The plan to extend the Subic Bay Special Economic and Freeport Zone to nearby communities in order to accommodate more investment projects has drawn the support of the Zambales Mayors’ League (ZML).

Headed by its president and San Antonio Mayor Estela Antipolo, ZML believes the idea being pushed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) would result in more employment opportunities and community development for the province.

“On the part of the Mayors’ League, we are here to support SBMA’s programs,” San Felipe town Mayor Carolyn Fariñas said during their meeting Thursday with SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma.

“We are really excited to hear SBMA Chairman Eisma’s pronouncements that she is moving to expand the area and jurisdiction of the Subic Freeport. We can see that she is seriously working to put more businesses further up north in Zambales,” Fariñas said.

Aside from Antipolo and Fariñas, other mayors who were present during the meeting were Jay Khonghun of Subic town; Jose Angelo Dominguez of Castillejos; Elvis Soria, San Marcelino; La Rainne Abad-Sarmiento, San Narciso; Joycelyn Apostol, Cabangan; Bing Maniquiz-Jeresano, Botolan; Rundy Ebdane, Iba; Napoleon Edquid, Candelaria and Luisito Marty of Santa Cruz.

Eisma urged the Zambales mayors to take advantage of the Freeport’s development impetus and asked them to start identifying areas that may be suitable for the expansion program.

She said that Subic faces brighter prospects than ever and that current developments like its emergence as a new cruise ship destination in Asia, are bringing more livelihood opportunities to local communities.

The SBMA chief noted that the number of investors in the Freeport had grown to 1,587 in the first quarter of 2018 from 1,355 in the same period last year.

The new investors that the SBMA signed in this first quarter, she added, have committed investments worth PHP866 million, which is 80 percent higher than the PHP480 million recorded in the same period in 2017.

Eisma said, however, that because of lack of space in the former Subic military base where the Freeport is located, the SBMA could hardly accept any more investment proposals for major projects.

“A lot of investors are really looking for bigger locations. And I’m serious about it. Please don’t dawdle on this expansion offer. We have to do this now because the next official might not have the same inclination as we do,” she told the mayors.

Eisma explained that any local government unit can nominate land for development as Freeport expansion area.

With favorable resolutions approved by the Sangguniang Bayan, a memorandum of agreement will be signed by the municipality and the SBMA, granting the latter the right to take over the administration and regulation of the area.

The SBMA will then market the area to investors.

Fariñas said the ZML is committed to preparing their areas for a successful expansion program, noting that it will bring more jobs and community development in the entire Zambales.

She and the other mayors also thanked Eisma for inviting transport service provider Grab Philippines to enter Zambales, saying this will help provide an effective, efficient and tourist-friendly transportation service that may further boost local tourism, a growing industry in Zambales province.

“We share (Eisma’s) vision about ‘malasakit’, of a greater community helping each other as leaders, we intend to give a better quality of life to our people. And these things are a big boost to our efforts in accomplishing this mission,” Fariñas said. PNA