2016 Subic Bay Auto Show all set for April 16

The Harbor Point Ayala Mall will once again be filled with tricked out rides and hot models as the 2016 Subic Bay Auto Show is all set to begin on April 16.

A feast for both the eyes and ears, the 7th Subic Bay Auto Show will host a myriad of souped-up cars, along with good music and eye-candy courtesy of the car show babes.

Returning for this year's edition of Subic Bay Auto Show is the Kicker AudioSound Off competition and the Tire Change challenge.

On the other hand, those that always have the need to beat their R/C lap times will be able to do just that in the Tamiya Time Attack.

Categories that can be won in this year's Subic Bay Auto Show include: Best Vintage Car, Best European Car, Best Bodykits, Loudest Car, Subic's Finest Car, Best SUV and Best Interior as such.

http://www.autoindustriya.com/auto-industry-news/2016-subic-bay-auto-show-all-set-for-april-16.html

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LOOK: SBMA and Subic locators hold Fire Olympics 2016

Fire brigade teams from different companies at the Taiwanese-run Subic Bay Industrial Gateway Park participate in this year's Fire Olympics organized by the SBMA Fire Department and the Subic Bay Development and Management Corporation (SBDMC) Friday morning.

The fire olympics is an annual event held every March of each year in observance of Fire Prevention Month to promote safety awareness and preparedness among companies and their workers in Subic Bay Freeport.

SBMA Deputy Fire Chief Raul Zapanta said that companies join this annual activity “because it is not only fun to the participants, but also hones their skills in firefighting and enhances rapport among the designated fire marshals from different companies.”

“It helps the volunteers build teamwork and cooperation with other fire volunteers, and also provides and an opportunity to put their skills to test,” he added.

Photos by Jun Dumaguing/MPD-SBMA

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NLEX, SCTEX integrated, eases northbound travel

CLARK, Pampanga, Philippines – The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) have been combined into one seamless road network to accommodate the heavy influx of motorists for the Holy Week.

Senate President Franklin Drilon led officials in a ceremonial drive yesterday to the Sta. Ines toll plaza, marking the launch of the combined tollways.

The integration of the two expressways cost P650 million and involved the conversion of the NLEX and SCTEX toll collection into a single system.

This reduces toll collection stops to two instead of five from Balintawak to Subic and back, instead of four from Balintawak to Tarlac and back.

To unify the system of NLEX and SCTEX, the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) has constructed seven new toll plazas in Tarlac, Subic-Tipo, Sta. Ines and the northbound and southbound side of Dau and Mabiga.

MNTC president Rodrigo Franco said the seamless and faster travel can now be experienced at NLEX and SCTEX as toll collection stops are lessened and additional options are introduced at the SCTEX.

Franco added the integration speeds up the queues on the toll plazas. Motorists who will drive from Manila to Subic will just have to stop for toll payments at Balintawak and Subic or Tarlac.

“This will save them up to 40 minutes of travel time,” he said.

Drilon said he had temporarily suspended his campaign sortie to savor the launching of the toll integration project.

Drilon recalled the plan for the two expressways to be integrated was brought about by the 11-hour traffic ordeal he had on the two expressways in 2014.

To spare motorists from experiencing a similar fate, Drilon said he summoned officials of the MNTC and the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) to find a solution to the traffic congestion in the two expressways.

Drilon noted the integration project also features a unified ticketing system, electronic toll collection and magnetic payment methods, which are projected to increase up to 800 transactions per hour compared to manual lanes which could only service 200 transactions per hour.

On the other hand, BCDA president and chief executive officer Arnel Paciano Casanova said the integration is a game-changer that will greatly benefit the motorists in terms of faster travel time and conveniences and set the standard for what is doable in the future.

Casanova said the NLEX-SCTEX integration is the first among expressways in the country.

With the integration completed, Franco added the MNTC is open to discussions to link NLEX to TPLEX, which is operated by San Miguel Corporation.

“That would be a natural next step to try to talk to the concessionaire or operator to see if that integration is possible, so that may be something we could eventually explore with the concessionaire of TPLEX,” Franco said.

For the Holy Week, MNTC will implement Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko 2016 motorist assistance program to enhance traffic management and toll collection services at the NLEX, SCTEX and CAVITEX.

From March 18-28, additional patrol vehicles and enforcers will be fielded to immediately respond to distressed motorists while ambulant toll tellers equipped with portable toll collection gadgets will be deployed and additional traffic informatory signs will be installed in strategic areas and road works will also be suspended to ensure smooth traffic flow. (Louella Desiderio, The Philippine Star)

PHOTO:
Senate President Franklin Drilon leads the inauguration of the NLEX-SCTEX integration system at the Sta. Ines toll plaza in Pampanga yesterday.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/03/19/1564423/nlex-sctex-integrated-eases-northbound-travel

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“Superbods: The Underpants Run” kicks off at Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 in Subic Bay

Century Tuna Superbods: The Underpants Run will kick off Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 this March in Subic Bay, gathering the world’s top athletes to one of the region’s desired triathlon destinations for the second year.

Inspired by the tradition at Kona, home of the renowned Ironman World Championship, Century Tuna is continuing the Superbods Underpants Run that it started last year to cultivate a fun local tradition that also gives back to the community.

This exciting pre-race activity which made last year’s headlines is open to all participants of this year’s Ironman 70.3. Adding to the thrill of the 2016 Underpants Run are the 18 Century Superbods finalists who will be running alongside the triathletes.

The Underpants Run participants will run, race, and raise over USD 2,000.00 to support the National Greening Program of the SBMA Ecology Center. Two pairs of winners, foreign and local, will be selected and bring home the coveted Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Superbods Awards and will win USD 500 each. This amount will be matched by Century Tuna for the donation.

This year’s Century Tuna Superbods: The Underpants Run will kick off on March 5 at 9:30 AM from Subic Bay Yacht Club and will take participants through a scenic route along the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“We are all excited about the return of this year’s Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 triathlon as it further strengthens our vision to help Filipinos live healthy. We also hope to cement new traditions like the Century Tuna Superbods: The Underpants Run that people will anticipate for years to come,” said Greg Banzon, General Manager at Century Canning Corporation.

For more details, visit www.centurypacific.com.ph or www.ironman703subicbay.com

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Centennial III braces for Jelik bid in Subic-Bora race

The seventh Standard Insurance Subic Bay to Boracay Race sails off Friday with all eyes on the defending champion, Centennial III of Judes Echauz, and the toughest contender, the 75-foot Jelik of Hong Kong magnate Frank Pong.

Out to offer challenge out in the open waters are 17 other sailors, who came all the way from Germany, Australia and China.

The race, which offers stiff competition, will cover a total of 210 nautical miles. If the winds blow hard, then the race gets faster, and the action tougher as the field passes through the dreaded Verde Passage en route to the island paradise of Boracay.

Echauz, president of the Philippine Sailing Association, will spearhead a 15-man crew on board Centennial III. He ruled the 2015 Subic to Boracay Race and the Boracay Regatta Cup in Malay, Aklan.

For his feat, Echauz received a citation during the Philippine Sportswriters Association awards night last Feb. 13 at One Esplanade.

Subic Bay will host two races from the Asian Yachting Grand Prix, to be followed closely by the Boracay Cup Regatta from March 1 to 4.

The event is fully backed by the Subic Racing Club, Cebu Pacific Airlines, PLDT Alpha, Resorts World Hotel, Lighthouse Hotel, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Sailing Association, Municipality of Malay and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

From Hong Kong, the Warlick-designed Shahtoosh of Peter Cremers, Antipodes of Geoff Hill, Black Baza of Steve Manning and Freefire of Sam Chan and Russ Parker are entered in Racing Class 1.

Giving them a run for their money are Ragamuffin 90 of Australia-based Syd Fisher, owner of the fastest time.

In Division Class 2, Germany’s Emocean, skippered by Michael Raueber, and Singapore’s Zanzibar, led by Jonathan Mahony, will face the challenge from five other sailors from Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Mermaid, an Oceanis 45 and owned by Hong Kong’s Xiong Ting, leads the entries in the Cruising Class division, along with Bella Uno of Michiel Brinkers and Philippines NG3 of Elmer Gualberto.

More than the bragging rights, at stake are precious points for the prestigious Asian Yachting Skipper and Yacht of the Year awards. Captain Marty Rijkuris of the Asian Yachting Grand Prix is main judge. (Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star)

PHOTO:

JUDES Echauz steered Centennial III across the finish for a win, edging defending champion Hong Kong’s Reichel/Pug 76 Jelik in the sixth Standard Insurance Subic-to-Boracay Race in 2015.

http://www.philstar.com/sports/2016/02/24/1556229/centennial-iii-braces-jelik-bid-subic-bora-race

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Subic Freeport gears up for summer 2016 tourist season

Central Luzon’s most visited tourist destination is gearing up to keep everything hot — that is, sizzling hot for an exciting and enjoyable stay of tourists trooping here for summer vacation, especially during the Lenten season.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the agency has already implemented major face-lift projects in most tourism facilities and infrastructures here in preparation for the usual surge of summer visitors.

“For the past weeks, maintenance and ground personnel have all been busy with various projects to make sure that Subic Bay Freeport would be ready for the big volume of tourists arriving during summer, especially this Holy Week,” Garcia said.

“And because Subic is becoming more and more of a hot item among travelers, we really have to make sure that the free port remains to be the best destination they’d always want to return to,” he added.

Referring to reports from the SBMA Tourism Department, Garcia said that tourist arrivals in Subic reached 7.3 million in 2015, an increase of 14 percent over the 6.4-million record in 2014.

He noted that tourists who actually stayed overnight or for several days in Subic reached 1.43 million in 2015, or 21 percent higher than the 1.18 million recorded in 2014.

The figures were based on reports from hotel operators in Subic, who noted that the occupancy rate also increased to 70 percent last year, the highest in the past four years.

“This is why there is a need to really work hard to maintain our status in the top list of the Department of Tourism-Region III (DoT-3). All of us should be ambassadors of tourism of the SBMA,” Garcia also told employees on Monday.

Subic was conferred the Number 1 Tourist Destination in Region 3 by the DoT-3 for the past two consecutive years, and was named as well as “Premier Convention Capital of Central Luzon” in 2012.

Garcia said that the SBMA is now refurbishing all the road features in Subic, and placing police and travelers assistance outposts in strategic areas in time for the summer season.

Meanwhile, tourism-related businesses are also making necessary renovations and upgrading their facilities, he added.

Garcia said the most important project that SBMA is completing today is the renovation of the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) in the amount of P21 million. This will be the venue of Ad Summit Pilipinas 2016, which will bring together the country’s top advertising and marketing practitioners here on March 9 to 12. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
Workers undertake repair and improvement projects at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, which will be the venue of Ad Summit Pilipinas 2016 on March 9-12. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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