SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Officials from Madang Province in Papua New Guinea visited this freeport on weekend to observe and gather information on how it was being managed, in the hope that they could model the industrial development of their province after this former military base.
The dignitaries were accompanied by Jesus Vicente Magsaysay, honorary consul to Papua New Guinea. They were given a tour of Subic, as well as a briefing on the history, accomplishments and economic status of the free port, by the SBMA’s business group.
Other SBMA officials who welcomed the group were Robert Martinez, deputy administrator for administration, Knette Fernando, deputy administrator for corporate communications, and Ronnie Yambao, business manager for maritime and manufacturing.
The visitors, headed by Bernard Lange, provincial administrator for Madang, especially took notice of how the SBMA had administered the free port from 1992 to the present, as well as its similarities with Papua New Guinea.
“We thought that our national government made the right choice to look over your policy and our own policy,” said Stotick Kamya, chairman of commerce and industry. “I believe we have a lot in common, and we have a lot to share. We like the natural resources, we like the technology, and we like the skills and manpower.”
Papua New Guinea is looking to develop Madang, a province on the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea, into a mining province. The province also has a thriving tuna industry and a tuna cannery is located within its territory.
Deeply impressed with what they saw in Subic, Madang officials noted that the Subic Bay Freeport could serve as a model for a special economic zone that they are planning to create in the province.
The delegates also inquired about the tax exemptions that investors get when doing business in Subic.
Magsaysay, for his part, expressed hope that some cooperation agreement could be forged between Madang and Subic.
“We can perhaps arrange for cooperation between Madang and Subic, like Madang could bring its natural resources to Subic and have them processed here. And then we could have our people from Madang to work here as trainees, so that when they go back to their country they are well-versed with the machines, with the technology,” Magsaysay said.
Aside from Subic, the officials from Papua New Guinea also visited the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna, and the office of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority while they were in the country.
In addition to Lange and Kamya, the Papuan delegation was composed of Nalon Derr, first secretary at the Governor’s Office; Emil Gamog, community representative; Babob Gatedai, senior planner; Maryanne Uraiwa, project partner representative and manager, National Development Bank; Paul Martin, industry and investment coordinator; Mario Berom Angurru, fisheries advisor, Madang provincial government; and Clarence Hoot, director, Investment Promotions Authority.
