A WEB page enabling workers to gain rapid access to essential information about their health and safety rights and responsibilities has been set up by the Health and Safety Executive.

The "workers’ webpage" http://www.hse.gov.uk/ workers
- covers the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees, as well as issues such as ‘whistle-blowing’ and reporting accidents.

More than 10 years after the Americans left their naval base in Subic, the highly-touted potentials of Subic Freeport as the country’s next international shipping gateway after the Port of Manila still remain as promises waiting to be fulfilled.

While the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has indeed taken significant strides over the years to make the Freeport as one of the country’s premiere tourist destinations and most ideal manufacturing hub for light industries, the immense prospects for shipping at the economic zone still lie in the wings, waiting to be explored to the fullest possibility.

But with a grizzled mariner and a recognized shipping industry stalwart in the person of Commo. Feliciano G. Salonga taking the helm as chairman, SBMA is expected to maneuver directly towards the vast maritime potentials of Subic Freeport with the end in view of spurring as many economic activities as possible to help boost the overall Philippine economy.

In fact, Chairman Salonga is quite thrilled over the plan of Hanjin Shipbuilding of Korea, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding companies, to build a shipyard in an available area ranging between 200 to 300 hectares at Redondo Peninsula which is part of the Subic Freeport that also encloses Subic Bay.

Hanjin reportedly would pour in approximately US$8 billion over a period of 10 years for the construction of its shipyard in Subic. More importantly, the Korean shipbuilding firm would hire the services of some 20,000 people, which means 20,000 new jobs for locals.

Chairman Salonga believes that Hanjin would probably start off with a minimum capacity for its planned shipyard in Subic just to test both the local and international market as well as its profitability. If the results turned out satisfactory, the Korean firm is expected to go full blast with its operations in Subic.

The SBMA chair says that a concrete graving structure is already in place at Redondo Peninsula, which was used for the Malampaya gas exploration project a couple of years ago so it becomes a little more enticing for Hanjin to come in. Chairman Salonga even revealed that the Korean President would be coming over by December for the groundbreaking of the Hanjin shipyard in Subic.

“With this impending development, I can now say that our country, through Subic, is now on the brink of the golden era of shipbuilding. And I’m just very excited to be a part of this very important economic development,” notes Chairman Salonga.

Salonga, who has a rank of Commodore with the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, says he found it easy accepting the SBMA chairmanship because he admires and believes in President  Arroyo’s Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) flagship program. 

“Most of us in the maritime industry are a bunch of frustrated men until the President came up with the SNRH. She supported her flagship program with proper mechanisms including those roll-on, roll-off vessels. No other President before her has thought about such kind of noteworthy program,” cites Chairman Salonga.

He added that the SNRH also complements the Maritime Equity Corporation’s state-financed refleeting program that would provide substantial opportunities for local shipbuilders, which will become one of the major cogs of the President’s flagship program.

Salonga added that as a shipbuilder and shiprepairer during a good part of his working career, he said that Subic Freeport, through SBMA, can also support the President’s flagship program by helping build ships for the SNRH.
Because of his sterling credentials in government service, ably complemented by several stints with private companies, Salonga is also proud to say that he has already served for 10 Philippine presidents beginning with the time of President Elpidio Quirino up to the present regime.

Salonga, a marine engineering graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York back in 1953, revealed that when he was recently sworn into office by President Arroyo, he also submitted a signed letter of resignation with the date left blank to expressly indicate that he will be serving as SBMA Chairman at the pleasure of the country’s Chief Executive.

“Having been in government service for quite a long time, I know for a fact that the ultimate job security is performance,” he enthused.

Salonga officially assumed the chairmanship of SBMA on September 19, 2005 following his low-key appointment by the President which caught most in the local shipping industry by surprise.

Surprise not in the sense that Fil, as he is commonly referred to in the industry, is not qualified for the job because on the contrary, he is more than qualified for the position. Most were caught off-guard by the good news because Chairman Salonga’s designation did not come with all the media hoopla that appointment in crucial government position usually generates.

The appointment of Salonga as SBMA Chairman augurs well for Subic Freeport because he is a person who knows Subic like the palm of his hands. Salonga worked in Subic, Zambales for 10 years beginning in 1984 up to 1994 while he was still connected with then government-owned Philippine Shipyard and Engineering Corp. (Philseco), a shiprepair firm.

Salonga worked as vice president for marketing of Philseco from 1984 to 1987 before taking over the helm of the company as president and general manager from 1987 to 1994 after he successfully revived the firm from the brink of bankruptcy by securing long-term shiprepair contracts from no less than the US Navy.

Salonga was also instrumental in the privatization of Philseco at a considerable price of PhP 2.2 billion. Philseco is now known as Subic Shipyard, Inc. owned and operated by Keppel, a Singapore-based shipbuilding and shiprepair company. He even received a Presidential Citation from President Fidel Ramos in 1994 for his remarkable effort in the privatization of Philseco.

His 10-year tenure with Philseco also enabled Salonga to serve the municipality of Subic. In fact, he was named as ‘adopted son of Subic for community service’ in 1989.

Salonga is concurrently the vice chairman of the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co. (Baseco), a government-owned shipbuilding and shiprepair company. 

He has been holding the position at Baseco since 2001. When he was appointed by the President as SBMA Chairman in September, he was told to stay put with Baseco until the President finds a suitable replacement for him. “The President is aware that we are already close in finalizing the blueprint for the revival of Baseco and given that national interest is at stake, I was advised to temporarily take on dual roles for the government,” disclosed Salonga.

While the SBMA chairmanship is certainly a huge task, Salonga is undaunted, citing that his predecessors have all made a good job running the SBMA. All he had to do was to carry on the works of the previous chairpersons. 

He said that Subic Freeport, under his leadership will continue to maintain its focus as far as tourism and light industries are concerned.

Chairman Salonga says that his immediate goal is to change the mindset and culture of the people of SBMA from being bureaucrats to becoming business people.

“I want everybody to have a marketing and customer-oriented mindset. While we at SBMA are selling space and services, I want everybody to take out the landlord mentality because it’s a big turnoff to the locators of the Freeport,” explains Salonga.

You can now join or start any discussion on seafarer's issues anytime or anywhere you are with