCR test results taken with 24 hours prior to arrival in Subic, Eisma said.

Subic, which boasted of zero Covid-19 cases among its residents until Christmas day, had reported a total of 36 active cases just after the holidays.

“The rate of increase—36 cases in just two weeks—is quite alarming, so in consonance with IATF resolutions, we have put in place stricter border controls and prohibited certain activities that could further spread the virus,” Eisma said on Monday.

“I have ordered our law enforcement officers to be thorough in checking for vaccination cards at the gates because we cannot afford another lockdown that would curtail business and industry in Subic. We have to be strict because we have to keep the local economy running, too,” she added.

Eisma said the SBMA has considered interzonal travel as high risk because eight of the recent Covid-19 cases in the Freeport involved residents who reported travel to Metro Manila, while five said having visited other areas outside of the Freeport.

She added that monitoring by the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department showed that these 13 travelers had, in turn, transmitted the virus to 12 close contacts. Still two others were infected after receiving visitors from outside Subic.

Eisma said that aside from requiring vaccination cards at the gates, the SBMA also limited the access of some public areas only to fully-vaccinated individuals. These include venues for meetings and social events, amusement parks and recreation venues, visitor or tourist attractions, venues for in-person religious gatherings, as well as restaurants, and gyms and personal care shops, which should all take in customers at 30% of their indoor capacity and 50% for outdoors.

Unvaccinated persons, however, may be allowed in supermarkets and groceries where 30% maximum capacity should be maintained, and inside malls but “only for the purpose of accessing essential goods and services,” the SBMA chief said.

At the same time, the SBMA allowed 70% maximum capacity for public transportation; 30% indoor capacity for face-to-face classes in higher schools; and 60% on-site capacity for government offices.

Meanwhile, the SBMA prohibited the operation of karaoke bars, indoor entertainment venues, kid amusement places, and venues for contact sports except in bubble-type setup.

Eisma said the Subic agency will enforce other measures that will arrest the current surge of Covid-19 cases in the greater Subic Bay area while encouraging stakeholders to get vaccinated for either basic doses or booster shots.

“We intend to contain this upsurge with vaccines and sound science behind basic safety protocols like masking, handwashing and social distancing,” Eisma added. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic school resumes face-to-face classes

The Manila Times College (TMTC) in this Freeport has received the go signal from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to resume face-to-face classes here, becoming the only tertiary-level school in Central Luzon to be granted such a permit so far.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic school has complied with all the necessary requirements issued by CHED to resume in-person classes at the former George Dewey High School campus here.

Eisma, along with CHED Regional Director Dr. Maria Teresita M. Semana, first inspected the TMTC campus facilities before the school was allowed to bring students back to the classrooms.

“We want to ensure that the educational facility is safe and free from Covid-19. We all want to go back to our normal lives after this pandemic, and it is certainly difficult for students to study remotely without any hands-on learning,” Eisma said.

She said the SBMA worked hand-in-hand with the TMTC to ensure that all the requirements set by the CHED were complied with.

The SBMA official also visited the TMTC campus on Monday to witness the start of the first face-to-face classes here under the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and said the school had passed the grade.

“To start with, The Manila Times College Subic has a very good teacher-student ratio, so it’s not that difficult to adopt the health safety protocols,” Eisma pointed out.

“I’m glad that face-to-face classes are already allowed here in Subic, and this further boosts Subic’s hard-earned reputation as a safe haven for both business and leisure,” she added.

The Manila Times College Subic, which offers mostly medicine-related programs, is by far the only tertiary-level school in Central Luzon to be granted a permit by the Commission on Higher Education for limited in-person classes.

Last month, the national government allowed limited in-person classes in 118 participating schools with about 7,000 learners across the country. These included seven schools in remote communities in Zambales.

Last Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) said an additional 174 schools started face-to-face classes as part of the second batch of the pilot program.

 CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said that for colleges and universities to have limited face-to-face classes, they should follow guidelines on minimum health standards, have high vaccination rate among students and faculty, secure approval from local government units, and should retrofit their facilities.

The schools that were allowed limited face-to-face classes should have curriculums that offer program in medical and allied fields, engineering and technology, hospitality/hotel and restaurant management, tourism/travel management, and marine engineering and marine transportation. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic sets ‘bubble’ for FilBasket inaugural tourney

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will also require a sports bubble set-up for the Filipino Basketball League (Filbasket), an upcoming amateur basketball confederation, which is awaiting approval for its inaugural play-off here.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the “bubble’ concept, which isolates players and organizers from the public, will be implemented for the tournament because it is a proven safety measure for various events here in Subic.

“The sports bubble has worked here in Subic and with this we have successfully hosted the 2021 Gatorade-PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup last February and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) playoffs last March,” Eisma explained.

“With the continuing risks from Covid-19, we need to ensure the health and safety of the participants, organizers, and even the locals who would interact with the visitors, that’s why we always insist on a bubble,” she added.

Eisma issued the statement after FilBasket League commissioner Jai Reyes confirmed that the inaugural tournament will be held in the Subic Bay Freeport and not in Batangas, which is still under general community quarantine (GCQ).

Subic is under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

According to Reyes, league organizers are just waiting for the go-signal from the SBMA and the Regional Interagency Task Force (RIATF) to hold the event.  

Eisma said that the safety protocols under the FilBasket bubble will be the same as that of the previous sporting events held here: players and organizers, as well as the league’s dedicated media team, will be isolated in hotels, with access only to the tournament venue, and all had to undergo a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test upon arrival.

“There will be no live audience watching the games, as the tournament will be broadcast by television,” she added.

FilBasket, which was founded by two-time UAAP champion Jai Reyes of Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (MPBL), will have 11 amateur teams competing in the inaugural tournament.

The teams will play for a single round-robin elimination match-up from which the top four teams will qualify for the semifinals round. The winners in the semis will square off for the championship. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic to host Miss Philippines-World finals with full health-safety protocols

The Miss World Philippines coronation night will be held here tomorrow at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) with full safety protocols following full endorsement for the event to proceed from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the pageant’s final ceremony here was only approved after rigorous vetting of Covid-19 health procedures and subsequent assurances by organizers that they will strictly follow protocols set by the IATF.

“This will be another bubble event like the other ones Subic had hosted for basketball and volleyball tournaments, as well as some national conferences,” Eisma said.

“The SBMA Board approved the request of ALV Event International, Inc., the organizer of the Miss World Philippines, to have the event here in Subic only after the Regional Task Force (RTF3) conducted an online coordination meeting with us and the organizers,” she added.

Eisma said among the requirements set were: full vaccination of all attendees; conduct of daily antigen tests, including guests, during the pageant; 24-hour posting of marshals with placards to act as health and safety protocol checkers, along with usherettes; and daily health declarations/reports with QR-coded IDs for contact tracing.

“Aside from the 44 candidates, there will also be guests and members of the organizing committee who will be taking part in the event. And we all want them to contain themselves for the duration of the event,” Eisma added.

“We’d like to stress here that we have set a 1:30 marshal-guests ratio to ensure enforcement of health protocols and that there will be only 800 attendees in a 5,000-capacity venue,” she also said.

Meanwhile, Miss World Philippines national director Arnold Vegafria expressed his gratitude for the approval to stage the coronation night at the SBECC.

He said that his promotion submitted its proposal to SBMA to stage the coronation night in Subic on September 21 and received r3ecommendation from the SBMA board of directors four days later after thoroughly establishing required safety measures.

“Rest assured that all IATF and SBMA health protocols will be strictly enforced by our EWP medical director-in-charge as recommended in the SBMA Board resolution,” he added.

The coronation night will feature 44 candidates vying for seven crowns in the pageant. These are titles for Miss World Philippines, Miss Eco Philippines, Miss Eco Teen Philippines, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas, Miss Multinational, Miss Philippines Tourism, and Miss Environment International.

The Miss World Philippines pageant, which is one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the country, is on its 10th edition this year. (MPD-SBMA)

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Volunteers clear Subic beaches of plastic wastes, storm debris

 

More than 200 volunteers from locator companies, community groups and departments of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) fanned out to eight points along the shoreline here on Friday to collect mostly plastic wastes and other debris that were washed ashore after the recent heavy rains.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the coastal cleanup is an annual event here among stakeholders in line with the International Coastal Cleanup Day celebration, but was cancelled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This time we allowed it but on condition that the activities be undertaken with strict observance of health and safety protocols,” Eisma stressed.

“Despite the pandemic, there is still a need to protect the environment because a healthy environment is proven to be a big factor to the healing process, and we need that now more than ever,” she added.

The SBMA Ecology Center, which organized the cleanup, assigned volunteers into 10-man teams deployed at onshore cleanup points along Waterfront Beach, San Bernardino Road, Triboa Bay Boardwalk, Tago Beach, and Nabasan Beach. Others were dispersed to river deltas, while some underwater teams also dived on the bay to take out trash.

Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana said the trash collected by the various teams were sorted out and recorded to further study the extent of pollution along the coast and on Subic Bay.

Most of the trash washed ashore were plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups and food packets, but volunteers said they also collected a large amount of disposable face masks along with rubber slippers.

The coastal cleanup on Friday also served to conclude the weeklong celebration of this year’s Biay Dagat, a mini-festival launched in 2019 to promote environmental protection and engage stakeholder support in ecological action.

Biay Dagay 2021 was launched virtually, with the online ceremony attended by SBMA employees, business locators, environmental advocates, and other Subic stakeholder groups.

The launch was followed by a series of online lectures like “Man and Ocean: Importance of taking care of our Seas and Ocean,” “SBMA Policies in Protecting Marine Areas,” and “Waste Away: Proper Waste Management, Segregation and Disposal.”

Cenevix Mañago of the SBMA Ecology Center’s organizing team described the coastal cleanup as “hugely successful” despite the constraints of Covid-19 pandemic. (MPD-SBMA)

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Red Cross medical tent to augment Subic hospital’s Covid-19 capacity

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has donated a fully air-conditioned medical tent to the Baypointe Hospital here to serve as an extension Covid-19 isolation and treatment unit for possible spillover cases of the highly infectious disease. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the medical tent was installed on Wednesday at the emergency admittance area of Baypointe, the only hospital in the Subic Freeport Zone that admits Covid cases from Olongapo City, Bataan and Zambales.

“We have here the hospital tent from the Philippine Red Cross that we hope can help Baypointe catch up with the growing numbers of Covid cases. This tent is fully air-conditioned, has 10 to 20-bed capacity, and will hopefully augment our needs as of this time,” Eisma said on Thursday.

“We are truly grateful that Senator (Richard) Gordon never misses on giving Subic his priority, as we fight a collective battle against this pandemic,” Eisma added. Gordon, who was the first SBMA chairman, is now chairman of the Philippine Red Cross.

Eisma said the medical tent is invaluable to Subic because of the rising number of Covid cases in the locality. “We have to be proactive. We have to be ready. We will not wait until we cannot catch up anymore,” she stressed.

“I will not want Subic to be ill-prepared for what may happen. So, this is one of the first steps that we are doing to make sure that we are ready should the pandemic escalate even more,” Eisma added.

According to Dr. Erlinda Alconga, Baypointe’s expert on infectious diseases, more patients are seeking admittance at the hospital because they have Covid pneumonia, with a total of 68 currently in the waiting list.

“Before our bed capacity for Covid cases was only 29, but now we attend to about 40 to 50 patients at Baypointe,” she added.

Baypointe director Dr. Felicisimo de Castro, meanwhile, said the medical tent is a very welcome gift from the Red Cross and Senator Richard Gordon, who is Red Cross chairman.

“We thank the community for giving support and we acknowledge with much appreciation the help that SBMA is providing us. This will go a long way in alleviating the desperate plight of our patients who wait outside just to be able to gain admission in our hospital, which is now full to capacity,” De Castro also said.

Both Alconga and Eisma also stressed their call for Subic stakeholders to observe minimum health protocols and to get vaccinated.

As of Thursday, August 19, the neighboring city of Olongapo has reported a total of 406 active Covid-19 cases and a total of 3,416 confirmed cases since the pandemic began early last year.

The neighboring province of Zambales, which has shifted back its quarantine status early this week to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions, has reported a total of 644 active cases, among the total confirmed cases of 5,156.

On the other hand, the province of Bataan, which is under Extreme Community Quarantine (ECQ), has reported a total of 2,519 active cases, out of the total 15,721 confirmed cases. (MPD-SBMA)

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Second group of A4 workers get jabbed in Subic Freeport

Another Covid-19 vaccination program for workers was carried out here on Wednesday (Aug. 11), exactly two weeks after the launching of the government’s vaccination drive for frontline personnel in essential sectors or the A4 priority group in this Freeport. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the second privately-initiated workers’ vaccination program opened at the TeleEmpire Inc. office here to benefit the firm’s 280 employees.

The project was held in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), which assisted in vaccne access, as well as in the Resbakuna center accreditation.

“I hope more companies in Subic would follow suit to have their employees vaccinated, so that we all can have peace of mind while going about our own businesses,” said Eisma, who continues to drumbeat the importance of having workers inoculated against the Covid-19 virus.

“Again, I urge Freeport workers to register for any vaccination program offered by their employers, or by their respective local government unit. It doesn’t really matter what brand of vaccine is available; what’s important is getting the dose that would keep you safe from the virus,” she added.

Eisma and Secretary Vince Dizon of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-an, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque launched the government’s vaccination drive for economic frontliners at the Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. here on July 27.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao the vaccine rollout at TeleEmpire was administered by medical staff from the privately-owned ZMMG Coop Women’s and Children Hospital in Olongapo City, using Sinovac vaccine.

Charry Navarro, administrative officer of TeleEmpire, said the one-day vaccination schedule would provide the first dose of the vaccine to all the firm’s 280 workers.

Meanwhile, TeleEmpire president and CEO Johannes Lin lauded the SBMA for its efforts in enforcing health protocols in the Subic Bay Freeport and helping locators get vaccine allocations.

Lin also thanked the firm’s Filipino employees for their concern to fellow workers and for showing discipline during the pandemic.

“Everybody wants to be comfortable while working inside the office, that is why everybody is doing their share to keep themselves healthy and Covid-free,” he added.

Lin also said that TeleEmpire had prohibited employees from going around the Freeport, even in the malls, and had set up recreational facilities and a mini-store in the TeleEmpire complex to encourage workers to stay in their quarters when not in duty.

The firm provides facility management services and business process outsourcing services to Philippine overseas gaming operators located out of the Freeport.

Lin said the firm had planned to initiate vaccination of workers as early as April this year, but most of the employees worried about the effect of the vaccines after reading negative reactions from the social media.

“Proper information from medical experts and distributing reading materials about the Covid-19 vaccines convinced our workers to get vaccinated,” Lin happily said. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA launches ‘Safety Seal’ program for business locators

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) began certifying business establishments here for their compliance to safety measures as part of a government program to ensure public safety during the Covid-19 pandemic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma on Monday issued the first “Safety Seal” certification from the agency to Harbor Point Ayala Mall, which was represented by Engr. Lesly Manalo, the general manager.

Eisma, assisted by Manalo, also posted “Safety Seal” signs at the entrance of the mall to assure customers that the establishment complies with the health and safety protocols required by the government.

“The Safety Seal is important because it reflects the stringent safety measures enforced by SBMA over the Freeport,” Eisma explained.

She added that the Safety Seal Certification Program was created to safely reopen the economy while ensuring the public of the establishment’s compliance with the minimum public health standards set by the government.

Manalo, on the other hand, said the certification “will help boost the confidence of our shoppers and the general public that it is safe go to Harbor Point, and that the SBMA is strictly monitoring us in the implementation of safety measures.”

The safety certification program is being implemented under the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 21-01 issued last April by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Among the requirements for certification are compliance with registration or accreditation requirements; use of StaySafe.ph or any contact-tracing tool integrated with it; enforcement of minimum public health standards (MPHS), including screening or triage area at different points-of-entry; availability of handwashing stations, soap and sanitizers, and hand drying equipment or supplies; and observance of physical distancing.

The program also requires adequate air exchange in enclosed areas; disinfection protocol; wearing of facemasks, face shields especially in enclosed places; establishment of a referral system for medical and psycho-social services; designation of safety officer; and facility for proper storage, collection, treatment, and disposal of used facemasks and other infectious wastes.

According to SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao, the SBMA’s Health and Safety Department (PHSD) has been inspecting business locators here and monitoring their compliance with safety protocols.  

He said the PHSD expects to complete the certification process for other Subic Freeport locators that have applied for safety seal and also enjoins others to participate in the program

“If they want to apply for the safety seal, the PHSD through the Occupational Health Division would be available to visit their facility and make an assessment,” Yambao said.

The safety seal is valid for six months and is renewable. (MPD-SBMA)

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2 OFWs give birth while in Subic quarantine

Two returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were quarantined in a hotel here in Subic gave birth to healthy babies days after arrival from Saudi Arabia. 

This was one sidelight in the ongoing government repatriation program, which has tapped the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) as an entry point for Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights ferrying home workers and other returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the new mothers were among the 299 passengers who arrived last July 7 aboard PAL’s Flight PR5683 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Consistent with health protocols, the new arrivals were quarantined for at least seven days in accredited hotels and other accommodation facilities inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

However, Eisma said that on July 9, one of the workers in quarantine at the Vista Marina Hotel here, a 32-year-old resident of Cavite, went into labor and was brought by Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) personnel to a government hospital in Olongapo City where she gave birth.

The following day, July 10, another OFW under quarantine at the same hotel, this time a 36-year-old from North Cotabato, experienced labor pain and was also brought to the Olongapo hospital for childbirth.

“Our information from the One-Stop-Shop Command at the Subic airport was that both deliveries went well and that the mothers and their babies were healthy,” Eisma said.

“Following completion of the mandatory isolation and negative RT-PCR test results, they were soon discharged from the Subic quarantine facility,” she added.

As an alternate entry point for returning OFWs, Subic has received a total of four PAL flights since July 7, including the latest flight this morning that brought in 185 OFWs from Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The first PAL flight scheduled here for July 5 was diverted to the Clark Freeport due to strong tailwind.

Four more OFW flights by PAL are set to arrive in Subic on July 24, 25 and 27 and on August 3.

Subic became an alternate port of entry for OFWs and other returning overseas Filipinos in line with government policy to limit arrivals in all international airports in the country to just 1,500 passengers per day to comply with health protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA to adopt shift work to maintain safety, productivity

Employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will soon follow a two-shift work schedule designed to enhance health safety in the workplace while sustaining high level of output and efficiency despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the new timetable would have some employees working from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm daily, while others do their duties from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

“This is our latest adaptation in the new normal,” Eisma explained on Tuesday.

“We have tried a Team A-Team B weekly alternate schedule to minimize health risks and prevent workplace transmission of Covid-19, but the downside was unavoidable work backlogs,” Eisma noted.

“Now, with this Shift A-Shift B scheme, we prevent backlogs, discourage intermingling among workers, and minimize the number of persons in the office at any given time,” she added.

The new work schedule, which was approved by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), will start on Thursday, April 22, said SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Support Services Ramon Agregado.

He also clarified that the new shift work would only apply to office workers, and that field workers who already worked in shifts would maintain their existing schedules.

Agregado said that under the two-shift work plan, employees will work in the office for six hours and from home for another two hours every day in order to comply with the 40-hour workweek requirement.

He added that those under Shift A, who would report to office from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, will be on work-from-home status from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, while those on Shift B will be on work-from-home status from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and would report to office from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The one-hour window between office work and work-from-home periods would give employees time for travel between office and residence. “But the same can be further adjusted in the case of workers from farther areas like Zambales and Bataan,” Agregado added.

He added that new work schedule will also allow employees who take public transport to avoid the rush hour, as they will go to work very early in the morning or in the afternoon.

Eisma also stressed on Tuesday that the SBMA adopted the two-shift work plan as a win-win solution to the seeming dilemma between work safety and productivity.

“The truth is, we can no longer afford a drop in productivity because the SBMA has been financially bleeding since the pandemic curtailed much business in the Subic Freeport. This, we hope, would give us more business, but not at the expense of our employees’ health,” she said.

Eisma also pointed out that the new shift schedule would result in better service to Subic Freeport stakeholders and SBMA customers because offices would be open for a longer time, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm instead of from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma discusses health safety protocols in the workplace with SBMA employees.

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Subic gym closed down for violating health safety protocols

A popular gym and fitness center here was temporarily closed down by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) early this week for violation of health protocols against the spread of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said the Victory Gym and Athletic Club was ordered to stop operations for two weeks as penalty for a first offense after a series of verified complaints showed gym customers not wearing face masks and not observing social distancing during workouts.

Under SBMA Board Resolution No. 20-11-1843, which imposed fines and penalties for violation of health protocols and standards against the spread of Covid-19, the agency would penalize business locators that neglect to implement measures on workplace prevention and control of Covid-19.

The penalty for first offense was temporary closure for two weeks. The second offense merited suspension of the Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption (CRTE) for six months, while the third merited cancellation of CRTE.

The SBMA Board has also set fines for anyone caught not properly wearing a face mask in public places or violating maximum public health standards: P1,000 for first offense; P2,000 for second offense; and P5,000 for succeeding violations.

The same penalties applied to non-wearing of face shield in designated areas.

Victory Gym, which is located at the Subic Commercial and Light Industrial Park near Manila Avenue, is popular among local residents for its state-of-the-art facilities for weight training, as well as ancillary programs like Zumba and boxing.

However, Yambao said the SBMA has received information that some Victory Gym clients broke rules on wearing of face masks and face shields. Initially, the gym management reasoned out that their customers only removed face masks during picture-taking, but more anonymous reports sent to SBMA showed gym clients flouting the rules.

On March 18, the SBMA issued a show cause letter ordering the company to explain why it should not be penalized for the reported violations. Victory Gym responded on March 22, but the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department recommended on March 26 that it should be cited for first offense after an investigation and review of documents proved the company violated health protocols.

The SBMA served the order for temporary closure of the gym on April 5, and warned that another violation would result in the suspension of its CRTE.

Yambao said the gym management informed the SBMA that they will resume operations on April 22 upon compliance with the closure order and implementation of corrective measures.

Meanwhile, the SBMA also suspended face-to-face trainings and workshops among its departments to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace and in the community, especially with the recent emergence of more contagious virus strains.

A memo issued on Tuesday urged SBMA personnel to use Google Hangouts Meet, Zoom, Webex, or other online platforms for trainings and workshops instead of face-to-face interaction. (MPD-SBMA)

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Curfew, other restrictions back in Subic Bay Freeport

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Monday reimposed curfew in the Subic Bay Freeport and reverted to previous entry and mobility restrictions to help curb the resurge of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the curfew hours in the Subic Freeport will be from 12 midnight to 5:00 in the morning effective March 22 until April 4.

She added that personnel travelling to and from work in the Freeport during curfew hours would be required to show SBMA-issued gate passes and company ID cards to be allowed movement in the zone.

Cargo deliveries, on the other hand, will be unimpeded at all times in Subic, although their crew would be required to strictly observe health safety protocols like wearing of face mask and face shield.

Eisma also said the SBMA has determined that persons from the “NCR Plus bubble” will be allowed into Subic only for business purposes, and should show email confirmation of appointment in the Freeport.

“Those from NCR Plus who would stay in Subic for more than 24 hours will be required to show negative RT-PCR test results with a validity of 24 hours, while persons from MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) areas who would stay here for 4 days and 3 nights or beyond will also be required to undergo RT-PCR test,” Eisma also clarified.

The NCR Plus bubble includes the National Capital Region and the five neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite.

The SBMA chief likewise said they would strictly enforce restrictions set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) under Resolution No. 96 that those below 15 years and over 65 years of age, as well as those pregnant or with comorbidities, will not be allowed outside of their residences except for food, work, or exercise.

The SBMA also barred children below 3 years old from Subic beaches, prohibited consumption of alcoholic drinks in public areas, and temporarily banned picnicking at public spaces like the Waterfront, Boardwalk Park, Malawaan Park, and the San Bernardino Road.

In an announcement last Sunday, Eisma also reminded Subic stakeholders to stay home and suspend non-essential travel in view of the “alarming resurgence of the COVID-19 virus and the growing number of new positive cases in the country.”

The SBMA had recorded since last year 50 confirmed Covid-19 cases among Freeport residents, 32 among guests and transient workers, and 30 among SBMA employees, with just six active cases in the three groups as the moment.

“While the Subic Bay Freeport Zones remains to be one of the urban communities in the country with the least number of cases, we have to take more pro-active measures to protect our ourselves, our family, our livelihood, and the bigger community we live in. We cannot afford another lockdown, so we must do all we can to prevent it,” Eisma pointed out.

She said that to help minimize risks among SBMA employees while continuing to provide services to the public, the SBMA also reverted to alternating teams among its personnel who would man the offices during the two-week period.

“Prudence is always the better part of valor. And with prudence, we ensure our own protection and those of our loved ones and the Subic community. Just as important, we also guarantee that economic activities in Subic continue for all our sake,” Eisma also said. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA law enforcers checking for ID cards and permits among motorists (file photo)

[2] A security guard enforces social distancing among mall-goers in the Subic Bay Freeport (file photo)

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