BALANGA, Bataan – The chief executive officer of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has urged graduates here to keep themselves competitive “in order for them to partake of livelihood opportunities even in these days of economic slowdown.”
SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, who spoke before graduates of the Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies (APCAS) here, said that while economic prospects in the province especially in areas near the Subic-Clark growth corridor continue to be good, employment opportunities have lately been limited due to the effects of the global financial crisis.
“Life after graduation is not a bed of roses, especially as we face a global financial crisis that is costing people around the world their businesses, their homes, their jobs, and even their savings,” Arreza told graduates.
“If, at the back of your minds, you are worried about the future, especially at this time of great uncertainty, the answer lies within you,” he said.
Arreza also said that competition has become very stiff during these hard times. “It is no longer enough to be ‘good enough’. You have to aspire to be competitive, to be the best,” Arreza added.
According to the SBMA official, almost 10,000 workers from Bataan found jobs in the Subic Bay Freeport.
He said that this number is expected to increase by 2010 since the agency seeks to generate at least $7.5 billion in committed investments and to create 150,000 jobs while pursuing expansion in Bataan, Olongapo and Zambales.
Arreza said the SBMA considers parts of Bataan along the Subic-Clark growth corridor as ideal for industrial estate development while its beaches in Morong town are suitable for resort development and the nearby mountainous areas are perfect for reforestation.
Moreover, because of the presence of indigenous communities in the province, Bataan will also play an important role in the preservation of indigenous peoples’ domains, he said.
New graduates should work harder to qualify for jobs, Arreza stressed, pointing out that Central Luzon has already 3.5 million labor force and about 32,000 graduates are added every year.
On the other hand, Subic Bay Freeport and its immediate environs already have a working population of 700,000 with the Freeport alone already employing more than 87,000, as of December 2008.
“Are you competitive enough to join this workforce?” Arreza challenged the graduates. “How do you stand out from among these thousands of graduates, all looking for employment?”
Arreza said that by discovering their own competitive edge, the new graduates could benefit from new opportunities in Bataan and in Central Luzon.
“By working hard, by doing what you do uncommonly well, by striving to be competitive and the best you can ever hope to be, you can make not only your own dreams come true but also other people’s dreams possible,” he said.
“In the same manner that we in SBMA strive to serve as a catalyst of growth in Bataan, Olongapo and Zambales, and the rest of Central Luzon, you can also help open up growth opportunities for your own families and local communities,” Arreza said.
He added that as growth opportunities broaden and spread to Bataan, jobseekers in the province need not go to Manila or look elsewhere for employment, livelihood or business prospects.
SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, who spoke before graduates of the Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies (APCAS) here, said that while economic prospects in the province especially in areas near the Subic-Clark growth corridor continue to be good, employment opportunities have lately been limited due to the effects of the global financial crisis.
“Life after graduation is not a bed of roses, especially as we face a global financial crisis that is costing people around the world their businesses, their homes, their jobs, and even their savings,” Arreza told graduates.
“If, at the back of your minds, you are worried about the future, especially at this time of great uncertainty, the answer lies within you,” he said.
Arreza also said that competition has become very stiff during these hard times. “It is no longer enough to be ‘good enough’. You have to aspire to be competitive, to be the best,” Arreza added.
According to the SBMA official, almost 10,000 workers from Bataan found jobs in the Subic Bay Freeport.
He said that this number is expected to increase by 2010 since the agency seeks to generate at least $7.5 billion in committed investments and to create 150,000 jobs while pursuing expansion in Bataan, Olongapo and Zambales.
Arreza said the SBMA considers parts of Bataan along the Subic-Clark growth corridor as ideal for industrial estate development while its beaches in Morong town are suitable for resort development and the nearby mountainous areas are perfect for reforestation.
Moreover, because of the presence of indigenous communities in the province, Bataan will also play an important role in the preservation of indigenous peoples’ domains, he said.
New graduates should work harder to qualify for jobs, Arreza stressed, pointing out that Central Luzon has already 3.5 million labor force and about 32,000 graduates are added every year.
On the other hand, Subic Bay Freeport and its immediate environs already have a working population of 700,000 with the Freeport alone already employing more than 87,000, as of December 2008.
“Are you competitive enough to join this workforce?” Arreza challenged the graduates. “How do you stand out from among these thousands of graduates, all looking for employment?”
Arreza said that by discovering their own competitive edge, the new graduates could benefit from new opportunities in Bataan and in Central Luzon.
“By working hard, by doing what you do uncommonly well, by striving to be competitive and the best you can ever hope to be, you can make not only your own dreams come true but also other people’s dreams possible,” he said.
“In the same manner that we in SBMA strive to serve as a catalyst of growth in Bataan, Olongapo and Zambales, and the rest of Central Luzon, you can also help open up growth opportunities for your own families and local communities,” Arreza said.
He added that as growth opportunities broaden and spread to Bataan, jobseekers in the province need not go to Manila or look elsewhere for employment, livelihood or business prospects.
