SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – “Wow!” was the first word newly appointed chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Martin Diño said after accepting on Monday the official SBMA flag from outgoing chairman Roberto Garcia in a turn over ceremony held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center here.
The “wow” word was for the accomplishments presented by outgoing chairman Roberto Garcia where he showed off his administration’s accomplishments that made Subic Freeport the only industrial zone that had been recognized as no.1 tourist destination in Central Luzon and no.4 nationwide.
Garcia presented that since 2011 under his administration, the revenue collection of SBMA has jumped from PHP1.398 billion in 2011 to PHP2.754 billion in 2015, while its total available cash has increased from PHP595 million (2011) to PHP2.759 billion (2015).
“These accomplishments have made SBMA to the 11th place as the highest revenue generating agency in the country among hundreds of government owned and controlled corporations,” he said.
The turn over ceremony was the first public appearance of Diño before employees of SBMA, local government officials from Zambales, Bataan and Olongapo City.
The ceremony was also attended by the transition team and members from the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).
For his part, Diño lauded the accomplishments made by the officials and employees of SBMA headed by former chairman Garcia adding that it is, indeed, right to give the employees the benefits they deserve to enjoy.
The former barangay chairman in his town and a former chairman of VACC admitted that he has no academic diploma to show nor degree in business courses nor recognitions from financial institutions for achievements.
“But I have a direct line to the President (Duterte) wherein we could endorse all the proposed projects of chairman Garcia for the improvement of Subic Freeport,” he promised.
Diño said that he envisioned a healthier financial status for SBMA that he will work hard to make the best of it (Subic).
He added that when he was offered the position as chairman of SBMA, President Duterte asked him to make Subic more attractive, to make the investment aspects healthier and make Subic more developed, and the best Freeport in Asia.
“I told the President, ‘Sir, chairman Garcia has already paved the way for Subic towards becoming number one Freeport in Asia.’ But we will continue to go further and better,” he said.
He mentioned that the President also plans to transfer half of the transshipment activities in the South and North Harbor of Manila Port in Subic, as part of decongesting the port and the streets Metro Manila and to maximize Subic’s capability.
“The President knows that even if we combine all the containers in the Port of Manila and put them in Subic, there will still be a large space available. So, the President wanted half of the containers in Manila be transferred here in Subic,” he said.
He also expressed concerns for the former Subic volunteers whom he considered the first heroes of SBMA and that he will look into ways how the agency could repay their sacrifices.
Meanwhile, Garcia will remain as SBMA administrator until the President appoints a replacement.(PNA)/FPV/zst/RAV