SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Visiting officials from various cruise terminals in Asia predicted that Subic will have a key role in making the region the next cruise-ship playground, citing the facilities in this free port, as well as the tourism destinations in the surrounding areas.
“It’s marvelous! It’s great to be able to disembark passengers and have a short walk to the shore. I think (Subic) would make a great destination,” said Christina Siaw, chief executive officer of Singapore Cruise Center.
“When it comes to cruising, it’s not just what the terminal has to offer, but what the destination has to offer in terms of tourism, and I think Subic and all of the Philippines have a lot to offer,” she added.
Siaw led a delegation of officials from various ports in Malaysia, Kobe, and Shanghai last week for the second Pro-Tem committee meeting here of the Asia Cruise Terminals Association (ACTA), which will be formally launched in November this year.
The meeting was held to ratify the previous agreements that were made during the first Pro-Tem meeting in Singapore last March 26. The Pro-Tem committee acts as an interim group to oversee preparations for the ACTA launch.
Upon arriving in Subic last week, Siaw said she immediately recognized Subic as a perfect cruise ship destination, pointing out this port’s infrastructure, as well as its deep harbor.
The visiting port officials were warmly received by officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), headed by SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business Raul Marcelo, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Corporate Communications Knette Fernando, SBMA Seaport Manager Capt. Perfecto Pascual, and SBMA Maritime and Manufacturing Business Development Manager Ronnie Yambao.
“I’m very impressed with the warm hospitality of the people here, and how clean, green and wonderful everything is,” said Siaw, who was on her first visit to Subic.
Siaw also noted the natural attractions, the warm weather, the people and the local culture as Subic’s major assets to attract cruise liners.
In the meeting with SBMA officials, Siaw also explained the reason why Asian ports have decided to create ACTA, which is an association for cruise terminal operators.
“The whole purpose of the association is to promote cruising in Asia. What we are trying to do is to tell cruise lines to bring their ships to Asia and give them good reasons why they should bring those ships in,” she said.
Siaw added that Asia needs to be developed into a cruise ship destination, since the cruise ship markets in the United States and Europe are already saturated.
“In five to ten years, there would be about 70 million cruise passengers between India and Asia, and that’s a very big potential market,” she said.
When asked about Subic’s role in the association, Siaw said that this freeport will be a key contributor because of its initiative, its pro-business environment, and its smart marketing.
Siaw also noted that Subic’s location complements the cruise-ship route, thus enabling Subic to receive cruise ships from the west.
During their Subic visit, Siaw and the other Asian port officials toured Alava Pier, the proposed cruise-ship terminal here, and some of the top tourist spots in Subic, which is one of the founding members of ACTA.
