Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is the operating and implementing arm of the Government of the Philippines for the development the 262 square mile (670 square kilometer) area of Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) or what was the former US Naval facility in Subic Bay into a self-sustaining tourism, industrial, commercial, financial, and investment center to generate employment opportunities .

History

On March 13, 1992, Philippine Congress passed "Republic Act 7227" known as the "Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992", creating the Subic Bay Freeport in anticipation of the pullout of the US naval base facilities. Section 13 of RA 7227 created the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and freeport incentives that was lobbied for by Richard Gordon and inserted as an amendment during the bicameral committee hearings. Pursuant to such, Gordon, then the mayor of Olongapo, became the first SBMA chairman. [http://www.manilatimes.net/others/special/2003/dec/01/20031201spe1.html The Manila Times Internet Edition | SPECIAL REPORT > Gordon-Payumo row explodes] ]

Mayor Gordon with 8,000 volunteers took over the facility to preserve and protect US$8 billion worth of property and facilities from looting when the last U.S. Navy helicopter carrier USS|Belleau Wood|LHA-3|6 sailed out of Subic Bay in November 24, 1992 and started the [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E3D8143DF930A15752C1A960958260 military base conversion] into a freeport like Hong Kong and Singapore. During its fourth anniversary in November 24, 1996, Subic Bay hosted the leaders of 18 economies during the 4th APEC Leaders' Summit who were all impressed with the emerging investment haven with companies like FedEx Express, Enron, Coastal Petroleum now El Paso Corporation, Taiwan computer giant Acer and France telecoms company Thomson SA.

Richard Gordon was SBMA chairman until June 1998 when newly elected president, Joseph Estrada, issued [http://www.opnet.ops.gov.ph/directives1.htm Administrative Order No. 1] replacing him with a political ally, former Bataan Representative and Harvard-trained Felicito C. Payumo. In 2004, Payumo was replaced by Francisco Licuanan as Chairman and Alfredo C. Antonio as Administrator. In 2006, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed Commodore Feliciano G. Salonga as Chairman/Head of Agency, and Armand Arreza as Administrator/CEO of the SBMA. [ [http://www.subicbay.com.ph/news/ SBMA officials welcomed as rain soaks Subic rites] ] Exports had averaged a billion dollars since 1997, jobs generated reached more than 60,000 which was twice the highest number of jobs available when Subic Bay was still a US naval base.. In June 2006, Hanjin Shipping opened over the weekend a P40-million modern training center in the Subic Bay Freeport. Hanjin's facility in Subic covers 349 hectares with total investments of US$1 billion. The project expects to generate at least 15,000 new jobs in Subic.

Jungle Joe's World

CEO Yvette Desiongco announced that 50-hectare wonderland new Jungle Joe's World (of the Subic Family Land Co.), featuring giant monkey "Jungle Joe" opens on March, 2008 (theme park in Naval Magazine area). It will join others like Ocean Adventure, and Zoobic Safari, a collection of exotic wild animals. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Armand Arreza stated that 5 bunkers in the huge theme park were converted to air-conditioned themed amusement centers: "Indy 500, where children can drive mini-race cars around a mini-race track; Winter Wonderland, which is filled with a collection of Christmas symbols like Santa Claus and his reindeers; Playhouse Theater, which provides video entertainment in a playhouse setting; Voodoo Combo, which has scary stuff with a Halloween theme; and Jungle Fever Discotheque, which offers a different kind of dancing experience." Jungle Joe's World also has the Jurassic Trail. [ [http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/26/yehey/prov/20071226pro1.html manilatimes.net/national, New ‘jungle’ rises in Subic] ]

ee also

*Port of Subic
*Subic Bay Freeport Zone (formerly U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay)
*Subic Bay International Airport (formerly Naval Air Station Cubi Point)
*Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (formerly Clark Air Base)
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC2s2jtg2CA The Subic Bay Story:Rising Above The Storm]

References

External links

* [http://www.subic.com/ Subic Bay Information Portal]
* [http://www.sbma.com Official Web Site of Subic Bay Freeport Zone]
* [http://www.xpatsolutions.net/ Expat Concierge Services-Subic Bay, Olongapo, Zambales]
* [http://www.subicbay.ph/ Subic Bay News]