Javier, Abad rule national duathlon

MANILA - Robeno Javier reclaimed his billing as the country’s top male duathlete while Mirasol Abad extended her reign to four years on the distaff side as they ruled the 2013 Philippine National Duathlon Championships at the Remy Field, Subic Bay Freeport.

Javier kept pace with national triathlete John Chicano in the 10K run and 40K bike before pushing himself hard in the 5K run to submit the fastest time of one hour, 54 minutes, 48 seconds.

The event, which drew over 200 duathletes, was sponsored by the Subic Bay Mertropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism Department, Standard Insurance, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Inc, Gatorade, David’s Salon, Fitness First, Lifestyle Subic Bay and Green Triathlon.

Former Asian duathlon champion and last year’s top ADC Filipino finisher Ryan Mendoza rallied from third place after the first run to eventually finish second in 1:55:22 while a cramping Chicano settled for the bronze medal (1:55:57).

Abad was simply awesome in her field as she led by a mile after the 10K run to anchor her 2:21:49 time. The only problem she encountered was when she missed the turnaround point in the bike but that hardly made a dent on her performance as Mary Pauline Fornea was still more than three minutes off the winning time (2:23:56). Third place went to Rowena Valdez (2:36:51).

Jeric Buhain and Cebuanos Justin Chiongbian and Shaia Ruth Uy dominated the junior sprint and mini sprint categories in the race organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines in cooperation with the SBMA tourism department.
 
The 16-year old Buhain, meanwhile, erased bitter memories of last year’s ADC at the same venue as he clocked an impressive 1:02:26.08 in the 5K run, 20K bike and 2.5K distance.

“I was leading (last year) when I had an infraction with my helmet in the bike transition. So my goal really is to win here,” said Buhain, a developmental pool member, who defeated Edward Jared Macalalad (1:03:30) and Jarwyn Banatao (1:05:40).

Chiongbian retained his title in the boy’s mini sprint (40:16.06) while Uy, 14, won her first duathlon race in 46:13.83. The good performance of the young duathletes boosted TRAP’s plan to put more young athletes in the pool next year.

“We will review the performances of our national athletes because we plan to revamp the squad next year with emphasis on youth and discipline,” said TRAP head Tom Carrasco Jr.

Age group winners: Raven Archer (18-19), Carlo Maniebo (20-24), Christopher Iblan (25-29), Francis Carlo Serrano (30-34), Dejan Glavnik (35-39), Raul Gaerlan (40-44), Jamie Leather (45-49), Arsenio Malibiran (50-54), Josef Gueta (55-59) and Killy Kunimoto (60-over) in the male division and Humma Saeed (20-29), Josette Tanghal (30-39) and Lyka Leather (40-over), girls. (Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/sports/2013/12/02/1263250/javier-abad-rule-national-duathlon

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Subic firm supplies world-class shelters for “Yolanda” victims, relief crew

A Subic-based company is also playing an important role in the rehabilitation of areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda by constructing strong, light-weight tents for use by both victims and relief workers.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said that Delta Production Philippines Corporation is sending at least 30 units of temporary shelters to Tacloban City and other areas in Eastern Visayas that were visited by the recent calamity.

“We are proud that the ingenuity and innovation of Filipino workers manufacturing these temporary shelters are being recognized world-wide,” Garcia said.

“We are doubly pleased that these same Subic-made products are being put to good use in reaching out to our kababayans in their time of need,” Garcia added.

A registered company inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Delta is the manufacturer of easy-to-install, flexible scaffold systems and temporary shelters that are made mostly of steel and aluminum.

The company is playing a significant role in providing its client, the World Food Program (WFP), with world-class temporary shelters that can accommodate up to 400 or 500 individuals each.

Delta special project and sales manager Jon Allen Eschenburg said that the company is now working double-time to deliver on time collapsible tents ordered by WFP for shipment to typhoon victims and responders in Tacloban and other areas.

Eschenburg said the tents, which have a standard width of 10 meters, height of about three meters and length of up to 32 meters, can be easily assembled and turned into temporary schools, hospitals or warehouses.

“It is lightweight. A 10x3x24-meter tent weighs only 1.6 tons and can withstand strong winds with strength of up to 170 kilometers per hour,” Eschenburg said, adding that this is far lighter than those offered by other manufacturers abroad.

He also mentioned that this November alone, WFP ordered 32 tents for shipment to calamity- devastated areas in Visayas and Mindanao, while it also made separate orders for distribution to the Philippine National Red Cross in Davao City and the United Nations contingent in Tacloban City.

In January 2010, Delta tents from Subic were shipped to Haiti to be used as temporary shelters for more than a quarter million residents who were left homeless after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake and several aftershocks struck that country.

“Many government and private organizations still believe that the best temporary shelters they can get for the victims can only be found abroad. What they don't know is that, among the best they got are from Subic,” said Eschenburg. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Jon Allen Eschenburg (right), sales and special project manager of Delta Production Philippines Corp., supervises the preparation of collapsible tents to be shipped to Eastern Visayas for use as mobile hospitals and other temporary shelters for victims and relief crew in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

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Ten outstanding Subic Freeport workers recognized

Ten workers who have shown exemplary performance and contributions in their respective companies were recognized by the Subic business community during 2013 Ten Outstanding Freeport Workers awarding ceremony at the Subic Bay Arts Center on Friday.

The search for outstanding workers, which began 12 years ago, is annual project of the Subic Bay Workforce Development Foundation, Inc. (SBWDFI), which was established by business locators here to promote the welfare of workers, strengthen their values, and honor workers who showed discipline, dedication and commitment to excellence.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia, who was guest speaker during the event, said the awarding was one of the most significant parts in the celebration of the 21st founding
anniversary of the SBMA.

The SBMA official also told workers here that the major advantage of Subic over Vietnam, Myanmar and other countries in Asia, is not the cost of labor but human resources.

“English-speaking Filipino workers, even with their ‘carabao’ English, can communicate with foreign managers,” Garcia pointed out. “But the most important value of Pinoy workers is that they are loyal and credible workers.”

SBMA labor manager and concurrent SBWDFI president Severo Pastor Jr. said that the 10 awardees are the cream of the crop who represent the best of Filipino workers.

The awarded were chosen from hundreds of nominees who underwent a series of interviews, performance appraisal and screening by the board of judges headed by its chairman Evelyn Grace Sorongon, national president of the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP).

The awardees are Engr. Maricon Amano, inventory management assistant at the Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation; Lydia Baltazar, manager and CEO of the Subic Bay Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Edmund De Jesus, community development officer at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Ecology Center; and Roseman Dinco, senior staff, and Israel Fontilla, line foreman, both of Wistron Infocomm Phils., Corporation.

The awardees also include Lovella Jarobel, a professor at the Mondriaan Aura College; Norlangen Morales, printing/assembly section head at Koryo Subic, Inc.; Justin Jay Navarro, engineering group manager at Subic EnerZone Corp.; Engr. Gorgonio Sisante, senior product engineer at Nicera Philippines; and Eduardo Sitjar, senior operator at the Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation.

For her part, PMAP Subic chapter president Merlin de Gracia said the 10 awardees exemplify the Filipino workers who are scattered around the world.

“The Filipino workers are the real driving force of our economy. You are the Philippines’ most valuable wealth,” she said.

The ceremony on Friday also recognized five Subic-based companies who were chosen to receive the Good Corporate Governance Award. These are Cartridges Recyclers Services Corporations (CRESC), Inc.; Global Maritime Logistics Support, Inc.; Hitachi Terminals Mechatronics Phils. Corp.; Nicera Phils. Inc.;
and Subic Enerzone Corp.

“These companies are examples of what we wanted to achieve in Subic. They were recognized for continuously working towards excellence,” said Chairman Garcia.

He also noted that the companies promote and maintain high levels of occupational safety standards, just salaries and benefits to workers, and participation in community services. They also observe labor codes and ethics and promote good worker-management relationships. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia (5th from left) joins onstage this year’s winners in the search for the Ten Outstanding Freeport Workers during the recognition ceremony at the Subic Bay Arts Center on Friday, November 22, 2013.

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Olongapo receives 8 new generators for health centers

The City of Olongapo received eight new generators from the Department of Health (DOH) worth P400,000.00 which will be turned over to several barangay health care centers around the city.

Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino said that it is part of the city’s effort to strengthen the capabilities of barangay health centers.

“What I ultimately want is that all barangay health centers in the city act like hospitals just like James L Gordon Hospital, we are trying to decongest JLGMH. The plan is to equip all barangay health centers with proper equipment and personnel so that it would be appropriate enough to serve the needs of the residents,” Paulino said.

“I have also talked to some private individuals who are willing to assign nurses and doctors in each barangay health center to cater to the needs of the residents,” Paulino added.

He further explained that the new generators are very essential so that barangay centers would function even without power.

Among the barangay health centers that will receive the new generators are Barretto Health Center, Gordon Heights Health Center, Kababae Health Center, Pag-Asa health Center, Old Cabalan Health Center, West Bajac-Bajac Health Center, and New Cabalan health Center.

According to City Health Officer Roderick Bustamante, another set of donations from DOH which is now being processed are medical equipment such as nebulizers, microscopes and baby apparatus which will also be distributed to health centers around the city.

Meanwhile, Victory liner Inc. donated one passenger bus with an estimated value of P1.4million.

The passenger bus, which was personally handed over by Pocholo Galian, Branch Manager of Victory Line Inc. would be of great help to the city, according to Mayor Rolen Paulino.

“We would not rent anymore, this can also be used by students, teachers, non- government organizations, our senior citizens and others for their respective activities outside the City,” Paulino said.

He added that this could also be use for emergency situations.

“This only proves that the local businessmen in the city are trying their best to help us (local government) in our efforts to better the condition of the city” Paulino said. (PAO Olongapo)

PHOTO:
Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino (3rd from right) and City Health Officer Dr. Roderick Bustamante (2nd from right) pose with representatives of Department of Health during the turnover of 8 new generators worth P400,000.00 which will be distributed to different barangay health care centers.

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Subic Bay historical marker unveiled

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) unveiled here on Tuesday a historical marker for the port of Subic, recognizing the contribution of the area and the role of Filipino workers in the economic development of the nation.

The marker, which cited the area as the “Himpilang Pandagat ng Look ng Subic” or the Subic Bay Naval Station, was unveiled by NHCP executive director Ludovico Badoy with the assistance of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Roberto Garcia.

NHCP is the government agency responsible for the conservation and preservation of the country’s historical legacies, as well as the commemoration of significant events and personages in Philippine history.

The marker was placed on the outside wall of the “Spanish Gate” at the corner of Dewey Avenue and Sampson Road here, which served as the entrance to the former Spanish Naval Port that was constructed in 1885.

The unveiling ceremony was graced by Region 3 tourism director Ronaldo Tiotuico, Subic Bay Chamber of Commerce president Danny Piano, representatives of local tourism establishments and civic organizations, and members of the SBMA board of directors.

Badoy said the marker represents the whole Subic Bay Naval Station, which served as the entrance to and from the Spanish garrison that existed here from 1885 to 1899, when it was forcibly taken by the American forces.

Badoy explained that despite the fact that the area was used as naval port by foreign occupation forces—the Spanish, American and Japanese armies— the contribution of the Filipino workers who toiled here during the time and after the hostilities “is so significant to the development of the region and the national economy.”

The NHCP official also commended the administration of the SBMA for preserving, maintaining and protecting the historical structures and values of the port, adding that he would recommend to the NHCP board of directors the proposal of SBMA to declare the San Roque Chapel inside the Freeport as another historical landmark.

For his part, Chairman Garcia said that marking the Spanish Gate as a historical site will boost the tourism industry in the Subic Bay Freeport.

“Some tourists who come here only remember that Subic was a former recreation area of the US forces. With this historical marker, it will be known to everyone that this free port is a place with a history of its own,” Garcia said.

The SBMA official also noted that the historical marker reflects the undertakings of Filipino workers who have worked hard to build a better community—be it in time of war or peace—and succeeded in developing a place that now contributes to national economic progress.

“This may be the first historical marker for the Subic Bay Freeport, but it symbolizes the long history of the endeavors and heroism of Filipino workers,” Garcia added. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (left) and National Historical Commission executive director Ludivico D. Badoy unveil the historical marker which declares the old Spanish West Gate in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone a historical site.

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LandBank extends $27-M loan to SBMA

State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines recently approved a $27-million term loan for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

In a statement, the bank said that the loan will be used to refinance and take-out part of SBMA’s existing foreign loans.

“A top dollar depositor of the LandBank Subic Branch, the SBMA plays a major role in promoting tourism and enabling industrial, commercial and investment growth in the Subic-Clark region, which in turn generates employment and contributes significantly to the country’s economic growth,” it said.

Roberto Garcia, SBMA chairman and administrator, and Edward John Reye, LandBank senior vice president for Corporate Banking, signed the loan agreement.

LandBank recently reported that its loan portfolio grew to P280 billion in the first nine months of 2013, up by 16 percent from P241.9 billion in September 2012.

Loans to its priority sectors expanded to P221.7 billion, representing 79.2 percent of the bank’s total loan portfolio.

LandBank’s priority sectors comprise, among others, agri-aqua-related projects of local governments and government- owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), small farmers and fisher folk, microenterprises and small and medium enterprises, and socialized to medium-cost housing, and utilities. Loans to agri-aqua-related projects of local government and GOCCs reached P45.2 billion

Meanwhile, the bank registered a P10.4-billion net income for the third quarter of the year, a 36-percent increase from its year-ago level of P7.6 billion. Its nine-month net income translates to a return on equity of 17.44 percent. (Mayvelin U. Caraballo, Manila Times)

http://manilatimes.net/landbank-extends-27-m-loan-to-sbma/55892/

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PH to host 1st ASPAC Drive Tourism Confab

The Philippines will be hosting the first Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference and Exhibition on January 30 to February 2, 2014 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

The event’s theme is “Saving Lives, Saving Costs, and Saving the Planet” and is in support of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 that aims to save five million lives and prevent 50 million injuries worldwide.

The Drive Tourism Conference and Exhibition is presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the National Auto Club.

The DOT and AAP are encouraging people to see more local attractions in its Drive Tourism caravans. Unlike seat-in-coach tours, Drive Tourism allows participants to tailor fit their visits according to their preferences.

Reasons for visiting local destinations vary from cuisine, culture to water sports and others. Drive Tourism caravans allow travelers to focus their visit based on what interests them more and gives them flexibility.

The participants and guests to the Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference and Exhibition 2014 may opt to do side trips and pit stops in Bulacan, Pampanga and Olongapo.

Prior to attending the event, they may wish to visit historic Barosaoin Church in Malolos and buy Bulacan sweets for pasalubong or bird watch in Candaba swamp and have lunch at Susie’s Kitchenette in Angeles City.

Music lovers can bar hop along Magsaysay Avenue in Olongapo and check out the different bands playing there on the eve of the conference.

The president of the Paris-based Federation Internationale d’Automobile, Jean Todt, will be the keynote speaker for the conference. Other invited speakers are the transport ministers of Malaysia and New Zealand and the tourism ministers of Indonesia and South Korea, Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and FIA Region 2 president Ross Heron. FIA Region 2 consists of Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Japan, China, Taipei, Korea, Indonesia, Macao, Nepal and Thailand. (Malaya)

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/special-features/ph-host-1st-aspac-drive-tourism-confab

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SBMA gears up for ISO certification on environmental management

Preparations are now underway for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to be certified for ISO 14000, the international standard for environmental management.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said he has ordered the creation of a technical working group that will oversee the agency’s preparations for certification.

“We hope to have the SBMA certified within a year,” Garcia said, pointing out that the SBMA was granted early this year the ISO 9001:2008 certification, which is the international standard for quality management systems set by the International Organization for Standardization.

SBMA director Benjamin Antonio III recently announced the plan for the ISO certification to locators during the 2nd Environmental Awareness Forum held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

According to Antonio, the agency will specifically work for the ISO 14001:2004 certification, which sets out the criteria for an environmental management system and maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective environmental management system.

“Since the certification’s scope is geographic, it will include all SBMA offices. In fact, it’s going to include the entire fenced area of the Subic Bay Freeport,” Antonio explained.

“Everything under the control of the SBMA should be part of the scope of the environmental management system,” he added.

Antonio said that one of the requirements for the certification would involve the SBMA conducting environmental risk assessments. This would allow the Subic authority to identify environmental impacts, assess which ones are considered critical, and address the critical environmental aspects that exist within the agency.

“What’s going to happen is we are going to embed the environmental consciousness, awareness, and environmental stewardship in many, if not all of the positions in the SBMA,” he said.

The risk assessment will be done by the entire agency through the respective department managers, and the findings of which will be consolidated and implemented.

Antonio added that apart from the risk assessment, ISO 14000 would also require SBMA to have environmental emergency preparedness and response which will be tested regularly.

“Meaningful change like this one takes time, especially when it involves such a huge agency,” Antonio noted. “It’s not an easy task, but we’ll try our best to get it done in one year.” (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA cancels Christmas party; funds to go to typhoon victims instead

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has cancelled this year the traditional Christmas party for employees in sympathy with victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia made this announcement on Friday following the decision of the SBMA board of directors to cancel the scheduled party for the agency this year.

“It was a unanimous decision on the part of the board,” Garcia said. “We also ratified a resolution donating the amount intended for the Christmas party to the typhoon victims.”

“This is just a small contribution, we know, but we hope that this would somehow make some difference in the life of our kababayans who have suffered a lot,” Garcia added.

The re-channeling of the SBMA Christmas party budget to the Yolanda relief drive was the latest in the humanitarian response here for typhoon victims, as the SBMA rallied the Subic Freeport community last week following the devastation in the Visayas.

Garcia said that employees of the SBMA and locator-companies in this free port have been collecting donations and sending them to concerned agencies to help in the government’s relief efforts.

Garcia launched the relief drive here during the Monday flag-raising ceremony following the weekend disaster.

According to the SBMA Public Relations Department, which is coordinating the collection of donations here, the SBMA has already sent via LBC cartons of assorted food items, water and clothing weighing more than 2,000 kilos. The items were donated by individual SBMA employees, and various Freeport companies and organizations.

The SBMA Tourism Department, on the other hand, reported that it has already received more than P220,000 in cash and bags of in-kind donations from various locators and investors.

Early this week, Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation (HHIC)-Philippines, the Korean shipbuilder based in this free port, said it has delivered P4-million worth of rice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Pasay City.

Meanwhile, Theodore Huang, chairman of the Subic Bay Development and Management Corp., donated P4.5 million, while Moon Kang, another investor here, gave P200,000 worth of rice.

Garcia said that more donations from Subic Freeport workers and companies are forthcoming. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Gov’t, private firms give more typhoon aid - SBMA launches donation drive

Government agencies and private companies have sent more donations to victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas.

Last Monday, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia launched a campaign to gather donations from companies and employees in Subic.

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines, a South Korean shipbuilder based in Subic Bay, donated 2,041 sacks of rice worth P4 million and these were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Hanjin has responded to our call for donations to help our government in the relief efforts. Other locators here are also having their own way of collecting goods that they may send to the typhoon victims,” Garcia said.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has sent an initial 10,000 family emergency medical (FEM) kits to the typhoon victims in Leyte and Samar.

The FEM kits contain medicine for common illnesses such as fever, cough, colds and diarrhea.

Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, PCSO general manager, said the FEM kits will be distributed in evacuation centers where displaced families took refuge at the height of the typhoon.

PCSO chairman Margarita Juico said the PCSO Board of Directors also made it a policy to subsidize the hospital bills of patients directly affected by calamities who are being treated at government hospitals and healthcare facilities.

The policy was applied after Typhoons Sendong and Pablo, the monsoon floods in 2012, landslide in Compostela Valley and other natural calamities in the past.

Meanwhile, the Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (AMWSLAI), the second largest non-stock savings and loan association in the country, has started giving calamity loans at reduced interest rate to its members in calamity-stricken areas in the Visayas. It also devised a system that will speed up the processing and release of loans.

There are more than 207,000 AMWSLAI members all over the country, most of them soldiers and policemen and their families.

“To pay tribute to their unparalleled heroism and patriotism and to assist them rise above and rebuild their livelihood, AMWSLAI has started giving out calamity loans at reduced interest rate for its members who were adversely affected by the two recent calamities: the earthquake in Bohol and Super Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern, Central and Western Visayas,” AMWSLAI chairman Ricardo Nolasco Jr. said.

The Board of Trustees of AMWSLAI also gave donations in kind and in cash, including the budget for their Christmas party this year, and mobilized its personnel to help in rehabilitation efforts.

Maynilad Water Services, Inc., on the other hand, donated potable water, food and other relief items.

Its employees also helped in relief operations. They proceeded to the DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City to help load relief goods to delivery trucks that will transport the items to relief centers.

Samar group airs appeal

Convenors of a newly formed group of Samareños aired an urgent appeal to fellow Samareños here and abroad for help in rebuilding communities in two Samar provinces that have been devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Tindog SAMAR convenors, led by Omi Royandoyan, Rene Nachura and Charo Cabardo, said victims of the typhoon in both Eastern Samar and the main Samar province deserve more than solemn prayers. They need immediate relief for their survival.

“We urge big businesses, international aid agencies, non-government organizations, and Samarnon patronal organizations in Metro Manila and in the United States to help the towns of Basey and Marabut in Samar; and Lawaan, Balangiga, Giporlos, Quinapondan, Hernani, MacArthur, Salcedo, Mercedes and Guiuan in Eastern Samar,” Tindog SAMAR said in a statement.

Convened a week after Yolanda slammed into the country, Tindog SAMAR aims to help facilitate relief and rehabilitation operations in Samar.

Tindog SAMAR convenors saw the need to form the organization to help extend the reach of relief operations, especially for typhoon victims in both Samar provinces who have yet to get help.

Meanwhile, the local government of Legazpi, in partnership with Sunwest Group Holding Co. Inc. and other private firms, is deploying more aid to Central Visayas.

Team Bicol is sending additional dump trucks, a boom truck and fuel tanker together with a 19-man contingent of electricians, mechanics and cooks from Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. and Misibis Bay.

Other volunteers from private firms in Legazpi City were also mobilized to augment the first team of Sunwest volunteers who first arrived in Leyte on Nov. 12.

Team Bicol has deployed more than 20 dump trucks and earth moving machines courtesy of Sunwest Group. The team is currently helping in massive clearing operations in Palo, Leyte.

Container vans donated to Red Cross

Harbour Center Port Area Inc. donated 40-footer and 20-footer container vans with generator and air conditioner to the Philippine Red Cross. These vans will serve as blood bank and PRC office in Tacloban, replacing the temporary blood facility in Leyte Park Hotel.

Chairman Richard Gordon said the PRC has augmented blood supply in Leyte, particularly at the Divine Word Hospital and other areas in the Visayas hit by Yolanda, from the PRC headquarters blood bank in Manila and Cebu City chapter.

Cebu Pacific continues humanitarian flights

Cebu Pacific, for its part, continues to operate daily flights between Cebu and Tacloban and Manila and Tacloban.

The airline reserves seats for humanitarian purposes in its Tacloban flights.

Cebu Pacific has also transported 3,000 kilos of relief goods from the GMA Kapuso Foundation to Iloilo; another 3,000 kilos to Cebu and 9,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban earlier this week.

The airline will be transporting an additional 30,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban. (Perseus Echeminada, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rhodina Villanueva, Ric Sapnu, Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/11/22/1259499/govt-private-firms-give-more-typhoon-aid

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Subic Freeport eyed as retirement haven by American retirees

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has its sights set in further developing the Freeport as a destination for retirees.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia recently met with officials of the American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW) for a possible development of a retirement facility in this Freeport.

ABHOW is a non-profit and non-sectarian corporation, which is committed to providing exceptional service to older adults, their families and the wider community.

ABHOW president David Ferguson said that they have conducted a survey among American and Filipino-American seniors and many are considering retiring in the Philippines.

“We are excited with the opportunity and see what Subic has to offer,” Ferguson said.

In the meeting, Garcia told Ferguson and company that the Subic Bay Freeport is a preferred retirement destination for retirees and now has numerous retirement facilities that are operating here.

“Subic is a perfect destination for American retirees because of the rich American culture here, a result of Subic's being a former US naval base,” he added.

Garcia also stressed that the huge number of nurses in the country can provide adequate care for the retirees.

“We are happy that you are considering Subic as your location and we will be ready to support and assist your group,” he said.

Meanwhile, Randall Stamper, chairman of the ABHOW board of directors, added that accessibility is their main reason for considering Subic as a location.

Aside from being connected to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, which cuts travel time to Manila to just two hours, the Subic Bay Freeport also has its own seaport and airport.

Subic has also become a popular location for several retirement homes due to its modern health and wellness facilities amid a healthy natural environment and laid-back atmosphere. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Lyceum Subic enters PCCL '16'

MANILA - Lyceum of Subic Bay rolled back Lyceum Northwestern University of Pangasinan, 86-74, recently to rule the North-Central Luzon Regional conference of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) at the UNP Gym in Vigan City.

The Sharks, who won their sixth straight United Central Luzon Athletic Association (UCLAA) championship last month, took the half, 43-31, on their way to a comfortable win and a ticket to the Sweet 16 stepladder phase.

To advance further, the Sharks will have to defeat the South Luzon-Bicol champion on Nov. 25 in Tanauan, Batangas to forge a showdown with the winner of the Metro Manila qualifying games.

In the battle for third place, dethroned North-Central Luzon champion La Finns Scholastica of La Union poured out its frustration on the University of Baguio Cardinals, 87-82.

The South Luzon-Bicol regional games are ongoing in Sorsogon City with University of Batangas, Lewis College, Naga College Foundation and Amando Cope College seeing action.

Additional information on league developments, schedules and happenings can be accessed via the PCCL website (collegiatechampionsleague.net), through its official Facebook fan page (Philippine College Champions League) and twitter account (@pccleague2013). (Olmin Leyba, The Philippine Star)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/11/17/13/lyceum-subic-enters-pccl-16

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Hanjin Subic shipyard donates P4-M rice for “Yolanda” victims

Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil), a South Korean shipbuilder based in Subic Bay, has donated 2,041 sacks of rice for the victims of typhoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas region.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the rice donation, with an estimated value of P4 million, was transported by Hanjin to Pasay City where it was formally turned over to representatives of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Last Monday, Garcia formally launched a campaign to gather donations from Subic-registered companies and their employees for typhoon victims in Tacloban and other areas devastated by Yolanda.

First to heed the call was the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team, which donated P10,000 of the cash award they recently received for winning the 2013 Kalasag Awards in the national level for urban search and rescue.

“Hanjin has responded to our call for donations to help our government in the relief efforts. Other locators here are also having their own way of collecting goods that they may send to the typhoon victims,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, HHIC-Phil managing director Joong Gyu Kim, on behalf of his company, commiserated with the Filipino people in the wake of the typhoon which killed thousands in the Visayas.

“We express our deepest sympathy to those affected by this great human tragedy,” Kim said in a statement.

“We join hands with the Filipino nation in this hour of need to at least ease the suffering of the people hit by such disasters of immeasurable proportions,” Kim added.

As a business locator here, HHIC-Philippines has been actively pursuing corporate social responsibility projects and initiatives which focus on the improvement of public infrastructure, education, health, disaster response, employee welfare, and human resource development.

On November 5, HHIC-Phils received a Certificate of Recognition and Plaque of Excellence from the Philippine Board of Investments (BoI) for its outstanding efforts in implementing various CSR programs in local communities. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport stakeholders set monthly river/coastal clean-up

Thousands of volunteers joined on Saturday the kick-off ceremony for the monthly river and coastal clean-up, a multi-sectoral project that aims to maintain beauty and biodiversity of rivers and coastal areas in the Subic Bay area.

The activity is a joint project of the Subic Bay Metropolitan authority (SBMA), the city government of Olongapo headed by its Environment Sanitation and Management Office (ESMO), the Subic Bay Workforce Development Foundation, Inc., the Department of Education (DepEd), and other volunteer organizations.

The first activity drew around 2,000 students, company workers, government employees and members of community organizations from the Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City, who undertook clean-up in various areas of assignments.

These included the beaches of Subic Bay, and the coastline of two main channels of freshwater from the city of Olongapo that empties into Subic Bay: the Kalaklan and Kalalake river channels.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the project is part of a comprehensive program of the agency, in cooperation with stakeholders, in maintaining the cleanliness and healthy eco-system of all water bodies that flow into Subic Bay.

“These channels bring into the bay whatever is carelessly thrown into them. Some of these debris are snagged along the river banks during low tide, so we’ll pick them up before they reach the beaches,” Garcia said.

Garcia explained that a large part of tourists coming down to the Subic Freeport and Olongapo City go to the beaches either for swimming or some form of water sports.

“A vacation in Subic or Olongapo will never be complete without the sea and the beach. These are our major attractions here,” he said.

That is why, Garcia added, stakeholders here are putting great effort into maintaining and preserving Subic Bay by conducting coastal clean-up drives regularly.

SBMA Labor Department manager Severo Pastor, Jr. said that after this weekend’s kick-off clean-up, the activity will regularly take place every second Saturday of the month.

“People are joining because we will not only be cleaning our rivers and beaches; we will also be ensuring a better future for our children, their communities and their livelihood here,” Pastor said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Participants in the river/coastline cleanup comb beaches in the Subic Bay area during the kick-off of a monthly cleanup program initiated by stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport area. The project is being supported by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the Olongapo City government, as well as various locator companies, schools and community organizations in the Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City.

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SBMA sends multi-awarded rescue team to Tacloban; launches help campaign

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has dispatched its multi-awarded Search, Emergency and Rescue Team (SERT-SBMA) to assist in search and rescue, as well as clearing operations in typhoon-stricken areas in the Visayas.

SBMA Fire Chief Ranny Magno said that ten members of the SERT-SBMA were flown from Clark Freeport via a C-130 military aircraft to Cebu City. From there, they will be transferred to ships that will deploy them to Tacloban City.

The SBMA rescue workers were joined by some members of the Philippine Red Cross 143rd Volunteer Group from Olongapo City.

Magno said the team brought all their equipment and communication gear to ensure effective operations in areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda, which has reportedly killed thousands of residents in the affected areas.

At the same time, SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the Subic agency has launched a collection drive for food stuff, water and used clothing for the typhoon victims.

“The people of Tacloban need our help,” Garcia told SBMA employees on Monday, as he implored them to give what they could donate.

“Sa pinsalang kanilang dinanas, matatagalan pa po bago malubos ang rehabilitasyon ng lugar na iyon kung kaya sana, matulungan pa natin sila,” he said.

Garcia also announced the decision of SBMA-SERT members to donate a part of their P100,000 prize money from the recent “Gawad Kalasag” Awards.

The SBMA team received last month the 2013 “Gawad Kalasag” for being chosen as the best in Urban Search and Rescue (URBAN SAR) in the national level.

It was the team’s second such award since 2009. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA recognition of Kalasag Awardees

MAKING SUBIC PROUD: SBMA Fire Chief Ranny Magno and other members of the SBMA Emergency Rescue Team present SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (second from right) with a citation that they received for being the Best in Government Emergency Response Management at the 2013 Gawad Kalasag Awards. It was the second such award for urban search and rescue that the SBMA team had won since 2009.

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Subic Freeport, Nayong Pilipino turning in profits

CLARK FREEPORT—The financial viability of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Nayong Pilipino sa Clark Expo (Nayong Pilipino) appears to have turned for the better lately in spite of prevailing global economic uncertainties brought about by slow-downs in First World markets (the US and Europe) and political turmoil besetting the Middle East.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia reported that the country’s first free-port zone sustained a profitable operation this year that began in 2012 ending a losing streak since it opened for business in 1992.

But due to increased expenditures, this year’s SBMA gains would somewhat be lower than last year’s P800 million on the back of projected year-round total operating revenues of P1.476 billion. In 2012 operating revenues reached P1.151 billion.

On the other hand, the losing Nayong Pilipino also began posting moderate gains beginning in 2012, when gross revenues soared to P24 million.

Nayong Pilipino trustee and Executive Director lawyer Apolonio B. Anota Jr. said the facility is now stronger financially both in gross and net revenues.

Anota traced the turnaround in the cultural-cum-resort venture of Nayong Pilipino in this free port to increased visitor arrivals in the past 20 months from a measly annual number of 20,000 to 300,000 as a result of improved management and introduction of new attractions.

Both Garcia and Anota were guests in Friday’s double media forum “Balitaan,” hosted weekly by the Capampangan in Media Inc. at its headquarters at the Bale Balita (House of News) here.

Garcia reported that locators’ committed investments in the SBMA this year could hit P24.8 billion, a hefty jump from the preceding year’s P2.3 billion.

The SBMA’s current 1,000 locators, which provide some 89.921-percent employment opportunities, are forecast to register a 33-percent dip in export receipts to $650 million this year from $963 million the previous year due to the global economic slowdown.

But there’s excitement in the Subic free port, Garcia said, brought about by the rising number of prospective locators, as well as those that have actually implemented their plans, led by the rising P20-billion complex of Resom Resort City Subic and the expansion of the floating terminal of Vale Holding Shipping Pte. Ltd., which services major iron-ore suppliers to China.

The SBMA, together with this free port, has been picked to host the senior ministerial meeting of next year’s scheduled Apec summit the Philippines is hosting, which could trigger the realization of the planned Subic-Clark business corridor, Garcia said.

As envisioned, the land on both sides of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway connecting Clark and Subic is to be developed into commercial-industrial areas to attract more local and foreign business locators.

“We’re also looking forward to generating fresh revenues from the prospective transfer of some of the operation of the Philippine Air Force to Subic,” Garcia said.

With its improving financial muscle, Garcia expressed optimism that the free port could finally pursue the programmed upgrading of its port and other facilities, as well as an increase in the compensation of SBMA personnel.

Sources said that the SBMA management has submitted to the Office of the President its proposed P65-million wage-hike package for SBMA employees. (Ashley Manabat, Business Mirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/economy/22632-subic-freeport-nayong-pilipino-turning-in-profits

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Subic Freeport business locators march for breast cancer awareness

Business locators in this free port lent a hand in raising breast cancer awareness by holding the Second Breast Cancer Awareness Fun Walk recently at the Subic Techno Park.

The event, now on its second year, is organized by the the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM) in cooperation with the Subic-Olongapo Cancer Foundation, Inc. (SOCFI). The stakeholders also joined a slogan-making contest as part of the activity.

During the event program, Daisy Lorenzana, a breast cancer survivor, shared her experience in her battle with breast cancer.

“The key to my survival was early detection and a healthy lifestyle,” Lorenzana told employees who joined the march. “We have to share to other people what we have learned in order to save lives.”

According to Charo Simmons, vice president of SOCFI, the event was held to honor breast cancer survivors, as well as those who lost the fight to the illness.

She said that SOCFI aims to educate people that the threat of cancer is real and should not be taken for granted.

Simmons recalled that SOCFI was founded 10 years ago by two doctors dealing with cancer: Dr. Jaime Roco, an oncologist, and Dr. Resty Acosta, himself a cancer survivor.

According to the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women in the Philippines.

The country is said to have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the Asian continent. An estimated three out of 100 Filipino women contract the disease before age 75, and one out of 100 die before age 75, studies indicate.

The campaign on breast cancer awareness in the Subic Bay Freeport is actively supported by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Workers from various business locators at the Subic Bay Freeport march for a good cause during the 2nd Breast Cancer Awareness Fun Walk at the Subic Techno Park recently.

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SBMA opens ID processing center at Hanjin shipyard

Thousands of workers employed by Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation (HHIC-Phil) will now benefit from extension services provided by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) after the agency opened on Monday an ID Processing Center (IDPC) right at the main gate of the South Korean shipbuilder’s shipyard.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the center will cater to nearly 20,000 personnel working 24/7 on three shifts at HHIC-Phil’s US$1.6-billion facility at the Redondo Peninsula here, which is now the fourth largest shipbuilding facility in the world.

“This project will provide workers of Hanjin and its affiliate companies added convenience when it’s time to renew their SBMA ID’s and gate passes. Now, they don’t have to cross the bay just to avail of SBMA services — we brought the processing center to their doorstep,” Garcia added.

The newly-opened IDPC located at the HHIC main gate is maintained by personnel from the SBMA Labor Department, Law Enforcement Department (LED), and Office Services Department (OSD), which are all tasked to facilitate the issuance of new SBMA IDs.

Atty. Ramon Agregado, who is SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations, said the IDPC project translates to more efficient service by the SBMA and less foot traffic at its main ID processing center.

“This cuts both ways,” Agregado noted. “On one hand you ease the difficulty for nearly 20,000 workers having to cross Subic Bay only for badging. On the other hand, we make it less chaotic at the SBMA badging office.”

OSD Manager Gerardo Hermoso said the center is expecting to process an average of 200 ID applications and renewals each day, prioritizing those that have already expired.

Hermoso said that to avail of badging services, the workers would have to visit the IDPC only once to have their photographs taken. Payment will then be made through salary deduction, and the new IDs will be released by the HHIC-Phil Human Resource Department.

He added that SBMA is also considering the possibility of extending IDPC operations for two more hours to accommodate workers whose shift ends at 5:00 p.m.

“This may seem to be a just a puny effort on the part of the SBMA, but with this scheme we eliminate the need for workers to be absent from work because they can have their photo taken right here at the shipyard. After work, they can drop by the IDPC, have their photos taken, then after just a few minutes, exit the gate and head for home,” Hermoso said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon Agregado (left) and HHIC-Phil Deputy Managing Director Kim Joong Gyu cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the satellite ID Processing Center for employees at the Hanjin shipyard in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The satellite office was established to provide convenience to nearly 20,000 workers of Hanjin and its affiliate companies.

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S. Korea’s Philippine investments reach $3.8B

CLARK FREEPORT – South Korean investments in the Philippines have reached an estimated $3.8-billion, an official from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea shared Wednesday.

South Korean Minister and Consul General Min Kyong- Ho said that amount includes the Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. based at the Subic Bay Freeport and a thermal power plant based in Batangas.

Kyong-Ho also said that trade volume between the Philippines and South Korea has reached $11.5 million as of October.

He explained that the amount exceeded the expected $10-million trade volume between the two countries.

Kyong- Ho added that the Korean Consulate now expects a total of $12-million in trade volume before the end of 2013.

“I would like to thank the Filipino people for welcoming and helping Korean communities here. We would be happy to see a lot of your countrymen to participate in our cultural events,” Kyong- Ho said.

Aside from investing, Kyong-Ho added that Philippines is one of the favorite vacation destinations of Korean, most especially during their winter season.

“It is now winter in Korea hence the Philippines should expect more Korean tourists to arrive in the country,” he said. (Mark Manuel, Manila Bulletin)

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/s-koreas-philippine-investments-reach-3-8b/

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Tsunami warning system installed at Subic Freeport

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has announced the installation of a tsunami alert system at the Sueste Point in this free port, thus beefing up Subic Bay’s capability in disaster preparedness.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the Tsunami Early Warning System (TeWS) here forms part of a string of early warning systems installed in selected high-risk coastal communities in the country.

The sensors in the system communicate signals to alerting sirens strategically located at five designated areas in the Subic Bay area—one at Bldg. 657 in the Subic Bay Freeport, two at Barangay Wawandue in Subic town, and another two at Barangay Barretto in Olongapo City.

Maj. Vicente Tolentino, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) coordinator of the SBMA, said the Subic authority is now gearing up for a tsunami-preparedness program after systems installation has been completed.

“As of now, we are currently in the stage where we are coordinating with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) regarding the training and education of stakeholders, employees and residents on how to utilize the system and how to respond properly during tsunami emergencies,” said Tolentino, who is also chief of the Special Reaction Division of the SBMA Law Enforcement Department.

He added that the TeWS sensor here would be particularly helpful due to the presence of the Manila trench subduction zone, which is an active convergent plate margin between the South China Sea and the northern Philippines. The oceanic trench located west of the islands of Luzon and Mindoro, is responsible for the belt of volcanoes on the west side of Luzon including Mount Pinatubo.

Tolentino also explained that the TeWS sensor system is designed to detect wave abnormalities in the coastal waters of Subic Bay.

The tsunami detection equipment is composed of a platform with a pole equipped with different sensors. These include an ultrasonic tide sensor, dry sensor, and wet sensor at specific heights of one meter, five meters, and ten meters.

Tolentino added that the SBMA may eventually press for installation of additional sirens for better coverage of warning signals from the sensor, as the lone siren in the Subic Bay Freeport would not be enough.

The installation of the tsunami alert system in the Subic Bay area was contained in a memorandum of agreement signed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and its Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), the city of Olongapo, municipality of Subic, and the SBMA in November 2012.

The agreement also required the SBMA, Subic, and Olongapo to prepare and produce community-based evacuation plans.

Aside from Subic Bay, the PHILVOLCS-ASTI of the DOST has also completed installation of TeWS in Lingayen Gulf, Albay Gulf, Manila Bay and Batangas Bay. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Members of Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) under the DOST, and the SBMA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee installs the Tsumami Early Warning System – Subic Bay Detection Station at Sueste Point in Redondo Peninsula.

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De Leon, Rana rule Tri United

UNILAB Active Health’s triathletes Benjamin Rana Jr. and Ani Karina de Leon-Brown ruled their respective events the Elite division even as new faces Juan Carlos Abad and Christianne Nicolle de Vera shone the Teens division in yesterday’s l TRI United 3 held at the Dungraree Beach in Subic.

Rana won the 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run pulling away as he timed two hours, five minutes and 37 seconds to beat out UAH teammates Mark Anthony Husana (2:11:00) and Philip Atento (2:13:58).

The win was Rana’s first victory since 2011 in triathlon races held in Subic.

De Leon- Brown, however, needed to sweat in out in the run leg to ward off the challenge of Kristina Beckendorf the title.

“I really thought it was going to be more of a relaxing race for me until I noticed that Kristina was slowly gaining on me in the run, so in the end, I really needed to work hard for it,” said De Leon-Brown, who clocked in at 2:33:05.

Beckendorf had the second best time at 2:34:33 but she competed in the 35-39 age group to claim the gold medal.

Joining the four individual winners was Team Santy Barley which dominated the Team competition with accumulated time of 27 hours and 15 minutes.

Billed as the Elite and Age Group Championships, the race organized by BIKEKING which is headed by Raul Cuevas, and supported by Unilab Active Health, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Tourism Department (SBMA), Enervon Active, Enervon HP, I-ON Energy Drink, Hydrite, AboitizPower, Pocari Sweat, TIMEX, Crystal Clear Purified Water, Corima and Orbea, attracted 464 participants.

Meanwhile, Abad and De Vera banked on their impressive showings in the swim to anchor their victories in the Teens division which was held half the distance of the Elite. (Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/de-leon-rana-rule-tri-united/

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Canine competition set in Subic Freeport

Dog lovers will have something to look forward to as the 1st Subic Bay Dog Agility Championship kicks off on October 26 at the Remy Field here in this free port.

The two-day event will feature the country’s top competitors in events such as the popular DiscDog, or Frisbee and Super Weave competitions.

The competition, organized by the Philippine Dog Athletics Association (PDAA), will be the first agility competition in the Philippines to be sponsored by the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA).

On October 25, meanwhile, a dog show that featured tricks, training, and agility and obedience events held at the Harbor Point activity center here.

According to George Baker, one of the organizers of the agility championship, the event aims to provide novel, highly entertaining and enriching activities for all participating dogs and their owners, as well as spectators.

“Through this event we hope to build a regional community of dog owners and sports enthusiasts and forge lasting relationships among them,” said Baker, a long-time dog trainer.

Baker also said the event was organized so that the country will be able to compete for the World Dog Agility Championship.

“It’s now sponsored by the USDAA and it’s one of the last hurdles to enable the Philippines to compete,” he added.

Baker said that for the past seven years, PDAA members have been holding dog agility competitions across the country.

“Just last year, a PDAA competition was held in Cebu where an estimated 2,000 people were in attendance,” he said. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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PBA players set charity game for Olongapo leptospirosis victims

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Basketball fans will get the chance to watch their favorite players in action during a charity game to be played here on October 25 for the benefit of leptospirosis victims in Olongapo City.

The event, dubbed as “Thriller Time”, will feature several active players from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and will be held at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Gym in this free port.

The SBMA, which is supporting the charity project, will provide free use of the sporting venue.

Apart from the PBA players, the event will also feature players from the SBMA and Lyceum of Subic Bay, who will clash in an exhibition game.

According Willie Miller, the event organizer, “Thriller Time” aims to raise funds for the benefit of leptospirosis victims in Olongapo City, as well as to raise public awareness on disease prevention.

He added that they are also hoping to donate enough medicines to the local government to prevent another outbreak of the flood-borne disease.

Miller, who is currently playing for the Global Port Batang Pier, hails from Olongapo City.

The city recently suffered a leptospirosis outbreak after heavy monsoon rains resulted in severe flooding in all but one of the 17 barangays in the city.

Eleven victims died in the aftermath, while close to 500 people were hospitalized due to the outbreak of bacterial infection. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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2013 Olongapo Mardi Gras to bid for simultaneous street-dancing record

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Revelers from Olongapo City, Zambales and Bataan will fill the entire stretch of Magsaysay Drive in Olongapo to groove to party music at this year’s Mardi Gras, which will run from October 23 to 25.

The street party will attempt to break the Philippine and world records for the most number of street party-goers on the last day of the event.

Dubbed as “Galaw ‘Gapo”, the event will have people dancing simultaneously to party music for one hour along the entire stretch of Magsaysay Drive, the city’s main entertainment venue.

The Philippine record is currently held by Manila with 8,000 street party-goers, while France holds the current world record with 10,000.

Meanwhile, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will be joining the festivities by featuring performers from different tourism-business locators inside the Subic Bay Freeport during the event’s first day.

The SBMA tourism office said that local bands Vanity and Versus will play on the SBMA stage located in front of Casino Filipino-Olongapo.

The three-day street party will also be broadcast live online by DWSB 89.5 Subic Bay Radio, SBMA’s official radio station.

Other performers from Manila, as well as local artists, will provide entertainment during the upcoming street party.

Local and Manila-based DJs will make sure the party will never stop by providing dance music for three days, organizers said.

The Olongapo Mardi Gras is an annual street party organized by the city government of Olongapo and Metro Olongapo Chamber of Commerce, and supported by the SBMA. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA tax break guidelines out

THE SUBIC Bay Metropolitan Authority yesterday released the registration guidelines for aviation and logistics companies in the economic zone that are seeking import tax breaks.

According to Resolution No. 13-05-4772 published yesterday, locators in Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) “shall be allowed admissions of TEDFA (tax-exempt and duty-free aircraft), engines, parts and accessories on the premise that the units shall be used primarily in support of and in furtherance to the business operations of the locator in the SBFZ.”

“The minimum condition set by SBFZ is that the units are principally based in SBFZ ... and that these TEDFA return [to], stay [in], and use SBFZ as their core base of operations such that at the end of each flying sortie, these TEDFA return [to], stay [in], use and maintain physical presence at the SBIA (Subic Bay International Airport),” read the notice.

If these conditions are not met, locators will have to pay duties and taxes for their aircraft, engines, parts and accessories.

Another condition is that locators should have “sufficient, reasonable hangar space [to] justify the need for admission of aircraft units in relation to their business operation in Subic.”

Otherwise, locators will have to prove that they have put up actual investment of at least P100 million, read the notice.

Locators are also prohibited from transferring ownership of TEDFA within three years of admission.

Those who fail to observe the guidelines will have to pay P250,000 as well as duties and taxes if TEDFA units were sold to an entity not entitled to tax incentives. Another fine of P250,000 will also be charged to those who fail to prove active hub presence in Subic.

The SBFZ, 110 kilometers north of Manila, was established in 1992 as the country’s first freeport zone after the closure of the American naval base there. (Daryll Edisonn D. Saclag, BusinessWorld)

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=SBMA-tax-break-guidelines-out&id=78263

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SBMA rescue team wins 2013 Gawad KALASAG

Emergency rescuers from Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will again receive the highest honor in the national disaster management recognition program after being chosen as first place in the Urban Search and Rescue (URBAN SAR) category for this year.

This will be their second award in the said category since 2009.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said this was announced by the office of Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and concurrent executive director of National Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

According to the announcement, the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team will receive award for Best Government Emergency Response Management (GEM) for Gawad Kalasag Private/Volunteer Organizations, Government Emergency Response Management.

The SBMA Fire and Rescue Team is headed by Ranny Magno, one of the country’s acknowledged experts in disaster and emergency operations, who is constantly invited by various rescue teams to give lectures and share experiences on disaster management.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) presents the annual Gawad KALASAG, an acronym for “KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan; SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan”, in recognition of individuals, groups or institutions that have shown extraordinary courage, heroism, self-sacrifice, and bravery against all odds in times of emergencies and disasters.

Other winners in the same category are: 2nd Place - Team Isulan Fire Fighters, Sultan Kudarat- Region XII; and 3rd Place - Special Operations Coast Guard Southern Tagalog- Region IV-A.

The SBMA Fire and Rescue Team, together with other winners for various categories, will receive the award on October 25 at Camp Crame in Quezon City. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Members of the SBMA Fire and Rescue Team, along with other civilian volunteers, carry the body of a landslide victim during a retrieval operation in Castillejos, Zambales on September 24.

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Philippine Tamaraws face Thailand in Rugby League Asian Cup

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Philippine Tamaraws are set to defend their title as Asian rugby league football champions as they face Thailand in the first match of the 2nd Asian Cup at the Philippine Marine Merchant Academy (PMMA) in San Narciso, Zambales on Monday, October 21.

The Tamaraws, the country’s national rugby league football team, are conducting training camps in this Freeport in preparation for their upcoming match.

Apart from the Asian Cup, PMMA will also stage the Zambales 9’s rugby tournament featuring local rugby football teams on October 19.

According Tamaraws head coach Clayton Watene, the team is aiming to qualify for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in Australia.

“The Asian Cup is being started so we can have teams in Asia that will eventually be qualified for the World Cup, and we wantto be the first team from Asia to compete,” Watene said.

He added that last year, the Tamaraws won the 1st Asian Cup title against Thailand.

Watene said that the team was formed a few years ago after they scouted players with Filipino heritage in Australia and began training them for international competitions.

Watene also explained that the Tamaraws, a rugby league team, should not be confused with the Philippine Volcanoes, which play rugby union football. Rugby league football is played with 13 players, while rugby union is played with 15 players.

Watene said that the team is looking forward to visiting their relatives and touring the rest of the country. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
The Philippine Tamaraws train at the Remy Field in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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SBMA mounts photo exhibit for Ayta scholarship program

In observance of Indigenous People’s Month, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has mounted an exhibit of photographs of Ayta tribesmen in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to help fund its Ayta scholarship program.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the exhibit has been put up by the SBMA Public Relations Department as a fund-raising project to benefit 10 Ayta children currently on full scholarship at the Olongapo City National High School.

“We’re enjoining the public to support in this worthy cause,” Garcia said during the opening of the displays on Monday.

“The exhibits are designed not only to raise funds, but also to raise consciousness about our Ayta brethren and how we can help uplift them to be part of the mainstream society,” he added.

The IP Month celebration organized by the agency will also serve to emphasize how both the SBMA and the indigenous people in the Subic Bay Freeport have looked after each other through the years, Garcia said.

SBMA public relations manager Armie Llamas said the photographs will be on display and be available for bidding at Harbor Point Ayal Mall’s Zen Garden until October 28.

The photographs were taken at the Ayta villages of Pastolan in Hermosa, Bataan and Kanawan in Morong, Bataan by SBMA information officer Carlos Andres and Alan Fabricante of Vantage Point Photography in Olongapo City.

The two photographers donated their collection of work for the project.

Llamas said that bidding forms will be available at the exhibit area during the two-week exhibit. The minimum bid will be P1,000 per photograph.

Bidders should write down the number of the photo, bid price, name of bidder, and contact details on the bidding form and place the filled up form in the drop box provided at the exhibit area.

Winning bidders will be notified on October 29 so that they can collect their photographs at the SBMA-PRD office, Llamas added.

Aside from the fundraising exhibit, the SBMA has also scheduled several other activities for the IP Month.

The opening activities included a special flag-raising ceremony led by the Pastolan Ayta community on October 14, followed by a community breakfast among Ayta leaders and officials of the SBMA, and free movie-viewing for Grades 3 and 4 pupils of the Pastolan Elementary School at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center on October 14.

On October 16, the SBMA scheduled a radio interview with Pastolan tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla and tribal elder Bonifacio Florentino to help promote community awareness of the Ayta culture. The following day, October 17, a drug prevention seminar will be held by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for secondary school students at the Pastolan village.

The month-long celebration will be capped by a visit by Grades 5 and 6 pupils of the Pastolan Elementary School at Zoobic Safari on October 22; a feeding project and children’s hour at the Kanawan Elementary School on October 24; and a feeding project for pre-elementary children and Grades 1 and 2 pupils at the Pastolan Elementary School on October 25. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
An Ayta tribesman demonstrates fire-making techniques to foreign tourists at the Pamulaklakin Ayta Village in the Subic Bay Freeport where a month-long program has been organized by the SBMA to celebrate the Indigenous People’s Month.

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World’s only five-star cruise ship visits Subic Freeport

The world’s only five-star cruise ship is here in the Subic Bay Freeport as part of its tour of the country, strengthening Subic’s position as a preeminent tourism destination.

MS Hanseatic docked at the Alava Pier of the Freeport Monday (Oct. 14). Prior to its arrival here, the cruise ship toured the Hundred Islands in Pangasinan. It arrived in the Philippines yesterday (October 13).

According to the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, it is the only five-star expedition-cruise ship worldwide.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said this is first time that the luxury cruise ship has docked in Subic.

He said passengers of the ship are scheduled to visit tourist attractions in the Freeport during the ship’s one-day stay.

The ship has a capacity of 184 passengers, aside from its crew of 125.

MS Hanseatic was built in 1991 as the Society Adventurer, but was renamed when she was purchased by Hanseatic Tours, now owned by marine transportation giant Hapag-Lloyd. The ship specializes in trips to the Antarctic.

SBMA deputy administrator for business Reuel Kabigting said the arrival of the Hanseatic is a very welcome development, as it would boost the Freeport’s thrust of becoming a premier tourist destination in Asia.

The SBMA has been preparing the Freeport to be a top cruise-ship destination after it became a founding member of the Asia CruiseTerminal Association, Kabigting added. (FMD. RAV/MPD-SBMA) 

PHOTO:
Members of a school band presents passengers with leis upon disembarking from the MS Hanseatic cruise ship at the Subic Bay Freeport on Monday.

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