Amid the gag order imposed by the House Bases Conversion committee between the warring top officials of the government owned state agency, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) two months ago, a drastic measure adopted as to prevent damaging the image of the country’s first Freeport and selection as foreign investment site.

BY WILLIE E. CAPULONG

Ergo, during the interregnum awaiting President Duterte’s action on the leadership question between Chairman Martin B. Dino and lady lawyer Wilma T. Eisma, administrator and CEO of the former US Naval Base facilities here, the focus now among the agency’s management and staff workers are busy setting activities for the grand celebration of the 25th anniversary of the base conversion into the Philippine’s first and premiere Special Economic Zone and Freeport on November 24.

Being eyed as main personalities for the observance of the agency birth as created by Republic Act 7227, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) are President Duterte and former President Fidel V. Ramos and the former SBMA managers.

It’s still three months to go for the big day. In the meantime, how is the upbringing of Subic Bay today? asked a business journalist friend based in Metro Manila.

The inquiry jolted me as I could not provide a quickie answer as to the Freeport status as I was focus on status of the agency leadership and expressing dismay on the slow foot inaction of Malacanang.

So, the old journalist who has cut short his base wandering activities only in the morning to prevent occurrence of heat stroke to seek information of whether Subic is still thriving business community, with its maritime, industrial and tourism attraction earnings.

Data gathered from the different offices as of June 2017, there are still 1, 699 locators with over $10 billion total investments; 121,824 workforces; and was visited by 7.89 million visitors last year.

SBMA locators and enterprises generated 11,002 new jobs last year and the breakdown of employee by industry sectors as follows: services, 54, 458; shipbuilding &marine related, 38,041; manufacturing, 12,780 and others, 7, 374, or a grand total of 112,653 workforces as compared to 2015 level of 101,651.

On SBMA contribution to the national economy, locators contributed income tax share , three percent of the five percent gross earnings amounting to P486 million while the agency shelled out P292 million to local government units (LGUs) contiguous to the Zone area, representing their 2 percent share of earnings.

The local BIR unit hiked its collection performance last year, registering a 26 percent growth of P2.18 billion while the BOC collection unit suffered nine percent decline from P16.4 billion in 2015 to P14.9 billion in 2016.

Landmarks
Last week I was visited my granddaughter with some of her dormitory mates at the UP Diliman for a despidida weekend for Chloe was leaving this month for a one year study grant at Hokkaido, Japan.

They enjoyed the cold water falls at El Kabayo which is now under the management of the Pastolan Indigenous group and went Friday Night drinking Safari at the Central Business District.

Freeport landmarks was a hot topic. Hearing them asking the most popular and visited site among the day visitors of Subic Bay, was not the Broadway beach (supposed the crown jewel of Subic Bay), not the Spanish Gate, not the 299 flag pole or the San Roque Church.

When the visitors said “sirit na” an Olongapo classmate, who joined them, declared “ It’s Meat Plus” eatery.Yes folks more people go to Meat Plus for steaks, hamburgers and meat meals. No wonder why many SBMA employees’ workers claimed that the main reason why Chairman Dino is reluctant to leave Subic Bay is the absence of Meat Plus outlet in Metro Manila!

Source: subicsun.com

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SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Buoyed by accessible natural tourist attractions and a conscientious program of special events that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, the hotel industry in the Subic Bay Freeport has been experiencing an unprecedented growth in the past five years.

In Photo: Subic Bay’s iconic boutique hotel, The Lighthouse Marina

Along Subic’s famed waterfront strip, as well as in some remaining pockets of development at the already built up central business district, hotels and other accommodation facilities continue to sprout with proverbial rapidity.

Subic Bay’s hotel row along the Waterfront Road blends superb environment with modern amenities.
According to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), at least 11 new hotels began operating here since five years ago. These are the Freeport Mansion Garden, Subic Peninsular Hotel, Buma Subic and The Cabin, which were established in 2013; Subic Grand Harbour Hotel and Subik Sun Plaza in 2014; Leciel Hotel and Horizon Hotel in 2015; Best Western Hotel and Acea Hotel Resort in 2016; and Le Charme Hotel just this year.

These new hotels brought the total number of accommodation facilities in the Subic Bay Freeport from 36 in 2012 to 45 today, and the number of available hotel rooms from 2,633 to 3,441.

Rapid growth

The continuing increase in visitor arrivals has been fueling the rapid growth of hotels and accommodation facilities in Subic.

“Now we’re receiving project proposals for hotels and similar tourist facilities almost every week and, frankly, we find it very difficult to find a place for these projects because of the limited space in Subic,” SBMA Administrator and CEO Wilma T. Eisma said.

The Mansion Garden Hotel
“So, this looks like the golden age for the local hotel industry, as things are looking up in terms of visitor arrivals, and the tourism industry in general, not only for Subic but for the whole country,” she added.

Eisma said the services provided by tourism establishments are pivotal in attracting more visitors to the free port.

“What works for Subic’s tourism industry are environment, accessibility, safety and experience,” Eisma said. “We have the natural attractions that work in our favor; we have a great location that’s accessible, but it’s also important that we have value-added factors like safety, which the SBMA ensures, and the experience that the tourism facilities like hotels and theme parks provide.”

The SBMA official added that as manager of the Subic Bay Freeport, the SBMA is gunning for bigger events like the Ad Summit and the Full Ironman next year. It is also trying to attract cruise ships to further promote and develop local tourism.

Indicator

The growth of the hotel industry in Subic reflects the evolving tourism industry in this former American military base, as well as the changing tastes of the people that visit Subic.

Another hotel under construction along Subic Bay’s Waterfront Road
After the US Navy left Subic in 1992, the bare buildings that served as barracks for American sailors were converted into hotel rooms to billet visitors that began to turn up in droves for a look-see of the previously restricted-access military base. Quonset huts up at the Cubi-Triboa area were even utilized as rough-it-out adventure lodgings for overnight family picnics and weekend corporate outings.

“Now Subic visitors enjoy the comfort of air-conditioned rooms with Wi-fi access, swimming pools and fine dining and other urban perks,” Olongapo businessman Aurelio Pineda noted.

Pineda, along with two partners from Olongapo, built the Subic Grand Harbour in 2014, and is proud of the fact that their 69-room hotel is one of the few establishments here that are solely owned by local businessmen.

Pineda said they took the risk of building a hotel because of the growing local tourist market, as well as the promise of more business with the return of American sailors under the Visiting Forces Agreement.

“There are just two markets for Subic hotels now: those who need rooms, and those who need function rooms,” Pineda noted.

He added most of the clientele for Subic hotels are personnel and officials of government agencies, local government units and private corporations that bring in their staff and employees for conventions, meetings and seminars.

“It’s a good thing that the SBMA is working with us to encourage people to come to Subic,” Pineda said, noting that the Subic agency is drumming up attendance for the SBMA’s 25th anniversary this November.

What guests look for

The boom experienced by hotels in Subic could also be attributed to the ability of these establishments to adapt to customer needs.

“Our visitors want not only good service, but personalized service. They come back because of the ambiance, accessibility and proximity to the places they go to, like malls or church,” said Sheanelle Calayag, operations manager of the Mansion Garden Hotel.

“They want not just the basic services; they look for gym, bar, spa and, sometimes, even a convenience store,” Calayag added.

The amenities demanded by guests also reflect the changing characteristics of the typical Subic visitor. Calayag said that, while they get South Korean, Japanese, Indian and other foreign tourists, 87 percent of their clientele were Filipinos, most of whom go to Subic to attend conventions.

Another significant group of visitors are families out for weekend vacations. “We get guests from as far as Ilocos, Benguet and Batangas in this family group,” Calayag added.

Doing good

The boom in Subic hotels is expected to continue in the next few years, in line with the expected surge in foreign tourist arrivals in the country from traditional markets, such as South Korea, the United States, Japan and China.

In Subic, in particular, tourist arrivals are expected to further grow according to an upward trend in the past few years.

According to Jem Camba, manager of the SBMA Tourism Department, tourist arrivals (or those who stayed one night or more in the Subic, Freeport) grew from 1.25 million in 2012 to 1.63 million in 2015 and 1.65 million last year.

Similarly, the number of visitor arrivals, or those who entered the Subic Bay Freeport for whatever purpose, climbed from 5.22 million in 2012 to 5.69 million in 2013, and from 6.39 million in 2014 to 7.29 million in 2015 and 7.89 million in 2016.

The golden years for Subic Bay’s hotels seem to be just beginning.

Source: businessmirror.com.ph

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MANILA – It was a peaceful National Day of Protest across the country. Some 28,000 demonstrators flocked to different rally areas Thursday — but with clashing positions: one group expressed grievances against the government and one expressed strong support to the Duterte administration.

pro du30 rally

The National Day of Protest coincided with the 45th anniversary of the proclamation of Martial Law by the late president Ferdinand Marcos.

Anti-government protesters converged in Luneta, Mendiola, Welcome Rotonda and the office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) at the University of the Philippines (UP) complex in Quezon City.

Among the groups are Tindig Pilipinas, Akbayan, Kababaihan para sa Katotohanan at Kalayaan, Free Leila, Manlaban para sa Karapatan, at Defend Democracy showing banners “ #NeverAgain sa Martial Law” condemning the deaths as a result of the government’s campaign against hard drugs.

Drivers also joined condemning the phase out of old public utility jeepneys.

A bronze statue of the late Senator Jose Diokno, founding chair of CHR and Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), was unveiled at the entrance of the CHR compound. Diokno, a nationalist and human rights defender, was also among those incarcerated during the Martial Law years.

Peaceful protest rallies were also held in Cebu, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo City and Davao City, among others that ended late afternoon.

On the other hand, supporters of President Rodrigo R. Duterte started arriving before noon at Plaza Miranda in buses and vans and occupied the area where a stage was set up fronting Quiapo Church. From around 1,400 at around 11 a.m., the group swelled to more than 10,000 by mid-afternoon.

Among the organizers was Benny Antiporda, board director of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), who said the pro-Duterte supporters came from the northern, central and southern part of Luzon including members of Kilusang Pagbabago (Change Movement), I am Duterte Humanitarian Group, Partido Laban Demokratiko (PDP), Friends of Rodrigo Duterte, DDS Metro Manila Federalismo, and participants from Paranaque, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Pasig, Paranaque City, Quezon City, Caloocan and Malabon, among others.

They carried banners and streamers that read: “No to Drugs,” “Yes to Federalism,” “Itigil ang Panggugulo, Magkaisa Tayo” and “Ituloy and Pagbabago.”

Antiporda said the Martial Law declared by President Duterte in Mindanao has improved the peace and order situation in the region which was quite different from the martial law declared by Marcos in 1972.

Meanwhile, SBMA chair Martin Diño said supporters joined the activity to defend the change brought by the anti-drug campaign that resulted in more peaceful communities.

Other government officials during the Plaza Miranda rally include Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello. Also present to show their support for the government were showbiz personalities Coco Martin, Katya Santos, Dennis Padilla.

Marcos loyalists also joined the peaceful protest that ended at around 8 p.m.

On Thursday afternoon, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Director Oscar Albayalde, estimated that around 28,000 participated in the different rallies in Metro Manila — 12,000 Duterte supporters in Plaza Miranda; about 8,000 members of multi-sectoral groups in Luneta Park, more or less 3,000 pro-Duterte demonstrators and 5,000 anti-administration protesters in Mendiola.

Earlier, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said they deployed some 1,400 personnel in the convergence areas in Metro Manila while the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assigned 100 forces to augment the PNP. (PNA)

Source: subicnewslink.blogspot.com

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New investment pledges in the IT-BPM industry registered through various promotion agencies fell 34 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, continuing the decline in one of the country’s top dollar earners that the trade chief had partly attributed to the uncertainty in US policy.

photo by: blog.philippinesbusinesstours.com

Collecting the pledges registered through seven investment promotion agencies (IPAs), data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that investment commitments in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector totaled P4.9 billion in the April-to-June period in 2017, falling from P6.27 billion registered in the same months last year.

The latest figures of the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry showed the continued decline in investment pledges. The PSA earlier reported a 34-percent decrease in new pledges during the first quarter to P4.18 billion from P6.34 billion in the same three-month period in 2016.

“Perhaps [the IT-BPM firms] are just taking time in due diligence as well as a wait-and-see [approach] on the US policy for companies locating offshore,” Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez told the Inquirer.
Lopez added that there were still “anchor accounts expanding using innovative operating models,” noting that they were retooling the workforce of the IT-BPM industry, also known as the country’s top private sector employer, to use new technology such as systems enabled with artificial intelligence. This is not the first time that pledges shrank in terms of their growth rate.

According to PSA data, the expansion rate of these pledges had been on a decline since the third quarter of 2016. In spite of a more than 35-percent increase in pledges during the second quarter of 2016, commitments still finished the full year with a 22.6-percent decline to P30.74 billion from the previous year that had P39.73 billion.
PSA data suggested that the “anchor accounts” were not enough to offset the drop in new investment commitments. The latest figures pointed to a 28-percent decrease in the first half of the year, reaching P9.08 billion from P12.61 billion in the first semester of 2016.

The seven IPAs are the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB), Board of Investments (BOI), BOI-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BOI-ARMM), Clark Development Corp., Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
Out of all these IPAs, Peza accounted for the biggest share in pledges or more than 93 percent of overall commitments in the first semester of this year. Pledges under Peza fell 30.9 percent in the first half of the year to P8.48 billion from P12.27 billion a year ago.

Source: business.inquirer.net

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SUBIC BAY FREEPORT: A Subic locator that opposes the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) imposition of Common Use Service Area (CUSA) fees has asked the government agency to stop charging it for payment, citing a court ruling that annulled the practice.

In a letter dated August 22, 2017 addressed to SBMA Chairman Martin Diño and SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma, the lawyer for Brighterday Subic Ltd. Inc. (BSLI), Diosdado Rongcal, invoked the nullity of SBMA Resolution 12-04-43-48 based on a decision by Olongapo Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 74 rendered on January 5, 2015.

The ruling is based on a case filed by another locator, Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc. (SBMEI), that was paying CUSA fees. It was affirmed by the Court of Appeals on August 14, 2017.

“Without necessarily abandoning other reasons for not paying CUSA fees – and by way of invoking the nullity of the subject resolution pursuant to a final and executory decision – it is our stand that SBMA could no longer execute or implement the resolution and the alleged CUSA fees can no longer be collected from our client – BSLI,” the letter stated.

The BSLI lawyer said the decision must apply to all, not only to SBMEI, also citing constitutional provisions on the equal protection of the law.

The decision rendered by the RTC annulling the SBMA resolution also ruled to dissolve all billings and statements of account imposing CUSA fees permanently and enjoined its officers from collecting them.

The Manila Times on Thursday sought both Diño and Eisma for comment but the SBMA administrator said she is yet to read the BSLI letter, while Diño was not in Subic, according to his chief of staff.

A source at the SBMA who refused to be named said Subic Bay management has won CUSA cases in court at a ratio of four to one.

“Every court decision applies only to the parties involved in the case. If BLSI is a party to that case, then it applies to it, otherwise, it cannot,” the source said.

He added that CUSA cases are decided case to case and as in the court cases the SBMA has won regarding CUSA, the SBMA has not told other locators who filed CUSA petitions that the cases they have won should also apply to other locators.

“In the same way, for every four CUSA cases we won against one we lost, we never tell these locators who are not party to these cases that the court’s decision is also binding [on]them,” the source said.

The SBMA started charging locators CUSA fees in October 2012 for use of common areas like parking lots and other facilities.

Source: manilatimes.net

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