TROPICAL Cyclone wind Signal no. 4 has been raised over the Subic Bay Freeport, Olongapo City and the whole province of Zambales as of 5pm today, Sunday (Sept. 25) as Super Typhoon Karding (Noru) continues to pack strong winds on its way towards the West Philippines Sea.

According to DOST Pag-Asa (Dept. of Science & Technology Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), the eye wall of Typhoon Karding is now affecting the Polillo Islands where Typhoon Signal no. 5 is already in effect along with Aurora province, and parts of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Pampanga.

Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. has activated its Central Command Center and is at the helm of the implementation of the province’s disaster preparedness plan. 

DOST Pag-Asa estimates that Typhoon Karding will directly hit Botolan, Zambales around 2AM or less than 8 hours from now.

Botolan Town Mayor Jun Omar Ebdane has called on his constituents to exercise all precautions as strong winds of the Typhoon, at warning signal no. 4, is strong enough to uproot trees, posing danger to both lives and properties.

In Olongapo City, Mayor Rolen C. Paulino Jr. has ordered the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) to be on full alert to respond to any eventuality.

“Tayo ay nasa signal no. 4 na po, muli mag-ingat po tayong lahat at maghanda sa pagdating ng bagyo,” Mayor Paulino said.

Classes and work in government offices have been suspended for tomorrow, Monday, Sept. 26, both in Zambales and Olongapo, except for staff of frontline offices that are part of disaster response units.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman & Administrator Rolen C. Paulino has suspended work in government offices in the Subic Bay Freeport.

He has clarified, however, that the suspension of work only covers government offices, not private companies which, he said have the discretion to suspend work or otherwise in their respective work places.

“Only government offices lang po ang walang pasok bukas… not including private companies,” Chairman Paulino said.

Meanwhile, sea vessels docked at the piers of the Subic Bay Freeport have moved out to the safety of the open sea and avoid the path and strong winds of Typhoon Karding.

USNS Millinocket, a Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport under the United States Navy’s Military Sealift Command left Rivera Pier this afternoon, following the USNS John Ericsson, which already left hours earlier.

The Philippine ship BRP Antonio Luna also left its dock at the former Hanjin Shipyard, part of which is now occupied by the Philippine Navy.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has already recommended to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. the suspension of work in government offices, excluding frontline offices, in eight regions, namely Regions 1, 2, CAR, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and 5 due to Typhoon Karding.

“The same course for action for private companies, offices, schools is left to the discretion of their respective heads,” said Dept. of National Defense O-I-C Jose Faustino, Jr., chair of NDRRMC.

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The Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) of Olongapo City has cited the Top 20 taxpayers of 2020 during the recent flag raising ceremony.

Heading the Top 10 list of Top 20 corporate taxpayers are Meridien Business Leader, Inc. (The SM Store-SM City Olongapo Downtown), Supervalue, Inc. (SM Supermarket-SM City Olongapo Downtown), SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM City Olongapo Downtown), Star Appliance Center, Inc. (SM Appliance-SM City Olongapo Downtown), Main Shopping Princess Philippines, Inc. (The SM Store-SM City Olongapo Central), Upline Foods Corporation, Puregold Price Club Inc., Ace Hardware Philippines, Inc. (SM City Olongapo Downtown), Aivy Food Ventures Company and Jollibee Foods Corporation (SM City Olongapo Downtown).

Next on the list of top taxpayers (11-20) are GR888T “C” Corporation, Marinel Foods Corporation, Novo Department Store, Inc., Olongapo Line Foods Corporation, GR888T “C” Corporation, DCMF Golden Wings Development Corporation, SM Prime Holdings, Inc (SM City Olongapo Central), Family Health and Beauty Corporation (Watsons- SM City Olongapo Downtown), JB Richwell Corporation and Chowking (SM City Olongapo Downtown).

“We hope that the admirable act of these taxpayers would inspire others to do the same and contribute to the city’s progress as we work together to get back the economy’s growth,” remarked Sandra Ecalnir, BPLO head.
It can be recalled that SM City Olongapo Downtown has been leading the list of taxpayers since 2013.

The top awardees were recognized as the Most Outstanding Business Taxpayers in the city based on their 2020 gross sales making it a remarkable benefactor for sustaining, maintaining and improving the public services provided by the government to its citizen.

Accusing each other of politicking and spreading disinformation in the midst of the pandemic, the social media has become a battleground for both camps, with officials, employees and alleged “trolls” joining the fray.

“Kung may malasakit ang pamunuan ng SBMA sa atin, dapat kinu-konsulta nila tayo at ipina-alam ang plano para makapag-tulungan nang hindi nailalagay sa panganib ang kalusugan at buhay ng mga taga-Olongapo,” Paulino, Sr. told Subic Bay News in a phone interview, “bagamat mga kapwa natin sila Filipino at wala tayong tutol na sila ay makauwi ng matiwasay sa kani-kanilang pamilya.”

He added that the SBMA leadership also owes it not only to Olongapo but other outlying communities, namely, the towns of Subic, in Zambales province, Hermosa, Morong and Dinalupihan in Bataan, to, as a matter of courtesy, talk with the local leaders. “Pag-uusap lang po ang hinihiling natin,” Paulino, Sr. said.

SBMA Chairman & Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, however, said in a press release “that as early as April this year, the OWWA and DOT have been talking about OFW repatriation with the tourism departments of both the SBMA and Olongapo City.”

“If former Olongapo Mayor Rolen Paulino is saying we did not consult them about this plan, then he is promoting disinformation,” Eisma said, “he is barking up the wrong tree, and prematurely at that,” citing that the plan to use Subic as gateway for OFWs is not an SBMA initiative, but a program managed by the National Task Force on Returning Overseas Filipinos (NTF-ROF).

Olongapo City Tourism head Fifi T. Gavino, however, belies Eisma’s contention of a consultation on the matter in April this year.

“We had the group chat conversation regarding hotels nga daw to open, magkakaroon ng inspection sa mga hotels together with the PNP, Provincial Health Office of Zambales, Tourism and Bgy. para sa OFWs pero na-abort iyon kasi as per OWWA and DILG, may instruction na walang lalabas sa provinces, dapat Manila lang lahat and at that time ECQ pa tayo lahat,” Gavino told Subic Bay News.

“Since then, wala nang usapan nangyari,” Gavino added, “ and I also mentioned to ChAd (Eisma) na dapat si Mayor Lenj (Paulino, Jr.) ang kausapin niya para derecho na head to head mag-usap, ‘wag ako kasi sundalo lang ako na may Boss, gaya niya Boss niya si Senator Dick dahil involved ang Red Cross.”

Eisma said she has “already advised concerned government agencies about the demand for consultation,” clarifying that “Subic is being considered only for any spillover of OFWs being repatriated through the Manila and Clark Airports, as the SBIA still has no night-landing capability.”

“We’re still working on that capability, so until then, OFW flights cannot land in Subic and we would only be available for the spillover. If the hotels in Manila, Clark, and Angeles City can no longer keep up with the number of returning OFWs, then that will be the only time that Subic would come in,” Eisma said, adding that at the local level, “the repatriation plan would still have to be approved by the SBMA Board.”

Paulino, Sr., however, said the plan is already in place, proof of which is SBMA’s move last week requiring hotels in the Subic Freeport to confirm the number of rooms they are allocating for the returning OFWs. “Hindi ba malinaw na siya ang nagdi-disinformation?” Paulino said, “mga hotel owners at management mismo ang nagsabi.”

Identified with the Gordon family which used to dominate local politics in Olongapo in the past, Eisma is touted to be gunning for city hall in the coming elections, thus, despite her repeated denials of having political plans, she is alleged to be undermining the current city administration for political ends.

Eisma said she has tried to reach out. “believe me, it’s not for the lack of trying on my part,” she said, “instead of talking in social media, we should talk to each other so when we talk to the public, we have complete information.” (VVV/LRGO)

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CASTILLEJOS, Zambales — TWO DAYS after his death, the test on a 90-year-old male from this town revealed that he was positive for the Wuhan Virus (COVID-19).

“The result of the test was was released today, March 29,” Zambales Gov. Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr., head of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task force (PIATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease, said in an official statement, “the victim who died last March 27, is a resident of Castillejos, Zambales, and had no history of travel nor contact with any COVID-19 positive, PUI (Person Under Investigation) or PUM (Person Under Monitoring).”

His body was cremated at the Olongapo Crematorium the day after his death, according to Gov. Ebdane.

Zambales now has 3 confirmed positive cases of the Virus, one confined at the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital in Iba, Zambales, another at Baypointe Hospital in the Subic Bay Freeport, and the latest victim from Castillejos, who was also confined at Baypointe Hospital until he passed on Friday.

Olongapo City’s lone COVID-19 positive case to date is also presently confined at Baypointe Hospital, thus, making four (4) the total number of positive cases registered in the Zambales-Olongapo-Subic Freeport area.

Castillejos Town Mayor Eleonor D. Dominguez said the town’s COVID-19 positive case should serve as a warning to her constituents to comply with the implementation of the Enhanced Home Quarantine.

“Ang atin pong pumanaw na kababayan ay hindi nagkaroon ng kahit anong pagkakataon na nakisalamuha sa kahit sino na mula sa labas ng Bayan ng Castillejos, nangangahulugan po na meron na pong local transmission na maaaring dumapo kanino man,” Dominguez said.

In Olongapo City, a PUI from Bgy. Banicain who died last week tested negative for COVID-19, also days before the test result came out. The City Information Office said the cause of death was Pneumonia.

According to City Mayor Rolen C. Paulino, Jr., as of 5pm today, Olongapo City has one (1) COVID-19 positive, 36 PUI and 434 PUM.

“Patuloy po nating panatilihing malinis ang ating pangangatawan at kapaligiran,” Mayor Paulino reminded his constituents, “Atin din pong striktong sundin ang Home Quarantine para sa kapakanan natin, ng ating mga mahal sa buhay at ng ating mga kababayan.” (Louella G. Vizcocho )

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“We write your good office regarding the cruise ship situation amidst the threat of the 2019 Novel Corona Virus,” Olongapo City Mayor Rolen C. Paulino, Jr. said in a letter to SBMA Chair & Administrator Wilma T. Eisma today.

Also today, Mayor Jon F. Khonghun of Subic Town, north of the Freeport, said in his letter “we are appealing to your good office to temporarily stop accepting cruise ships which are bound to enter the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.”

Khonghun urged the SBMA “to be more cautious giving priority to the health and safety of our people.”

Paulino, for his part, said “Let us please err in the side of caution and put primacy in the health and safety of the residents and workers of SBFZ and the city and municipalities surrounding it.”

Amid the hysteria surrounding the spread of the novel coronavirus from China to other countries in Asia, Eisma appealed to stakeholders for sobriety as the cruise ship MV Word Dream is set to dock in Subic tomorrow.

Eisma said in a statement that the Department of Health (DOH) is confident that the multi-layer protocols in place are enough to ensure the safety of host communities that cruise ship passengers visit during their tour.

“I call on everyone to keep calm and take necessary precautions,” Eisma said. “I have been coordinating with Health Secretary Francisco Duque on the matter and the DOH said it’s confident that the quadruple safety procedures in place are enough, so let’s trust the DOH on this issue.”

However, she said the Subic agency is also open to suggestions from local stakeholders on how to address the nCov problem.

“If you feel there is a need for the DOH to reverse its position, then we have to unify our call. We have to decide on this as a team,” she added.

Eisma sounded the appeal as some quarters from the various sectors in the Freeport and outlying communities expressed opposition to the scheduled visit of the cruise ship MV World Dream because of the ongoing nCoV health emergency.

The ship arrived in Manila on Today with a total of 778 passengers, and authorities said passengers, who were seen wearing masks, were allowed to disembark at around 11:30 a.m.

MV World Dream, which is one of the frequent visitors to Subic in the last two years, usually carried more than 3,000 passengers on a trip but had reportedly skipped picking up the majority of its bookings from Guangzhou, a port city northwest of Hong Kong and located further inland, because of a government lockdown at the Wuhan area, the epicentre of the infections.

Eisma said the multi-layered safety protocol imposed by the DOH involved the quarantine of cruise ship passengers upon entry and exit at their last port of call in Hong Kong, during the trip to Manila when they were processed again by personnel of DOH-Bureau of Quarantine who were aboard the ship, and again when they arrived in Manila before they were allowed to disembark.

“The same procedure will be repeated in Subic where the passengers will be heavily guarded when they would be allowed to leave the ship,” she added.

Eisma also noted that Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo had clarified in a press conference at Malacañang on Tuesday that there would be no basis to stop a cruise ship from entering the Subic Bay Freeport if there was no one afflicted by the virus among the passengers.

Eisma said the SBMA has placed the Port of Subic on heightened alert as early as January 6, after the Department of Health’s Bureau of Quarantine issued an alert on the viral pneumonia that has infected people in Wuhan. This heightened alert status covered both sea ports and airport in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Eisma said she had personally discussed the Subic situation with Secretary Duque last Monday and was advised that there was not a need just yet to stop the entry of cruise ships in Subic.

But Duque further advised Subic to be on standby should drastic measures, such as a temporary ban on cruise ships, be deemed necessary, she said.

Eisma said the SBMA will continue to coordinate with all concerned parties, including local residents, Freeport locators, and government agencies on how Subic would best address the nCoV emergency.

“This is something that affects our own community, so we have to wisely decide what’s best for it,” Eisma said. (30)