OFW repatriation program yields P96-M income for Subic hotels

The government’s repatriation program for distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has generated about P96 million in income for hotels and accommodation facilities in the Subic Bay area in the last two months, boosting the local tourism industry despite travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the new revenue stream comes from room charges for the mandatory quarantine of OFWs and other returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) who are brought home via the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).  

The hotel charges are paid for by the national government under the Repatriation Assistance Program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Eisma said more than 4,300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been repatriated through the SBIA ever since the Philippine Airlines (PAL) used Subic as alternate gateway for the repatriation program early last July.

She said 17 OFW flights had arrived in Subic since July, with at least 180 and up to more than 300 passengers per aircraft. While some flights had been diverted to Clark, the arriving passengers were all quarantined here in Subic.

Most of the passengers were land-based workers from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while some came from Macau. A few arrived with their dependents.

“At around P2,600 per OFW per day, and with the quarantine period ranging from seven to 10 days, hotels earn at least P18,200 or at most P26,000 for each arriving OFW. The more than 4,300 OFWs who have arrived in Subic under the repatriation program therefore translates to about P96 million in total hotel earnings for two months,” Eisma said.

The SBMA chief added that the OFW repatriation program “has been good for local hotels, which have been lacking customers since the pandemic began in March last year.”

“We are also happy to be able to help speed up the government’s repatriation program,” Eisma added.

According to the SBMA Tourism Department, a total of 23 hotels and accommodation facilities with combined capacity of close to a thousand rooms have signed up for the quarantine hotel program. Nineteen of these are in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and four are in Olongapo City.

Eisma said the SBMA is encouraging more local hotels to sign up with the Department of Tourism for accreditation in the program.

The OFWs are billeted in the local hotels based on availability of rooms. With the latest PAL flights to Subic this month for example, eight Subic Freeport hotels booked a total of 197 passengers while two Olongapo hotels got 137 arrivals on August 12.

On August 20, meanwhile, 189 arriving passengers were accommodated in nine Subic hotels, while an Olongapo hotel billeted 41.

As of August 15, the OWWA said it had repatriated 651,641 pandemic-affected OFWs since the government started the Covid-19 repatriation program in March last year. A total of 391,709 OFWs returned home last year, while 259,932 were brought back to the country this year.

Recently, the OWWA said it needed P7.5 billion more to augment its funds for the repatriation program that it expects to carry out at a rate of 2,000 OFWs each day until the end of this year. (MPD-SBMA)

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Red Cross medical tent to augment Subic hospital’s Covid-19 capacity

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has donated a fully air-conditioned medical tent to the Baypointe Hospital here to serve as an extension Covid-19 isolation and treatment unit for possible spillover cases of the highly infectious disease. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the medical tent was installed on Wednesday at the emergency admittance area of Baypointe, the only hospital in the Subic Freeport Zone that admits Covid cases from Olongapo City, Bataan and Zambales.

“We have here the hospital tent from the Philippine Red Cross that we hope can help Baypointe catch up with the growing numbers of Covid cases. This tent is fully air-conditioned, has 10 to 20-bed capacity, and will hopefully augment our needs as of this time,” Eisma said on Thursday.

“We are truly grateful that Senator (Richard) Gordon never misses on giving Subic his priority, as we fight a collective battle against this pandemic,” Eisma added. Gordon, who was the first SBMA chairman, is now chairman of the Philippine Red Cross.

Eisma said the medical tent is invaluable to Subic because of the rising number of Covid cases in the locality. “We have to be proactive. We have to be ready. We will not wait until we cannot catch up anymore,” she stressed.

“I will not want Subic to be ill-prepared for what may happen. So, this is one of the first steps that we are doing to make sure that we are ready should the pandemic escalate even more,” Eisma added.

According to Dr. Erlinda Alconga, Baypointe’s expert on infectious diseases, more patients are seeking admittance at the hospital because they have Covid pneumonia, with a total of 68 currently in the waiting list.

“Before our bed capacity for Covid cases was only 29, but now we attend to about 40 to 50 patients at Baypointe,” she added.

Baypointe director Dr. Felicisimo de Castro, meanwhile, said the medical tent is a very welcome gift from the Red Cross and Senator Richard Gordon, who is Red Cross chairman.

“We thank the community for giving support and we acknowledge with much appreciation the help that SBMA is providing us. This will go a long way in alleviating the desperate plight of our patients who wait outside just to be able to gain admission in our hospital, which is now full to capacity,” De Castro also said.

Both Alconga and Eisma also stressed their call for Subic stakeholders to observe minimum health protocols and to get vaccinated.

As of Thursday, August 19, the neighboring city of Olongapo has reported a total of 406 active Covid-19 cases and a total of 3,416 confirmed cases since the pandemic began early last year.

The neighboring province of Zambales, which has shifted back its quarantine status early this week to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions, has reported a total of 644 active cases, among the total confirmed cases of 5,156.

On the other hand, the province of Bataan, which is under Extreme Community Quarantine (ECQ), has reported a total of 2,519 active cases, out of the total 15,721 confirmed cases. (MPD-SBMA)

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CSC to confer SBMA with HRM award

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is set to confer the Bronze Level Award to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM). 

CSC Director IV Fernando Mendoza said in a letter to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma that the Subic agency merited the award for exemplifying “a process-defined human resource management in all the four core HRM systems under the Enhance Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management.”

“This award is a manifestation that you all worked hard together to adopt the tools on improving HRM systems. We hope that this award will continue to inspire your agency to embrace PRIME-HRM and take the challenges on reinforcing HR functions,” he added.

The CSC also recognized the role of the agency’s Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) in facilitating the achievement of the award. Fernando also assured the SBMA of continued support and assistance until it reaches the level of strategic HR.

The PRIME-HRM is the CSC’s mechanism to cope up with the current pandemic situation. It said that agencies and human resource management practitioners should look into the post-pandemic role of the HR and prepare for the challenges of recovery.

CSC Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala said the country’s transition to a post-pandemic world brings to fore the compelling role of HR in preparing government agencies and civil servants for changes in the workplace.

“We should now start planning for a recovery strategy. How will the workplace look like after the pandemic? What will public service delivery look like? What policies and programs do we need to review or to introduce to better adapt to a better normal?” Bala said.

Chairman Eisma, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to the CSC on behalf of the SBMA and pointed out that the award was the result of the hard work and “malasakit” that the SBMA Human Resource Management Department has shown for all personnel.

She added that the role of the HRMD is vital for the growth of the agency and that providing trainings, rewards, flexible work schedules and other incentives have been instrumental for the SBMA in providing better public service.

CSC will conduct the awarding virtually through the Zoom platform on September 10. The ceremony will be streamed live on the facebook page of CSC Regional Office 3. (MPD-SBMA)

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Second group of A4 workers get jabbed in Subic Freeport

Another Covid-19 vaccination program for workers was carried out here on Wednesday (Aug. 11), exactly two weeks after the launching of the government’s vaccination drive for frontline personnel in essential sectors or the A4 priority group in this Freeport. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the second privately-initiated workers’ vaccination program opened at the TeleEmpire Inc. office here to benefit the firm’s 280 employees.

The project was held in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), which assisted in vaccne access, as well as in the Resbakuna center accreditation.

“I hope more companies in Subic would follow suit to have their employees vaccinated, so that we all can have peace of mind while going about our own businesses,” said Eisma, who continues to drumbeat the importance of having workers inoculated against the Covid-19 virus.

“Again, I urge Freeport workers to register for any vaccination program offered by their employers, or by their respective local government unit. It doesn’t really matter what brand of vaccine is available; what’s important is getting the dose that would keep you safe from the virus,” she added.

Eisma and Secretary Vince Dizon of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-an, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque launched the government’s vaccination drive for economic frontliners at the Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. here on July 27.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao the vaccine rollout at TeleEmpire was administered by medical staff from the privately-owned ZMMG Coop Women’s and Children Hospital in Olongapo City, using Sinovac vaccine.

Charry Navarro, administrative officer of TeleEmpire, said the one-day vaccination schedule would provide the first dose of the vaccine to all the firm’s 280 workers.

Meanwhile, TeleEmpire president and CEO Johannes Lin lauded the SBMA for its efforts in enforcing health protocols in the Subic Bay Freeport and helping locators get vaccine allocations.

Lin also thanked the firm’s Filipino employees for their concern to fellow workers and for showing discipline during the pandemic.

“Everybody wants to be comfortable while working inside the office, that is why everybody is doing their share to keep themselves healthy and Covid-free,” he added.

Lin also said that TeleEmpire had prohibited employees from going around the Freeport, even in the malls, and had set up recreational facilities and a mini-store in the TeleEmpire complex to encourage workers to stay in their quarters when not in duty.

The firm provides facility management services and business process outsourcing services to Philippine overseas gaming operators located out of the Freeport.

Lin said the firm had planned to initiate vaccination of workers as early as April this year, but most of the employees worried about the effect of the vaccines after reading negative reactions from the social media.

“Proper information from medical experts and distributing reading materials about the Covid-19 vaccines convinced our workers to get vaccinated,” Lin happily said. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA distributes P166.16-M revenue shares to LGUs

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) released on Friday (August 6) a total of P166,167,942.10 representing the 2021 first semester revenue shares for the eight local government units (LGUs) contiguous to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the new release is 7.29 % higher than the P154,873,605.57 distributed in the same period last year, although far smaller than the shares given before the Covid-19 pandemic caused economic slowdown among businesses in Subic Freeport.

Eisma said the determination by the SBMA to stop the spread of Covid-19 here, coupled by continuous efforts to develop new revenue streams helped increase the agency’s income this year and subsequently the LGU allocations despite the economic downturn. 

The LGUs that benefit from SBMA revenue shares are Olongapo City, the municipalities of Subic, San Marcelino, Castillejos, and San Antonio in Zambales, and the towns of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, and Morong in Bataan.

For the first semester of 2021, Olongapo City received the highest share amounting to P38,646,910.80, followed by Subic with P25,403,910.86, and Dinalupihan with P20,667,618.91.

The rest received their shares as follows: San Marcelino, P19,914,780.16; Hermosa, P17,301,942.69; Castillejos, P15,553,376.27; Morong, P14,439,842.95; and San Antonio, P14,239,559.46.

Cheques for the LGU shares were turned over to LGU representatives by SBMA Deputy Administrator for Finance Antonietta Sanqui last Friday.

Before this, the SBMA had released LGU shares totaling P656.85 million in the last two years alone. These include P203.13 million in August 2019, P175.73 million in February 2020, P154.87 million in September 2020, and P123.1 million last February.

Meanwhile, LGU executives who attended the turnover of shares said they would use the money to fund various health programs of the LGUs, especially the fight against the Covid-19 virus.

Mayor Elvis Soria of San Marcelino, Zambales said the funds are most welcome “especially these days when the rainy season affects many of our constituents and there’s a need to allocate funds for relief operations.”

Subic Mayor Jonathan John Khonghun, meanwhile, said they would also use part of the money for infrastructure projects like road construction, as well as for scholarship program “now that the school year is going to begin soon.”

The LGU shares are taken from the five-percent taxes paid by business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport and are apportioned among LGUs according to population (50%), land area (25%), and equal sharing (25%).

Republic Act No. 9400, which amended RA 7227 or the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, directs the SBMA to allocate two out of the five percent of gross income earned for LGU shares. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA posts P1.66-B midyear revenue, other positive measures

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) posted positive records in most of its key performance indicators this year, including a P1.66-billion operating revenue that surpassed last year’s first half profits by 8.62%.

In a report to the Office of the President, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency “capped its 2021 first semester performance with major accomplishments in its key measures” even when a few areas remain impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and recorded actual decline.

“The general trend is upward where the SBMA was able to accelerate growth and surpass its performances in the previous year,” Eisma added in her report dated July 15.

Among the measures showing positive growth from January to July 2021 were operating revenue, port operations, employment, business registration, and import and export performance. Only tourism income, non-containerized cargo volume, and committed investments have yet to pick up, Eisma said.

For starters, SBMA’s operating revenue increased from P1.53 billion in the first six months of 2020 to P1.66 billion in the same period this year. Eisma said that while this was still short by P226 million, or 11.96%, when compared to the pre-pandemic record of P1.88 billion in 2019, “it still shows how fast Subic is able to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 health crisis and the resulting global economic slowdown.”

Subic’s revenue growth in the first half is boosted by a P718-million collection from leases, P685 million from port operations, P189 million from regulatory fees, and P69 million from miscellaneous sources.

Meanwhile, SBMA’s port revenue reached P645.8 million in the first semester, which was 17% higher than last year’s figures. The increase came mainly from a 14%-increase in containerized cargo, which rose from 107,740 TEUs in 2020 to 122,862 TEUs this year, even when non-containerized cargo slid by 2.5% from 3.54 million metric tons in 2020 to 3.46 million MTs this year.

Eisma also pointed out that Subic performed better in terms of import and export, with $842.29 million in imports that was 40% higher than the $601.8 million last year, and $636.8 million in export value that was 86% higher than last year.

Meanwhile, the the Subic Bay Freeport workforce kept growing despite the pandemic. From a total of 134,268 in 2019, it grew to 138,110 by the end of 2020 to 138,964 in the first half of 2021. The services sector employed a total of 101,390 workers or about 73%.

Likewise, even when the 2021 first semester committed investment total of P873.75 million was 14% lower than that of last year’s, the number of registered Subic investors continued to grow from 1,691 in 2019 to 1,706 in 2020 and to 1,744 by midyear 2021.

In terms of tourism, meanwhile, Subic posted a modest grown of 32% with 3.2 million same-day visitors in the first half of 2021; a slight increase in tourist arrivals from 149,951 in 2020 to 206,229 this year; as well as a modest growth in hotel occupancy, which increased from 20% in 2020 to 26.7% this year.

Eisma attributed the growth in key sectors to sound economic policies, best practices in anti-Covid measures, and a vision for renewed growth under the new normal. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA chief urges Subic stakeholders to get vaccinated

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma called on residents and workers in the Subic Bay Freeport to register for Covid-19 vaccination and take advantage of the free vaccines being rolled out by the government. 

Eisma made the appeal on Wednesday as the SBMA and the Department of Health (DOH) began administering the second dose of Covid-19 vaccines to Subic Bay residents and SBMA employees in the A1 to A3 priority groups and after launching the vaccine program for economic frontliners in the A4 group last Tuesday.

“This is very important in order for the Subic Bay Freeport businesses to pick up and reopen new opportunities,” Eisma said.

“Because the workers and resident-investors are the backbone of the local economy, we urge them to keep safe so that they may continue to be healthy and productive. And the best way to keep safe in this pandemic is to get vaccinated,” she added.

Eisma said the DOH-SBMA vaccination program is moving at an even faster rate with more vaccines being allocated by the government to the Subic Bay Freeport.

Last Tuesday, a total of 300 doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived as initial doses for the A4 group following the ceremonial A4 vaccination held at Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. office.

Eisma said she has also received a commitment from the national government for the weekly release of vaccines for workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to boost the A4 vaccination program.

She said the A4 vaccination program is expected to snowball among business locators here and will help bring about Subic’s economic revival.

On Wednesday, hundreds of recipients, including senior citizens, queued at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall here for the scheduled second dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine administered by SBMA health workers from 10 a.m. to 12 noon under the DOH-SBMA program.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said the DOH has allotted 240 doses for Wednesday’s rollout, and gave 180 doses of the Janssen one-dose vaccine for the July 27 rollout at the Harbor Point here.

Yambao said the SBMA’s Public Health and Safety Department had so far recorded a total of 2,068 recipients of Covid-19 vaccine in Subic, of whom 1,105 are SBMA employees.

“With the continuous deployment of vaccines by DOH, we would achieve the level of population protection, hopefully, within the third quarter of the year,” he added.

In last Wednesday’s rollout, Customs District Collector for Subic Marites Martin lauded the SBMA for its Covid-19 vaccination program, and thanked the Subic agency for accommodating Customs personnel in the rollout. “You are helping many of our residents in the Freeport,” she said.

Martin, who resides in the Subic Freeport, also received her second dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine that day. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic kicks off vaccination of economic frontliners

The vaccination drive for economic frontliners in the country began in this Freeport on Tuesday with five workers at Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. getting their first shot of Covid-19 vaccine in a ceremonial launch.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Wilma T. Eisma said the vaccination program is expected to snowball among the registered business locators here and help bring about Subic’s economic revival. 

“This undertaking is very important because the workers are the backbone of the economy and it is important that we maintain their well-being and safety at all times,” she also said.

The ceremonial vaccination was organized by the SBMA, the Department of Health (DOH), the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF), and the Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

Secretary Vince Dizon, who is deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19, witnessed the ceremony along with Eisma, DOH Undersecretary Roger Tong-an, Zambales Vice Governor Jay Khonghun, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who also conducted a press briefing later at the vaccination site.

Among the first to be vaccinated were Nidec President Kiyoshi Sato, the firm’s general manager Marissa Tamayo, and Carol Adamos, Dexter Saludez, and Ruel Fernandez, all workers at the manufacturing company.

Sato said the Nidec employees were honored to be chosen for the launch of the A4 mass vaccination in the Philippines. “Due to the support that we received from SBMA Chairman Eisma, the DOH team and the Philippine government, we are able to provide the vaccine to you all today, free of charge,” Sato also told Nidec workers.

Sato said the company has been operating in the Subic Freeport since 1998 as a factory for hard-disc drive motors, and has invested $100 million to produce gearboxes mainly for robotics and other automation-related industries.

“Nidec Subic currently has 458 workers and plans to increase to 800 employees by this year. We plan to continue to grow this company and continue to value the health and well-being of all our employees,” Sato added.

A total of 300 doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived here on Tuesday for the initial inoculation drive for economic frontliners. Eisma said Nidec workers will receive the rest of the doses in the next two days.

She added that she has also received a commitment from the national government for the weekly release of vaccines for workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to boost the A4 vaccination program.

“From the men and women of the Subic Bay Freeport, we thank you for the A4 vaccination program that is supported by President Duterte,” Eisma told Secretary Roque during the ceremony. “We are happy that our economic frontliners may do their work without fear of getting serious effects of Covid-19,” she added.

With the commitment for additional vaccines, Eisma on Tuesday urged Freeport workers to register for the vaccination program. She added that while the vaccine is subject to availability and approval by the DOH, the SBMA will coordinate the registry of workers qualified under the A4 priority group.

As of now, the SBMA and the DOH are continuing with the vaccination of Subic stakeholders in the A1 to A3 priority groups, she added. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA launches ‘Safety Seal’ program for business locators

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) began certifying business establishments here for their compliance to safety measures as part of a government program to ensure public safety during the Covid-19 pandemic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma on Monday issued the first “Safety Seal” certification from the agency to Harbor Point Ayala Mall, which was represented by Engr. Lesly Manalo, the general manager.

Eisma, assisted by Manalo, also posted “Safety Seal” signs at the entrance of the mall to assure customers that the establishment complies with the health and safety protocols required by the government.

“The Safety Seal is important because it reflects the stringent safety measures enforced by SBMA over the Freeport,” Eisma explained.

She added that the Safety Seal Certification Program was created to safely reopen the economy while ensuring the public of the establishment’s compliance with the minimum public health standards set by the government.

Manalo, on the other hand, said the certification “will help boost the confidence of our shoppers and the general public that it is safe go to Harbor Point, and that the SBMA is strictly monitoring us in the implementation of safety measures.”

The safety certification program is being implemented under the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 21-01 issued last April by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Among the requirements for certification are compliance with registration or accreditation requirements; use of StaySafe.ph or any contact-tracing tool integrated with it; enforcement of minimum public health standards (MPHS), including screening or triage area at different points-of-entry; availability of handwashing stations, soap and sanitizers, and hand drying equipment or supplies; and observance of physical distancing.

The program also requires adequate air exchange in enclosed areas; disinfection protocol; wearing of facemasks, face shields especially in enclosed places; establishment of a referral system for medical and psycho-social services; designation of safety officer; and facility for proper storage, collection, treatment, and disposal of used facemasks and other infectious wastes.

According to SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao, the SBMA’s Health and Safety Department (PHSD) has been inspecting business locators here and monitoring their compliance with safety protocols.  

He said the PHSD expects to complete the certification process for other Subic Freeport locators that have applied for safety seal and also enjoins others to participate in the program

“If they want to apply for the safety seal, the PHSD through the Occupational Health Division would be available to visit their facility and make an assessment,” Yambao said.

The safety seal is valid for six months and is renewable. (MPD-SBMA)

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2 OFWs give birth while in Subic quarantine

Two returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were quarantined in a hotel here in Subic gave birth to healthy babies days after arrival from Saudi Arabia. 

This was one sidelight in the ongoing government repatriation program, which has tapped the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) as an entry point for Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights ferrying home workers and other returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the new mothers were among the 299 passengers who arrived last July 7 aboard PAL’s Flight PR5683 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Consistent with health protocols, the new arrivals were quarantined for at least seven days in accredited hotels and other accommodation facilities inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

However, Eisma said that on July 9, one of the workers in quarantine at the Vista Marina Hotel here, a 32-year-old resident of Cavite, went into labor and was brought by Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) personnel to a government hospital in Olongapo City where she gave birth.

The following day, July 10, another OFW under quarantine at the same hotel, this time a 36-year-old from North Cotabato, experienced labor pain and was also brought to the Olongapo hospital for childbirth.

“Our information from the One-Stop-Shop Command at the Subic airport was that both deliveries went well and that the mothers and their babies were healthy,” Eisma said.

“Following completion of the mandatory isolation and negative RT-PCR test results, they were soon discharged from the Subic quarantine facility,” she added.

As an alternate entry point for returning OFWs, Subic has received a total of four PAL flights since July 7, including the latest flight this morning that brought in 185 OFWs from Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The first PAL flight scheduled here for July 5 was diverted to the Clark Freeport due to strong tailwind.

Four more OFW flights by PAL are set to arrive in Subic on July 24, 25 and 27 and on August 3.

Subic became an alternate port of entry for OFWs and other returning overseas Filipinos in line with government policy to limit arrivals in all international airports in the country to just 1,500 passengers per day to comply with health protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA bans bikers at container terminal road, issues rules for road safety

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has prohibited bikers from using the New Container Terminal (NCT) road here in a move to maintain safety at the thoroughfare used mainly by cargo trucks. 

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma announced this policy following consultation with cycling groups in the Subic Bay Freeport area and the formulation of guidelines covering biking activities in the Freeport.

“We regret to inform bikers that the NCT Road is now off limits to bikers because we have to place a premium on the safety of all—whether they are bikers, truckers, or ordinary motorists,” Eisma said.

“We know that it has become a favorite place among bikers because the road is good and the route is scenic, but we have to set rules to prevent untoward incidents,” she added, referring to an accident during an illegal race at the NCT Road last month.

The NCT Road, which stretches northeast of the Subic Bay International Airport, was closed to bikers since June 19 when an illegal race organized by some bikers from Olongapo City resulted in a spill involving several bikers as they converged on one lane to overtake a cargo truck.  A 14-year-old biker was among those reportedly injured.

Eisma said that bikers may instead use the San Bernardino Road that starts at the junction of the Argonaut Highway and Corregidor Road and loops around the airport area. “That area southwest of the airport, from the Acea Subic Beach Resort until the All Hands Beach Resort, is as scenic but not as busy,” she pointed out.

The allowed route, however, stops short of the New Container Terminal (NCT) and bikers must turn back to exit at the same entry point.

The SBMA has imposed a fine of P2,000 for cyclists violating the ban at the NCT Road, Eisma said.

At the same time, the SBMA issued guidelines for safe biking in the Freeport.  These rules, which took effect on July 14, include ID checks at Freeport gates upon entry, use of safety gears and lights, maintenance of safe distance, road courtesy and traffic rules, and observance of health and safety protocols at all times.

The guidelines specifically disallowed racing and also prohibited crowding at bike stops, as well as littering.

On the other hand, Eisma said that should bikers like to organize cycling events in the Freeport, the SBMA would require them to submit a proposal at least six months before the scheduled event, which would also be subject to IATF approval.

Meanwhile, volunteer marshals from local cycling groups would help monitor and enforce the biking rules. The marshals would be in direct contact with the SBMA Law Enforcement Department for effective monitoring and response, Eisma added. (MPD-SBMA)

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P24-M imported onions seized in Subic

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the Port of Subic on Monday seized 12 container vans loaded with fresh onions with an estimated market value of P24 million. 

Subic Customs collector Marites Martin said the cargo arrived in Subic from China and were consigned to two port users: Thousand Sunny, which was to receive three containers, and Dua Te Mira, which was to get nine.

The manifest, however, indicated that the contents of the 40-footer refrigerated container vans were frozen chapati bread, or flat Indian bread.

Martin said the BOC decided to declare the cargos abandoned after nobody claimed them or presented proof of ownership for all or part of the shipment.

The BOC said each of the 12 refrigerated vans contained hundreds of sacks of fresh red onions with estimated market value of P2 million each van.

During the inspection at the New Container Terminal here on Monday, five units of containerized vans were opened in the presence of Martin, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Ronnel Abrenica, and DENR field inspector Tom Muñoz.

One of the containers was equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) tracking device, which the BOC said is used to track the container’s current location. Martin said this was the first time they discovered a GPS tracking devise being placed in a container van.

Meanwhile, SBMA Chairman Eisma expressed regret upon learning that the seized cargo may end up being destroyed under the law, and suggested to Martin and Muñoz that they just be donated to the poor or to charity institutions.

“In this time of the pandemic when many already lost their jobs, and more have nothing to cook, it’s really a waste if these products will just be destroyed. I hope we could find ways that they could somehow benefit the needy,” Eisma said.

Martin and Muñoz in response assured the SBMA Chairman that if it is allowable by law, they would recommend that the confiscated onions be donated instead.

The BOC is said to be conducting follow-up operations on the misdeclared shipment. (MPD-SBMA)

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PAL lands 2nd OFW flight at Subic airport

A Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane bringing home 299 returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) landed at the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) on Wednesday, marking the first time that a passenger flight again arrived here since 2011. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who welcomed the arriving workers at the Subic tarmac, said PAL’s OFW flight was “a momentous occasion, as it marked the first time that the Subic airport served as an alternate entry point for OFWs wanting to return to the Philippines.”

“This is also the first time that a commercial flight arrived here in Subic after a decade of drought, the last one being the Astro Air flight that arrived here in 2011,” Eisma recalled.

Eisma said that it was more than a year ago when Senator Richard Gordon asked the government’s COVID-19 task force to open up Subic, Clark and Mactan airports to allow more passenger flights for Filipino migrant workers who were displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic and stranded in their host countries for months.

“After one year, here we are,” Eisma said. “And we hope that, aside from being able to help out in the repatriation of OFWs, this would be the start of regular passenger flights here in Subic,” the SBMA chief added.

PAL’s Flight PR5683 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia arrived here on Wednesday at 11:02 a.m. and was met with an inaugural water salute at the tarmac by a fire truck from the SBMA Fire Department.

The plane carried 293 OFWs, as well as four seamen and two returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).

Eisma said the 299 passengers will be quarantined for from seven to 10 days in hotels and other accommodation facilities inside the Subic Bay Freeport that are duly accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and certified by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

The flight on Wednesday was the second of six arrivals scheduled by PAL for Subic this month under the government’s program to facilitate the return of overseas Filipinos during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first PAL flight that was supposed to arrive in Subic on Monday was rerouted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Freeport Zone due to strong tailwinds. The plane, also originated from Dammam and carried 309 OFWs, two seamen, and one ROF.

The next flight schedules to Subic will be on July 15, 17, 25, and 27 with an average of 230 passengers in each of the PAL Airbus A330 flights.

Eisma said OFW flights to Subic is in line with the policy of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to impose a limit for all international airports in the country to accommodate just 1,500 passengers per day. Because of this, PAL has distributed its flights to various airports to accommodate the market, she added.

The SBMA chief said earlier that the OFW arrivals would create “positive impact on local tourism that would also redound to the benefit of workers, business establishments, and service operators in our communities.”

She also said that accommodation facilities outside the Subic Bay Freeport may also benefit from any overflow that may ensue from the arrival of returning overseas workers via Subic. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport to receive PAL flights with returning OFWs

The Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) will be accepting rerouted Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) starting Monday, July 5, under a government program to facilitate the return of overseas Filipinos during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said six Philippine Airlines flights are expected to land at the SBIA this month to ferry home mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

The flights have been scheduled on July 5, 7, 15, 17, 25, and 27 with an average of 230 passengers in each of the PAL Airbus A330 flights to Subic.

“The arrival of OFWs via Subic is in line with the policy of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to impose a limit for all international airports in the country to accommodate just 1,500 passengers per day,” Eisma explained on Friday.

Accordingly, PAL has distributed its flights to various airports to accommodate the market in accordance with its recovery plan, Eisma added.

“Once again, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is in a unique position to be of service to the Filipino nation, particularly repatriated workers, who long to be home but were hindered by pandemic restrictions,” Eisma said.

The SBMA chief pointed out that Subic also began serving as a Crew-Change One-Stop-Shop hub since September last year, thereby helping bring home stranded Filipino seafarers or sending them back to work after some vacation.

“Our assistance, we are proud to add, would adequately help flesh out President Duterte’s policy that ‘no one should be left behind’,” Eisma added.

Under the PAL flights set-up, arriving passengers would be quarantined for seven to 10 days in Subic Bay Freeport hotels and accommodation facilities accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and certified by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

Eisma said this would create “positive impact on local tourism that would also redound to the benefit of workers, business establishments, and service operators in our communities.”

Accommodation facilities outside the Freeport may also have the opportunity to take in any overflow that may ensue, she added.

“I really hope this will be the start of something good not only for the Subic airport and the hotels in the Freeport, but also for the bigger community that helps keep the Subic economy running,” Eisma also said.

Meanwhile, SBMA OIC-Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ronnie Yambao said his office has been in close coordination with the BOQ to ensure that all health safety protocols would be in place and strictly enforced at the Subic airport for the arrival of PAL flights.

The SBMA has also synchronized its efforts with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to ensure seamless processing of passengers, as well as with PAL to meet their requirements, Yambao said.

He pointed out that the Subic airport is being upgraded since last year to accommodate passenger, as well as corporate aircraft.

He said the Subic agency is implementing this year a P91.3-million package consisting of 12 projects to upgrade equipment and improve facilities in the Subic airport. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA, bikers unite to promote responsible biking in Subic Freeport

A week after several bikers were injured in an illegal bike race here, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and local cycling groups agreed to enforce self-regulation and promote responsible biking in this popular sports tourism destination.

In a meeting with local bikers last Saturday, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma urged for the creation of volunteer marshals who will police the ranks of local cyclists and enforce discipline among their members while biking in Subic.

“These volunteer marshals would be the eyes and ears of your groups to stop illegal bike races here, and they will be deputized by the SBMA,” Eisma said.

“They would have direct contact with the SBMA Law Enforcement Department (LED) for better monitoring and speedy action against illegal races,” she added.

The proposed creation of marshals came to light after an illegal bike race was organized by Olongapo City public school teacher Eduardo Velasco Jr. at the San Bernardino Road here on June 19. The “friendly race” took in participants for mountain bike male, road bike female, and road bike male categories at an entry fee of P20 each.

A race video that went viral on social media, however, showed racers overtaking a container truck and a spill involving several bikers as they converged on one lane to overtake the vehicle. A 14-year-old biker was among those reportedly injured.

The SBMA said the organizer did not have any permit for the event and subsequently closed San Bernardino Road to bikers for “wanton disregard of safety among themselves and other motorists, as well as in violation of health protocols being enforced in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.”

In an advisory issued on June 19, Chairman Eisma said the reopening of San Bernardino Road to bikers “will be subject to the implementation of proper procedures that will govern such activities.”

“As much as we encourage exercise and other physical activities among stakeholders of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and take pride that Subic has become a popular destination for biking, we cannot allow activities that may endanger the life and limb of the public while they are inside the SBMA’s jurisdiction,” she added. 

During the dialogue with bikers, the SBMA chief reiterated her call for safety and pointed out that only responsible cyclists can prevent a similar accident from happening again.

In the same forum, renowned triathlete coach Melvin Fausto fielded suggestions on rules that will be set for cyclists in the Subic Bay Freeport. 

He said that creating bike lanes would not be enough, and that self-discipline would be the key to having a safe and enjoyable bike ride here.

Road bike and mountain bike enthusiasts present during the talks showed great interest in establishing volunteer marshal among their groups. These included 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist John Leerams Chicano, a resident of Olongapo City.

Fausto said that if the Subic community wants to create another gold medalist among the ranks of cyclists who frequent the Subic Bay Freeport, it would be best if they trained properly and in the right venue. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA posts P820.8-M operating revenue in 1st quarter

Despite some unrealized revenue targets as a result of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recorded a total of P820.84 million in operating revenues in the first quarter of 2021, or a 5.23% increase over the P780.08 million posted in the first quarter last year.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said income from the SBMA Port Authority Group amounting to P374.54 million shored up the agency’s operating revenue by P60 million, thus creating a positive balance even as four other strategic business units (SBUs) recorded decreases in revenue.

“The good news was that the SBMA Seaport managed a 25% increase in port revenue because of a 10% increase in the volume of containerized cargo,” Eisma noted.

“The pandemic might have caused losses to some of our units, but others—like our core business, which is the sea port—are coming out as winners,” she added.

Among the SBMA SBUs that recorded revenue loses is the Business and Investment Group (BIG), a report from the SBMA Financial Planning and Budget Department (FPBD) indicated. BIG’s operating revenue dropped from P373.69 million in the first quarter of 2020 (Q1 2020) to P3 P371.89 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P1.8 million (0.48%).

Meanwhile, the Regulatory Group also posted losses, with P22.34 million in Q1 2020 to P8.39 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P13.95 million (62.44%); Chairman and Administrator’s Group, from P5.57 million in Q1 2020 to P1.77 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P3.8 million (68.28%); and Support Services Group, from P7.63 million in Q1 2020 to P5.92 million in Q1 2021, or a decrease of P1.71 million (22.43%).

The only other group that recorded an increase in operating revenue was the Public Services Group, which posted P56.87 million in Q1 2021, or an increase of P2 million (3.64%) from P54.87 million in Q1 2020.

The SBMA FPBD also said that the agency’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which measures profitability and earnings potential, increased by 8.41% from P36.84 million in the first quarter last year to P474.8 million this year.

Meanwhile, the agency’s operating expenses increased from P293 million in Q1 2020 to P298.35 million in Q1 2021, while operating income rose from P487.08 million in Q1 2020 to P522.49 million in Q1 2021, and bad debts expense decreased from P49.12 million in Q1 2020 to P47.69 million in the same period. 

“We have also recorded substantial income losses in the tourism, and understandably so because of so little visitor traffic since last year. But we have increases, too, in unexpected area,” Eisma revealed.

She said that collections in environmental and tourism fees dropped by 89% to just P3.06 million in the first three months this year, along with a 99% decline in tourism facilities utilities fees; 98.7% drop in tour guide fees; and 100% decline in rental of the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, which was previously an major income earner.

However, Eisma pointed out that the agency made P241,637 in sports facilities rental at the first quarter this year, compared to zero income last year; P35,000 in location site-shoot, which represented a 116% increase over last year’s figures; and P15,000 in fishing permit collection, which was 113% higher than that last year. (MPD-SBMA)

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