Nlex-SCTEx integration done by November

THE Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) is aiming to complete the integration of the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressways (SCTEx) by the fourth quarter this year, a senior official said.

This development came after the toll-road company and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) signed on Thursday the P650-million contract to link the two expressways, thereby making it faster for motorists to transfer from the Nlex) to the SCTEx and vice versa.

“Immediately after this signing, we will start the works. We are just waiting for the approval from the Toll Regulatory Board, but while waiting for that we’ll start the needed preparations,” MNTC President Rodrigo E. Franco said in an interview. “Our target is to complete the integration works by November.”

The integration of the two expressways would speed up the queues on the exit plazas of the Nlex and the SCTEx, increasing the amount of transactions per hour to 800 from the current 200.

“This would pave way for seamless travel between the two expressways, lessening the stops that motorists have to do in the current setup,” Franco said.

The toll-linkage project involves the conversion of separate Nlex and SCTEx toll-collection systems into a single system that should allow more efficient toll collection and faster movement of traffic for motorists.

It also involves the installation and removal of temporary plazas, and the construction of interchange plazas that will also require the widening of existing entry or exit ramps.

BCDA President and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova said the integration would facilitate trade to and from three key economic zones of Central Luzon: the Subic Bay Freeport, the Clark Freeport Zone and the Central Techno Park in Tarlac.

“The actual integration may even be faster because MNTC will soon be awarded the contract for the SCTEx as well,” he said. “The BCDA board formally approved the toll-integration proposal, clearing all hurdles to toll integration from our end.”

The tollways arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. will soon take over the reins of the central expressway after the disposition agency failed to muster bids for the price challenge of the thoroughfare’s multibillion-peso operations contract.

The toll-road business of tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan offered P3.5 billion to win the deal way back President Arroyo’s term. It also proposed a 50-percent revenue-sharing scheme.

President Aquino late last year directed the state-run asset-disposition agency to subject the offer of MNTC to a price challenge “in the interest of transparency and for competition.”

The 94-kilometer expressway allows for the merging of Clark and Subic Bay Freeport zones into a single facility resulting in the convergence of land-, air- and sea-based transport.

As of end-November 2014, the number of vehicles that used the toll road was at 10,305,688, a 12.93-percent increase compared to the 9,125,480 vehicles that used the toll road for the same period in 2013. It booked P1.07 billion in revenues during the period under review.

The Pangilinan group also operates the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway. Its parent company, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., has significant interests in toll roads abroad. (Lorenz S. Marasigan, BusinessMirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nlex-sctex-integration-done-by-november/

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A hero comes home : Subic Bay pays respect to one of SAF commandos slain in Maguindanao

RESPECT: SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (right) lines up along the way with security officers from the SBMA Law Enforcement Department to pay their respect to PO3 John Lloyd Sumbilla, one of the slain SAF commandos in Maguindanao. Sumbilla’s funeral procession passed through the Subic Bay Freeport on Friday from Morong, Bataan on the way to Olongapo City where the fallen hero was cremated. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

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NCAA beach volleyball set at Subic Bay

The 90th NCAA beach volleyball tournament will be held on February 11 to 15 at the Baywalk inside Subic Bay in Olongapo City.

San Sebastian College will defend the women's title it won last year, with Shakey's V-League veteran Gretchel Soltones spearheading the campaign with new partner, Charmaine Dalisay.

Dalisay, who was named rookie of the year in last month's indoor volleyball competition after helping the Lady Stags to a surprising runner-up finish behind the Arellano University Lady Chiefs, will fill in the void left by Czarina Berbano, who was the other half of the Soltones-led team a year back.

College of St. Benilde, which will be spearheaded by power-hitting Johnvic de Guzman, will defend its men's crown, while Arellano will seek to retain the high school championship it copped last season.

Letran's athletic moderator Fr. Vic Calvo, OP, said he expects nothing less than exciting action in Subic.

"This will actually be the third time we're going here in Subic after we hold beach volley and basketball games here two seasons ago," said Calvo, who was with NCAA Management Committee chairman Paul Supan of Jose Rizal University and other board representatives when they did an ocular inspection of the venue recently.

Calvo said The Lighthouse Marina Resort will make the event more meaningful as its sponsor. (ABS-CBNnews.com)

http://rp1.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/02/04/15/ncaa-beach-volleyball-set-subic-bay

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SBMA steps into Korean feud over int’l school

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) took over an international school here to keep the peace on Tuesday, hours after a scuffle erupted between security guards and Koreans claiming ownership of the school, which left three people hurt, including a student and a teacher.

SBMA Chair Roberto Garcia said the agency assumed the responsibility of securing American International School (AIS) of Subic, after SBMA’s law enforcement department removed some 50 security guards from the school.

Lawyer Randy Escolango, SBMA deputy administrator for legal affairs, said the SBMA would secure the campus for an indefinite period.

It was the second skirmish there between two groups fighting over the school’s ownership.

On Jan. 11, a similar commotion injured five people. Tension gripped AIS when men hired by Korean Lee Sangeok tried to secure the campus, triggering a commotion with private security personnel contracted by the AIS board of directors led by his former Korean partners, Bae Myung-hee and Hong Jong-wook.

Earlier, Hong, through an interpreter, said he and his wife were the legitimate owners of AIS since they owned a combined 96 percent of the company’s shares while Lee owned only 1 percent.

On Tuesday, school guards stormed the unit of Hong, shattering the glass windows before forcing people out of the school premises in the afternoon, according to accounts of parents of AIS students.

Korean Noi Yoon, a teacher, was hurt during the clash.

Josie Evans, president of the parents and teachers association of AIS, said a student, who was not immediately identified, was also hurt in the commotion.

Evans said Hong passed out when some of the guards dragged him out of his unit, and was later taken to a hospital. With SBMA in control, Escolango said he expected classes to normalize soon.

Judge Richard Paradeza, of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 72, recently enforced a writ of preliminary injunction against Bae and Hong’s group, which the judge first issued on Jan. 14, 2013, when this group of Koreans tried to wrest control of the school from Lee’s group in November last year.

But Bae and Hong won a Court of Appeals (CA) ruling on June 26, 2013, which nullified Paradeza’s order and prevented the judge from hearing the case that Lee filed against them.

Paradeza, however, said the CA’s decision was not final as Lee’s camp filed for a motion for reconsideration. (Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon)


Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/670222/sbma-steps-into-korean-feud-over-intl-school#ixzz3QmFGSQem
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SC clears way for long-delayed Subic plant

THE SUPREME COURT finally cleared the way for a Meralco-led consortium to build its long-delayed 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Subic, Zambales.

In en banc session on Tuesday, justices voted 13-0 to uphold the validity of the coal power project of Redondo Peninsula Energy, Inc. (RP Energy) in Barangay Cawag.

The ruling upheld the validity of the environmental compliance certificates issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on December 2008 and July 2010. It also upheld the validity of the June 2010 Lease and Development Agreement with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Associate Justices Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe and Mario Victor “Marvic” F. Leonen voted in favor of RP Energy, but with qualifications, Supreme Court Public Information Office (PIO) Chief Theodore O. Te said in a briefing.

The high court also unanimously voted to deny the petition for writ of kalikasan filed by former Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro A. Casiño and other individuals, as well as the organizations Advocates for Wildlife and Environment Protection, Wildlife in Need, Subic-Olongapo Cancer Foundation, Inc., and PAMALAKAYA (National Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organization in the Philippines).

Associate Justices Arturo D. Brion and Francis H. Jardeleza took no part in the voting, with the former being on leave and the latter inhibiting due to his previous involvement as Solicitor-General.

A full copy of the decision has yet to be issued.

The decision reversed the January 2013 ruling by the Court of Appeals invalidating the project’s amended environment compliance certificate (ECC) due to RP Energy’s failure to conduct a new environmental impact assessment.

The appellate court’s earlier decision was also based on the supposed lack of consent from the local government and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to support the Lease and Development Agreement with SBMA.

RP Energy is a joint venture of Meralco PowerGen Corp., Aboitiz Power Corp., and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp..

The project was originally expected to go online by the this year’s dry season but development was halted because of the writ of kalikasan filed against the project.

The Supreme Court first released a resolution on the writ dated July 31, 2010, against Environment Secretary Ramon Jesus P. Paje, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and RP Energy.

Such writs serve as a judicial remedy to protect against projects inflicting possible environmental damage that affects inhabitants.

The petitioners claimed RP Energy violated its environmental impact statement and environment compliance certificate (ECC).

The petitioners also claimed the ECC was issued without complying with the conditions of affected indigenous people and without prior approval of local government units.

While the project proponents have yet to receive their respective copies of the court’s decision, they welcomed the development saying this would help the energy industry.

“We have yet to read the decision. Assuming it’s all positive, then it’s good for the industry,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, senior vice-president of Manila Electric Co., the parent firm of Meralco PowerGen.

Stephen G. Paradies, senior vice-president of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV), also said AboitizPower has yet to receive a formal copy of the decision.

AEV is the parent company of AboitizPower.

“We intend to pursue this project. It’s very good news,” said Mr. Paradies. (Claire-Ann M. C. Feliciano and Vince Alvic A. F. Nonato, BusinessWorld)

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=sc-clears-way-for-long-delayed-subic-plant&id=102060

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Subic Freeport locators pledge to curb corruption

More than 150 executives from various locator-companies and investors in this free port signed the Integrity Pledge on Friday, marking another significant milestone for the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in its fight against corruption.

In a ceremony held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC), SBMA officials led by Chairman Roberto Garcia administered the Integrity Pledge (IP) for representatives of investor firms here in support of President Aquino’s reform agenda and to strengthen the agency’s corporate governance initiatives, and create a more conducive investment climate.

“Good governance means good business, and we have seen the fruits of good governance,” said Garcia stressed during the ceremony.

“Aside from being a good corporate citizen, companies that sign this pledge will get certain perks given to clean and ethical companies,” Garcia pointed out.

He added that the SBMA’s Integrity Program has been endorsed by the SBMA Board of Directors through a board resolution last year.

The Integrity Pledge, which was introduced in the country by the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), is a document signed by heads of companies and government agencies to express their commitment to abide by ethical business practices and to support a national campaign against graft and corruption.

The pledge is regarded as an effective tool aimed at preventing corruption in public contracting, as it enables companies to abstain from bribing by providing assurances that their competitors will likewise refrain from bribery.

At the same time, it enables the government to reduce the high cost and distorting impact of corruption on private procurement, privatization or business licensing, and issuance of permits.

The IP stipulates rights and obligations to the effect that neither side will pay, offer, demand or accept bribes, collude with competitors to obtain contract, or engage in such abuses while executing the contract.

Garcia said that SBMA has institutionalized IP in the Subic Freeport with the creation of a Code of Conduct for all employees and officials of SBMA. With this development, the SBMA will now also require stakeholders like Freeport locators, neighboring local government units (LGUs), and suppliers to sign the Integrity Pledge before any transaction is made.

Garcia praised the Bureau of Customs (Port of Subic) Collector Arnulfo Marcos for joining the IP signing and for being the first to submit his accomplished and signed IP form.

Meanwhile, in his address, Dr. Edilberto de Jesus of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), said that of the hundreds of companies nationwide that applied and were assessed by the Integrity Initiative Office, only 33 had passed and only 12 were given Integrity Pledge certifications.

“Integrity is not easy to find these days,” De Jesus said. “What we have done today is the first step towards a fairly long journey. While the process is very difficult, it is the right thing to do and it should be done.”

In closing the ceremony, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business Joy Alvarado urged the locators and investors to “start in your heart and in your own office the practice of Integrity Pledge.”

“Fight corruption; start the integrity revolution and see how you will shine as days pass,” Alvarado added. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
Ayala Harbor Point manager Derrick Manuel (Photo 1) and Didet Danguilan, communications manager of Philip Morris Philippines, Inc. (Photo 2) present a signed Integrity Pledge to SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia during the mass signing ceremony for Subic Bay Freeport locators at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center on January 30. Looking on are SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business Joy Alvarado, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce president Rose Baldeo, and Dr. Edilberto de Jesus of the Asian Institute of Management. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

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SBFCC business expo slated

The first business expo will be held by the the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) at the Promenade area of Harbor Point Ayala mall, February 12-13.

SBFCC President Rose Baldeo said the event will feature locators inside the Subic Freeport Zone as well as businesses from adjacent communities such as Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan.

“The goal of the expo is to showcase the various businesses in and out of the Freeport Zone.

To show how dynamic our area is in terms of variations in business; from manufacturing, import-export businesses, to shipping, maritime, logistics, hotel and leisure, food and entertainment to wholesale and retail establishments,” she said. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/luzon-newsbits-for-february-3-2015/

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MNTC keeps SCTEX concession contract

Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) subsidiary Manila North Tollway Corp. (MNTC) has finally won the concession of State-owned Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

This developed as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) did not receive yesterday any proposal matching MNTC’s P3.5-billion upfront cash bid for the rights, interest and obligations in the operation, maintenance and management of the SCTEX until 2043.

BCDA President Arnel Casanova said neither San Miguel Corp. nor the unidentified firm represented by the law firm of Aguirre, Abaño, Pamfilo, Paras, Pineda, and Agustin submitted proposals to match MNTC’s bid during yesterday’s deadline.

“This just proves that the latest improved offer of MNTC is the best offer in the market,” Casanova said.

As such, the SCTEX concession will be awarded to MNTC following the conclusion of the price challenge. Sought for comment, MNTC president Rodrigo Franco said they are ready to takeover the SCTEX anytime.

“We are happy that the process has finally concluded. We are ready to takeover anytime [since] our operational readiness is already there,” he said, stressing out that MNTC sister company Tollways Management Corp. (TMC) has been operating SCTEX since its opening in April 2008. TMC also operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) on MNTC’s behalf.

For the government’s part, Casanova said the SCTEX Price Challenge Selection Committee will sit down with the BCDA Board in a meeting on February 4 to present the result of the price challenge.

“We still have to undergo the process and get the Board’s approval before we finalize the contract and award it to MNTC,” Casanova explained.

Asked if the awarding of the SCTEX concession to MNTC could still face hurdles, Casanova said “we do not see any reason for that,” adding that Malacañang has already approved the SCTEX concession agreement on the condition of a price challenge.

“We have observed all the transparency required for this deal and worked hard to preserve the integrity of the process. We are happy to move on and close this deal, proceed to working for the improvement of the service in SCTEX, and serve the public interest,” he added.

Casanova, however, did not disclose the definite timetable for the SCTEX concession awarding. Franco said the MNTC expects the issuance of the notice of award next week, shortly after the BCDA Board meeting.

To recall, the BCDA and MNTC have signed in 2011 a business and operating agreement (BOA) for SCTEX but the Office of the President has postponed the approval of the BOA and instead directed that the MNTC offer be subject to a price challenge in the interest of transparency and fair competition.

MNTC’s latest improved offer made in February 2012 include the payment of P3.5- billion upfront cash, a 50-50 sharing of gross revenues with the government, assumption of the operation and maintenance costs of running the SCTEX and assumption of cost for the NLEX-SCTEX toll collection integration.

The 94-kilometer SCTEX connects the province of Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac to the NLEX, which in turn links Central Luzon to the National Capital Region and Metro Manila. The world-class toll road has 34 bridges, eight interchanges and a four-lane divided toll road to connect the Subic Bay Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Zambales, the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga, and the Central Techno Park in Tarlac.

The SCTEX was built through a 59 billion yen (P28-billion) loan provided by the Japanese government, through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). The loan used to finance the construction of SCTEx will mature in 2041. Since it was opened to the motoring public in 2008, the SCTEX recorded an average daily traffic of 9,302 vehicles, which rose to 30,855 vehicles in 2014. (Kris Bayos, Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/mntc-keeps-sctex-concession-contract/

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Subic Bay shows solidarity during national day of mourning for 44 SAF members slain in Maguindanao (images)

 The huge Philippine flag in front of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administration building flies at half-mast on Friday in keeping with the National Day of Mourning ordered by President Benigno Aquino III in honor of the 44 police commandos who were killed in Maguindanao last Sunday. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

photos by Jun Dumaguing

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SBMA to release 41% higher LGU revenue shares

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is set to release next week some P105 million in revenue shares to local government units (LGUs) adjacent to and affected by the operation of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia announced on Monday that the funds will be made available to the LGUs starting February 6.

The amount consists of P98 million in total revenue shares culled from July to December 2014, and P7 million in refunds of the 10-per cent retention withheld in the second semester of 2012.

According to the SBMA Accounting Department, the P98-milion figure exceeds by 41 per cent the P74.5-million shares given for the same period last year.

Garcia said the distribution of the revenue shares is aimed at spurring development in the eight neighboring LGUs and helping achieve President Aquino's goal of inclusive growth.

In August 2014, the SBMA released a total of P93.7 million in revenue shares for the first half of 2014, for a total LGU share of P199 million last year.

For this period, Olongapo City will receive the biggest share at P25.5 million, while Subic, Zambales will get P15.7 million; Dinalupihan, Bataan, P13.2 million; San Marcelino, Zambales, P12.7 million; Hermosa, Bataan, P10.8 million; San Antonio, Zambales, P9.3 million; Morong, Bataan, P9.1 million; and Castillejos, Zambales, P9 million.

The LGU share is determined according to 50 per cent population, 25 per cent land area, and 25 per cent equal sharing.

The LGU shares come from part of the five per cent corporate taxes paid by Subic Bay Freeport-registered enterprises, of which two per cent goes directly to the SBMA treasury while the other three goes to the national coffers through the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The direct payment scheme was initiated by the SBMA some four years ago to hasten the release of LGU shares, which augment LGU funds for developments projects in health, education, peace and order, and livelihood generation. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

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APEC senior officials’ meeting starts in Subic (updated)

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines – Delegates from 22 countries are now in the freeport for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation First Senior Officials’ Meeting (APEC-SOM1).

The emergency preparedness working group and senior disaster management officials’ forum preparatory meeting started Wednesday while the counterterrorism working group workshop started Thursday, January 29 until Feb. 1.

The business mobility group workshop and management board meeting began January 30 until Feb. 2 while the electronic commerce steering group data privacy sub-group informal meeting starts on the 31st.

A preparatory meeting on high-level policy dialogue on human capacity building was held on the 29th until Feb. 4.

The Subic Bay Freeport was host to the APEC Leaders’ Summit in November 1996. (with Bebot Sison Jr., Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/01/29/1417758/apec-senior-officials-meeting-starts-subic

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APEC avenue for improving RP’s tourism, claims Palace

Presidential communications secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. yesterday noted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) events as a way to promote the Philippines as a key tourist destination, saying that it will pave way to a robust economy and create livelihood for Filipinos.

“We should continue to build the image of our country as a favors tourist destination because this will be the way for a healthy economy and will create opportunities in livelihood for out citizens,” Coloma said.

The Palace official also said that efforts for ongoing talks in the Apec and the Philippines hosting it will help shape the economy in a better way, as preliminary talks begin in Central Luzon.

“The whole year, meetings will be held in different provinces and cities of the country to the point of the actual summit of Economic Leaders which will be held in Manila,” Coloma said.

The Apec’s Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM-1) — the Apec kick-off event — has begun earlier this week, where the Palace reiterated that the event would again tackle pursuing policies and programs on trade and investment liberalization, business facilitation, and economic and technical cooperation.

Representatives from the 21 Apec member-countries are attending the Apec-SOM1 in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga and Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales. (Joshua L. Labonera, The Daily Tribune)

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/apec-avenue-for-improving-rp-s-tourism-claims-palace

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Subicwater sets P115-million capex projects for 2015

DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI)-led Subic Water and Sewerage Co. Inc. (Subicwater), which operates the water-service facilities in the Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City, has announced that it will spend a total of P115.12 million in capital expenditure (capex) projects this year to further improve its services here.

Subicwater President and CEO Apollo Tiglao said in a media briefing on Wednesday that the bulk of the expenditures will go to a P44.7-million sewerage-system project for the Boton area of the Subic Bay Freeport, and a P38.6-million water distribution rehabilitation project in Olongapo.

“The Boton project is part of our Sewerage Master Plan that was created in as early as 2006,” Tiglao said. “As we have projected long ago, businesses will thrive [in Subic], and the area will need a new sewerage system complete with a dedicated sewage treatment plant.”

Tiglao said that aside from the Boton project, the water firm will invest P8.82 million on new sewage conveyance pipes in Subic’s Central Business District; P9.8 million for the construction of two pumping stations for a newly developed well in the former Naval Magazine area; and P1.2 million for the installation of new water pipelines in the airport area.

Meanwhile, in Olongapo City, Subicwater will be investing P38.6 million on new water-distribution lines; P11 million on two new wells in Barangay New Cabalan; and P1.48 million to replace a portion of its raw-water line in Barangay Santa Rita.

Tiglao said the Olongapo investments will ensure continuous water supply to the city treatment plant, especially during summer.

“As you can see, the two wells we will start developing this year will serve the few remaining Olongapo communities without piped water, as they are located at the highest points of the mountains surrounding the city proper,” Tiglao said.

Still, he said Subicwater faces problems on the identified well sites in the remote barangay of New Cabalan, particularly on lot acquisition.

“We hope the city administration will assist Subicwater on these matters,” he said, adding that the firm wants to finish the wells as soon as possible to solve water scarcity in the hilly barangay during summer.

“We are ready to start the well-drilling anytime soon,” Tiglao said.

With the new capex schedule, Tiglao said the firm has put up more than P1.5 billion in capital expenditure since it started operations here in 1997, with about P605 million for infrastructure development in the period from 2011 to 2013 alone.

“Since Subicwater is operating under a build-operate-transfer [BOT] setup, all of our facilities, along with the improvements we have infused throughout the course of our operations, will be given back to Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority [SBMA] after our franchise term,” Tiglao said.

Subicwater, which implemented the first BOT scheme for a water-and-sewerage system in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, was formed as a joint venture in 1996. It is now owned by Filipino construction firm DMCI, Singaporean water specialist Sembcorp Industries Ltd. (Sembcorp), SBMA and Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Henry Empeño, BusinessMirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/subicwater-sets-p115-million-capex-projects-for-2015/

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NLEX, SCTEX integration pushed

Senate President Franklin Drilon has set deadline on the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) to approve and implement the integration of the North Luzon and Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressways to avoid travel dilemmas and inconvenience experienced by commuters from happening again, especially during peak seasons.

Drilon recently met with officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication, BCDA, MPTC, Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) to iron out issues concerning the implementation of the integration plan for NLEX and SCTEX, which has been pending for years.

Drilon asked the officials to fasttrack the implementation of an integration plan, starting with the signing of the integration agreement scheduled on February 12 of this year.

“To expedite the process, the TRB will simultaneously monitor and review the toll collection systems integration agreement to make sure it will be in conformity with the policy of the government,” said Drilon.

He said the integration will simplify toll collection system and lessen the number of toll collection plazas.

“The integration of the NLEX and SCTEX toll systems will benefit commuters, especially in saving travel time and fuel and increasing convenience for those driving through the tollways,” Drilon said.

“The current setup is too complex and stands improvement. We cannot understand why we have to make five stops going to Subic and four stops going to Tarlac only to pay toll fees, when we can make things better and simpler by simply allowing commuters to pay their fares in full in only one toll plaza,” he added.

Given the dilemma faced by commuters especially during the holiday season, Drilon said it is only proper that changes are put in place, so that the public will not have to endure the same predicament over again.

Drilon said BCDA had informed him preparation will take seven to nine months to be finished, which will cover, among others, the removal of NLEX-Dau and SCTEX-Mabalacat barriers and deployment and commissioning of NLEX integrated toll collection system in all SCTEX and new NLEX toll plazas.

“With the system integration, motorists will no longer have to make several stops only to pay for fares. That means that everyone will soon only have to stop twice in paying tolls throughout NLEX and the SCTEX, as compared to the current situation where we have to stop five times just to pay our fares,” Drilon said.

At present, motorists have to make five stops just to pay toll fees in a trip to Subic. A motorist gets a transit ticket at NLEX entry point in Balintawak, and surrenders it and pays toll fees at NLEX Dau. He then gets a smart card at SCTEX Mabalacat and surrenders it and pays toll fees at SCTEX Tipo toll plaza, only to again pay new toll fees at Subic Freeport Expressway-Tipo.

Drilon said that the tollway authorities and relevant agencies must “exercise diligence” and hasten the reforms in the toll collection systems, given the expected surge of motorists and travellers in the Holy Week and summer season.

He said he is confident that authorities and companies involved in the management of NLEX and SCTEX will be able to introduce and agree on a new collection system to provide commuters seamless travel experience.

He concluded that this is only the first phase of the integration, as plans and discussions to make travel going to North more seamless and convenient are currently being done. These include the integration of NLEX and SCTEX with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union expressway and the interoperability of the North and South expressways. (Malaya Business Insight)

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/business/nlex-sctex-integration-pushed

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SBMA partners with Coop-NATCCO, civic groups for Ayta outreach projects

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has joined forces with party-list Cooperative NATCCO Network Party (Coop-NATCCO) and civic groups in the Subic Bay area to bring medical assistance and donations to residents of remote Ayta communities.

Two separate projects coordinated respectively by the SBMA Public Relations Department and the Media Production Department, brought medical assistance to 200 residents of Kanawan village in Morong, Bataan; and clothes, toys and foodstuff to around 80 families in Barangay Naugsol in Subic, Zambales.

Both areas are communities populated largely by indigenous Ayta folks and have limited access to medical services and modern amenities.

In the first project held on January 15, Rep. Anthony Bravo of Coop-NATCCO, along with some representatives of Philip Morris, brought medicine for residents of Kanawan, while the SBMA sent doctors and nurses from its Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD) to provide free medical checkups. They were joined by some volunteers from the Philippine Medical Society (PMS) in Olongapo City.

Armie Llamas of the SBMA Public Relations Department, who coordinated the project, said it was Coop-NATCCO’s first time to go to Kanawan, and the group teamed up with the SBMA, which has conducted similar projects in the area.

A lot of elderly residents also took the opportunity for the free medical consultation, noting that the last time they received medical attention was some three years ago because of their remote location. The village is located about 30 kilometers from the Subic Bay Freeport and can only be accessed via a hanging bridge.

Rep. Bravo checked out the village for any area suitable for growing cacao, a tropical tree that yields cocoa beans, the main ingredient of coffee and chocolate.

On January 18, close to 200 children belonging to 80 families in Naugsol, Subic, received bags of goodies donated by residents and civic organizations in Olongapo City and the Subic Bay area.

The post-Holiday gift-giving project was coordinated by disc jockeys from 89.5 FM Subic Bay Radio, a broadcast facility under the SBMA Media Production Department (SBMA-MPD).

SBMA-MPD head Rhon Balingit said the donations included canned goods, rice, new clothes, and new toys provided by various donors.

Among those who joined the outreach project in Naugsol were representatives of Ocampo’s Mall in Olongapo City, members of Delta Isda radio auxiliary group, and officials of Barangay Naugsol.

Naugsol is a remote village located at the eastern fringe of the Subic municipality and has become the resettlement site for Ayta indigenous people uprooted by the Pinatubo eruption in 1991. (J. Castro, S. Viray, HEE/MPD-SBMA)


PHOTOS:

[1] Coop-NATCCO party-list Representative Anthony Bravo hands over medicines to a resident of the Kanawan Ayta village during a joint medical mission with the SBMA on January 15. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

[2] Organizers of the January 15 medical mission to the Kanawan Ayta village join Coop-NATCCO Rep. Anthony Bravo (3rd from left, standing) for a photo opportunity with SBMA Public Relations head Armie Lllamas and Dr. Eve Natividad (seated) of the Philippine Medical Society-Olongapo City Chapter. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

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First APEC senior officials’ meeting set

The Philippines will host the First APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM1) from January 26 to February 7 at Clark and Subic Freeport Zones.

As the first comprehensive Senior Officials’ Meeting for the year, SOM1 begins with a series of more than thirty working group and committee-level meetings covering various topics such as Trade and Investment, Economic and Technical Cooperation, Anti-Corruption, Counter Terrorism, Competition Policy, Ocean and Fisheries, Customs, E-Commerce, Services, Life Sciences, Health, Illegal Logging, and Services.

Following from the outcomes of the APEC Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (ISOM) held last December 8-9 in Manila, the various meetings will also discuss how each APEC working group can advance the APEC 2015 priorities and the overall theme of “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World.”

The series of working group and committee-level meetings from January 26 to February 5 will culminate in the Senior Officials’ Meeting to be held on February 6-7 in Fontana Leisure Park, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.

As host, the Philippines will also hold a Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) on Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM), Creative Industries, and Research and Development Services on February 3. The PPD on Services is the first in a “Dialogue Series” which aims to guide the APEC Senior Officials and the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in promoting trade in services in the Asia-Pacific region. (Voltaire Palaña, Manila Times)

http://allpinoynews.com/first-apec-senior-officials-meeting-set/

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Greek firm buys 2 Subic-built container ships

Two state-of-the-art container ships were launched in this free port by their Greek owner last week, as builder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil) aimed to further solidify its position as the fourth-largest shipbuilder in the world.

HHIC-Phil President Jin Kyu Ahn said in a statement on Tuesday that the newly built ships were both 6,800 twenty-foot equivalent units container vessels ordered in January last year by Athens-based shipping company Technomar Shipping Inc.

Each vessel weighs 70,704 gross tons, and measures 270.09 meters long and 42.8 meters wide.

Top officials of Technomar, headed by Managing Director George Youroukos, christened the new vessels MV UASC Bubiyan and MV UASC Yas during a naming ceremony at the Hanjin shipyard in Subic’s Redondo Peninsula.

The ships will be homeported on Marshall Islands, Tecnomar officials said.

“These are the first two ships christened here in 2015,” Ahn said, adding that both vessels showcase the craftsmanship of Hanjin’s Filipino work force.

He said the new ship deliveries capitalized on the firm’s “accumulated wealth of experience over the years, coupled by our unrelenting pursuit for technological advancement and innovative engineering in our core business.”

Hanjin is currently one of the biggest employers in the Philippines, with a work force of about 27,000 Filipinos to date.

Ahn said that since the Hanjin started commercial operations in Subic in 2008, it has already completed a total of 77 projects, ranging from bulk carriers, container ships, crude-oil tankers and barges, mainly for overseas clients.

Still, the firm is trying hard to maintain its status as the fourth top shipbuilder in the world, a position it had firmly cemented in 2014 by breaking the $1-billion mark in terms of sales revenue.

Ahn said this has been made possible by the huge capacity of the Subic shipbuilding facility, which is about 11 times bigger than its Yeongdo shipyard in Busan, South Korea.

With a reported backlog of 39 ships, Hanjin said it will hire 2,000 additional workers this year to keep the shipyard running at full capacity. (Henry Empeño, BusinessMirror)

PHOTO:
MV UASC Yas at the Hanjin shipyard in the Subic Bay Freeport.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/greek-firm-buys-2-subic-built-container-ships/

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2 APEC conferences set in Subic

Two of four conferences of senior officials of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will be held at a newly opened hotel and resort here later this month.

The First Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) of the 2015 APEC summit will take place at the P120-million Subic Grand Harbour Hotel, which has 70 luxury rooms, four suites, and an 800-seat capacity theater-type multi-function room.

At least 1,700 delegates from 22 countries are expected to attend the SOM1 from Jan. 26 to Feb. 7.

“They will use our conference facilities as well as other guest rooms, which may need refitting to accommodate requirements for the SOM1,” Bong Pineda, Subic Grand Harbour chief executive officer, told The STAR.

He said APEC national organizing council chief Marciano Parayno Jr. has tapped the hotel to be one the venues for the SOM1.

Pineda believes Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City will remain as favorite destinations for both local and foreign tourists.

The Subic Bay Freeport had hosted the APEC summit in 1996, which was attended by 24 heads of state. (Bebot Sison, Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/01/10/1411187/2-apec-conferences-set-subic

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Maersk makes maiden voyage to Port of Subic

Maersk Line, listed among the largest container shipping companies in the world, brought to this premier Philippine free port the first good news for 2015, as it marked its maiden direct voyage from Singapore to Subic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said Maersk’s MV Stadt Dresden arrived in the Port of Subic directly from Singapore at around 12:30 in the morning of January 3.

“This starts Maersk’s weekly service for a direct Singapore-Subic route,” Garcia said.

The SBMA official added that the entry of Maersk Line ushered in the new year here with good luck and good news.

Maersk Line, the largest operating unit of the Danish conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, is considered the biggest container shipping company in the world in terms of revenue and operates more than 600 vessels with a total container capacity of 3.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

MV Stadt Dresden, which started the direct Singapore-Subic route, is a registered Antigua Barbuda-flag carrier with a gross tonnage of 27,971.

According to Jerome Martinez, manager of the SBMA Seaport Department, the Stadt Dresden unloaded 12 cargo containers here. Of these, 11 were consigned to Keppel Subic while the other one was for Petron in Mandaluyong City.

Martinez further said that several international shipping lines have opened direct routes to Subic starting in November last year when China-based SITC Container Lines (Phils.), Inc. began a direct route from Xiamen, China to Subic.

SITC’s container ship MV Sicilia unloaded 22 containers at Subic’s New Container Terminal (NCT) 2 during its maiden voyage here.

This was followed by Japan-based Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line, another one of the largest shipping companies in the world, which made its first direct route to the Port of Subic from Kaohsiung, Taipei.

NYK’s MV Jakarta Towers, meanwhile, also docked at NCT-2 in Subic and unloaded 110 containers destined to various consignees in Central and Southern Luzon, as well as Metro Manila.

SBMA officials also noted that the entry to Subic of new shipping lines with direct routes from foreign ports started after President Aquino issued Executive Order 172, which classified Subic’s NCT-2 and the Port of Batangas as extension ports to help ease congestion in the Port of Manila. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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59 baby sea turtles released in Subic Bay

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Zambales—Tourists took time off from the holiday revelry at a local beach to release 59 olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) hatchlings into the Subic Bay on Saturday.

Around 50 tourists, some of them children, gathered on the shore of All Hands Beach here at 8 p.m. to set the sea turtles free.

Marife Castillo, officer of community environment and natural resources office, said several adult olive ridley sea turtles laid eggs on the resort’s beach last month.

Castillo, who witnessed the release, said All Hands Beach is among the seven major beach areas inside the free port that had been identified as nestling sites for marine turtles (pawikan).

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Ecology Center identified the beaches of Waterfront Area, Dungaree, Edgewater, Grande Island, Camayan, and Minanga as the other nesting sites for sea turtles.

Emerita Sebial, chief of protected areas, wildlife and coastal zone management service in Olongapo City, said three of the seven species of sea turtle in the world could be found in Zambales province.

Aside from the olive ridley, Sebiang said they received reports that green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) have been seen in the province.

Sebial said they released the baby sea turtles at night because fewer predators roam the sea at that time.

SBMA Chair Roberto Garcia asked residents and visitors of the free port to support the agency’s marine turtle conservation program.

“These are gentle creatures that need our protection, for without our help they would likely face extinction,” Garcia said in an earlier statement.

He said the SBMA recently launched its “Guard My Nest” sea turtle conservation program to make Subic establishments more “pawikan friendly.”

“This is why we discourage pavement constructions on the beach where the turtles lay eggs, and urge establishments to minimize lighting at night because this disorients the pawikan,” Garcia said.

Angel Bagaloyos, officer in charge of the SBMA Ecology Center, said sea turtles lay eggs mostly during the cold months, from September to February. (Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon)

59 baby sea turtles released in Subic Bay

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Subic Enerzone seeking higher power tariff at P1.5625/kwh

Subic Enerzone Corporation, which has been serving more industrial-dense subscribers primarily in the freeport zone, is seeking an upward adjustment in its power distribution tariff to P1.5625 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) from what was previously approved at P1.4905 per kwh.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), in its notice for publication of the SEZ’s filing, noted that the distribution firm has recomputed its maximum average price (MAP) for regulatory year 2015 and it arrived at a higher figure.

The ERC emphasized that in the rate translation, the SEZ “has recalculated the MAP for the regulatory year 2015, without taking into account side constraints, at P1.5625 per kwh.”

For residential customers of SEZ, it was laid down that the estimated distribution charge will amount to P1.8815 per kwh; supply charge will be at P0.2414 per kwh; while metering charge will be at P0.1981 per kwh.”

To the level of the industrial end-users, SEZ’s proposed pass-on rates will be: P0.6346 per kwh; P301.81 per kilowatt; supply charge at P4,919 per customer/month; and metering charge at P1,758.94 per customer/month.

The SEZ has noted that “the approval of the instant application will allow it to fulfill its obligations under the PBR (performance-based regulation)” – referring to the methodology in setting electricity tariffs for regulated power entities.

It added that an immediate regulatory approval shall also allow it to “implement in a timely manner its capex (capital expenditures) and OPEX (operating expenses) programs for the regulatory year 2015.”

If that is accomplished, the Subic utility firm stressed that it would be able to “avoid losses which may ultimately result in the deterioration of services to its customers.”

The ERC thus scheduled a public hearing on the SEZ’s recalculated tariff application on January 9, 2015 at the Subic Freeport Zone in Olongapo City.

“SEZ and all interested parties are directed to submit, at least five days before the date of the initial hearing and pre-trial conference, their respective pre-trial briefs,” the ERC has stipulated in its hearing notice.

This is already the fourth year of the utility firm’s second regulatory reset under the forward-looking approach of rate regulation via the PBR scheme. (Myrna Velasco, Manila Bulletin)

http://www.mb.com.ph/subic-enerzone-seeking-higher-power-tariff-at-p1-5625kwh/

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Central Luzon ‘well-poised’ for Asean economic integration

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Central Luzon is in a strong position to partake in the economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) next year, an official of the Regional Development Council (RDC-3) in Central Luzon assured, citing vigorous economic progress and positive image in the international community.

“What does it mean for us here in Central Luzon? First of all this is not an option for us because we are all involved here and all of us are stakeholders and are bound to feel the impacts of the integration,” RDC-3 chairman and Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado clarified during the RDC-3 Forum on the Asean Economic Community (AEC) held recently at the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda-3) Central Luzon Office, Diosdado Macapagal Government Center, this city.

Alvarado revealed that the RDC-3, in particular, was tasked to determine the opportunities and challenges of establishing relevant programs, which will highlight the strengths of the Central Luzon within the context of the impending Asean economic integration.

“By December next year, the Asean Economic Community or AEC will take full effect, although this is not something new because we know that the initiative for integration was signed way back in 2000 during the Asean 2000 Summit,” he said.

The forum, which concurrently served as the 14th Session of the RDC-3, was participated in by key government and private stakeholders, including lawyer Jonas Leones, Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Brenda Joyce Mendoza, Director, Neda Trade and Services and Industry Staff; Alberto Lina, Chairman, Lina Group of Companies; Severino Santos, Director, Neda-3; and other local officials of Central Luzon.

"The forum on Asean Economic Community of the RDC-3 aims to increase the level of awareness of RDC3 members and other stakeholders on AEC, particularly its implications to national and regional economy," said Santos.

Leones stressed the competitive edge of Central Luzon in the Asean economic integration in terms of its strategic location, covering both the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Clark Freeport Zone, which has its own international airport.

“Central Luzon has been identified as the new ‘epicenter’ of big investments because of the massive influx of opportunities here, especially in the Subic and Clark. It certainly has a high potential to perform well on the Asean economic integration next year,” Leones said.

Mendoza shared that the AEC offers massive business opportunities that both the public and the private sector must exploit to copiously benefit from its advantages.

"The asean Economic Community is something not to be feared about. AEC can be explored and taken advantage of," urged Mendoza.

Challenges ahead

Central Luzon may be a robust economic player in the international stage, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, but Alvarado said the government still has a long way to go in terms of creating development strategies that will ensure its readiness for AEC implementation.

“Most of us who have been with the RDC can attest that for many years now we have been working towards the realization of some very important critical infrastructures for Central Luzon such as the Clark International Airport, coastal highway that will link Sangley Point in Cavite to the Bataan Special Economic Zone, North Rail or mass transport system linking Metro Manila to the Clark International Airport and the Balog-balog dam to name a few,” cited Alvarado.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), according to Alvarado, are also expected to significantly gain from the trade and investment opportunities of this new arrangement but there are still some key economic issues that needs to be addressed.

“For example, on the target of eliminating or having zero tariff rates—as early as January 2010, more than 99 percent of tariff lines between ASEAN six member countries have been brought down to zero in line with the goals of ASEAN Free Trade Area or AFTA,” he said adding that ASEAN must work on further eliminating trade barriers and undertaking agreements with important economic powers, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Competitive advantages

Mendoza, nevertheless, mentioned that the country is already "well-poised" to compete with its neighbors in the Southeast Asian region.

"The Philippines has been gaining the confidence of international community as evidenced by the credit rating upgrades given by debt-watchers Moody's Investor Service and Fitch Ratings. This means that we are in a great position in terms of the economy," she said.

The growth from 2010 to 2013, according to Neda, recorded the highest four-year average growth since 1979 and this will ascertain that the Philippines will gain from the AEC.

Meanwhile, Alvarado supported this statement, citing the presence of many Filipinos abroad.

“Our network of Overseas Filipinos stands out as a distinct advantage over Asean counterparts because relatively, most of the Philippines’ work force is proficient in English. Another advantage is that we have the high average growth or Gross Domestic Product in the current decade,” he said.

The Asean integration puts in motion the materialization of the AEC, which envision Southeast Asia as "a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy."

The Asean is a 10-nation regional bloc that includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (Ferth Vandensteen Manaysay, Sun Star Pampanga)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/12/22/central-luzon-well-poised-asean-economic-integration-383323

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Computer app helps Subic students learn BPO English

Students from various colleges in Subic Bay Freeport area are now benefitting from LEAP, a computer application software designed to address the English proficiency of Filipinos to meet the demand of the growing business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country.

LEAP, which stands for Learning English Application for Pinoys, was introduced here last September by the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to several local colleges and had since earned raves from student-beneficiaries.

Royce Vincent Palo, a Customs Administrations major at the Lyceum of Subic Bay (LSB) said that he is very grateful to become one of the first LEAP trainees.

“It’s a great program wherein fun and learning, which normally don't come together, have been successfully combined,” noted Palo.

“The program encourages us to recall our past lessons, many of which have long been forgotten, and while it still has some glitches, it was very effective,” he added.

Jenny Ching, another LSB student tutored under the program, also praised the LEAP project, describing it as “very helpful for Filipinos who cannot speak English well, especially for those preparing for job interviews.”

The LEAP program is stand-alone computer application software, which gives tests and lessons to students to improve their communication skills. This includes grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, which are considered as major deficiencies for most Filipinos.

The program is composed of English training modules that run for a total of 200 hours. Participants here took lessons every Saturday and completed the course last December 13.

LEAP was developed by the UP Diliman’s Engineering Department, Department of English and Comparative Literature, Department of Arts and Letters, and the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. The program was funded by the DOST and was launched in July 2014.

Last September, UP and DOST introduced LEAP to students at the Lyceum of Subic Bay, Columban College, Mondriaan Aura College, Subic Bay College, and Gordon College.

Students who joined the program took pre-tests to assess their basic English skills before using the application under the supervision of UP representatives.

Last Monday, UP and DOST officials returned to conduct a post-program assessment to gauge the effectiveness of the program, as well as to listen to the evaluation by the program participants.

Data from the participants, including comments on perceived flaws in the computer application, will be used for further development of the application software, UP officials said.

The program organizers also expressed gratitude to the students who participated in the program, particularly for their comments and suggestions to help improve the LEAP software.

Meanwhile, SBMA Labor Department head Severo Pastor, who attended the program assessment with SBMA Deputy Administrator for Legal Affairs Randy Escolango, thanked UP and DOST for bringing the LEAP program to Subic, pointing out that it would also benefit Subic’s growing BPO industry.

Pastor said that SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia has been eyeing to develop Subic Bay Freeport as a BPO center to cash in on the growing proficiency of local information technology workers.

Pastor said the LEAP program would help students and workers in the IT sector here to further enhance their capabilities and market their skills. (YCM/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA to hold training-program on CSR

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) wants the locators of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) to regard corporate social responsibility (CSR) not as a mere philanthropic initiative but as a mature, refined discipline.

Victor Persius Chan, CSR manager of Redondo Peninsula Energy Incorporated (RP Energy), issued this call on Wednesday during a media briefing held at the Buma Hotel, Moonbay Marina Area, this Freeport.

Several media group were invited to the SBMA’s briefing on its upcoming “CSR 101”training program, which will take place on January 21 to 22, 2015 at the Subic Holiday Villas.

The two-day training program, organized by the SBMA together with its CSR partners, RP Energy, and the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce, has been dubbed “From Philanthropy to Strategy: Moving SBFZ towards Sustainability”, in reference to the goal of enhancing the awareness and understanding of the practice of CSR within the Freeport.

The SBMA invites officers and managers from the following fields to join the training-program: CSR, community relations, public relations, and human resources.

Business owners, who are interested in executing sustainable development programs in relation to their respective businesses, may also participate.

Resource speakers from different multinational companies will share their knowledge and expertise concerning various aspects in the practice of sustainable CSR programs.

“The program hopes to professionalize the practice of CSR and gear it towards sustainable practices, which will benefit all of the communities and businesses around the Freeport. In particular, it will sharpen and improve the practice of CSR among SBFZ practitioners,” said Armina Belleza-Llamas, manager of the SBMA Public Relations Department.

Donna May Tamayo, executive director of the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce, described the CSR initiatives of the SBFZ locators mostly as “reactive” activities, which largely depend on the most pressing challenges that have been confronting the area.

“Most of the CSR activities were just responses to the usual problems that the Freeport encounters such as the disaster risk management. But not much has been done regarding the other concerns of the community. We also want the CSR practitioners to focus not only on the disaster-related programs,” stressed Tamayo.

Meanwhile, Chan discussed the program’s learning sessions, which include lectures and workshops on executing strategic CSR programs, creating CSR partnerships, and managing social impact reports and evaluations, among others.

“The participants can expect to learn how they can market their ideas to management and the media. They will get tips on effectively selling their CSR programs to the shareholders,” said Chan, citing the success of “Protect the Bay” initiative, which aimed to ensure the sustainability of Subic Bay by supporting the local government unit’s rehabilitation and protection efforts in various areas within the bay as well as the local enforcement of environmental policies.

The proceeds of the activity will go to the Giant Clam Seeding Project of SBMA as part of the Protect the Bay program.

Registration for the event costs P3,500, inclusive of meals, training kit, certificates, and loot bags. Interested participants may contact the CSR 101 secretariat for the registration form via phone number (047) 252-3180, fax number 252-3190, or email admin@sbfcc.com and csr@rpenergy.ph.

For more information about the program, the applicants may also reach Victor Persius Chan (09998846462), Armie Lllamas (09175579946), and Donna Tamayo (09285591095). (Sun Star Pampanga)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/12/19/sbma-hold-training-program-csr-382845

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SBMA urges stakeholders to guard pawikan nests

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia made a personal appeal to residents and visitors in Subic Bay Freeport Zone to be mindful of nesting places of sea turtles in the free port, and report any sighting and nesting to the agency’s Ecology Center.

“These are gentle creatures that need our protection, for without our help they would likely face extinction,” Garcia pointed out.

“So I’m making a personal appeal to everyone to support our marine turtle conservation program. The presence of these sea turtles or pawikan makes Subic a very special place,” he added.

Garcia said that the SBMA recently launched its “Guard My Nest” sea turtle conservation program to enjoin stakeholders’ participation in making Subic establishments more pawikan-friendly.

“This is why we discourage pavement constructions on the beach where the turtles lay eggs, and urge establishments to minimize lighting at night because this disorients the pawikan,” Garcia said.

“Most of all, we are asking everyone to help keep our beaches clean so that they remain suitable for nesting,” he added.

At least seven beach areas in the free port have been identified as nesting sites for marine turtles. These are the beaches at the Waterfront area, All Hands, Dungaree, Edgewater, Grande Island, Camayan, and Minanga.

“All of these areas, however, contain beach resorts and other commercial tourism establishments, which makes it really important for Subic stakeholders to join us in this campaign,” Garcia also said.

According to Angel Bagaloyos, officer in charge of the SBMA Ecology Center, one out of the six marine turtle species, the Olive ridley, visit Subic Bay to lay eggs, and mostly during the cold months from September to February. Sightings of two other species have been reported here, as well.

This nesting season, the SBMA Ecology Center has already recorded sea turtle nesting at All Hands Beach, with a total of 268 eggs laid; Grande Island, with a total of 835 eggs laid; and Camayan Beach, with a total of 314 eggs.

The eggs are expected to hatch starting this month, and until February, said Rhea Jane Pescador-Mallari, project coordinator of the “Guard My Nest” program.

To help protect the marine turtles, the SBMA Ecology Center tags visiting nesters to add to a global database, guards known nesting sites from predators, and, along with local stakeholders, releases hatchlings to help ensure their survival. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] An Olive ridley sea turtle comes to Subic Bay to lay eggs

[2] A marine turtle nest

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Olongapo traders venture in Subic Freeport hotel project

Last year, this group of businessmen-friends simply wished to have a relaxing place in this free port where they could have late night dinners after long days spent in business meetings and conferences.

Last week, they opened a 70-room hotel and resort complete with a poolside bar and a 24/7 restaurant where they can dine even at very late hours.

This is the Subic Grand Harbour Hotel, the first business venture that members of the Metro Olongapo Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (MOCCI) have established as a joint project in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Among the personalities who graced the inauguration of Subic Grand Harbour Hotel last Thursday were Sen. Paulo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia, and Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino.

MOCCI President Aurelio “Bong” Pineda said the project began as a felt need among local businessmen last year.

“We wanted to relax and dine after meetings, but couldn’t find a suitable place at the Freeport. So I asked my colleagues, why don’t we just put up our own place where we can have what we want?” recalled Pineda during the inauguration.

“We (in the MOCCI) believe that Subic remains among the top favorite destinations for local tourists. That is why we couldn’t find a place to go to last year, as the restaurants and hotels were full of customers almost all year round,” Pineda said.

Having made the decision to build their own place, members of the MOCCI chipped in their resources to open the Subic Grand Harbour Hotel in the free port.

Sen. Aquino IV, who cut the ceremonial ribbon during the inauguration, lauded the partnership among businessmen-friends, saying the project “is a true testament of friendship.”

Aquino also noted that the local government of Olongapo City is throwing its full support behind MOCCI, even as members of the group had chosen to put their business inside the Subic Freeport instead of in the city.

For his part, SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia expressed his appreciation of MOCCI’s confidence with the direction taken by the Subic agency under his administration.

“With the new grand hotel, we are now more confident that we have your trust to lead Subic Freeport towards a brighter future, brighter than how we performed last year,” said Garcia, referring to the SBMA’s record-breaking accomplishment of achieving a net profit of P1.2 billion last year, the highest in the 21-year history of the SBMA.

Garcia added that the Subic Grand Harbour Hotel project would also serve to boost efforts by the SBMA to promote Subic as a year-round tourism destination. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino (3rd from left) and SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia lead the opening of the Subic Grand Harbour Hotel, along with MOCCI President Aurelio Pineda (left) and SBMA Chief Operating Officer Joven Reyes (right). (AED/MPD-SBMA)

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Zoobic, saving wildlife inside the Freeport’s ‘Noah’s Ark’

Subic Bay Freeport, Zambales — A tiger’s roar can be heard occasionally, breaking the buzz of people rushing to the entrance of one of the newest attractions in Subic. Once inside, there’s a feel like one has traveled across continents to this jungle book-come-alive.

A visitor tells her company, “It feels like we’re not in Subic anymore,” perhaps because even the musky scent tells her she’s moving into the wild which no amount of perfume can conceal.

Then, the initial view of animal after animal — not the ones commonly seen in stretches of farmlands on a long drive to the provinces; but a collection of really wild species of animals completely foreign, except perhaps for he pot-bellied pigs.

Here, where the animal kingdom is well represented amid a landscape of diverse fauna, any man will easily second guess his top spot in the food chain.

For in this modern Noah’s Ark, the animals are the priority. With preservation in mind, this beautiful enclosure for animals is not only for entertainment, but education as well.

Aptly called Zoobic Safari, the area boasts of a biodiversity as well as an area that spans thousands of hectares of rainforest inside this premier Freeport zone.

THE “ZOOMANITARIAN”

The area was conceptualized by businessman Robert Yupangco, who takes pride in being a “Filipino Zoomanitarian.”

Yupangco started this endeavor during Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Felicito Payumo’s term just before the turn of the millennium. He envisioned an area where animals roam freely and interact with guests.

At his birthday here last Saturday, Yupangco’s love for animals, however, did not eclipse his heart for the people under his employ. They and their families – some from the Ayta community in Botolan – joined children from the Niños Pagasa in Olongapo City in an all-out treat at Zoobic Safari.

He gave them gifts and a share of his profits. In doing so, Yupangco believes, his employees will love their company, treasure their jobs more, and share his passion for animal conservation.

THE WILD CATS

Zoobic Safari already has more than 40 tigers, including white tigers and baby tigers that were bred inside the facility. The company has successfully bred the two tigers, but is still trying to produce more white tigers for their rarity.

Lions are also present in the facility, but are separated from the tiger enclosure due to cat fights. I guess we might still not see a liger in Subic Freeport.

There are only 4,000 tigers left in the wild. With one percent of the population of tigers found in Zoobic, there might come a time when the Filipinos will be the ones reintroducing the species to their original habitat.

At the start of the 20th century, it is estimated there were over 100,000 tigers in the wild, but the population has dwindled outside of captivity to between 1,500 and 3,500. Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.

Demand for tiger parts for use in traditional Chinese medicine has also been cited as a major threat to tiger populations. The global wild tiger population was estimated by the World Wide Fund for Nature at 3,200 in 2011.

CROCS AND MORE

Aside from the big cats, Zoobic Safari also has a crocodile safari that lets you feed a crocodile with a chicken part dangling on a pole. With powerful muscles, the crocodile can easily propel itself towards the bait. Visitors who are not fast enough get their baits eaten early by these giant reptiles.

A savannah for camels, ostriches, Wagyu or Japanese cows, pot-bellied pigs, mountain goats, ponies and other animals is found inside the facility. There is also a Serpentarium, Rodent World, Bird Walk and Aeta’s Trail here.

“But we will also be having a Kamikazoo where there will be a capsule on a zipline going towards a tiger enclosure. It will be the same as the Tiger Safari yet the difference is that the thrill of zipping thru a line is added in the tiger encounter,” Yupangco said.

All these ideas are what set him apart from zoo developers, making him, perhaps, a modern day Noah. He micromanages because he believes he is working towards his vision for the country – to be the last place on earth where endangered animals are safe. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTOS:
[1] CLOSE ENCOUNTER — A rare white tiger plays ‘fight’ with a golden tiger inside an enclosure at Zoobic Safari inside the Subic Freeport.

[3,4] KILLER LOOKS AND ZOOBIC CHARMS — A healthy python seems to beckon (left) as Aeta children, sons and daughters of employees of Zoobic Safari, receive gifts from wildlife advocate and park owner Robert Yupangco (fourth from right) on the occasion of his birth anniversary last Saturday at the Subic Freeport.

[2] CROCODILE APPEAL — Crocodiles stay in their zone for visitors to view their deadly appeal.

http://www.mb.com.ph/zoobic-saving-wildlife-inside-the-freeports-noahs-ark/

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Philippines' total approved foreign investments down by 44.4 percent in Q3 2014

MANILA - Total foreign investments (FI) approved in the third quarter of 2014 by the seven investment promotion agencies (IPAs), namely: Board of Investments (BOI), Clark Development Corporation (CDC), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) as well as the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB), BOI-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BOI-ARMM), and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) amounted to P18.3 billion, 44.4 percent lower than the P32.9 billion recorded in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, total approved FI for the first nine months of 2014 reached P91.8 billion, declining by 35.4 percent from the amount recorded last year at P142.1 billion.

The top three prospective investing countries during the quarter include the Netherlands, Japan, and the United States of America (USA). Netherlands topped the list, pledging P4.4 billion or 24.3 percent share, followed by Japan and USA, committing P3.7 billion and P2.8 billion, or 20.1 percent and 15.3 percent of the total approved FI, respectively.

Manufacturing industry contributed the largest amount of committed foreign investments in the third quarter of 2014, with investment pledges recorded at P8.8 billion or 48.0 percent of the total FI. Administrative and support service activities came in second, contributing 20.8 percent or P3.8 billion worth of investment commitments, followed by real estate activities, which accounted for 13.3 percent or P2.4 billion.

Approved investments of foreign and Filipino nationals reached P159.6 billion during the period, declining by 15.7 percent from last year’s P189.3 billion. Filipino nationals continued to dominate the investments approved during the quarter, sharing 88.5 percent or P141.3 billion worth of pledges.

Bulk of the investments are intended to finance activities in manufacturing, contributing P67.6 billion and with a share of 42.4 percent, followed by real estate activities at P31.4 billion or 19.7 percent share, and construction at P24.8 billion or 15.5 percent share.

Total projects of foreign and Filipino investors approved by the seven IPAs in the third quarter of 2014 are expected to generate 54,606 jobs, an increase of 38.9 percent from last year’s projected employment of 39,314 jobs in the same period. Out of these anticipated jobs, 74.3 percent would come from projects with foreign interest. (PIA) 

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2131418721159/total-approved-foreign-investments-down-by-44-4-percent-in-q3-2014-

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Subic Ayta tribe okays $200-M renewable energy project

The Pastolan Ayta community has approved the establishment of a renewable energy project to be located inside an 800-hectare area of the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Ayta tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla and Ayta elder Bonifacio Florentino signed a memorandum of agreement on Friday with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia and Jobin SQM Inc. President Nancy Tan for the implementation of the energy project on Mount Sta. Rita here.

Tan also presented the Ayta leaders with a P1-million check representing the company’s donation to the tribe.

The proceeding s was witnessed by representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), which oversees the welfare of native communities.

According to Chairman Garcia, Jobin SQM Inc. intends to build a $200-million facility here that will produce power from clean energy sources. The facility will produce 150 megawatts of combined solar and wind energy.

Garcia said the project is in line with RA 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which aims to accelerate the exploration and development of renewable energy resources, increase utilization of such and promote their efficient and cost-effective commercial application. The law was also designed to effectively prevent or reduce harmful emissions to protect public health and the environment.

The alternative energy project, Garcia further said, was formally committed during President Aquino’s state visit to China in September 2011.

The development and promotion of renewable energy has been set as among the priority projects of the national government under the Investment Priorities Plan of 2012.

To carry out the Subic project, Jobin has successfully satisfied the requirements set by the Department of Energy and has engaged the partnership of HydroChina International Engineering Co., LTD. (HIECL) for a joint venture.

HydroChina, which engages in renewable energy development projects worldwide, operates projects in the fields of hydropower and water conservancy, solar and electric power, as well as ports, highways and buildings.

Garcia said the Jobin project will be a pioneering venture for the establishment of renewable energy facilities in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
[1] SUBIC RENEWABLE ENERGY. SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (center) signs an agreement for the development of renewable energy projects in the Subic Bay Freeport with Jobin SQM President Nancy Tan (2nd from right), and Ayta tribal leaders Conrado Frenilla (2nd from left) and Bonifacio Florentino. The alternative energy project—a 150-megawatt solar and wind power facility—will be located at an area covered by the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

[2] P1-MILLION DONATION. Jobin SQM President Nancy Tan presents a check worth P1 million to Ayta tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla, as SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia looks approvingly. Jobin SQM Inc. will develop a 150-megawatt solar and wind power facility that will be located at an area covered by the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

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