SUBIC BAY FREEPORT: Some 2,557 “endo” or contractual workers referred for regularization by 17 manpower service providers here were recently absorbed by their respective companies in compliance with the Department of Labor and Employment order, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) Labor Department said in a report.

A memo received by SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma dated August 16, 2017, stated that Sushicor, a subcontractor of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines, referred a total of 1,219 workers from its six manpower subcontractors for regularization, among them: AJB Construction Services and Supply,380 workers; Rocafor General Construction Services, 310; Junior General Services, 292; Seawolf Airconditioning Contractors Inc,126; SR Marine, 80 and IRDG Engineering Services and Supply, 31.

Jeannies Touch Manpower Solutions Inc. referred 50 contractual workers to Nidec and 300 to Juken Sangyo for regularization.

A total of 422 workers, on the other hand, were referred by Powerlane to Lindberg, 150 as regulars; 120 to Nidec; 97 absorbed by Sanyo Denki; 42 to Mang Inasal and 13 by Yellow Cab Pizza.

Similarly, 103 workers referred by Sameer Global Manpower Services, Inc. for regularization were absorbed by Datian Shoes; 36 by Hitachi Airconditioning; seven were taken in by Kewen and five to Ropali referred.

Ocean Adventure also absorbed 20 workers referred for regularization by its manpower service provider, Total Staffing Skills.

Thirty-six contractual workers were referred by Buchan Global Services Co. to its clients Lighthouse Marina, Chia Hung and Subicwater.

The SCCD Corp., on the other hand, recommended for regularization 20 workers toTrident, 10 to Lindberg and 16 to Ringsthree.

A total of 78 workers were referred by Executive Genesis for regularization with Hokei taking in 40; Glarfab, 20; Espresso,15 and Steelfab, three.

Also 33 workers from service provider Dictado were absorbed by Meatplus. Of the 38 referred by Sol Manpower, 28 were taken in by Crese, eight by Ringsthree and two were absorbed by Lighthouse.

AZ Contracting System Service, Inc. referred 55 for regularization to Nicera, Cresc and Koushin; Koryo absorbed 50 workers; Materion Advanced Materials hired seven and Trident hired one from manpower service provider Nozomi.

First Published: manilatimes.net

Image source: skyscrapercity.com

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SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently approved the takeover by a new company of the debt-ridden property previously leased out to the Lyceum of Subic Bay, Inc. (LSBI), saying the agreement provided for a “win-win” solution for the Subic agency to collect more than PHP31 million in overdue rent payments and other arrears.

By Patrick Roxas

Lyceum of Subic

SBMA administrator and chief executive officer Wilma T. Eisma said a resolution approved by the SBMA Board of Directors last Aug. 10 allowed the LSBI to assign its leasehold rights to Premium Technical Training and Facilities, Inc. (PTTFI), which shall assume its financial obligations and continue with the development commitments under its lease.

This was made possible by the withdrawal of the company from coverage of the SBMA policy granting educational institutions a 75% discount in rentals, which are supposed to be plowed back by the schools to scholarship programs and facilities improvement.

The reassignment covered the 34,196sqm Lyceum campus at Subic’s Cubi-Triboa District, which had PHP23 million in rentals and utility fees arrears, as well as some PHP16.68 million in unpaid accounts left by its previous operator, Global Daeil Subic, Inc.

The agreement also required LSBI to pay its debts for another school campus it operates at Subic’s Central Business District (CBD).

Initially, the company paid the SBMA PHP31 million for its arrears, and issued checks to cover outstanding obligations for both the Cubic and CBD campuses.

“As far as we can see, this is a win-win solution to a problem which has been hounding the SBMA since October 2015 when it pre-terminated the contract of Global Daeil over the Cubi property,” Eisma said.

“SBMA repossessed the property in January last year and later awarded it to Lyceum, which had the best business model. But unfortunately, Lyceum was not able to operate immediately and market the business properly because of some issue with the previous occupant, so we had a problem that compounded itself over time,” Eisma added.

“But now, with this amendment to the lease and development agreement for Lyceum’s Cubi campus, we finally have a solution that is favorable to all the parties involved,” she said.

Beatrix Anagaran, manager of the SBMA General Business and Investment Department, said the approved amendment to Lyceum’s lease and development agreement was “overwhelmingly beneficial to the SBMA” because it called for an increase in monthly rent from the discounted rate of PHP1.22 million to the appraised-value rate of PHP4 million.

Anagaran pointed out the agreement also provided for an increase in escalation rate from 2% per annum starting on the third year to 6% per annum starting on the second year.

“With Premium Technical taking over the Cubi property, the company will also pay an assignment share to the SBMA, undertake Lyceum’s development commitments, provide additional employment, and continue to honor the scholarship commitments made by Lyceum, with the number of scholars remaining the same,” Anagaran said.

She added that the new operator has also committed to put up a business process outsourcing (BPO) facility at the Cubi campus, as well as a modern training laboratory.

Premium Technical, which is 30% owned by LSBI, has also committed to honor the payment of arrears of Global Daeil with a three-year amortization schedule for the PHP16-million debt of the previous operator.

It has likewise retained LSBI’s committed investment of PHP50 million to PHP100 million, a committed employment of 180 workers, and a development commitment of PHP10 million to PHP20 million, and the provision of 36 scholarship grants per year.

First Published: subicsun.com

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Dinaluhan ng mga mamamahayag ng Olongapo at Zambales ang media briefing na inorganisa ng CARD MRI biyernes ng umaga sa Iba, Zambales. Isinagawa ang naturang pulong upang higit na maipakilala sa publiko ang mga proyekto at hangarin ng CARD MRI.

Ulat ni Lolito Go

Dinaluhan ng mga mamamahayag ng Olongapo at Zambales ang media briefing na inorganisa ng CARD MRI biyernes ng umaga sa Iba, Zambales. Isinagawa ang naturang pulong upang higit na maipakilala sa publiko ang mga proyekto at hangarin ng CARD MRI.

Ang CARD MRI o CARD Center for Agriculture and Rural Development-Mutually Reinfocing Institution ay isang multi-awarded microfinance group na itinaguyod ni Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip noong December 1986. Bukod sa microfinancing at pag-agapay sa small and medium enterprises, nagbibigay rin sila ng mga community development services sa mahihirap partikular sa aspeto ng edukasyon, kalusugan, ecotourism at disaster response efforts.

Nagsimula ang CARD MRI bilang isang non-government organization at ngayon, sa kanilang ika-tatlumpung taon ay nakapagsisilbi na sa halos limang milyong mga kliyente, mahigit kalahati sa mga ito ay aktibong mga miyembro na nakakautang at nakatatanggap ng mga benepisyo. Sa ngayon ay umaabot na rin sa mahigit 14 na milyon ang bilang ng mga taong nabigyan ng insurance coverage ng CARD MRI.
Ginawaran ang CARD MRI ng Ramon Magsaysay Awards for public service noong 2008 dahil sa matagumpay nitong kampanya sa pagbibigay ng pinansyal na serbisyo sa mga kababaihang pilipino at sa kanilang mga pamilya.

First Published: Subic Broadcasting Corporation @ Facebook

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ANTI-corruption advocates on Friday said corruption in some agencies of government has been deeply entrenched and it would need someone with strong political will like President Rodrigo Duterte to stamp it out.

Photo by: ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) called on the President to take over the helm of three government agencies – the Bureau of Customs (BoC), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – perceived to be corrupt.

Dante Jimenez, founding chairman of the VACC, said lawyers of the organization were drafting a letter to Duterte asking him to take over the management of the three government agencies.

“We will recommend these three agencies for the President to lead. I think it is time for the President to really take command responsibility in the war against corruption,” Jimenez said in an interview.

The BOC, BIR and DPWH have consistently obtained poor survey ratings in corruption perception surveys.

In 2016, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) ranked the Customs bureau as the least sincere government agency in fighting corruption with a rating of -68, which was described by the survey firm as “very bad.”

BIR and the Public Works department got “poor” ratings on their respective campaigns against corruption, at -27 and -22 respectively.

Jimenez said the corruption problem in several government agencies was so serious that even if the President appointed honest men to lead these offices, they would end up either eaten up by the system or defeated by it.

He cited as example the case of resigned Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, who was replaced by the President following the controversy over the P6.4-billion illegal drug shipment from China that was released from the Bureau of Customs undetected.

Jimenez said he could vouch for the integrity and honesty of Faeldon, but the system and bureaucracy in Customs prevented the ex-Marine captain from reforming the agency.

He said Faeldon formed his own team at the BOC to fight corruption, but was unable to check the enormous number of cargoes and transactions.

The same is true with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño, he said.

“If erring officials of these agencies are not afraid of their heads who were appointed by the President, let’s see where they would end up once the President takes over management of their agencies,” Jimenez said.

First Published: manilatimes.net

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World-renowned humanitarian and esteemed founder of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Senator Richard J. Gordon is currently at the Subic Grand Harbour Hotel for his keynote speech for the 26th North Luzon Area Business Conference.

Senator Dick Gordon at the “One North Luzon” 26th North Luzon Area Business Conference.( Photo by: Edic J. Piano)

He is advocating an intensified investment into manufacturing facilities across the Central Luzon corridor. Pointing out the success story of the Freeport, he recounted the five Fs that allowed Subic Bay to prosper: to be “focused, fast, friendly, flexible, and forward-looking”.

He likewise promoted the harmonious operations of both the Subic International Airport (SBIA) and the Clark Internation Airport, adding that “”Clark and Subic should be one airport”. Furthermore, he extended an invitation to all delegates to visit the official Philippine Red Cross ship, M/V Amazing Grace, commissioned earlier this year.

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