SUBIC BAY HISTORY

Before Olongapo became deeply involved in naval military activities, it was just a little village with no more than a few hundred inhabitants who engaged in their small fishing and farming industries. The hardy residents were mainly simple folks unconcerned with what is happening beyond their community.

Dewey, had received word on April 25, 1898 that war with Spain had been declared and immediately sailed from Hong Kong to attack the Spanish Fleet in Manila Bay.

As Filipino revolutionaries who have launched many revolts against the Spanish colonizers were finally making a headway against the Spanish military, they thought that victory is almost in their hands. The sudden appearance of the Americans troops, however, caught them off guard. They tried to mount another revolution, this time against the United States of America.

While Subic Bay was already controlled and administered by the U.S. Marines, the Americans did not fully oocupy the area until 1902 due to disagreements over the best strategic location for a fleet base. The General Board of the United States Navy had recommended Guimaras Island, south of Manila, as the most suitable site for the main American Naval base in the Philippines in 1900. Dewey, now an Admiral of the Navy, and Admiral George Remey, Commander of the Asiatic Fleet, disagreed with the plan and insisted upon the strategic benefits of using Subic Bay. The two admirals were successful in their argument – and Subic Bay was eventually chosen.

In 1908, the Station Intelligence Officer of the U. S. Marine Corps was charged with the administrative control of Olongapo. In this capacity, he acted as mayor, judge, and police officer.