SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE (PIA) — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) released ₱197.85 million in revenue shares to eight local government units (LGUs) surrounding the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, earmarked for essential public services and recovery programs.
The fund covers collections from January to June 2025 and aims to support LGUs in implementing projects in tourism, education, infrastructure, health, peace and order, livelihood, and social welfare, especially in communities still recovering from the impact of three recent tropical cyclones.
SBMA Chairperson and Administrator Eduardo Jose Aliño emphasized the state-owned firm’s ongoing commitment to regional development.
“Rest assured that we will do our best to make progress in the Freeport so that our neighboring LGU partners will also benefit including the 166,000 freeport workers who chose to work here instead of working abroad,” he said.
For this semester, the city of Olongapo received the highest share at ₱46.27 million, followed by the municipalities of Subic with ₱29.68 million and San Marcelino with ₱23.76 million both located in the province of Zambales.
Other Zambales towns also received shares namely Castillejos with ₱17.99 million, and San Antonio with ₱16.82 million.
In Bataan, Dinalupihan received ₱24.64 million while Hermosa got ₱21.19 million, and Morong was awarded with ₱17.49 million.
About 785,000 residents from these eight surrounding towns and city are expected to benefit from the projects that will be implemented by their LGUs.
Aliño explained that the LGU share is calculated based on population (50 percent), land area (25 percent), and equal sharing (25 percent).
The final amount includes a 10 percent retention from previous years and deducts a 10 percent hold from the current year.
He added that the slight reduction in this year’s allocation—from ₱204.7 million in 2024 to ₱197.85 million in 2025—was due to changes in tax policy.
A 25 percent tax was imposed by the Department of Finance, and the previous five percent tax privilege for contiguous LGUs was removed.
The SBMA disburses LGU revenue shares every August for January–June collections, and February for July–December collections.
By sharing revenues from economic activities in the Freeport, SBMA strengthens the link between national development and local empowerment, allowing communities to directly benefit from inclusive economic growth. (CLJD/RGP, PIA Region 3-Zambales)
