CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Central Luzon has warned the public to stop harvesting and eating shellfish from the coastal waters of this province.

This, after the agency announced through its Shellfish Bulletin No. 31 Series of 2018, which shellfish collected from the coastal waters of Pampanga are still positive from paralytic shellfish poison that is beyond regulatory limit.

“Based on the latest laboratory results of BFAR and the local government unit concerned, all types of shellfish and Acetes (alamang) gathered from the area are not safe for human consumption due to paralytic shellfish poison,” the bulletin read.

Fish, squids, shrimps and crabs, meanwhile, are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines will be removed before cooking, it added.

Aside from Pampanga’s coastal waters, those of Mariveles, Orion, Balanga, Limay, Pilar, Orani, Abucay and Samal in Bataan province, Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar, Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur, and Puerto Prinsesa Bay and Puerto Prinsesa City in Palawan are also positive for paralytic shellfish poison, the bulletin furthered.

“The public is advised to refrain from eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from the coastal areas in the said areas until such time that the toxicity level has gone below the regulatory limit,” it said.

Source: sunstar.com.ph

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Photo Credit: subicbaynews.net

SOUTH Korea’s ship builder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Philippines Inc. on Tuesday filed for corporate rehabilitation at the Olongapo Regional Trial Court, seeking protection from its creditors.

Ahead of the submission of the rehabilitation proposal in the local courts, its mother company, Hanjin Heavy in South Korea, had disclosed to Korean regulators the filing of the case in the Philippines, according to a report by Yonhap news agency in the Korea Herald.

The shipyard operation is known to be struggling to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to some of the Philippines’s leading banks.

Company lawyers in Olongapo City declined to give details of the case but they brought in 10 blue boxes that appeared to contain documents of the case as they entered the court’s premises at about 4:20 p.m. of Tuesday. Court officials declined interviews.

The local Hanjin operations had laid off some 7,000 workers in December, and sources said it plans to fire 3,000 more in the coming months, and retain some 300 workers that will maintain its factory located in Redondo Peninsula, in Subic Bay in Zambales.

In November it delivered two units of 114K tanker to Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, according to the company’s web site.

“Its ship owners are also expecting two more tankers of the same kind to be delivered on the first quarter of 2019. And with the positive business momentum of HHIC Phil and Eastern Pacific shipping, the latter have ordered two more tanker vessels that is set to start its construction on the second quarter of 2019,” the company said then.

Since it started its operations in 2004, it had already completed 123 vessels and there were six more orders, but that could also be in danger of being canceled out.

Since June last year, the once mighty Korean firm—that at one point propelled the Philippines to become the fifth top ship builder in the world—had already sounded off that it is selling its Philippine assets valued at about $1.64 billion.

It has been racking up debt since 2016, when the mother firm also started disposing of noncore assets. Hanjin Heavy in Korea had, since 2016, been reported to be selling some of its noncore assets as it struggled to meet obligations to creditors. The Yonhap report said that, so far, the mother firm had complied with 65 percent of the 2.1-trillion-won ($1.86 billion) restructuring scheme proposed by creditors.

According to the earlier plan in mid-2018 that did not push through, the Korean firm will sell its 85-percent stake in the Subic Bay facility for about $894 million and will retain the rest.

Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy was once short-listed for the purchase but later on backed out of the deal.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Wilma T. Eisma said she was “saddened” to learn that Hanjin Philippines is facing serious financial trouble.

“The bottom line is that the company said it does not have enough cash to repay its loans, and that it cannot continue with its operations under these circumstances,” she said.

Usual incentives

Contacted by the BusinessMirror, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez confirmed that Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines had once enjoyed the usual income tax holiday from the Board of Investments (BOI). The ITH is usually enjoyed for up to six years of a locator’s existence. Hanjin shipyard was established in 2004.

However, Lopez is unsure if Hanjin is still receiving any incentive from the SBMA, which is overseeing its business activity in the free port area. Firms in economic zones and free ports, such as Hanjin, are usually granted tax perks, such as the 5-percent tax on gross income earned (GIE) in lieu of all local and national taxes.

The Duterte administration’s second tax-reform program seeks to rationalize these incentives, and overhaul the entire menu of tax perks offered to locators such as Hanjin.

“Hanjin is registered with [the] BOI and [the] SBMA. It is done with ITH with [the] BOI, but might still be enjoying something from [the] SBMA,” Lopez told the BusinessMirror.

Biggest investor, employer

Hanjin Subic is the biggest investor at the former sprawling US naval base transformed into a free port after the Americans left in 1991, and now managed by the SBMA.

In past years, Hanjin-Subic had been rocked by allegations of lax compliance with labor safety standards, prompting a Senate committee inquiry into workplace conditions at the shipyard, which sits across from the main Subic commercial area, facing Redondo Bay.

HHICC-Phil’s reported multiple workplace accidents led to several casualties since 2009.

Just last year, DOLE-Region 3 Director Zenaida Campita issued another work-stoppage order against the company after another accident killed one of its employees and injured three others.

Source: businessmirror.com.ph

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“DISCIPLINE MEANS GOOD MANNERS. DISCIPLINE MEANS TAKING CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT. DISCIPLINE MEANS THINKING OF OTHERS AND NOT JUST ONE’S SELF. LET FILIPINOS BE KNOWN TO BE DISCIPLINED PEOPLE. LET US START NOW! ” – Rep. Geraldine B. Roman My hometown of Orani is known for its lush forestlands, fresh seafood, and breathtaking views. The natural beauty that surrounds Orani is a source of pride for those of us who were born and raised here. So you can imagine my heartbreak when I came across this Facebook post, which shows trash strewn all over the grounds of the Tala View Deck. The poster is right: visitors MUST BE RESPONSIBLE AND DISCIPLINED with their trash, especially when visiting sites like the Bataan National Park, where you can find the Tala View Deck and take in the luscious view of the green, vibrant forestlands and majestic mountains. Orani aims to be a top destination for ecotourism by 2020. Many people are working hard to make this happen because we love and BELIEVE IN OUR HOMETOWN. I hope that in the future, ALL of us will be more mindful of our manners when visiting tourist spots, so that other people can enjoy their visit too, instead of being forced to clean other people’s trash. (Photos: Ehrik Satt FB Page)

A post shared by Geraldine B. Roman (@geraldinebroman) on Jan 2, 2019 at 10:48pm PST

Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman is disappointed that visitors of the Tala View Deck left trash all over the place.

The politiko shared a photo of the sad scene on her Instagram account on January 3.

“My hometown of Orani is known for its lush forestlands, fresh seafood, and breathtaking views. The natural beauty that surrounds Orani is a source of pride for those of us who were born and raised here. So you can imagine my heartbreak when I came across this Facebook post, which shows trash strewn all over the grounds of the Tala View Deck,” said Roman.

She then said visitors must be responsible and disciplined with their trash.

“Orani aims to be a top destination for ecotourism by 2020. Many people are working hard to make this happen because we love and BELIEVE IN OUR HOMETOWN. I hope that in the future, ALL of us will be more mindful of our manners when visiting tourist spots, so that other people can enjoy their visit too, instead of being forced to clean other people’s trash,” said Roman.

Source: centralluzon.politics.com.ph

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Photo Credit: marasinews.com

The Port of Subic made history for posting its highest-ever collection of P22.4 billion in 2018.

Subic made a final push to end the year on a high note after it surpassed the annual revenue target of P21.1 billion, up by P1.2 billion, as of Dec. 28.

This is the most significant milestone for the port after breaking past the P20 billion mark for the first time.

Import duties and other taxes collected by Subic port were 37 percent higher than its last year’s collection of P16.3 billion.

District collector and lawyer Rhea Gregorio credited the 2018 positive revenue performance to the strict implementation of customs laws and rules and regulations.

“This enabled the port to recover its deficit in the past three quarters and finish strong toward the last quarter of the year,” Gregorio said.

The tax take of the Port of Subic in December significantly contributed to its annual revenue collections, with the figure reaching P2.4 billion for the month.

The amount is higher by P544.6 million than the port’s revenue goal during the period or a positive growth of 28.5 percent.

“The revenue collected for the month of December is the highest monthly collection in the history of the port,” she said.

Gregorio expressed her gratitude to the hard work and sacrifices of every Customs personnel from the Subic port for this achievement.

Source: manilastandard.net

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Photo Credit: thesummitexpress.com

Subic Bay Freeport—A financial assistance program is now available here for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that are accredited to deliver goods and services in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said the SBMA has partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to provide loan facilities to MSMEs and other logistics-focused companies as part of the agency’s port marketing initiative.

The SBMA had initiated talks with the LBP as early as February last year to push for the loan facility under the agency’s program to assist MSMEs operating in the Freeport, she said.

According to Land Bank Subic Bay Branch Manager Edwin Manalo, interested MSMEs can avail of the loan facility through the Zambales Lending Center, a unit of the Land Bank that was formerly located in Dinalupihan, Bataan.

“As the number one government financial institution, Land Bank is always here to help the community on their financial needs. With the transfer of our Lending Center to Subic, we will be in a better position to help the public, especially MSMEs needing financial assistance,” he added.

Land Bank is a universal bank owned by the Philippine government with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers and fishermen and keeping them financially viable to help promote countryside development.

Zambales Lending Center Manager Ma. Marita San Diego said that this partnership with the SBMA is especially intended for corporations, private enterprises, cooperatives, as well as non-SBFZ companies that are accredited to deliver goods and services in the Freeport.

She said that processing time for MSME loan would take around 45 days, after the applicant submitted a complete set of the requirements.

San Diego added that her office has already received several some applications after the center relocated from Bataan to Subic Bay.

One of the applicants, she said, is a transport cooperative that proposes to field electric buses at Subic’s CBD area to provide a cheaper alternative to the riding public.

The proponent reportedly plans to put up initially a fleet of 10 electric buses, with designated stops and charging stations.

Source: manilastandard.net

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