Photo credit: subicnewslink.blogspot.com

Subic Bay Freeport?Youths here are being urged to become active partners in community development.

“Start with yourself. Learn to lead others. Take action in your community problems. You are the solution,” said Jason Gavina, Corporate Social Responsibility Officer for Redondo Peninsula Energy, on his talk on youth leadership in the first Barangay Cawag, Subic youth assembly.

RP Energy was invited to take part in the first-ever Katipunan ng Kabataan gathering organized by the Sangguniang Kabataan of Cawag held at Nagyantok Daycare Center on Sunday.
Gavina shared how young people participated in RP Energy’s corporate social responsibility programs.

“From volunteering in our Protect the Bay Clean Up Drives, to implementing the Basura Palit Gamit Eskwela program in their school, to upcycling materials, youths are integral part of our community development.”
Aldrian Marzan, former intern at RP Energy, shared how he led KinaBOOKasan, a book drive for remote sitios in Cawag using social media. Butch Gunio

“You don’t need a lot of money to help. What I learned with RP Energy is that you just need to be resourceful, to listen well, and to be passionate about helping others,” said the college senior at Gordon College.
Cawag SK Chairperson Cherilyn Jane Inoc thanked their partners. “We are very grateful for the lessons and inspirations you shared as I always remind my young peers to truly become the hope of the nation,” she said.

The youth assembly was also participated by ThrivePH, Olongapo non-profit PREDA Foundation, and the Philippine National Police.

RP Energy is the developer of a 2×300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

source: manilastandard.net

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JS Kaga (DDH 184) / Photo from JMSDF

Japan’s helicopter carrier is heading to the Philippines for a five-day port visit this weekend, as part of its two-month tour around the South China Sea and Indian Ocean.

Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s Escort Flotilla Four — JS Kaga (DDH 184), Japan’s largest warship, will be escorted by Akizuki-class destroyer JS Suzutsuki (DD-117) and Murasame-class destroyer JS Inazuma (DD-105) — will arrive on Saturday at Alava Wharf in Subic Bay, an advisory from the Philippine Navy said.

The Navy will welcome about 850 officers and crew.

The warship is also scheduled to visit in India, Indonesia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka as part of its Indo-Pacific deployment.

While it was not directly referred to as a patrol mission, the JMSDF earlier said it hopes to contribute to the “peace and stability” in the region.

Its sister ship, helicopter carrier JS Izumo, also visited the Philippines last year as part of its tour around the South China Sea, seen as Japan’s biggest display of naval power in foreign waters in decades.

President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to visit the warship on Saturday afternoon, said Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Jonathan Zata.

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

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If being the first-ever freeport in the Philippines wasn’t enough of an accolade, Subic Bay — this bustling economic zone and one of the premier economic zones in the country — has its fair share of trailblazing feats in recent years.

SBMA has turned Subic Bay into a self-sustainable area that promotes the industrial, commercial, investment, and financial areas of trade in the zone as well as in the Philippines.

From sustaining robust economic growth and leading the way for port-related activities to having its first female chairwoman and administrator, Subic Bay sets the benchmark for all other freeports to equal.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the primary institution responsible for the development of the Subic Bay Freeport and the Special Economic Zone, will be celebrating 26 years of prolific growth since its inception in 1992 with the founding chairman and administrator Richard “Dick” Gordon, now a senator, at the helm. Now, it’s enjoying the unwavering service of the men and women behind the government-owned and controlled corporation.

SBMA has turned Subic Bay into a self-sustainable area that promotes the industrial, commercial, investment, and financial areas of trade in the zone as well as in the Philippines. It is currently headed by Atty. Wilma T. Eisma, former Public Affairs and Contributions manager of Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Company Inc., as Chairman and Administrator.

The SBMA is the operating and implementing arm of the Government of the Philippines for the development of the 262 square miles (670 square kilometers) area of Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) into a self-sustaining tourism, industrial, commercial, financial, and investment center to generate employment opportunities for Filipinos. This area was the former American naval facility in Subic Bay.

On March 13, 1992, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 7227, known as the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, in anticipation of the pullout of the United States from its military bases in the country. Section 13 of RA 7227 created the SBMA to develop and manage the Freeport, which provides tax and duty-free privileges and incentives to business locators in the special economic zone.

Gordon, then the mayor of the City of Olongapo, became the first SBMA chairman. The mayor, with 8,000 volunteers, took over the facility to preserve and protect US$8 billion worth of property and facilities when the last US Navy helicopter carrier USS Belleau Wood sailed out of Subic Bay on November 24, 1992. That started the conversion of the military base into a free port like Hong Kong and Singapore.

Its mission is to “grow the Freeport to be an environmentally sustainable community where locators are ahead of their competitors and our stakeholders enjoy the highest quality of life,” while its vision for the future is to be the leading Eco-Urban Freeport in Southeast Asia.

Apart from enticing international locators to Philippine shores, Subic has positioned itself as a premier destination — not only as an investment hub, but as a burgeoning amalgam of industries such as leisure and sports, hotels and tourism, and other recreational activities that fall under their scope in tagging Subic Bay as a place to live, work, and play.

With the ascent SBMA has achieved in only a short span of time, it’s hard not to believe that all of this is not achievable — and greater things are in tow for this Freeport for the next 26 years and more.

source: manilastandard.net

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The provincial government of Zambales launched on Friday the Regional Mango Research Center in Central Luzon which is seen to help improve the quality and production of the popular fruit.

Gov. Amor Deloso and Vice Governor Angel Magsaysay led the inauguration and blessing of the center located at the President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU) in San Marcelino town.

On her Facebook account, Magsaysay said, “Finally, we have (a) “Regional Mango Center,” a center in which research would make Zambales Mango greater!”

Deloso also spearheaded the provincial government’s donation of 268 hectares to the PRMSU – San Marcelino Campus for the educational advancement of its students.

According to the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority covering the period January-March 2018, Central Luzon ranked second among the mango producing regions in the country, with a share of 18.2 percent. Ilocos region topped the list.

source: centralluzon.politics.com.ph

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Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino says Olongapo City is the ‘second most peaceful place in Region 3’ based on police records

OLONGAPO CITY. Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino says his city is the second most peaceful in Region 3, based on Police Regional Office 3 records. Photo from the Facebook page of the Olongapo City Information Connection

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines – Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino questioned the shabu (methamphetamine) hotbed list of the Philippine National Police (PNP), saying this city is the “second most peaceful” in Central Luzon.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde earlier claimed that Olongapo City in Zambales was among the top cities with the highest drug proliferation, along with Santiago in Isabela, Angeles in Pampanga, and Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

“How did he come up with the list? Because based on records, Olongapo City is the second most peaceful place in Region 3 and that is backed with figures from no less than PNP Region 3,” Paulino said.

He added that Albayalde’s statement created a “bad image of the city” without actually showing data to support it.

But Albayalde’s announcement had been earlier rectified by PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Benigno Durana, who said the PNP chief mistook the listing of cities per region as one arranged according to volume. (READ: WRONG: ‘Naga top 5 city in crime volume’)

“Baka nagkamali lang si PNP chief sa nasabi niya. (Maybe what the PNP chief was a mistake) but the damage has been done and we hope that the Philippine National Police makes the correction as soon as possible,” Paulino said.

Records from the Police Regional Office in Central Luzon (PRO3) showed that Olongapo only had 189 crimes recorded from January 1 to August 19.

OCRIME RATE. This table from Police Regional Office III shows the tally of crimes among the provinces in Central Luzon. Photo by Randy V. Datu/Rappler

Additional information from PRO3 showed that Olongapo City comes in second in terms of solving crimes with 55.03%, after Bataan which has 60.87% crime solution efficiency.

source: rappler.com

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