Subic tourism school holds eco-kayaking course

Kayaking enthusiasts from various provinces in the country took to the water here recently, not to compete in a race, but to learn about how their favorite activity could help in promoting tourism in the Philippines. The course, spearheaded by the Subic-based International School for Sustainable Tourism, consisted of a three-day training on kayak paddling, kayak guiding, and kayak safety with an emphasis on eco-tourism. The course took advantage...

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2012 BIR & BOC tax remittances hit P7.62 billion in Subic Freeport

Tax collection agencies in this country’s premier free port have turned over to the national treasury a total of P7.62 billion in taxes collected from January to December 2012. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia said the amount was derived from taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC). Garcia said the combined collection of BIR and BOC here has consistently increased in the last four years, showing growing profitability among Freeport-registered locators. ...

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USS Stockdale to Arrive in Subic Bay

MANILA – USS Stockdale (DDG-106), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, will arrive in Subic Bay on Tuesday, February 5th for a routine port visit. This stop in Subic will permit the Stockdale to replenish supplies as well as offer its crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation. “Visiting Subic Bay provides us with a great opportunity to continue the long-term relationship between the Philippines and the United States and that is...

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SBMA releases P72-million revenue share to neighbor LGUs

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will release this month a total of P72 million in revenue shares to the seven municipalities and one city that are located near this premier free port. According to SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia, the funds to be given to neighboring local government units (LGUs) were derived from two percent of the corporate taxes paid by registered Subic Freeport enterprises from June to December 2012. Since August 2010, the SBMA, under a new tax collection scheme, began directly receiving two percent...

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SBMA Targets $800-M 2013 Investments

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) expects $800 million in investments this year, a strong turnaround from an estimated $200 million in 2012, with two new shipbuilding facilities to be established by EU firms and major tourism projects. SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia said this year would be a turnaround year from the poor investments performance last year. "We expect $800 million in new investments this year because more investors are coming in. Last year was poor because all we have were mostly inquiries from foreign...

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Patillan, Echauz Top YOG Elims

Olongapo bet Jimuel Patillan outlasted Cebu's Justin Liam Chiongbian in a wild rush to the finish to rule the second Youth Olympic Games (YAG) qualifying tournament yesterday at the Dungaree Beach in Subic. In topping the event, Patillan summoned his remaining energy in the final 200 meters to beat out his rival. Organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) in cooperation with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism Department, the race was staged in a new distance of 500-m swim, 20-k bike and 2.5-k run with Patillan...

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USS Cheyenne arrives in Subic Bay

USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), a Los Angeles-class submarine, arrives in Subic Bay today (February 1st) for a routine port visit. This stop in Subic will permit the Cheyenne to replenish supplies as well as offer its crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation. The USS Cheyenne, named after the town of Cheyenne, Wyoming, is assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet. It is home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Cheyenne, commissioned in 1996,...

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2 European firms to invest $600M in shipbuilding

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia yesterday reported that two European companies will invest $600 million building small ships in Subic, encouraged by the success of Hanjin Heavy Industries. Garcia declined to elaborate further, saying that inquiries were made last year. Garcia said during a break in the Philippines Ports and Shipping Conference at the Manila Peninsula yesterday that Subic has become an ideal investment destination for maritime and tourism. He also reported that SBMA was able to turn around from 2011’s...

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Subic Hosts SEA Marine Symposium

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT - With the frequent stranding of whales and dolphins in the country, many wildlife conservationists will be holding the first-ever Southeast Asian Marine Mammal Stranding Network Symposium and Workshop here. Slated in the first week of February, the two-part event is made possible by the Ocean Adventure, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong and Wildlife in Need in collaboration with the University of the Philippines, Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology and the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network. An...

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International sailing races return to Subic Bay

Subic will again host prestigious international regattas this year when the Subic Bay to Boracay Race kicks off here in February and the Commodore’s Cup promises to wow spectators and sailors alike in April. The Subic Bay to Boracay Race, which is followed by the Boracay Cup Regatta, will be held on February 15-22. The two races are jointly organized by the Saturday AfternoonGentlemen Sailing (SAGS) group based at The Lighthouse Marina Resort...

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Budget allocation eyed for locators’ subsidy

The government will seek budget allocation to continue the subsidy enjoyed by three big projects in Clark and Subic. Outgoing Trade Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio said the government is preparing a program that would effectively continue the industry competitiveness fund (ICF), providing it with a strong legal support like including it in the succeeding general appropriations act (GAA) of the country. The ICF, which expired in March 2011, was granted to Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp. Philippines in Subic Freeport, Texas Instruments Philippines...

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Subic solar energy firm gets DOE accreditation

A company based in this free port is gearing up to become a leading player in the country’s renewable energy program after receiving accreditation from the Department of Energy (DOE). Bandacorp Solar, Inc., a registered locator here in the Subic Bay Freeport, was granted a DOE accreditation that entitles it to avail of incentives such as zero-percent value added tax rate, tax- and duty-free importation of components and parts and materials, and...

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SBMA posts record profit

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has disclosed that the agency achieved last year the highest profit in its 20 year history. Based on preliminary figures presented at the SBMA’s Strategic Planning conference last week, the Agency posted a record profit of P789 million in 2012. This is a drastic turnaround from the P1.2 billion loss in 2011 Chairman & Administrator Roberto V. Garcia said that the turnaround was due to increased revenues, reduced operating expenses and a favorable exchange rate. The Agency revenue increase of 16%...

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Lions, SBMA partner for eye exam and free cataract operation project

Some 200 cataract patients from Olongapo City will be operated on for free by international team of doctors under a project organized by the Lions Clubs District 301-D1-Philippines and the Lions Clubs District 19-C, a counterpart district in Washington, USA. Around 3,500 residents also benefited in the five-day optical examination and screening project jointly undertaken by the Lions International Foundation and the Olongapo City New Horizon Lions...

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Hanjin Subic Shipyard Delivers 2 Bulk Carriers To UK Company

South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction - Philippines (HHIC-Phil Inc.) welcomed the New Year with yet another milestone when it unveiled simultaneously two newly-built DWT 205,000 Bulk Carriers in its 300-hectare state-of-the-art shipyard facility recently. The vessels, purchased by England-based Rio Tinto Shipping Limited, were named M/V "RTM Cabot" and M/V "RTM Drake", respectively. The ships, named after two renowned British explorers, will have London in the United Kingdom as their homeport. The event was attended...

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PLDT-Abap national boxfest set in Subic

The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) has lined up two major local competitions to start the year, including the national championship, leading off to the Asian Youth tournament in March at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone gym. The Capitol Grounds in Iba, Zambales, in cooperation with the provincial government led by Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., will be the site of the PLDT-Abap National Capital Region-Luzon Area tournament on Jan. 22 to 26. A total of 70 to 80 boxers coming from 15 boxing clubs and associations are expected to compete...

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US vessel arrives in Subic for port call

The United States Embassy in Manila said that another one of its navy ships, USS Guardian, arrived on Sunday for a routine fuel stop. In a statement, the embassy said that the USS Guardian, a US Navy Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship, arrived in Subic Bay. “This visit will allow the ship to replenish supplies as well as give the crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation,” the embassy said. After an overnight visit in Subic, the ship will proceed to Puerto Princesa City in Palawan “for another brief visit.” The USS Guardian is assigned...

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Air ambulance takes good care of Subic residents

Subic proved to be an ideal site for an air-ambulance service when a severely injured man, from Pohnpei, Micronesia, was airlifted to the Unihealth-Baypointe hospital at the former American naval base recently onboard a reconfigured twin-engine Westwind business jet. The Westwind jet was converted into a mini intensive-care unit ward complete with hospital staff, an oxygen system and ventilators because patients are usually too sick or injured to fly in a commercial flight. Officials of air-ambulance firm, Carejet Assist, said they could not...

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Subic issues ban on plastics in retail establishments

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) through its Ecology Center has implemented the “no plastic” policy applicable to retail establishments inside the Subic Bay Freeport zone. In a memorandum issued by the Ecology Center dated December 27, 2012, the SBMA said that no retail establishment in the Subic Bay Freeport shall provide to any customer at the point of sale plastic bags as packaging material on dry goods. Instead, a reusable bag or the brown paper bag shall be used or provided. The policy took effect on January 1. It added that...

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Subic Bay welcomes 2013 with street party

Up to 13,000 people crammed the Waterfront Road and Boardwalk Park in this free port on New Year’s Eve to usher in 2013 and bid 2012 goodbye. The revelers brought food for their traditional New Year’s feast, pitched tents and set up tables in the seaside venue, heard Mass and watched a mini-concert while awaiting what appeared to be the best fireworks display since the tradition started here in 2001. “The New Year Countdown is our way of giving...

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Subic Bay to host Asian Triathlon Championships

Subic Bay Freeport will once again be the nation’s hot spot for triathletes as it will host the K-SWISS Subic Bay ASTC Asian Triathlon Championships 2013 on April 27, 28 and 29. A joint project of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines, the International Triathlon Union, the Asian Triathlon Confederation and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Tourism Department, the three-day event marks the 20th edition of the longest running and premier standard distance triathlon in the country as well as the third time the Freeport will host the Asian...

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90,000 Workers Go Back To Work At Subic Bay Freeport

After a long and stress-relieving holiday hiatus, almost 90,000 employees working here are returning back to work. According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia, the 89,372 employees make up the current workforce inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and have kept the economic zone afloat despite the economic crises that has affected most of the Western world. “Each and every one of these employees has my respect. They have made great contributions in ensuring that Subic Bay Freeport remains the flagship of the Philippines...

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SBMA sees fruitful year for Subic Bay tourism

The year 2012 is expected to end on a high note for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in terms of tourism as the agency became more aggressive this year in promoting and drawing more visitors to the Subic Bay Freeport. Marking a year of outstanding growth in its tourism promotions program, the Subic Bay Freeport received a certification from the Department of Tourism (DOT) affirming it as the "Premier Convention Capital of Central Luzon, with the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) as the centerpiece. Another highlight...

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DOLE, SBMA sign deal to protect Subic Freeport workers

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) vowed to ensure the safety and safeguard the health of workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone amid complaints of abuse, mistreatment and even death of workers contracted by Korean company Hanjin operating inside the area. Labor Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority [SBMA] signed the memorandum of agreement last week that “maintains industrial peace and enforce labor and occupational safety and health standards in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.”  “I am pleased of this convergence...

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Subic Investors Unite For Tourism

In an effort to push the current status of this premier Freeport’s tourism, hotel and tourism companies here unite to come up with the “Stay in a Hotel in Subic, Play a round of golf for free!” Subic Leisure World Inc. President and CEO Benjamin John Defensor III said all tourists who stay at their accredited hotels can play a free round of golf at the Subic Golf Course. “It’s a simple, yet effective way, of enticing tourist golfers to take their families in Subic Bay Freeport and enjoy the many tourism sites here. It would also give those golfers...

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Manila Ports’ Decongestion Moves Up

The Subic-Clark Alliance Development Council has thrown its support behind a new set of policy proposals aimed at decongesting traffic to and from the Manila ports, saying such policy mix will give a major boost to the underutilized Subic and Batangas ports to where spillover container cargoes would be rerouted. The proposed policy mix is contained in a study funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and includes, among others, new pricing strategies such as reduced wharfage, berthing fees and vessel-related charges in Batangas and...

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Astro Air links Subic, Kalibo with Taipei

The high-ranking management team of Subic-based Astro Air International, the latest CAAP-certified air operator in the Philippines, paid a courtesy call to Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines (TECO) Representative Ambassador Raymond Wang to introduce their first flight, which will link Subic and Kalibo with Taipei, Taiwan. Wang noted that he is looking forward to an increased tourist and business flow between the Philippines and Taiwan with this newly introduced flight route and is hopeful for an enhanced tourism, and trade...

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Subic Firm Producing Indoor Vegetables

A company inside this premier Freeport is producing Central Luzon’s only indoor-grown vegetables that are free from both fertilizers and pesticides. Subic Amino Hightech Corporation has been growing vegetables thru an indoor hydroponics system a few months ago inside a 6 meter by 15 meter room where temperature is maintained at 22 degress celsius, cooler than most offices inside the Freeport. The two hydroponic systems, with six levels each, provide the nutrients to rows of healthy Frillice Lettuce, Wasabe greens, and Arugula plants. “The program...

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Thousands race in co-op advocacy run

Thousands of runners from some 300 cooperatives in the seven provinces of Central Luzon raced for a cause here on Wednesday during the “Cooperative Advocacy Run” that was held as part of the simultaneous nationwide celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). The event, organized by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in Region 3, drew around 17,000 registered runners who competed in two race categories. CDA-Region 3...

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Kanawan Medical Mission

Patients line up for free medical check-up and medicine in the remote upland village of Kanawan in Barangay Binaritan, Morong, Bataan, during a medical mission conducted by PJ Lhuiller Foundation, Inc. in partnership with Cebuana Lhuiller, United Laboratories Inc., and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Around 200 residents, mostly Aeta families, benefited from the project coordinated by the SBMA Public Relations Department. (Photo by Jun...

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