ICTSI sees Subic becoming top seaport

Subic Free Port Zone will become a major port in 10 years, the top official of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) said. “Subic we are pushing hard we are building up the market, it takes a long time within the next 10 years. I think Subic will become a major port,” said Enrique Razon, chairman and president of ICTSI, during the company’s annual stockholders meeting on Thursday. The Port of Subic in Zambales is located in the vicinity of Subic Bay, one of the Philippines’ finest harbors and most strategic base. Subic Port...

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Hanjin Phil. delivers 2 Bulk Carriers to Rio Tinto Shipping

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd. - Philippines (HHIC-Phil Inc.) reached yet another milestone when it held the simultaneous unveiling of 2 newly-built Bulk Carriers in its modern 30-hectare shipyard in Redondo Peninsula on April 16, 2013. The vessels, named after famous explorers Christopher Columbus and Abel Tasman, were the 7th and 8th ships purchased by leading international mining group Rio Tinto Shipping Limited. "RTM Columbus" and "RTM Tasman," which both tipped the scale at 106,796 tons, will have London in the United...

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Health center benefits aeta community

Around 500 Aeta families are expected to benefit from the new barangay (village) healthcare center at the Pastolan Village inside this premier Freeport after being turned over by the Redondo Peninsula Energy (RP Energy). The RP Energy’s initiative of renovating the “KliniKaBarangay Health” and Wellness Center is part of the company’s “Katuwang Natin sa Buhay” umbrella corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Part of the renovation is fitting the healthcare center with equipment that include a weighing scale, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope,...

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RDC-3 approves ‘twin airport’ development

The Regional Development Council (RDC) has recently approved the so-called "twin airport" development which is designed to upgrade facilities and services at Clark International Airport in Pampanga and Subic Airport at the Subic Free Port area in Zambales. This was one of the 18 projects approved for Central Luzon during an RDC meeting held recently in this city led by RDC chair Mayor Oscar Rodriguez. The twin airport project has been approved by the RDC-3 Sectoral Committee on Economic Development. The total of P57 million will be allocated...

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Hanjin inaugurates employees housing project

CASTILLEJOS, Zambales — South Korean firm Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co.-Philippines (HHIC-Phil) turned over to employee-recipients on Saturday a total of 300 newly-completed housing units, making good on its promise to deliver affordable housing to its workers. HHIC-Phil president Jin Kyu Ahn said the units form part of Phase 1 of Hanjin Village, a low-cost housing project that the Korean shipbuilder had initiated as early as 2008...

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SBMA & Hawaii National Guard joint field training

Members of the Hawaii National Guard and the SBMA Search and Rescue Team rappel down the newly-constructed collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR) training facility of the SBMA Fire Department in the Subic Bay Freeport as they prepare for a week-long joint field training under the RP-US Balikatan military exercise. The Hawaii National Guard and the CBRNE Emergency Response Package Team (CERP-T) will also conduct swift-water rescue and CSSR...

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Local rescuers to get training from Hawaii National Guard in Subic

Search and rescue operators from flood-prone areas in Zambales will be receiving training on swift-water rescue from members of the Hawaii National Guard, as part of this year’s Balikatan military exercise (BK13) between the Philippines and the United States. The Hawaii National Guard and the CBRNE Emergency Response Package Team (CERP-T) will also conduct a joint field training exercise in the form of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR). This simulated disaster-response activity will be held on April 10-17 at the training facility here of the Subic...

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Hanjin to unveil 30-ha village for its 18,000 shipyard workers

The biggest shipbuilding firm in the country will unveil a village made for its 18,000 shipbuilding employees this Saturday in Sitio Nagbayto, Baranggay Nagbunga in Castillejos, Zambales. Dubbed as the “Hanjin Village”, the housing community project is situated on a 30-hectare land area in Sitio Nagbayto, some 30 minute drive to Hanjin’s shipbuilding facility in Redondo Peninsula. The real estate property was provided for free thru the efforts of the Korean shipbuilder in furtherance of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of providing...

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Tsunami-detection system to be installed in Subic Bay

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in collaboration with the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Asti), will install tsunami-detection sensors at Sueste Point in Subic Bay, within the territorial jurisdiction of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), to provide real-time information and warning signals to high-risk coastal communities here. Dubbed the Community Tsunami Detection and Warning System, the locally developed sensors are part of a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) grant-in-aid project...

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SBMA expands subic freeport area to accommodate new ship builders

To maximize the land use potentials of the Subic Freeport, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now expanding the Subic territory into other nearby areas to accommodate new ship builders. SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia has disclosed this as part of the six-point strategic plan to fully turn the agency's direction towards "building the new Subic" during his recent State of the Freeport Address (SOFA). According to Garcia, the Subic territory is being expanded to the Redondo Peninsula while a similar expansion is being made in Hermosa,...

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More US ships arrive in the Philippines for Balikatan 2013

More US ships have arrived in the country to offload military personnel and combat equipment for the 29th annual PH-US military exercise, "Balikatan 2013". On Tuesday, the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) dropped anchor in Manila for a port call before proceeding to Subic Bay. Tortuga is part of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and is deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. During Balikatan,...

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Subic Bay Freeport set for Holy Week

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), together with business locators and community organizations in this free port, is all set for the Holy Week with a program of activities planned for tourists who wanted to enrich both their body and soul. Holy Week activities in Subic will kick off with the “Blessing of the Palms” rites on March 24, to be followed the next day by the traditional “Pabasa” at the San Roque Chapel. The latter will run until March 26. On Holy Wednesday, a procession will be held along the parade route in the Central Business...

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Subic reports “full house” for Holy Week

As temperature soars in this top summer destination, hotels and other lodging facilities here announce a “full house” situation, as hotel rooms get sold like cold “halo-halo” treats in the sweltering heat. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said that hotels and other housing facilities here have been fully booked for the summer as early as February. “Our hotel owners and operators are very happy about the huge volume of tourists coming in to Subic for the Holy Week. This only shows that Subic continues to be a favorite...

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$70m pledged to Subic Bay Freeport in 2012

The Subic Bay Freeport recorded $70 million in committed investments in 2012 with a total of 351 new projects, raising its total cumulative investments since 1992 to $7.9 billion, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said in a recent speech. In contrast, Subic’s net committed investments in 2011 only reached $51 million, Garcia said. In 2012 it recorded a freight-on-board (FOB) value of $1.927 billion, or a 133-percent increase over the 2011 figure of $0.826 billion. The biggest exporters in 2012 were South Korean...

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Central Luzon launches own Futsal League

Four of the region's top futsal teams will battle it out on the maiden edition of the Central Luzon Futsal league at the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) on April 7th, 2013. The regional league's top football clubs, Futbulakenyos of Bulacan and the Lighthouse Amihan FC (LAFC) of Olongapo City/Subic Bay, are set to renew their rivalry, this time in futsal. Futsal, the five-versus-five indoor variant of football, is usually played inside...

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SBMA announces 2013 plans

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia has disclosed on Friday a six-point strategic plan to fully turn the agency’s direction towards “building the new Subic.” In his second State of the Freeport Address (SOFA), Garcia said that with the Philippine economy taking off in the past few years, the best is yet to come for the Subic Bay Freeport. In sum, Garcia said the SBMA, as manager of the Subic Bay Freeport, would maximize...

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Supply officer named SBMA Employee of the Year

A supply officer who was responsible for the increase in collections of the Maintenance Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has been named the agency’s Employee of the Year for 2012. Marivic Seguiban bested five other finalists in the annual search for the SBMA outstanding employees held on March 15 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center. Seguiban was also named as employee of the year for the SBMA Public Services...

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Subic To Host Food Festival

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is pushing the boundaries of tourism by offering foreign and local visitors a variety of tastes at a week-long food festival that will be held during the Holy Week. SBMA Deputy Administrator for Tourism Raul Marcelo, the Subic Pascha 2013 food festival is the first of its kind inside this premier Freeport and would provide tourists the different cuisines that can be found here. “The SBMA and restaurateurs here have come up with this food festival to further spur the tourism industry during the Holy...

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Subic Bay triathlon slated

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) celebrate the 20th anniversary of their strong and robust partnership with the staging of the 2013 Asian Triathlon Championships cum 20th K-Swiss Subic Bay Triathlon (SUBIT) at the Subic Bay Freeport April 27-29. It all began with the second National Triathlon Championship in 1993 and, later in the year, the inaugural 1.5-kilometer/40-km bike/10km run SUBIT ruled by Hong Kong’s Ian Rayson and our own Aurora Sinag Amado. This year sees the Asian Triathlon...

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SBMA, stakeholders unite to plan for conservation of Subic Bay

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and other stakeholders in the Subic Bay area have joined hands to formulate a “doable” action plan for the conservation and protection of Subic Bay, a busy seaport which also provides for the livelihood of small fishers. In the two-day “Subic Water Summit” that opened on Thursday, concerned community organizations, local government units, business locators, and national and regional government line agencies will discuss concerns and problems about Subic’s marine environment and hope to find solutions...

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Subic Bay hosts Asian Triathlon Championships

Subic Bay Freeport will stage the K-Swiss Subic Bay ASTC Asian Triathlon Championships on April 27, 28 and 29 with another banner field fighting it out for top honors in various divisions in the $12,000 event. A joint project of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP), the International Triathlon Union (ITU), the Asian Triathlon Confederation (ASTC) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism Department, the three-day event marks the 20th edition of the longest running and premier standard distance triathlon in the country...

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2nd Water Summit slated in Subic Bay Freeport

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will host a multi-sectoral conference in a bid to formulate a “doable” action plan for the conservation and protection of Subic Bay and all the marine resources therein. SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said that the 2nd Subic Water Summit aims to translate the Declaration of Commitment agreed upon by participating agencies and local government units during the 1st Water Summit held January 2010 into a viable three-year program. This year’s Water Summit will be held on March 21-22 at the Subic Bay Exhibition...

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Four Phl boxers bag gold

SUBIC, Philippines – Perfect. The Philippines went four-of-four as Jade Bornea, Eumir Marcial, James Palicte and Ian Clark Bautista all struck gold at the close of the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships at the Subic Gym here yesterday. Bornea and Palicte escaped with tough wins over Japan’s Kosei Tanaka and China’s Liu Xiao Shuai while Bautista and Marcial pulled off easy wins over Uzbekistan’s Mirazizbek Murzahalilov and Mongolia’s Batzorig Otgonjorgal, respectively, in a blazing finish by the Filipino pugs in the regional...

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USS Emory S. Land to Arrive in Subic Bay

USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), a submarine tender, will arrive in Subic Bay on Friday for a routine port call that highlights the strong historic, community, and military connections between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. This visit will allow the ship to conduct maintenance, replenish supplies as well as give the crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation. The USS Emory S. Land is part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and is homeported...

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4 PH boxers make semis

Four Filipino boxers have punched their way into the semifinals of the 2013 Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships set for Friday at the Subic Freeport gym. The only Filipino to lose was bantamweight Jonas Bacho, who fell to the resilient Nursuitan Nisanbaev of Uzbekistan in their 56kg quarterfinal fight late Wednesday and lost by a slim 9-8 margin. The quest for gold will continue through light flyweight Jade Bornea (49kgs), light welterweight Eumir Felix Marcial (64kgs), flyweight Ian Clark Bautista (52kgs), and lightweight James...

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8,000 Soldiers In Balikatan Exercises

A large number of soldiers from the United States and the Philippines will partake in this year's joint military exercises starting next month in Region 3. Around 8,000 soldiers from the two countries will conduct their bilateral exercises in Subic Bay Freeport, Camp O'Donnel, Crow Valley in Tarlac, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and other areas in Zambales. According to a statement by the US Embassy, the annual exercises will begin on the fifth of April and will end on the seventeenth. Included in these exercises are joint humanitarian assistance...

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Pinoy boxers make semis of Subic tilt

Philippine light flyweight Jade Bornea and light welterweight Eumir Felix Marcia advanced to the semifinals of the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships Wednesday after dominating quarterfinal opponents at the Subic gym. Bornea shredded Rakhmankul Avatov of Kyrgyzstan, 16-6, in the 49kg. division while World Youth champion Marcial whipped China’s Wang Qingqui, 19-11, in the 64kg division. Three other Filipinos were to climb the ring at press time and also eyeing seats to the semifinals. They were flyweight Bautista against...

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Tough Opening Fights Loom

Three of the Fab Five of the PLDT-ABAP Philippine youth team drew tough opening day bouts late Monday in the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships at the Subic gym. Ian Clark Bautista will debut against India’s Kavinder Bisht in the 52 kilogram flyweight division, James Palicte faces Japan’s Yuuta Akiyama in the 60kg lightweight class, and World Youth champion Eumir Felix Marcial opens against Turkmenistan’s Shamurat Cherkezov in the 64kg light welterweight category. Two other Filipino boxers within the 17 to 18 years age bracket,...

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Garcia urges gov’t engineers to capitalize on economic boom

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia urged city and municipal engineers in the country to start improving infrastructure in their areas while the country is in an economic boom. Chairman Garcia made the statement on Wednesday during the start of the three-day 9th CMEAP National Convention at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center here. Bannering the theme “Trends, Challenges and Innovations towards Green Engineering,” the convention featured exhibits and technical sessions on global technical development, as...

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Asian Youth boxing tourney starts in Subic

Malaysia and three other teams–Pakistan, Syria, and Singapore–withdrew at the last minute but the Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championship will start as scheduled Monday at the Subic gym here. After the competitors are weighed at the Subic International Hotel, the draw will be held at 10 a.m., with the first set of preliminaries starting at 2 p.m. and the second batch beginning at 7 p.m. “It’s all systems go,” said ABAP president Ricky Vargas. “This is the culmination of ABAP’s resolve to put together a regional tournament of this magnitude.” Representing...

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