SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has pegged its 2024 workforce at 164,400 showing a minimal but steady 4.8% increase.
SBMA chairman and administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño attributed the increase in the workforce to the number of orders in the manufacturing sector that drove the workforce from 2023’s 156,811 workers to this year’s 164,400.
He said that the manufacturing sector of the Subic economic zone recorded 27,484 workers employed by 110 companies here in 2024, compared to 21,433 workers in 2023.
“And we are anticipating more employment opportunities in Subic Freeport because of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s aggressive efforts to bring more foreign companies to invest in the country since it has been his administration’s thrust to create more jobs for Filipinos through foreign direct investments,” he said.
The manufacturing sector has employed workers from Olongapo City (13,738), Bataan (3,843), Zambales (8,154), Pampanga (188), National Capital Region (140), Tarlac (79), and other areas (1,342).
Aliño added that the services sector still has the biggest number of workers with 116,776 employees employed by 4,014 companies in 2024. It recorded an increase of 1,134 workers from 2024’s 116,776 employees, compared to 2023’s 115,642 employees.
The companies in the services sector employed workers from Olongapo City (46,857), Bataan (14,984), Zambales (17,999), Pampanga (4,419), National Capital Region (5,441), Tarlac (1,727), and other areas (25,349).
The shipbuilding/marine-related services with 153 companies recorded an increase of 309 workers for 2024’s 6,187 employees compared to 2023’s 5,878 employees.
The male-dominated sector recorded 5,512 male workers and 675 female workers. It employed workers from Olongapo City (2,742), Bataan (693), Zambales (1,543), Pampanga (59), National Capital Region (347), Tarlac (11), and other areas (792).
Meanwhile, the number of employees in the construction sector reached 13,953 and employed by 320 companies. Another male-dominated industry, these 320 construction companies employed 13,357 male workers and 596 female workers coming from Olongapo City (4,749), Bataan (1,747), Zambales (2,214), Pampanga (603), National Capital Region (916), Tarlac (296), and other areas (3,428).
Aliño said that an increase of 95 workers was recorded in the construction sector, with 13,953 workers recorded in 2024, and 13,858 workers recorded in 2023.
The SBMA chief said that with the current trend the Subic Bay Freeport workforce is experiencing, any fluctuation in the country’s unemployment rate would not adversely affect the number of workers here since the steady increase is a good sign of a constant upward pace in the employment sector.
