By Jonas Reyes

Subic Bay Freeport — With a workforce of 126,000 employees, this premier Freeport is known to be the biggest employing economic zone in the country. Along with the number of workers, discrimination among members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community has been a part of the equation.

PRIDE AND RIGHTS — Bataan 1ST District Representative Geraldine Roman (left) and SBMA Chairwoman Atty. Wilma Eisma led the Gay Pride Parade held at the Subic Bay Freeport on Sunday. Around 100 delegates from the LGBT community participated in the event, while being supported by hundreds of SBMA employees and their families. (Jonas Reyes)

Often jeered and ridiculed by their fellow workers for being “different,” the so-called “third sex” has had it rough in terms of getting the much needed respect they so truly deserve. But with the appointment of a woman as the chairperson of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), drastic changes are about to happen.

And a testament to this change started on the streets last Sunday when more than a hundred participants from the LGBT community joined this premier Freeport’s first “Gay Pride Parade” at the Boardwalk Area.

SBMA Chairperson and Administrator Wilma Eisma led the Gay Pride Parade as delegates from the LGBT Barretto, the Antonio Family of San Felipe, the Antonio Family of San Narciso, the Bi Alliance of Bataan Olongapo and Iba, Proud Gays of Olongapo, the Montero Sisters, and the Smith Sisters joined the affair.

Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman, the first openly transgender woman elected to Congress, also showed up to lend her support to this new change initiated by Eisma in the SBMA, which is equality for all genders.

Roman said she is proud that the Anti-Discrimination Law has been passed in the Lower House via a unanimous decision, and that the bill will be taken to the Senate. “So it’s up to Senator Risa Hontiveros for the enactment of the bill,” she said.

Roman said that the Anti-Discrimination bill will punish anybody who discriminates against an LGBT person. Violators will be jailed for five years and fined P20,000.

Source: news.mb.com.ph

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A JAPANESE anti-submarine destroyer arrived in the Philippines on Monday for a two-day goodwill visit, which demonstrates blossoming military relations between the two nations.

by: DEMPSEY REYES

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE NAVY

Capt. Lued Lincuna, Philippine Navy spokesman, said aside from the goodwill visit to the Philippines, the vessel of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), the JS Onami (DD-111), would also replenish its supply after coming from a mission in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) International Fleet Review.

Lincuna added the Japanese destroyer arrived at Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila on Sunday and would be in the country until today, Monday.

“The visit is already the third time for JMSDF vessels in the country this year,” he said in a statement.

This was not the first Japanese ship that arrived in the Philippines for 2017.

In January, the JS Inazuma (DDG-105) AND JS Suzutsuki (DD-117) arrived in Subic Bay for a six-day goodwill visit.

On June 4, the Japanese helicopter carrier, the JS Izumo (DDH-183) and the guided missile destroyer JS Sazanami (DDG-113) arrived in Subic Bay, Zambales for a four-day goodwill visit.

Lincuna said the Philippine Navy’s BRP Rajah Humabon (PF11) rendered the customary meeting procedures at the Corregidor Island and escorted the vessels to its designated anchorage area.

“[Philippine Navy] representatives accorded the visiting navy a welcome ceremony upon arrival followed by a port briefing related to health and security aboard JS Onami,” he said.

The JS Onami’s Commanding Officer, Commodore Hirotaka Okamura and his party were scheduled to have a courtesy call to Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, the Philippine Navy chief on Monday.

The JS Onami is equipped with a variety of anti-submarine weapons and sensors.

source:manilatimes.net

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An anti-submarine destroyer from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)

BY DEMPSEY REYES

Photo by: wikipedia.com

Navy is in the Philippines for a two-day goodwill visit, demonstrating a strengthening of military relations between the country and Japan.

Capt. Lued Lincuna, Philippine Navy spokesman, said aside from the goodwill visit to the Philippines, the JS Onami will also replenish its supply after coming from a mission in the Asean International Fleet Review. Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The Japanese destroyer arrived on Sunday and docked at Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila. Its visit will end Tuesday.

In January, the JS Inazuma and JS Suzutsuki arrived in Subic Bay, Zambales for a six-day goodwill visit. On June 4, the Japanese helicopter carrier the JS Izumo and the guided missile destroyer JS Sazanami arrived also in Subic Bay for a four-day goodwill visit.

“[Philippine Navy] representatives accorded the visiting navy a welcome ceremony upon arrival followed by a port briefing related to health and security aboard JS Onami,” Lincuna said.

Source:manilatimes.net

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Bataan Tourism Office Tourism Operations Officer Danica Tigas reveals that Bataan has already hit about 1.2 million excursionist and tourist arrivals last year. (Mar Jay S. Delas Alas/PIA 3)

BALANGA CITY, Oct.22 (PIA) — Bataan has generated about 1.2 million excursionists and tourist arrivals in 2017.

“Our target is that by 2020, Bataan will hit the one million mark of excursionist and tourist arrivals but just this 2017, we have reached about 1.2 million arrivals,” Provincial Tourism Operations Officer Danica Tigas disclosed during the provincial kick-off of National Statistics Month celebration.

“The source of our data came from the combined numbers of excursionists and tourist arrivals recorded from all tourism destinations, attractions, and resorts in the province,” she added.

Tigas explained that excursionists are those who stayed for less than 24 hours while tourists are those who stayed for more than 24 hours but less than a year.

Compared to the 2016 data, excursionist arrivals grew by 78 percent while tourist arrivals had an increased of 25 percent with a total of about 700,000 of both excursionist and tourist arrivals in the province.

“Yearly, we can see that there is always an increase in both our excursionist and tourist arrivals from 2014 to 2017 which means that our promotional activities and events conducted in the province are really effective,” Tigas said.

The statistics also showed that in 2017, the month of April had the highest number of recorded arrivals reaching 97,244 while September had the least number recorded with 18,621.

Currently, there are 383 establishments composed of beach and inland resorts, hotels or motels, and restaurants that accommodate visitors in the province.

“We hope that by this year and the coming years, more and more visitors will arrive and enjoy the beauty of various tourist destinations located here in Bataan,” Tigas furthered. (CLJD/MJSD-PIA 3)

Source: pia.gov.ph

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Comteq Computer and Business College or Comteq, located in the Subic Bay Free Port, allegedly has rental obligations amounting to P17 million

by: Randy V. Datu

CLOSED. The SBMA says Comteq Computer and Business College has been operating without any valid lease agreement nor business registration with the SBMA. Photo from Comteq Facebook page

ZAMBALES, Philippines – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently prevented students from entering the Comteq Computer and Business College (Comteq) building in Subic Bay here after the school was given a “Notice to Vacate.”

SBMA Law Enforcement Department personnel on Monday morning, November 20, said they were only enforcing an instruction from their superiors.

The same officers, without offering any explanation, later allowed the students to attend their classes.

In a press briefing Monday, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said Comteq had rental obligations amounting to P17 million.

She said the agency had afforded Comteq so much leeway to meet its obligations, and added she “could no longer extend generosity to them.”

“It’s because of the students that the SBMA has given Comteq enough consideration for far too long. This has been a lingering case of irresponsibility on the part of Comteq owners, and I am sorry to say that we cannot extend any more generosity to them,” Eisma said.

Eisma said that as early as April 2017, the SBMA Legal Department had issued a “Notice to Vacate with Demand to Pay” because the school had been operating without any valid lease agreement nor business registration with the SBMA. It had also failed to pay obligation with SBMA in the amount of P17,771,863.19.

However, the SBMA Board granted the school another extension of 6 months for humanitarian reasons, but with a condition that the school “should be fully out of the Subic Bay Freeport facility before the start of the 2017 second semester, or until October 31, 2017.”

Comteq president Danny Piano insisted the school does not owe SBMA any money. He said the school was able to secure a statement of account from the SBMA accounting department more than a month ago, indicating zero balance as of 2017.

Piano filed a request for temporary restraining order with the Regional Trial Court to prevent the agency from enforcing its planned closure, but this was denied.

Another school official, who asked not to be named, said the alleged arrears were questionable.

He explained it took the SBMA more than 4 years from January 2011 to middle of 2014 before its board of directors approved the school’s proposal to lease a property inside the freeport.

An SBMA official, however, prevented the signing of the lease contract, claiming that the school must first pay back rent for the past 4 and a half years then amounting to P13 million, including interests.

Former school administrator Ansbert Joaquin reportedly argued then: “How come the school will be made to pay for the period when it did not enjoy the benefit of having a contract? What is the basis for collecting back rent?”

Rappler was able to reach Joaquin by phone, but he declined to give an interview, saying he is no longer part of the school, having resigned from the institution almost two years ago.

Joaquin wrote a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte immediately after the latter took his oath. He asked the President’s support in securing a permit for the school’s continued operation inside the freeport.

Piano said he was thankful when the SBMA granted the school a grace period of 6 months to vacate the school in April but explained that 6 months proved too short a time for the school to find a relocation site.

Source: rappler.com

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