FAB administrator Emmanuel Pineda (right) and Paul Salapantan, AFAB marketing special/corporate affairs department headfield questions from media. Photo by Ernie Esconde
BALANGA CITY — The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) on Wednesday said that they plan to invite manufacturers of coronavirus disease vaccines to set shop in the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles town.
AFAB administrator Emmanuel Pineda said that with the big threat of Covid–19, they have to be positive thinkers or be optimistic and continue with their mandate of creating more jobs.
The massive requirement for vaccines, he said, is giving AFAB a great opportunity. “Naiisip namin na kapag na-perfect na ang formula ng bakuna, we can invite the manufacturers to locate in FAB. Bibigyan natin sila ng suporta bukod pa sa incentives,” he said.
“Makakapagdulot ito ng karagdagang trabaho sa ating mga kababayan not only in the manufacturing ng bakuna kundi pati ang logistics na involve dito kasi kailangan ng mga cold storage, kailangan ng mga specialized shipping vessels para ma-maintain ang kalidad ng mga bakuna,” added Pineda.
Asked as to what incentives they can extend to Covid–19 vaccine manufacturers, the administrator said they can grant like what the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Board of Investments, Subic Bay Freeport, Clark Freeport and other freeports in the country can offer.
“So kung ano ang pwedeng ibigay ng PEZA at ibang freeport, binigyan kami ng mandato at legal basis na ibigay din yon. Ngayon hinihintay namin kung ano magiging final version ng isinusulong na panukala na magkaroon ng panibagong harmonized set of incentives,” Pineda said.
Paul Salapantan, AFAB marketing special/corporate affairs department head, said they presently offer superior incentives such as income tax holidays for four years extendable to a maximum of eight years with a 5% tax on gross income earned imposed in lieu of all local and national taxes; exemption from duties and taxes on imported capital equipment, spare parts, other supplies and raw materials; exemption from wharfage dues, export taxes, imposts and fees; and domestic sales allowance of up to 30% of total sales.
Permanent resident status for foreign investors and immediate family members and tax-free importation of personal equipment for use within the freeport are also part of the incentives.
Salapantan said FAB is the only freeport in the Philippines that can sell real property.
Other incentives are duty-free and tax-exempt admission of motor vehicles for an investment of at least $250,000 or for having at least 50 regular employees for every vehicle to be admitted at the time of application and B0I One-Stop-Shop.
AFAB information officer Hazel Keith Ellorin said FAB, the former Bataan Economic Zone and Bataan Export Processing Zone, was home to about 100 multi-national firms with more than 43,000 workers before the pandemic struck.
On March and April, 2020, the number of operating multinational firms went down to 34.
Ellorin said that as of December this year, 85 locators have been back operating with about 33,000 workers. She said they were hopeful that more locators will operate as soon as they receive their orders.
