Subic Bay gaining ground in sports tourism

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia expressed optimism for the future of sports tourism in this free port, after it successfully hosted another international triathlon on Sunday. Garcia said the first Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon, which drew more than 600 foreign and Filipino triathletes, will carry the torch for Subic in the international sporting circuit for the next three years. “We are surely...

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Maritime logistics confab set in Subic this August

A conference highlighting the Subic Bay Freeport Zone’s attractions as an investment and logistics hub and as gateway to Asia’s expanding market will be held here on August 23-24 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center. The Subic Bay Maritime Conference and Exhibit is expected to attract more than 300 investors, shippers, and logistics and supply chain executives and will look at the advantages of Subic as a vital investment area for...

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DTI Woos Taiwanese Electronics Firms, Formulates 5-Year Timetable Roadmap

MANILA -- The Department of Trade and Industry is crafting a five-year “Taiwan Roadmap” to attract electronics companies to relocate here as computer-maker Wistron Infocomm has substantially slowed down its manufacturing operation in Subic. Trade and Industry for Trade and Investment Promotions Group Cristino L. Panlilio said that roadmap should highlight the Philippines’ competitiveness as a manufacturing location “We should be able to capture other electronics firms in Taiwan because of the rising cost in China,” Panlilio said adding the roadmap...

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US nuclear-powered sub on ‘routine port call’ arrives in Subic

A nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine of the US Navy arrived here on Monday for what American officials called a “routine port call.” USS Louisville (SSN 724), which is currently stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, belongs to the Los Angeles class of attack submarines that are considered the backbone of the American submarine force in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The 360-foot long, 6,900-ton ship is said to be armed with sophisticated MK48...

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Aussies click in Subic triathlon

Australians David Dellow and Belinda Granger showed they’re not just long-course race specialists as they topped the Olympic-distance Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon Series Philippines in contrasting styles at the tough course here at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. The 33-year-old Dellow needed one burst of speed in the final three kilometers to overtake former three-time Olympian Csaba Kottur of Hungary and another Aussie Ben Allen to wrest his first victory in this 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run in over a decade. “It’s been a while since...

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$450M deal ends Hanjin’s order drought

HANJIN Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC)-Phil, the local unit of the Korean shipbuilding giant, has won an order to build 10 mid-size container ships worth $450 million at its Subic shipyard, the first bid won by the company since last year. HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard said it signed a contract with European shipowners to build the ships, which will be capable of carrying 5,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of container. This is the first bid won by the company since last year as the debt crisis in Europe and budget problems in...

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Unique races await cyclists

THREE unique races await cyclists from different sports clubs when the 2nd Aboitiz Power Tour of Subic is held on July 7-8 at the Subic Bay Freeport. Stage 1 is a 40-kilometer time trial that begins at Causeway Road stretching out to two turnaround points (at Subic International Raceway and at Argonaut Highway and back.) Stage 2 will be a 45-minute plus 2 laps criterium race for female racers, Category 4 racers, and Category 3 racers. Stage 3 of the event sponsored by Aboitiz Power, Unilab Active Health, Pocari Sweat, Timex, the 3rd District...

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Subic ‘back to school’ outreach grooms Aeta pupils

A total of 155 pupils at the public elementary school in the remote village of Kanawan in Morong, Bataan, learned how to look best in school during a lecture on proper grooming and proper hygiene undertaken by volunteers from this free port. The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority-Public Relations Department (SBMA-PRD) facilitated the Kanawan outreach project, which was undertaken by the team-up of the Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic Freeport and...

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Environment Impact: Subic Power Plant Undergoes Review

The $1.28-billion 600-MW Redondo coal fired power project in Subic Freeport is facing another review as stakeholders and experts call for a 're-scrutiny' of the power plant, approved during the previous SBMA Board, largely on environmental impact issues. The review of the Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc., which is 50 percent owned by Meralco PowerGen Corp. Aboitiz unit Therma Power Inc. and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp., was called after the completion of the Social Acceptability Process (SAP) conducted by the SBMA in December last year. The power...

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Subic ‘Independence Run’ to benefit Aeta children

Runners from communities around this free port literally ran the extra mile recently to raise funds for indigent Aeta children in the Subic Bay area. This was made possible through a fun run dubbed as the “2nd Independence Run” held on June 12 in commemoration of the 114th Independence Day. The event, which was organized by the Lincoln Lodge 34 of the Free and Accepted Masons in Olongapo City, was sanctioned by the Department of Education (DepEd)...

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Women’s national team conducts basketball clinic in Subic Freeport

The Discovery Perlas ng Pilipinas national women’s basketball team conducted a three-day basketball clinic at the Subic Bay Gym on June 6-8 in an effort to promote the game among youngsters and develop better players among the youth. The clinic was open for both boys and girls aged 15 and below, who wanted to learn the basics of the country’s most popular ball game. Haydee Ong, head coach of Discovery Perlas, said the women’s team is making...

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SBMA to require permit to operate from locators

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will begin strictly enforcing on July 1 the requirement for all business locators in this free port to secure a permit to operate (PTO). According to Stefani Saño, SBMA senior deputy administrator for business and investment development, the agency will require all locators to comply with this regulation in view of recent findings that some locators have begun operation when they have yet to comply with all the requirements. “If you don’t have a permit to operate, you have no business operating in the...

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IN SUBIC, BAGUIO, CLARK; P5B power subsidy for mega projects

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) plans to continue a power subsidy plan for mega projects or those worth over $1 billion in Subic, Baguio and Clark. Trade Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio said that P5 billion is being budgeted to replenish an old fund-industry competitive fund- started during the term of President Gloria Arroyo. The subsidy can last for seven years. Panlilio said the electric power support scheme is now awaiting approval of Malacanang after it has gotten the endorsement of the economic cluster for appropriation in...

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'VFA should govern use of former bases by US troops'

MANILA - American troops, warships and planes will use the former US military facilities in Subic and Clark temporarily on rotation basis and in accordance with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the military said yesterday. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said the recent docking of nuclear-powered attack submarine USS North Carolina in Subic Bay is an example of this military-to-military arrangement. “As long as they have coordinated and got clearance from the government and they comply with the VFA,...

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Central Luzon holds search, rescue drill

MARIVELES — The Office of Civil Defense has sounded the alarm over 20 to 30 townspeople missing amid storm signal No. 2 over widespread flooding caused by overflowing rivers. This is a drill in a mission set by OCD director Josefina Timoteo at the incident command post during the 4th Central Luzon annual Water Search and Rescue Simulation Exercises, dispatching 20 go-teams from different localities. Responding to the call were teams from Provincial Government of Bataan; city government of Balanga, Bataan; Provincial Government of Pampanga; Subic...

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Vale, SBMA launch Subic Bay iron ore transshipment operations

Brazil’s Vale Shipping Holdings Pte. Ltd. (VSH), along with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), formally launched a partnership for the transshipment of iron ore from this free port. In a ceremony held at the Lighthouse Marina Resort here on June 1, VSH executives led by Jose Carlos Martins, executive officer for ferrous minerals operations, and officials of the SBMA led by Chairman and Administrator Roberto Garcia, announced the start...

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US troops can use Clark, Subic bases

MANILA - American troops, warships and aircraft can once again use their former naval and air facilities in Subic, Zambales and in Clark Field in Pampanga as long as they have prior clearance from the Philippine government, a senior defense official said. “They can come here provided they have prior coordination from the government,” Defense Undersecretary for defense affairs Honorio Azcueta told reporters after his meeting with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Monday. oming straight from the just-concluded three-day...

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Tourists' Food Haven In Subic

Aside from shipbuilding magnate Hanjin Heavy Industries, and Construction (HHIC), other factories, auction companies and catering services are now eyeing this premier Freeport for its tourism potential. With the construction of Ayala Land's Harbor Point mall, more and more restaurants and bars are opening just within the Subic Bay Freeport's gates. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials said the Subic Free port has been a favorite destination for local and foreign tourists. These tourists want to explore this Freeport while having...

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Meralco says Subic plant running by ’15

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distributor, said it is on track to finish its 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the Subic Bay freeport zone by 2015 despite various challenges. “The Subic project is moving, we recently filed for our Board of Investment (BOI) registration with the proper endorsement from the Department of Energy,” said Oscar Reyes, president and chief executive officer of Meralco. Reyes said the biggest challenge, the transmission line, has been tabled for discussion with the National Grid of...

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Puregold to set up Subic unit

LISTED Puregold Price Club Inc., the country’s second-biggest supermarket chain, is setting up a subsidiary to handle stores in the Subic Bay Economic Zone in Olongapo City. In a filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Puregold said its board approved the incorporation of PPCI Subic Inc., which is wholly owned subsidiary. The company has been widening its footprint outside Metro Manila, where the bulk of its stores are situated. Earlier this week, Puregold acquired the 19-store Parco supermarket chain with 12 Metro Manila-based...

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Redeveloped Subic airport to raise P150B investments

Redeveloping the Subic Airport site into a family-oriented tourism facility will raise investments of over P150 billion, according to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Moe Villamor, chief of staff of SBMA administrator Robert Garcia, in a presentation before government agencies about the Philippine Investment Promotion Plan, said the SBMA is pushing for the redevelopment of the 200-hectare property which had been largely unused after the pullout of Federal Express in February 2009. SBMA wants the airport redeveloped since Clark, just 30 minutes...

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Brazil’s Vale invests to get around Chinese megaship ban

Brazilian diversified mining major Vale, the world’s number two mining group in terms of market capitalisation, has announced that it is to establish a second floating iron-ore transfer station, in Subic Bay, in the Philippines. This station will transfer iron-ore from the miner’s giant Valemax bulk carriers to smaller Capesize and Panamax ore carriers, which will then convey the ore to ports in China. The first of these floating transfer stations, also in Subic Bay, started operations in February and cost the Brazilian group $52-million. The...

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SBMA, LGUs take part in open space technology workshop

Taking up the challenge of President Aquino in forging a social contract with the local community, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) met with neighboring local government units (LGUs) in an Open Space Technology Workshop held on May 19-20 at the Subic Bay International Hotel. The workshop was an open-type of seminar wherein the participants themselves determined the agenda that would be up for discussion the following day. It was facilitated...

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Garcia bares Subic tourism masterplan

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is aiming to model the Subic Freeport after Singapore’s Sentosa Island in order to make it a truly viable world-class tourist destination. SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia said during the Third Planning and Development Conference on Rural Tourism held here recently that the SBMA is conducting feasibility studies on the conversion of the Subic Bay International Airport into an integrated family resort similar to Sentosa. “This is the centerpiece of our tourism program,” he said, pointing...

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Hanjin Plans $700-M New Investments

MANILA - Hanjin, world’s leading ship manufacturer, is expanding its existing shipyard facility in Subic Freeport cementing the Philippines rank as the world’s fourth largest shipbuilder and construct a 200-megawatt power plant for estimated new investments of up to $700 million. Trade and Industry Undersecretary for International Trade and Investment Promotion Cristino L. Panlilio revealed the Korean firm’s additional investment forays in the country after attending the recent investment promotion conference in Seoul organized by the ASEA-Korean...

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US submarine docks at Subic Bay

A United States attack submarine, the USS North Carolina, docked at Subic Bay on Sunday, the US Pacific Command (Pacom) said in a report. According to Pacom , the Virginia class fast attack submarine’s Philippine visit was part of the vessel’s Western Pacific deployment. In a text message on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Asec. Raul Hernandez confirmed the sub’s Philippine presence. “USS North Carolina… [is] in Subic Bay, on routine ship...

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Hanjin to employ more workers

Helping boost the Philippine economy even through a slump in the world market, Korean shipbuilding industry leader Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines Inc. is set to aim higher and employ thousands of additional workers in its shipyard here this year. Since its first vessel delivery in 2008, Hanjin had posted P125 billion in annual export sales as of end-2011, making it the consistent top exporter in this premier freeport. It has also made the Philippines into a shipbuilding nation in the process. Jin Kyu Ahn, president of the...

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PLDT data center to drive Subic BPO development

MANILA - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s newly launched VITRO Data Center in Subic has been cited as a boost the development of the area’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. “We see BPOs sprouting all over the Philippines but it still remains very underdeveloped here. We aim to increase our BPO seats here as we pursue a major program for this industry,” Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Bobby Garcia said during the launch of PLDT’s VITRO Data Center at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. “We hope we can make use of...

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Herbalife triathletes finally top team event

HARD work and team pride paid off for Herbalife Formula 1 as it ended Fitness First Body Comba’t four-year reign of the Team Competition in the recently held K-SWISS ITU Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT) presented by Century Tuna. Composed of triathletes Monica Torres, Hiroshi Takei, Dante Macalintal, John Omar Paredes and Julian Valencia, Herbalife Formula 1 won the grueling 1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run event’s team competition at last with a combined time of ten hours, twenty-two minutes and fifty-four seconds. Fitness First...

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Subic Hosts Eco-Regatta As Run Up To Recycling Talks

A regatta, showcasing boats made from recyclable materials, will be held here to promote ecological awareness among different schools and organizations competing in the event on Sunday. Dubbed the Columbia Recyclable Regatta, the eco-regatta is organized as a kick-off event to Columbia’s “Recycling Talks” for schools and organizations. Organizers said the main requirement for those participating in the recyclable regatta is for all boats to be 80 percent made up of recycled materials. The participants are encouraged to find an innovative and...

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