Stakeholders Slam DENR And RP Energy at Public Meeting

RP Energy never got to show their first Powerpoint slide in todays failed "public consultation meeting" when stakeholders and residents took over the floor asking why the DENR once again only invited "friends" of RP Energy not stakeholders who had heard about the meeting on Facebook, gave no notice of a meeting, did not provide materials and told everyone the question time would be limited.

The Vice Governor of Zambales asked why is this project being pushed in Subic Bay when AES who runs the Masinloc power plant is offering to pick up the extra MW requirement amongst cheers from stakeholders.

One of the most exciting moments was when a representative of the Olongapo Mayor quoted an RP Energy executive as saying "if the public doesn't want us we will just leave", he went through the list of stakeholders in the LGU sector that have unanimously rejected the project then turned to the executive and said "sir now is the time for you to leave", bringing cheers from the audience.

A former pilot and local resident came prepared to show that the Plume from the smoke attacks was in violation of international standards for airline safety and when DENR were challenged about their own studies they said revealed that they did not do any study on the subject, they relied on RP Energy to provide the studies, meaning of course they based their decision on biased materials.

Eventually DENR closed the meeting after the audience voted 98-54 that the meeting should not proceed without being properly organized. Strangely enough even though it was RP Energy staff who counted the vote and RP Energy executive got up and started screaming that they didn't accept the vote and that they will have the meeting even if everyone has gone.

The DENR and RP Energy roadshow has suffered another direct hit, now it will be seen if they try to organize another public meeting.

Poor Enforcement by SBMA LED

Comment from a reader on the story "Subic Bay - Stop Sign Hell":

Why are bicycles allowed to go through stop signs without stopping or even slowing down without ever getting ticketed by the police?

Several times when I leave a stop sign when it is my turn to go a bicycle goes right in front of me without stopping at his stop sign. Don't they also have to make a full stop like vehicles? I am not referring to when there is a bike rally, I mean just people riding their bikes to work.

 

THE SUBIC BULLETIN:

Yes we have also observed the poor enforcement of bicycles in the Freeport. They are not ticketed for:

· Running stop signs

· Riding on pedestrian crossing

· Overtaking vehicles on the left that are queued at stop signs

One of the most dangerous breaches is when drivers are turning right from Aguinaldo Street into Rizal Highway suddenly have bicycles race up the right hand side and swerve around the front of the turning car, I can just imagine the bicycle rider blaming the car when he gets knocked off but the LED don’t lift a finger to ensure this doesn't happen.

Many residents of the Freeport are not aware that the road rules of the Freeport include the compulsory wearing of helmets for cyclists. But it seems that as the SBMA bicycle cops don’t like wearing helmets so they overlook this rule...

 

SBMA Keeping us in the Dark Again....

Comment from a reader:

And what about the non-working traffic lights on the busiest crossing in town, Rizal Avenue and Argonaut Highway. The two posted policemen are just waiting for an accident to happen instead of controlling the traffic.

And what about the turn off to Tipo on the Rizal Highway? Again the traffic lights stopped working some weeks ago. As there are no traffic signs, the majority of the road users have no clue what to do now.

Please fix these traffic lights before a serious accident happens!



It’s hard to believe that any organization could have such a bad maintenance record, but yes the majority of traffic lights in Subic Bay Freeport DON'T WORK!

How can it be that the very place designed to be an Oasis of modern development and international technology can't even maintain its traffic lights?

Clark has many new sets of traffic lights but maybe that’s possibly because Clark has a fraction of the employees. All that dead wood and no one to fix a traffic light....

SBMA Needs Traffic Management Plan

Comment from a reader on "Subic Bay - Stop Sign Hell":


I fully agree with the comments in respect of STOP signs.

But can we go back a page.

Who decides these rules and regulations.

Surely it can't just be left to the Traffic Police to decide these things unilaterally they must get instructions to place the signs and where they are to be placed from the highest authority who in turn must have discussed the topic and studied the grounds for implementation and then voted on it.

Or as it seems here a new shopping mall comes into operation and suddenly new Traffic Signs and STOP signs appear this is NOT a democratic process in that the mall dictates what it wants and the Traffic Police agrees that is wrong!! I am sure and hope that this is not correct. New signs should not be erected purely for the commercial gain and convenience of Locators.

So, who initially makes the original decision and they should at all times make the public aware, and plain, to ALL residents why they have decided to erect STOP signs where NONE are sensibly required or traffic lights, which are as in the case in question so very close to each other or to shut down traffic lights which still causes massive confusion when vehicles STOP at switched off traffic lights THIS causes accidents it does not prevent them. There is NO communication at all. When changes in the road system, the rules regulations, signages are changed, SBMA should notify all residents and an explanation given.

The splendid Subic Bulletin is the perfect vehicle for such communication.

Sleeping Policemen as road HUMPS are called in many cases are simply and mostly illogical, they cause damage to vehicles, damage to your body, your back in particular as many studies in developed societies have clearly demonstrated, and they are incredibly inconsistent some smooth and relatively flat some are like running over a 6" pipe on a slight incline where the road surface has been slightly raised.

They are totally inconsistent not two the same. In most countries now where they are used to slow traffic outside schools they are regular with an even slope and not with a sharp 'bump on top' as they do here they are well seen and there is no complaint.

Many are unseeable at night in SBMA because they are not clearly marked, unless you know where they are, and ALL of them are a serious hazard to emergency services, like the Ambulance, Fire and Police services.

KEEP IT EASY!!! Why make simple things so complicated and difficult.

My major gripe, at the moment, is at the 'old' Main Entrance there are two sets of Pedestrian Crossings and police in waiting should a driver not stop but the problem is that few if any pedestrians show any respect toward the drivers who have stopped, if anything they walk across the pedestrian crossing much slower than they normally walk. They should NOT run, but they should be brisk and prompt and not dawdle and so irresponsible as many are and do.

Those pedestrian crossings need traffic lights or Police Control, yes the police are there in numbers all waiting for the errant driver, which is frustrating because they are there NOT there to organise and to get the traffic moving efficiently and SAFELY they are only interested in fines and taking money BUT they don't manage the traffic as they should and that includes foot traffic.

And NONE of the official SBMA vehicles are ever stopped and they are the worst offenders of traffic violations why is this. If you don't believe this then how many SBMA vehicles have rear lights, not many, and the drivers generally have little respect for traffic codes at all or am I wrong. Finally why are there different codes of conduct after sun down than in the day time I have always wondered this.

So many Traffic Police Officers hide behind trees and then run out into the middle of the road to stop an errant driver I am greatly surprised that there are no fatalities this is negative and only serves to alienate residents, yes we know it but it is an embarrassment.

YES we all agree and accept motorised and foot Traffic needs to be controlled but it has to be planned and well managed for it to be respected, efficient and SAFE.

Subic Resident.


The Subic Bulletin:
We think you are saying that there is many problems in SBMA's traffic management, and we agree, a coordinated plan and consistency of policy seems to be missing. Maybe they are just depending on the vehicle volume leaving when the CUSA gets enforced...

Subic Bay - STOP SIGN HELL!

Letter from a reader:

I am concerned that SBMA's desperation for revenue is the objective behind the huge amount of stop signs placed along Rizal Avenue, is this the only way they can generate funds?

 

SUBIC BULLETIN:

We share your concerns that SBMA seems to have illogically placed stop signs on one of the Freeport’s busiest road for no apparent reason we find it hard to believe that they revenue generation is the purpose but certainly the situation seems mismanaged.

Here is what we see as wrong:

Corner Labitian St and Rizal Hwy.

There is very little traffic coming out of Labitian so the new stop signs are not warranted.

The stop signs at Labitian Street intersection should be removed on Rizal Hwy and the two nearby pedestrian crosswalks brought up to the corners of Labitian Street and install pedestrian crossing signs and good street lighting at night. The LED should then pull over and ticket every car that fails to stop when a pedestrian is trying to cross. Pedestrians from the school and Regulator Building can then cross with safety.

Corner of Sta Rita and Rizal Highway.

The problem with this intersection is that it is to wide and open and some collisions occur mainly because it is a big are to observe when passing.

The answer here is to reduce the area that vehicle paths cross and install pedestrian crossings.

This can be done temporarily as a test and made permanent later by the use of concrete blocks.

While decreasing the size of the danger zone it will also be possible to install "turn right at any time with care" lanes thus greatly improving the overall traffic flow.

What’s been done with stops signs is an absurd and childish attempt at traffic control and is already causing accidents?

Just like the CUSA poor management and narrow foresight is choking us.

CUSA Draconian, BCDA

The locators and residents of Subic Bay had such high hopes for the leadership of SBMA with the new board and appointment of Chairman Garcia, but so far it’s been a string of disappointments. Now even former SBMA chairman and now chair of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has been added to those disappointed in Chairman Garcias decision making capacity citing the CUSA as Draconian.

The below article is from the inquirer:
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The top official of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the state-run Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) should reconsider its plans to impose a controversial fee because it might trigger an exodus of locators in this free port and worsen its financial woes.

BCDA Chair Felicito Payumo said the SBMA, which is planning to impose the Common Use Service Area (Cusa) fee, should get all business locators involved in the discussion on how to address problems faced by the agency.

“Providing an investor-friendly environment should be [the priority in the free port]. This is done through working with locators,” Payumo said.

The Cusa fee intends to recover SBMA’s expenditures for municipal services such as street cleaning, street lighting, fire fighting and law enforcement inside the free port.

Under the scheme, locators would be charged 2 percent of the appraised value of their leased land, or 20 percent of their monthly lease rental, whichever is higher. Free port residents would be charged P1,200 monthly, which would also cover garbage fees that the SBMA has been collecting.

But the free port’s business community protested the Cusa fee collection and warned they would file charges against the SBMA to prevent its implementation.

SBMA Chair Roberto Garcia earlier said only a court order would prevent the SBMA from enforcing the fee.

“The SBMA’s Cusa fee will affect only the direct lessees, meaning those who have direct lease agreements with the SBMA. But of course, they can pass it on to their sub-lessees,” he said.

Garcia said objections from locators had forced the SBMA to modify the fee structure.

Payumo, a former SBMA chair, said policies that impose draconian measures, like the Cusa fee, might force locators to leave the Subic free port and “make it difficult to attract new ones to replace them.”

Asked if BCDA would intervene in the conflict on behalf of locators, Payumo said: “Although BCDA has oversight capacity, we cannot interfere with decisions made by the SBMA management.”

He said he was confident that Garcia and the SBMA board could address the problem. Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Central Luzon

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/276098/reconsider-new-fee-bcda-tells-sbma