Manafacturers Need to be More Socially Responsible

Two weeks ago, The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce President came out with a statement that businesses were divided over the construction of the Coal Fired Power Planet, however the explanation for any businesses to want such a plant was that manufacturers needed more cheap electricity. If this is the case then maybe heavy manufacturing does not belong in Subic, which is a top tourist destination but belongs in places like Laguna or Clark, you want power for your manufacturing take it away somewhere else.

A few days later it was revealed that Subic Bay Locators would not get a direct feed from the power plant but are to be forced to get their power from the grid like everyone else.

All we can say to these people is "that is what you get when you make deals with the devil!"

Although some local manufacturing companies were initially behind the project they too found out that they had been deceived and that there would be no direct power supply from the plant. Chandra Anamirtham, President of Hitachi Global Storage Systems Philippines who employs some 7,000 Filipinos told The Subic Bulletin last Wednesday morning that "manufacturing companies need to make themselves more energy efficient" he went on to say "social responsibility comes from reducing energy consumption without reducing production, it is possible for manufacturers to make themselves far more energy efficient".

Maybe some of our Subic Locators could take the lead from Mr Anamirtham.

Rally Today in Olongapo

While the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce seems no longer interested in the fight against the Coal Fired Power Plant in Subic Bay describing it as a "lost fight" many others have reaffirmed their commitment to stopping this project which has no local support at all.

OLONGAPO CITY – Residents of this city are poised to hold a huge rally today, August 29, to oppose the construction of a coal plant at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), formerly the biggest US Naval Base in Asia and the Pacific.

Multi-sector groups led by Sigaw ng Lumalabang Olongapeno (SIGLO) and Save Subic Bay, an environmental organization created to protect Olongapo and Subic Bay, other non-government organizations (NGOs), city government employees, students, barangay officials and residents, local businessmen, workers, church, and transport groups are appealing to President Benigno Aquino III to stop the negotiated deal between the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the consortiums of the Aboitiz group, Meralco, and a Taiwanese firm to build a 600 MW coal-fired power plant in the Redondo Peninsula, Sitio Naglatore, Barangay Cawag, Municipality of Subic, Zambales. The area is nestled along the world renowned Subic Bay and part of SBFZ.

Local environmentalists and health experts have warned of the hazards that a coal-fired power plants cause on humans and the environment.

Dr. Arturo Mendoza, head of the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital and member of the Olongapo Medical Society, said the project’s proponents have failed to assure the public on the safety of the coal-fired power plant. He explained that even in the United States, existing coal-fired power plants are being phased out because of concrete proofs about their ill-effects on human body and the environment.

Councilor Eduardo Piano, chairman of the committee on environmental protection of the Sanggunian Panglunsod ng Olongapo and one of the organizers of the planned protest rally who formally requested for the use of Rizal Triangle as venue of protest rally said that the plant will endanger the lives of thousands of Olongapo and Zambales residents.

“The plant’s operation will cause pollution and damage the ecosystem including the marine life of Subic Bay,” Piano expressed.

“There are good and bad investments. Yes, we need investors in Subic and Olongapo but not this kind. Our government should be investing in its people to make them productive and not to put their lives at risk,” Piano added.

SIGLO Chairman, Mike Pusing, explained that Olongapo and Subic do not stand to benefit at all with the electric power to be generated from the plant.

“The power distribution lines will merely pass through Subic and serve the Luzon grid. In short, Olongapo residents and SBFZ locators would still have to pay for expensive electricity while the rest of Luzon will enjoy cheap power rates, sleep safe and sound while we are wide awake in fear of the danger that stare us in the face,” Pusing said.

Pusing added that the project will turn Olongapo and Subic residents into a “sacrificial lambs in the altar of vested interest of the rich and powerful electric power distributors.”

City Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. gave a permit to the rally organizers saying Olongapo residents are free to express their sentiments over issues that concern their welfare.

The participants of the rally are set to assemble and hold a program at the Rizal Triangle Park and covered court and then will march to SBMA gate. Expected to attend the rally are AKBAYAN party-list representative Walden Bello, Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel, and artist-environmentalist Noel Cabangon.

Industrial Sabotage Robs Kalayaan Residents of Cable TV

Over the last week the services of Freeport Cable have been off more than on. Following the cutting of the FCI CATV feeder cable to Kalayaan FCI spent thousands of dollars to replace cables that had been deliberately cut. If that wasn't bad enough as soon as the cables were replaced, new cable cuts were made, one even quite close to the LED outpost.

Its hard to imagine why someone would want to destroy the CATV services in Kalayaan, are they disgruntled over their service or trying to sell satellite service? Whatever the reason we hope the LED officers can be more alert to the culprits who were described by FCI Chairman as "nasty elements who mean to do harm".

Lets hope the LED can bag these culprits and bring them to justice...

Will LGU's get dirty DENR to pull the ECC

A week or two ago it was all over the TV that the local DENR officials were caught red handed taking bribes to issues ECC clearances. Yet what has the government done to investigate the dirtiest of all ECCs, the coal fired power plant that is being thrust upon our community? Local Government officials are declaring objection almost on a daily basis but it seems the payoffs were too high up the tree well out of there reach.

Should not the Ombudsman step in at this point and clear the confusion?.

from yesterdays Manila Bulletin:

IBA, Zambales, Philippines — The provincial government here urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to cancel the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) it issued for the Subic coal-fired power plant as Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. denied Tuesday a report misstating his support for the project.

“That report doesn’t have any shred of truth in it,” Ebdane said. “In fact, I have just signed Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 2011-149, which categorically stated our strong opposition to the establishment of a coal-fired plant at Cawag, Subic Zambales.”

Ebdane said the Zambales provincial board passed the resolution opposing the coal plant project proposed for construction at the Redondo Peninsula on August 1. He approved the same resolution on August 10, the governor added.

The office of Vice Gov. Ramon Lacbain II also stressed that the provincial board “remains in strong opposition” to the project proposed by the Redondo Peninsula Energy Incorporated (RP Energy), a company formed by Aboitiz Power Corp., Taiwan Cogeneration Corp., and Manila Electric Company.

SPED School Racist and Nepotistic!

We have received several complaints from parents who applied to have their children admitted to the SPED school in Kalayaan.

For those that don’t know SPED is a government funded elementary school for gifted children, that is children with above average intelligence.

As class sizes are kept to a minimum, limited slots are available so children are put through an “entrance exam” and evaluation, including an IQ test. It has however become the practice of the school staff to manipulate the presentation of the results and make excuses so their own children or children of their friends and relatives qualify before others, especially disadvantaging children with foreign blood.

This year many children who had one foreign parent were failed only on the basis that the children where "not good in Tagalog” with the schools principle asserting herself in a most demeaning and racist way saying “we are in the Philippines you know” to foreign investors residing in the Freeport. 

To disqualify 5 year old children who have qualified in intellectual terms because they don’t live in a 100% Filipino family is outright racist!

Clearly, for a 5-10 year old gifted child, (spoken at home level of) proficiency in Tagalog is not the measurement of intelligence or the child's potential. Are the teachers of SPED so pathetic that they believe Tagalog is the sign or of a gifted child? We decided to dig deeper and it seems the children that are accepted are more frequently the children who are friends and relatives of the teachers.

Now maybe some people might say they are just getting the best for their kids but we say they a cheating the government by displacing genuinely gifted children so they can steal a higher level of education for their friends and family. It’s theft of services, nothing less.

We don’t know what the terms of the lease are for SPED, but SBMA should open an investigation as to why so many qualifying children of investors are being cheated out of the value of a Freeport facility, a facility that would surely be an attraction to investors with families.

Why are these teachers and the principle not being properly monitored by the education department?

High Fuel Prices Inside the Freeport

Comment from a reader on gas prices in Subic:

What happened to the idea that gas should be cheaper on SBMA due to its status as a freeport zone. Lately, gas at the Total, Petron and Bloom stations has averaged two pesos per liter higher than stations in Olongapo and Barretto, and up to three pesos more than outlets on Clark. Only Subic Gas at the Kalaklan Gate has, so far, stayed out of the greed-fest. The stations noted should be avoided until they adopt reasonable pricing standards.

and another:

Has anyone noticed that gas prices on SBMA are P2 higher than in Baretto and Subic?

Not too long ago gas prices were always 5-7 pesos cheaper on SBMA.

Why the price switch??

For those of you that aren't aware the Petron gas station is one of the only Petron stations in the Philippines that carries non Petron fuel. We were informed by a gas retailer that the standard unleaded is actually the local gas from inside the Freeport same as Freeport oil sells. We asked the retailer about this because we noticed that gas mileage from gas purchased from the Petron inside the Freeport was much less than gas purchased outside and also had a negative effect on the injectors of imported cars. They somehow justify delivering a substandard product because of tax issues and the hassle to claim back tax that has already been paid, but as the writers here points out the benefit of the tax savings is not passed on to the consumer.

Is Club Morocco to blame for the mudslide?

 Comment from a reader:

In regards to the recent tragic mudslides destroying more than 100 houses in Baragay Asinan near Subic Town:

Mayor Jefferson Khonghun said "officials would also investigate whether a nearby upscale residential complex might have built a canal diverting rainwater toward the village...". The only upscale development in that area is Santa Lucia Realty's Club Morocco situated on the Northern edge of Subic Bay. Anyone driving past Club Moroccos main gate can see the lack of environmental consciousness that Santa Lucia possesses. They have clear cut and completely stripped the upper mountainside.

During the rainy season hundreds if not thousands of tons of mud and slit flow down the mountainside directly into Subic bay.The same person driving that road can easily see the mud and slit suffocating the bay. The marine life is being decimated. It is nothing short of an environmental disaster. How the DENR ever issued Santa Lucia a ECC is beyond comprehension. So it would nor surprise me at all if the Mayors official investigation shows a blatant disregard for people or property from this company of no honor, nor social or environmental consciousness. Talk with any old timer who lived in the area before Santa Lucia bought and developed. They will tell you this part of Subic Bay was pristine: not polluted, with crystal clear waters and fine sand beaches.

Another thought. Exequiel D. Robles, President/CEO and Vicente R. Santos, Executive Vice President of Santa Lucia Realty&Development, Inc. will frequently during the summer fly their private helicopter to Club Morocco for an hour or two for a meal or a visit. Has either recently come to survey the mudslide adjacent to their development and perhaps offer condolences or help to their displaced neighbors? No, I did not think so. To busy waiting for a tee time to open up on their favorite links.

The Subic Bulletin: We couldn't help but share your feelings when we heard Santa Lucia Realty's Attorney say that its not there problem and they have no liability because it didn't happen on their property. Whether he made that statement out of ignorance, stupidity or arrogance he sure got the disapproval of Mayor Khonghun.

Why can't SBMA run a set of traffic lights?

We recieved the photo below from a reader who was informing us that trees were blocking the view of the new traffic lights at the Kalaklan Lighthouse Bridge, however after only a couple of days the traffic lights were no longer working.

Are the lights to suffer the same fate as the lights at Royal shopping mall and remain blacked out?

One of the nice things about Clark Freeport Zone is that the traffic lights are new and they work. If CDC can do it surely SBMA can?