OLONGAPO CITY—The Roman Catholic Church here is concerned that the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has allowed ship-to-ship transfers of liquefied natural gas or LNG at the Port of Subic, which it noted can be a risk to the public if not handled with care.

by: Fred Villareal

Rev. Fr. Daniel O. Presto, administrator of the Diocese of Zambales, said the Church was completely unaware of the STS operations at Subic, and had they known, “they could have studied the issue well and their community could have acted accordingly.”

Subic freeport officials, Presto added, “did not involve the Church” in the LNG transfer.

SBMA Chair Atty. Wilma Eisma previously said the Port of Subic stand to earn tens of millions of pesos from this project from services, including tugboat services, port services and anchorage, chandlers, bunkering and food supplies.

Eisma said the port seeks more STS work in the coming months.

The diocese of Zambales has taken an anti-coal and anti-mining stance, Presto said, and sees the LNG operation as dangerous too.

“We champion the protection of the environment and actively campaign for public safety,” he said.

STS operations involve big oil tankers carrying LNG, to be conveyed to smaller vessels bound to different ports for distribution to markets in and outside the country. Such operations address the shipping of petroleum and other energy products to ports that cannot accommodate bulk carriers because of depth issues, the Church said.

Last April 27, SBMA conducted an STS transfer of LNG at the freeport between the industrially-busy Hanjin Shipping complex in Subic town and a stretch where hotels, high-end restaurants and bars are lined up on the Olongapo City side, it noted.

The 105,335-ton Malaysian-flagged Seri Bakti of Jovo Group Company Ltd. Guandong (JOVO) of China, anchored in Subic Bay, transferred an initial LNG load to feeder vessel S/S Polar Spirit, a 72,524-ton Bahamas-flagged vessel, the diocese’s sources noted.

The last transfer was done Nov. 19 with the Seri Bakti a lot nearer to the Hanjin shipyard, where welding and other “ignitable activities” are done practically nonstop, it added.

Seri Bakti’s operations in Subic Bay are said to be a minimum of two transfers per month, and will increase to a maximum of six transfers per month toward the end of year, the Church said.

Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso, in a separate interview, said he wished his office were at least advised by the authorities beforehand, if not thoroughly consulted “on operations that are of public concern in the province.”

“My hands are tied on such issues, since the country’s law that governs freeports, Republic Act 7227 that created the SBMA, grants such economic zones’ authorities a free hand to the use of the zones — too free for comfort,” Deloso said.

“Any intervention from me as the governor of the province to this LNG STS transfer, or any concerns at all, will just be dismissed as ‘politicking,’” he added.

The national government, through state-run Philippine National Oil Co., is looking at six proposals for an estimated $2-billion LNG terminal in Batangas that could break ground in 2018, the Department of Energy said previously.

Source:manilastandard.net

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SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has peacefully taken control of a secondary and tertiary school here after it failed to settle its financial obligations to the agency amounting to P19 million.

by: Butch Gunio

The SBMA’s Legal Department, assisted by personnel from the Law Enforcement Department, entered the premises of Comteq Computer and Business College at about 6:30 a.m. and informed the school’s personnel of the takeover.

Atty. Melvin Varias, leader of the SBMA takeover team, said that although Comteq shall be closed to its students and personnel, students and faculty of the nearby UP Extension Program in Olongapo shall be allowed to enter the complex and use the facilities it has been sharing with the computer school.

The SBMA issued Comteq a notice to vacate its facilities it is occupying at Building Q-8131 on Manila Avenue at the freeport’s Central Business District, after the school failed to meet requirements for its continued operation here.

Earlier, the SBMA aired its concern over the fate of students of Comteq Computer and Business College, because of the latter’s failure to pay its rent despite the leeway the agency has given the school to meet its obligations.

“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,” SBMA Chairperson and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said.

Eisma said that as early as last April, the SBMA Legal Department has already issued a Notice to Vacate with Demand to Pay because the school has been operating without any valid lease agreement nor business registration with the SBMA, as well as failing to pay obligations with SBMA in the amount of P17.8 million.

Eisma explained that the SBMA had taken over the Comteq facility last April, but the Board granted a six-month extension to the school’s management for humanitarian reasons.

“However, during this final extension of six months, Comteq should have either settled their arrears with SBMA or should have responsibly arranged for the migration and transfer of their students, but they did not. Instead, they filed a case in court, thus betraying the kindness of SBMA,” she added.

In a letter dated April 27, 2017, Comteq president Danny J. Piano argued that the basis for the SBMA back pay rent of P17.7 million “is highly debatable” and added that the school “just have no capacity of paying back even a significantly reduced back pay rate.”

“Because of this, the new Board of Trustees of Comteq have come to the decision to transfer Comteq College out to Olongapo City where the rates are much lower,” Piano said.

Piano also asked for “a sufficient-enough transition” for the transfer, which he said can be successfully achieved by the end of the 2017 first semester or end of October.

With this, the SBMA Board allowed a six-month extension, but ordered 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.”

SBMA records indicated that Comteq, which offers courses in preparatory, secondary, and tertiary levels, originally leased Bldg. Q–7932 starting 2008. In 2011, when construction of the Harbor Point Mall began, Comteq relocated to Bldg. Q-8131 where it occupied 10 rooms with a total area of 808.61 square meters, as well 188.55 square meters of common area.

Comteq’s transfer to the new location, however, met some problems as the building was also occupied by the UPEPO, which wanted to solely occupy the building.

After the SBMA Board finally approved Comteq’s lease proposal in August 2015, Comteq asked for a “rent-free” period from January 2011 when it transferred to Bldg. Q-8131, to August 2015 when the SBMA approved its lease. The SBMA, however, denied this request.

In May 2016, the SBMA reiterated its denial of Comteq’s “rent-free” request and further advised the school of its total back rentals amounting to P13.12 million. It also asked Comteq to submit a payment scheme proposal on the settlement of its rental obligations so that SBMA may process a contract for 25 years under the policy on educational institution.

However, without any positive response from the school on these matters, the SBMA Legal Department declared in August 2016 that because Comteq did not have any lease agreement with SBMA, or a sublease agreement with other Subic locator, or a valid certificate of registration, it was engaged in unauthorized operation inside the Freeport and in illegal use of SBMA property.

In January this year, the SBMA Board of Directors approved the issuance of a Notice to Vacate against Comteq and instructed management to file a case against the original owners for collection of the company’s outstanding obligations.

Source:manilastandard.net

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THE Board of Investments (BoI) said it has approved three tourism projects worth a combined P1.13 billion, including a hotel owned by Ayala Land, Inc.

In a statement on Tuesday, BoI said it gave the go-signal for the three projects under the Special Laws List on Tourism facilities in the 2017 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP).

The biggest of the three projects is Seda Capitol Central in Bacolod City. Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corporations invested P662 million to build the eight-storey hotel with 154 rooms and suites.

Located 20 minutes from Bacolod-Silay International Airport, Seda Capitol Central is scheduled to start operations in January 2018.

The BoI also approved UC-1 Corporation’s P267-million Seven Seas Waterpark Resort in Misamis Oriental. The nine-hectare resort features pools, an events tent, restaurant and other amenities.

Seven Seas Waterpark Resort started commercial operations in October with 176 employees. It is targeting to attract up to 280,000 customers every year.

At the same time, 888 Subic, Inc. received the green light from the BoI for its P197-million Central Park Reef Resort in Olongapo.

Central Park Reef Resort is a beachfront six-storey hotel with 110 rooms, two restaurants and two infinity swimming pools. It is expected to open in June 2018 with 64 personnel.

“The recent launching of the tourism road maps under the Hotel and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) shows we remain committed in collaborating with industry stakeholders to boost tourism in the country,” Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo was quoted as saying in a statement.

“That is why we will pursue a proactive and targeted approach to address the challenges of tourism in partnership with the relevant associations, academe and other government agencies. We can build on the competitiveness of this industry and compete with the rest of our ASEAN neighbors.”

Source: bworldonline.com

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By: Jojo Perez

Sinampahan ng kasong paglabag sa Republic Act No. 9184 (Government Procurement Act) at Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti Graft and Corruption Act) sa tanggapan ng Ombudsman ang Barangay Captain ng Old Cabalan, Olongapo City.

Ang reklamo ay inihain nina kagawad Glenda Flores, Zosimo Cabiling, Roderick Gaton, Jose Galang Jr., Milagros Andrade at Victoriano Tuazon laban sa kanilang kapitan na si Lester Nadong.

Batay sa 10-pahinang complaint affidavit ng mga kagawad na ibinigay sa Abante, nag-ugat ang reklamo sa mga sasakyan na garbage compactor, motorcycle patrol at Kia 2700 response vehicle kung saan ang Subic Con ang tumayong supplier.

Luma na umano ang naturang garbage truck base sa Certificate of Registration na 2006 na nakapangalan sa isang Apolinario Valdez taliwas sa dokumento na 2016 model.

Kuwestiyonable rin umano ang pagkakabili ng kanilang motorcycle patrol vehicle alinsunod sa resolusyon na inaprubahan ng barangay council matapos matuklasan ang isang deed of sale mula sa isang anak ng dating kapitan at ngayon ay konsehal ng lungsod gayung ang kanilang katransaksyon ay ang mismong Subic Con.

Nagkaroon din umano ng overpriced sa KIA response vehicle na nagkakahalaga ng P1,014,000 gayung ang fixed umano nito ay nasa P1,002,000 lang base sa records na kanilang nakuha mula sa Kia Motors.

Source: abante.com

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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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