SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Thousands of former volunteers, who helped build this freeport from an abandoned military base, are expected to gather here this week to celebrate the 18th year after the United States military officially withdrew its forces from the former Subic Naval Base.
It was on November 24, 1992 that the general-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Belleau Wood sailed out of Subic Bay with the last contingent of American sailors, almost a year after the Philippine Senate rejected the RP-US Military Bases Agreement.
“This year’s commemoration will focus on thanking those who have sacrificed and rendered unselfish service to help Subic bounce back from the bases pullout,” said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza.
“From the early volunteer days, the Subic Bay Freeport has gone a long, long way and became one of the fastest growing economic areas in the country,” he added.
According to SBMA OIC-deputy administrator for corporate communications Knette Fernando, this year’s celebration kicked off with a flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremony in front of Building 229, the head office of the SBMA, on Monday, November 22.
On Wednesday, a commemorative photo exhibit titled “Salamat…” will be unveiled at the Park & Shop Terminal here. The exhibit of photographs taken during the early days of the SBMA will run on November 24-30.
Fernando said the SBMA is putting up the photo exhibit to commemorate “local heroes” who helped transform Subic Bay from a military base into a special economic zone from 1991 to 1994.
The November 24 celebration will be highlighted by the reunion of Subic volunteers at the Volunteers’ Shrine here, where a thanksgiving program will be held along with a “boodle fight”, games and some live entertainment between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. At 3 p.m. on the same day, the Subic Bay Workforce Development Foundation Inc. will be presenting winners in the search for The 10 Outstanding Freeport Workers at the Subic Bay Convention & Exhibition Center (SBECC), also as part of the Volunteers’ Day celebration.
A healing mass will also be celebrated by Fr. Jerry Orbos at the San Roque Chapel at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
Arreza said that in the 18 years that the Subic Bay Freeport Zone had existed under the management of the SBMA, it has consistently championed the economic uplift of local residents who lost their livelihood when the former Subic Naval Base closed in 1992.
“From providing an alternative jobs and sources of livelihood to those who were displaced by the pullout, the Subic Bay Freeport has clearly went beyond this mandate and kept up with the demand of the times,” Arreza said.
He pointed out that in 18 years, the Subic Bay Freeport has recorded a cumulative investment of $7.16 billion in terms of committed investments by over 1,400 approved investment projects.
On the other hand, the number of workers employed in the Subic Bay Freeport has grown by 194 percent, compared to the workforce hired at the US naval base, he added.
“Now, the Subic Bay Freeport workforce is 88,187 strong. While, tourist arrivals went up to 61.7 million in 18 years,” he said.
Arreza added that Subic has delivered increasingly bigger amounts of revenue since it was established in 1992.
It was on November 24, 1992 that the general-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Belleau Wood sailed out of Subic Bay with the last contingent of American sailors, almost a year after the Philippine Senate rejected the RP-US Military Bases Agreement.
“This year’s commemoration will focus on thanking those who have sacrificed and rendered unselfish service to help Subic bounce back from the bases pullout,” said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza.
“From the early volunteer days, the Subic Bay Freeport has gone a long, long way and became one of the fastest growing economic areas in the country,” he added.
According to SBMA OIC-deputy administrator for corporate communications Knette Fernando, this year’s celebration kicked off with a flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremony in front of Building 229, the head office of the SBMA, on Monday, November 22.
On Wednesday, a commemorative photo exhibit titled “Salamat…” will be unveiled at the Park & Shop Terminal here. The exhibit of photographs taken during the early days of the SBMA will run on November 24-30.
Fernando said the SBMA is putting up the photo exhibit to commemorate “local heroes” who helped transform Subic Bay from a military base into a special economic zone from 1991 to 1994.
The November 24 celebration will be highlighted by the reunion of Subic volunteers at the Volunteers’ Shrine here, where a thanksgiving program will be held along with a “boodle fight”, games and some live entertainment between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. At 3 p.m. on the same day, the Subic Bay Workforce Development Foundation Inc. will be presenting winners in the search for The 10 Outstanding Freeport Workers at the Subic Bay Convention & Exhibition Center (SBECC), also as part of the Volunteers’ Day celebration.
A healing mass will also be celebrated by Fr. Jerry Orbos at the San Roque Chapel at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
Arreza said that in the 18 years that the Subic Bay Freeport Zone had existed under the management of the SBMA, it has consistently championed the economic uplift of local residents who lost their livelihood when the former Subic Naval Base closed in 1992.
“From providing an alternative jobs and sources of livelihood to those who were displaced by the pullout, the Subic Bay Freeport has clearly went beyond this mandate and kept up with the demand of the times,” Arreza said.
He pointed out that in 18 years, the Subic Bay Freeport has recorded a cumulative investment of $7.16 billion in terms of committed investments by over 1,400 approved investment projects.
On the other hand, the number of workers employed in the Subic Bay Freeport has grown by 194 percent, compared to the workforce hired at the US naval base, he added.
“Now, the Subic Bay Freeport workforce is 88,187 strong. While, tourist arrivals went up to 61.7 million in 18 years,” he said.
Arreza added that Subic has delivered increasingly bigger amounts of revenue since it was established in 1992.
