Forcible take-over of Ocean Adventure management still haunts Employees
By Zarianne E. Palma
OVER a year since a forcible take-over of the management of the theme park Ocean Adventure and Camayan Hotel in the Subic Bay Freeport displaced some 300 employees, there seems to be no let-up on the woes of those adversely affected.
The displaced employees, most of whom are still jobless, are now locked in a dispute over the funds of the employees’ Credit Cooperative.
This came to fore in the general assembly held recently at Kong’s Restaurant in Olongapo City, attended by members of the SBMEI’s [Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc.] Cooperative, both displaced and current employees.
The displaced employees have been calling on the Coop leadership to hold a General Assembly to demand the release of their dividends and shares, which were cash contributions deducted from the members’ salary and invested in the Coop.
Coop Chairman Belen Quintana Figueras, who is still with the company, committed in January 2018 to speak to SBMEI Management on behalf of the Cooperative and demand the release of the members’ money by March 2018, but she did not only failed to deliver, but has since taken a different position seen as unfavorable to the members.
Coop Treasurer Jonalyn Paz has reported that the remittance from SBMEI, around P1,100,000 plus some P600,000 money in the frozen Cooperative Chinabank account are enough to cover the amount to be returned to the members.
The Coop leadership under Figueras is allegedly colluding with the management of SBMEI, which runs Ocean Adventure and Camayan Hotel, in requiring the displaced employees to obtain clearances from the company before their shares and dividends can be withdrawn.
“Anong kalokohan ito? Kinasuhan nga namin ang SBMEI ng illegal dismissal tapos magki-clearance kami? Eh di na-bale wala na ang kaso namin sa NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission,” Princess Shera Monta, formerly of Finance at SBMEI and a displaced employee told Subic Bay News.
The General assembly was rigged, Revelie Guevarra, a member of the Coop’s Board of Directors and bank account signatory said, “they categorized us into internal and external employees, the former being those presently working, and external, we – the displaced employees,” she added.
She said the members, specially those displaced, were not duly notified of the agenda and the meeting itself.
“Worse,” Guevarra said, “they called for a change of bank signatories right then and there, thus, with the so-called external employees out-numbered, they had us replaced, albeit in an irregular and illegal way.
“Kasi as of now ang signatory nag-iisa ako nalang ang nasa loob, tapos tatlo ay external, pwede bang mag palit tayo ng signatories?,” Figueras agitated the mostly “internal employee” attendees.
“It Is our Cooperative and it is our money, SBMEI management should not meddle with the Coop,” a former manager at SBMEI said. “It’s a shame that the present Coop leadership is colluding with SBMEI management to further hurt the displaced employees whose only fault, if at all, was to stand by Mr. Arthur Tai whom they believe was the rightful head of SBMEI.” #
