SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Roberto V. Garcia took his oath of office as the agency’s new administrator before President Benigno Aquino III at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang recently, affirming his position as the top executive of the agency.
Garcia held a press conference Wednesday, mainly to clarify news that came out in major dailies concerning the appointment of Mike Macapagal from Olongapo City as SBMA administrator.
Garcia presented to the media his certificate of appointment as administrator dated November 21, 2011 signed by the President and his “Panunumpa sa Katungkulan.”
“I finally took my oath in front of the President February 21, 2012, so basically I want to clear up the news reports and I hope this will laid all allegations to rest so that we can move forward,” Garcia said.
He said that he will immediately communicate with employees and the locators of the Freeport to stop further confusion on the issue of the position.
In the previous two administrations of SBMA, the positions of chairman and administrator were separated.
“My appointment as chairman and then administrator is a way of the palace to unify the position again which is under Republic Act 7227,” Garcia added.
On February 28 (Tuesday), Garcia will have his first State of the Freeport Address (SOFA).
“This will not be a traditional SOFA in the sense that we trumpet the achievements of the agency. I’m going to lay down the real pictures of the situation here at SBMA and the problems that we face.
I will also talk about the solutions that we come out with during the management’s strategic planning, which will be addressed by a strategic plan and basically, the principles of this administration will run on good governance, transparency and public accountability,” he said.
“This plan was put together by the management and the board of directors and if this plan is implemented, it will change Subic from what we know.
It’s a very bold plan and because we have big problems in SBMA. If you have big problems, we need drastic solutions,” he added.
Garcia said he will also report during the SOFA the almost P60-billion in investments coming in this year in the field of maritime and renewable energy.
