The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said Monday it supports the recommendation of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to utilize the port in Central Luzon.
SBMA chairman Martin Diño said in a statement the proposed plan was highly beneficial to the country’s economy because it would increase business activities in the northern regions of Luzon.
“Efficient trading boosts business growth and where there are thriving businesses; there are job opportunities,” Diño said.
He cited that over 30 million Filipinos would benefit from the proposed utilization plan, providing jobs to several regions in the country.
He said Central Luzon was among the fastest growing regions in the country where infrastructure projects were put in place and where investors were flocking in.
“The roads leading to and from Central Luzon is in place, labor costs are attractive, utility prices are lower than other cities; it is a good place to do business,” he said.
Diño cited an efficient port waiting in Subic Bay that could cater to businesses at the shortest turnaround time possible.
“The port in Subic can hold 600,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) but it can also handle TEUs (forty-foot equivalent units),” he said.
“Imagine, in just four hours your goods are already en route to their destination,” Diño added.
The SBMA chairman said doing business in Subic was like transacting in Manila because the travel time would be cut short and roads leading to destinations were more favorable for truckers.
“You have the NLEx (North Luzon Expressway), SCTEx (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) and well paved diversion roads that assure on-time delivery of goods and services. And for businesses, time is a very important resource for investors,” Diño said.
He said the SBMA was waiting for the approvals of the proposed infrastructure projects pitched by the agency to the National Economic and Development Authority to fully harness the potential of the region.
