government worlwide struggle with military base conversions

M
CO
PL
EN
M
I
RY
A
T
GOVERNMENT
WORLWIDE
STRUGGLE
WITH MILITARY
BASE
CONVERSIONS
When America goes
home, former hosts of
US Bases look to Subic
Bay Freeport for
inspiration.
Photo by Kevin Hamdorf
Related Article
on page 3
GETTING CLOSER - SBFCC 2003 ELECTIONS
SBFCC News
SBFCC Feature
SBMA News Update
Health & Science Corner
Technology INFO
Membership Updates
2002 BOARD MEMBERS
In accordance with our By-Laws, the Annual
Election process for the Board of Directors will
commence mid-September.
The democratic election process is staged as
follows:
September 16-October 11 - NOMINATION
PROCESS BEGINS:
Corporate members in good standing may
nominate their choice(s) for next year’s Board.
Any member with past due membership fees will
be disqualified to nominate or vote.
October 14 - November 1 – CANDIDATE
SELECTION
Those nominated are asked for their 10 hours
per month voluntary commitment to serve on the
Board. If willing, they will be declared as official
candidates in the voting process.
November 4 – November 20 – VOTING
PROCESS BEGINS:
Based on confirmed candidates who have
verified they are willing to serve. Ballots are
forwarded to all Corporate members who are
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Deadline for submission is the 20th of each month. Submit all FINAL
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GOVERNMENT WORLDWIDE STRUGGLE WITH MILITARY BASE
CONVERSIONS By Floyd Whaley
Joe T. San Agustin is exasperated. The former speaker of the Guam
Legislature saw the Soviet Union fall in the early 1990s just like everyone else, and he watched cities all over America take over nearby military bases. But in Guam, where an estimated one third of the island is
controlled by the U.S. military, the Cold War never ended.
“I just sit here and think, ‘Imagine what we could do with that property,”
said San Agustin. “It’s frustrating because we see property and buildings that would be of immediate economic value to the island but the
Navy won’t let us in.”
The United States won Guam in the Spanish American War and until
the 1950s operated it as a military reservation off-limits to non-indigenous civilians. The American military has gradually given back much
of the land, but the government of Guam claims the U.S. is still sitting on
vast tracts of unused property.
While government officials of the U.S. territory were struggling to shelter people during a recent typhoon, hundreds of military housing units
were sitting unoccupied and deteriorating on Guam’s bases, said San
Agustin. The island, which produces most of its revenue from tourism,
does not have access to its best beaches due to the bases.
“It’s like they are just stringing us along, holding this property as insurance in case something happens in this part of the world and they need
it again,” he said. “The bean counters are saying close them down and
the strategists are saying hold on and we’re stuck in the middle.”
The Guam government has obtained two facilities, Naval Air Station
Agana, and the Navy’s Ship Repair Facility. Guam officials say the air
station infrastructure was not of interest. It’s facilities are from World
War II and are crumbling. It was the land, right beside the island’s international airport, that they wanted.
The local government has moved its offices into the former air station,
and it plans to use part of the land to open the island’s first special
economic zone. But first it must raise the $16 million necessary to refurbish the facility. The Ship Repair Facility was leased to a private company for operation within hours after receiving it from the federal government.
“These conversion processes are full of deadlines,” said Carlotta Leon
Guerrero, the Guam Senator responsible for converting the ship repair
facility. “You want to turn the property so fast that you can leave out a
major detail, such as requiring the federal government to do an environmental cleanup.”
On the other side of the world, another tiny island has struggled
with many of the same issues as Guam. In Bermuda, the United States
in 1995 turned over four military bases representing ten percent of the
Caribbean nation’s land. The country’s response was innovative.
US Navy visit. Photo by Kevin Hamdorf
Bermuda, which is a registry of convenience for more than 8,800
international companies, formed a private firm – wholly owned by the government and headed by two Ministers – to handle the base conversion. Officials had to invest $22 million to takeover operational control of the airport,
which had been handled by the military, and served a dozen flights a day
from North America. Plans for light industry and telecommunications operations are now underway in the former bases.
In the United States, where 97 bases have been earmarked for
closure, local officials and companies are learning many of the same lessons. According to a 1998 General Accounting Office report, most of the
affected communities have managed to bounce back. And those who have
been successful were well-organized in their conversion efforts.
“Strong local leadership is critical for rapid reemployment of facilities and workers,” said Katy Podagrosi, former mayor of Rantoul, Illinois,
where Chanute Air Force Base was closed in 1993, in a report to the Defense Department.
Though the United States is experiencing the largest base conversion process in its history, more dramatic hand-overs are looming internationally. In Okinawa, Japan, where nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are stationed
in bases that take up nearly a fifth of the island, local officials want everyone
out by the year 2015. The U.S. and Japanese governments have not agreed
on a date.
SUBIC’S GRANDE ISLAND TO UNDERGO MAJOR FACE LIFT
Grande Island, one of the main tourist
attractions within the Subic Bay Freeport
Zone, will be undergoing a full blast development with a total project cost of P
90 million, transforming the beach area
into a world class island resort.
The project, whose main proponent is the
Silver Dragon Cruises, Inc. (SDCI), is set
to give a face lift to the two islands of
Grande and Chiquitita, located at a proximate location from the main shores of
Subic.
Under the agreement with the Subic Bay
Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), SDCI will
develop 14.2 hectares of the 44 hectares
of Grande Island. The rest of the area
will be maintained as these are places
of historic value and sites for some of
the navigational offices of SBMA.
SBMA Chairman Felicito C. Payumo said
that the project aims to put in a good
boost to the blooming tourism industry
of Subic. He also added that historians
need not worry about the historical value
of Grande because all the war battery
sections of the island will remain untouched and instead cleaned up and
maintained for people to visit and see.
Under the SDCI master plan, the new
Grande Island will house more than 150
cottages to be located on the beach area
of the island. A major attraction of the
new project is the construction of a manmade waterfall lagoon which will be set
right in the heart of the island, making it
the central section where most of the
planned events will take place. A camping site for overnight campers will also
be set up with an area which can accommodate more than 150 campers, complete with amenities like toilets and washrooms.
Once developed, the island promises a
worthwhile trip befitting any tourist. The
new resort will offer various activities
which would range from adventure and
historic trails to camping, water sports,
fishing and the like. It will also play host
to social functions and business conventions.
Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.
All people smile in the same language.
You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over
the future.
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You’re talking on your cell phone when your call starts to br-ea-k-k-kkk-up. Then it
fades out or maybe it just disappears entirely. Been there? Well, we have the solution:
the Power Strip Antenna Booster. Think of it as a “patch” for your cell
phone, a wafer-thin cure for shadow zones, radio frequencies and
other kinds of interference that cause those infuriating dropped calls.
Stick the power Strip on any analog, digital or PCS phone – you’ll
notice the difference!
Available at Chamber office – P500.00
SBMA RELEASES MORE RELIEF GOODS FOR FLOOD VICTIMS
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Felicito
C. Payumo yesterday released to officials of Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) some 504 bales of
imported used clothing for distribution to thousands of flood
victims in the region.
ordination with former Bureau of Customs (BoC) District Collector Felipe Bartolome.
Payumo said that the used clothing was confiscated by the
Bureau of Customs (BoC) which in turn will be distributed to
flood victims in the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga,
Bulacan, Olongapo City and to various non-government organizations based in Central Luzon.
“We are all very thankful for the benevolence of Chairman
Payumo in extending helping hands for calamity victims,” local leaders in Central Luzon echoed. As this developed,
Payumo added, several investors here particularly engaged
in the transshipment of used clothing also expressed intentions to donate more relief goods to DSWD.
“It is better to distribute this clothing to our kababayans in the
areas most hit by typhoon “Gloria”, rather than leaving them
rotting in the warehouse,” Payumo stressed.
Social Welfare and Development Asst. Sec. Ruth Layug, who
was accompanied by various DSWD provincial field officers,
accepted the donation.
Earlier, Payumo ordered the release of 3,800 sacks of confiscated imported rice for distribution to flood victims, after a co-
Just, like the used clothing, the confiscated rice was kept inside a SBMA warehouse in the former Naval Supply Depot for
more than a year.
Among those were California Rag (100 bales), International
Recyclers (6 bales), Gold Link and Inter Link transshipment
firms.
Asst. Secretary Layug reported that there are about 31 evacuation centers with 18,128 families or about 80,000 affected
residents being served by DSWD.
A hug is a great gift... one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion
and it’s easy to exchange.
Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it.
Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it.
Take time to laugh, for it is the music of the soul.
For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of
happiness that you can never get back.
Sometimes you have the right to be angry, but that never gives you the
right to be unkind.
“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he
did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
Need help with your studies? Brent Subic kicks off new school year with
website study tips
Brent Subic, Central Luzon’s only internationally accredited school, kicks
off its new school year by adding links to some of the Internet’s best study
resources to its website.
Brent faculty have trolled the Net to find helpful hints on how to study, ways
to get homework done more efficiently, and how parents can help their
children in school. Using resources from Singapore to Virginia, USA, the
links explore topics from class note-taking to Algebra and English.
To find the tips, go to www.brentsubic.edu.ph and click on Study Resources
on the left side of the page. The tips are part of Brent Subic’s ongoing
efforts to give its students a world class education. Brent Subic is accredited by the U.S.-based Western Association of Schools and Colleges and
offers a kindergarten through high school education in the beautiful surroundings of Subic Bay.
The school is part of the respected Brent International School System,
which was established in the Philippines by American missionaries in 1909.
A multinational faculty, with teachers from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, instructs students of 16 nationalities, with an outstanding 6 to 1 student-faculty ratio. Part of the school’s
program includes Advanced Placement (AP) classes for high school level
students that allows them to test out of some of their initial classes at an
international university.
Right & bottom photo: Brent International School. Photo by Kevin Hamdorf Tel # 252 7821
POWER STRATEGIES #5
WHAT DO WOMEN REALLY WANT? By James Lee Valentine
Following is a noble story that illustrates what women really
want:
Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the
monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have
killed him, but was moved by Arthur’s youthful happiness. So
he offered him freedom, as long as he could answer a very
difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the
answer. If, after a year, he still had no answer, he would be
killed.
The question: What do women really want?
Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query.
Well, since it was better than death, he accepted the
monarch’s proposition to have an answer by year’s end.
He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the
princess, the priests, the wise men, the court jester. But no
one could give him a satisfactory answer. What most people
did tell him was to consult the old witch, as only she would
know the answer. The price would be high, since the witch
was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices
she charged.
The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative
but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question,
but he’d have to accept her price first: the old witch wanted to
marry Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round
Table and Arthur’s closest friend.
Young Arthur was horrified! The witch was hunchbacked and
awfully hideous, had only one tooth and smelled disgusting.
He had never run across such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure
such a burden.
The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen lay before him!
Gawain was astounded and asked what had happened. The
beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her, half the
time she would be her horrible, deformed self, and the other
half, she would be her beautiful maiden self.
Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He
told him that nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to
Arthur’s life and the preservation of the Round Table. Hence,
their wedding was proclaimed, and the witch was honor-bound
to answer Arthur’s question.
Which would he want her to be during the day and which
during the night? What a cruel question? Gawain began to
think of his predicament: During the day a beautiful woman
to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his
home, an old spooky witch? Or would he prefer having by
day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman to enjoy
many intimate moments?
The answer: What a woman really wants is to be respected
and to be in charge of her own life.
What would you do?
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great
truth and that Arthur’s life would be spared. And so it went.
The neighboring monarch spared Arthur’s life and granted
his freedom.
What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn
between relief and anguish.
Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The
old witch put her worst manners on display and made everyone uncomfortable.
The wedding night approached: Gawain, steeling himself for
a horrific night, entered the bedroom. What a sight awaited!
Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be
beautiful all the time, because he had respected her and had
let her be in charge of her own life.
Until next month . . . more POWER to you!
James Lee Valentine is promoted as an “Inspirational Author
Extraordinaire.”
His empowering series of twenty POWER books are available throughout the Philippines at all branches of National
Book Store
Adult and Color Belt training
Brent School Annex Building
Monday, Wednesday & Friday At
10:00 AM.
After School Training
(starting on August 26th, 2002)
Monday & Wednesday
3:15PM Friday 2:15PM
BRENT SCHOOL
KARATE CLUB
Private Lessons are available
For price and more information
stop by at Class times above, or
call or text Sensei Joey Del Rosario
at 0917-482-7383
or Cindy Barnwell at 252-3227
Confessions of a History Magician
A hundred pairs of astonished eyes
watched as a solid steel fork held in
the hand of a young student mysteriously softened and melted into two at
a gentle touch. The fork may have paid
the ultimate price but the Columban
College students got the point of the
demonstration - don’t trust everything
you read and never assume you have
enough information.
The seminar, held at Columban College
courtesy of its enlightened Dean of
Arts, Science and Education, Dr. Lolita
Regalario, was intended to encourage
students to take a more critical approach to history and, once again, a
background in magic came to the rescue when my virus-hit computer locked
up the intended Powerpoint presentation on the hard disk.
I’d learned the cutlery mutilation stunt
from Uri Geller, the alleged ‘psychic
superstar’ of the 1970s. It’s part of a
specialist variety of conjuring known as
‘mentalism’, the pretence of having
‘psychic’ powers. Oddly, most mentalists also have a taste for escapology,
which explains why went I came to the
Philippines for the first time in December 1980 I tugged along a briefcaseful
of locks, chains, handcuffs and
thumbcuffs.
Escapology intrigued me. Even after
nearly drowning in the freezing waters
of the River Crouch in Essex, England
in the 1980s when a stunt went wrong.
My life didn’t pass before my eyes, although a lot of disinterested fish certainly did.
The fish in Essex weren’t as impressed
as a policeman in Bauang, La Union
who’d seen me do some small local
performances for schools. As a challenge, he snapped his own handcuffs
on me, behind my back, and walked
across the other side of the room to
enjoy my discomfort. I followed him
across and handed the undone cuffs
top him with a polite thank you.
Hands up anyone who doesn’t like baffling policemen. I was a regular guest
on BBC Radio Two’s Nightline
programme - yes, radio. One evening
a couple of London bobbies unexpectedly turned up to investigate a breakin of the presenter’s car. We kept them
in the studio to examine a bundle of
forks and spoons and to oversee what
followed – a spoon melting and breaking in the presenter’s hand.
When one of the bobbies got back to
the police station he discovered his
watched had stopped at the precise
moment the spoon was breaking. That
was a stunt I really enjoyed.
The Philippines was an interesting
challenge. I began performing material
that I knew from experience was strong
and got what seemed to me a surprisingly muted response. After a while it
became clear - much of the audience
By Bob Couttie
believed in the stuff I was doing so it
really wasn’t a surprise. Then, at a bit
of a loss, I performed a routine known
to just about every schoolboy – putting
a handkerchief into one hand and having it reappear in the other. This was
greeted with loud and enthusiastic applause.
The mentalism didn’t stop, however. On
a program called Action 7, hosted by
Ric Puno and Mon Tulfo, we had viewers bring watches and broken appliance to their TV sets and hold them
while I bent a borrowed key on camera. Action 7’s telephone lines were
jammed for an hour afterwards with
people whose watches and appliances
had mysteriously started working.
A tape of the programme was re-broadcast in Cebu several days later, with
the same phone-clogging results.
Since those days, magic has taken a
back seat. I can think of only one big
stunt I pulled off – I persuaded my nowwife, Mercy, to marry me.
She then thoroughly upstaged anything
I could do by producing three great
kids.
Sure beats pulling a rabbit from a hat!
PHOTO BY: KEVIN HAMDORF
TEL # (047) 252 7821
GREEN SHOOTS AT BRAND REX?
Since I arrived in Subic Bay many people have asked me
“What happened to Brand Rex?”. Often they also comment
“Things seemed to be going so well!?”
To understand the answer to this question you first have to
put yourself back into the year 2000. Do you remember the
internet bubble, before we knew it was just a bubble? The
year when a third of all new investment went into telecoms
and the internet? The year of Amazon, triple-digit growth
rates and internet millionaires, the telecoms boom and multibillion dollar 3G licences? Back then money was not the question, only how quickly you could invest it.
In that atmosphere plans for telecoms infrastructure projects
abounded, and orders for cabling exceeded capacity. Around
the world companies like Brand Rex invested in new plant to
supply the demand, and Subic Bay was an ideal location
from which to serve the burgeoning Asian market.
By 2001 all expansion was complete, with more factory space
and services, more staff and new, state-of-the-art equipment.
But by then the internet bubble had already burst and the
telecoms market had crashed. Take-up rates for telecoms
services were a fraction of their projected rates, cash for investment had dried up and many major infrastructure projects
were either on hold or cancelled. Most of the telecoms companies were also left with stockpiles of product, and demand
from cable-producers came to an abrupt end.
In 2001 Brand Rex’s Subic plant shipped only $10m of orders against a business plan of $24m. With the crushing
weight of increased overheads drastic action was required.
The management team of Novar, parent company to Brand
Rex, reviewed the company’s worldwide capacity and decided
to cease operations at Subic Bay in January 2002, only 2
years after the last expansion plans had begun.
Today it seems incredible that this could happen so quickly,
but Brand Rex’s experience was far from unique. In the first
half of this year alone another eight cable factories have
closed, in Europe and the US alone. These are the after-
Bar-Mitzvah. Yet the factory itself is in one of the best locations on base. The best way forward is therefore to clear the
site and prepare the way for new locators, and new employment in Subic Bay.
A False Dawn
Fortunately the internet, having been partially responsible for
getting us here in the first place, is also helping to get us out
again. A website www.brex-cables.com has been created to
promote the sale of equipment, and orders have been taken
from all over the world for more than half the production equipment in the first two months. Work is now underway on the
mammoth task of physically removing, protecting, packing and
shipping that equipment to its new owners.
Nevertheless, hopes of further cablemaking at the plant were not extinguished, and the then management
team went around suppliers and customers alike looking for potential buyers for the business. Although only two
came forward, it still seemed likely for
the next few months that a deal would
push through. Sadly, during that time
product prices fell by a further 20% and
the cost of raw materials rose, making
even downscaled operations unviable.
Both bidders withdrew from the negotiations without bidding.
Isometric view of Brand Rex.
Riding the Wave
effects of the boom and bust days of
2000.
Another push was made, this time to every one of 400 cablemakers worldwide, and the bidding deadline was extended
to mid-July. Despite everybody’s efforts, no further bids for
the company as a going concern have been received and
hopes of cable-making finally ended.
People at the Plant
Another question I frequently hear is whether union problems
caused the closure at Brand Rex. The answer is a resounding no. When you have a shortfall on sales of over 50%, you
don’t need to look any further for reasons behind the facility’s
closure!
Personally, I have seldom worked with a more reasonable
and hard-working team than the one at Brand Rex. One of
the hardest parts of a closure programme is in dealing fairly
with the staff, who have inevitably come to rely on the benefits of employment. Brand Rex has always been a good
employer, and a generous payer, and the management team
have been keen to maintain this reputation during lay-offs as
well as in the good times.
Since January, staff were kept fully informed of the changing
situation at weekly briefings, until the final decisions were taken
in June, when a core of 30 positions were retained. All employees received a pay-off significantly in excess of the legal
minimum and we have tried, wherever possible, to use former
employees for the new positions created. For the rest, help
is still being provided in finding new employment and surplus
computers have been sold cheaply to assist people in their
job search.
Real success in management would mean no lay-offs at all.
Since that could not be achieved, we have tried out best to
help employees who served the company unfailingly during
its operations. Our next goal is to create the opportunity for
new jobs at the site, and that means making it ready for new
locators.
Green Shoots
In the current telecoms environment, a factory full of cablemaking equipment is about as much use as a hog-roast at a
Clearly some goods will be sold locally, doubtless at excellent prices. But the current focus is on clearing the huge
production areas, so that lower value items will not be sold
before October. As these sales will be widely advertised,
please wait for further information before calling - we cannot
process any enquiries at this stage!
Meanwhile talks are successfully underway with neighbours,
Subic TechnoPark, who paradoxically have too much business and not enough space! By the start of 2003 it is intended to have the site cleared and sub-divided, ready for
new locators. By providing purpose-built, modern factory
space in which to “incubate” businesses new to the area, the
barriers to re-locating in Subic will be lowered and the area’s
expansion as a Asian manufacturing location accelerated.
Already over thirty Japanese suppliers to TechnoPark businesses have been approached and many local companies
have expressed an interest.
The SBMA have also offered invaluable support and all three
parties are now working together on turning this closure story
into a profitable new venture. Success will take time, but
work is already ahead of plan in converting Brand Rex from a
2000 telecoms relic into the green shoots of future employers, with more prosperity for the area.
For further information contact :
Gordon MacSween
General Manager
[email protected]
or
Charlie Bamford
Financial Controller
[email protected]
Tel :
047-252-1536
Fax :
047-252-1538
Web :
www.brex-cables.com
Sifting the Surf
By Bruce Curran
While most of us hope to avoid the destructive forces
of a typhoon passing through Subic, it is the opposite
story to the far south of the country, where one group
of people are excited by the passing of typhoons, for
it is now the peak of the surfing season, and late
Septembert and early October bring in the big surf
that is internationally famous on the remote island of
Siargao.
High tide is the highlight of the day for some of the
boys living near Tuason Point near the legendary surf
of Siargao island. 12 year old Zalde Coldura and 13
year old Mark Ailer both clutch second hand boards
kindly donated by an Australian surfer who took the
trouble to import some 50 boards for local surfers in
different parts of these islands. Zalde was 9 when he
first got on a board, and even today his board is much
taller than his little frame, but he looks the part with
his ‘sun-bleached’ flecked locks highlighted amid his
burnished golden crop of tussled hair. Today the
smaller boys are on the road and hunting for surf along
the east coast that faces the might of the open Pacific
Ocean. There are five of them, including the powerful
looking Dionesio Espejon, now 18, the 2001 National
Champion. Yok Yok Fernando Alipayo, 21, is another
local hero, and awarded the title of the best Filipino
surfer in the International Championship last year.
magical tropical island.
Only when typhoons rumble, do the waves tumble.
Unlike the rest of humanity, these boys are excited
when they hear of the great weather ‘lows’ out in the
Pacific, and the impending advent of another typhoon.
July to October is the great typhoon season, and this
is when the surf is up and at its best.
g
Jun Jun Figuron, 18, is the fifth member of the group,
and another potent surfer born to be wild and dedicated to surf-hunting along the eastern shores of this
Cloud 9 Surfer, Siargao Island, Mindanao. Photo by Kevin Hamdorf Tel # 252 7821
g
Fracture
On the Seair plane at Cebu airport two seats had been
removed from the comfortable nineteen seater. Sat
neatly in their place rapped in zipped silver covers lay
three surf boards. Gavin and Steve Johns from Perth
in Australia had just arrived for a surfing holiday.
Gavin’s partner Katrina Bond cradled their little son
Jayden as they all boarded for the forty minute trip to
Siargao island. Their good friends Matt and Pamela
Glencross were with them, together with their blonde
headed boy Finn. They talked excitedly amongst
themselves about the new typhoon forming to the
north-east, and were predicting good surf within three
days. They all looked like a true blue bunch of blonde
headed surfers on the way to tackle one of the greatest waves known in the Philippine islands. The wave
‘Cloud 9’ is a legend amongst the international surfing community, and apparently got its name many
years ago when the tired surfers could only find ‘cloud
9’ chocolate bars to satiate their appeti! te after a long
session in the surf.
Off the beach, a long winding boardwalk meanders
across the coastal reef, and at its end a couple of
ramshackle viewing platforms sit atop the steps that
lead to the rickety boarding floors shaded from the
sun with framed roofs covered with leaves from the
nearby jungle.
A gaggle of small kids and older men are suitably
The boardwalk out to the surf. Cloud 9, Siargao Island, Mindanao. Photo by Kevin Hamdorf Tel # 252 7821
seated or standing for a vantage sighting of the surfers offshore. The ‘Cloud 9’ surf is on hand and sizzling. The swell builds offshore and then breaks as it
reaches the seaward end of the coastal coral reef.
“Yok Yok!” exclaim the littlest kids in reverence to the
local hero.
His name is repeated like a chant in a trance, as the
kids dream of their heyday in the surf atop a board
when they too are old enough.
It is Fernando Alipayo who they are referring to, as
he slices brilliantly across the wave before diving into
the curdling surf at the end of his board run.
After he has disappeared beneath the surf, the boys
look knowingly at each other and nod their heads.
‘Yok Yok’ they chant again.
The five Tuason surfer boys were all aboard the open
sided truck for the day’s outing. A brief visit to a town
fiesta, a stop at the Tak Tak waterfalls, a massive seafood lunch in a quaint coastal town, were all preliminaries in the search for surf. Finally off Burgos beach
the surf was sighted, and two of them paddled out
atop their boards, on their way to tackle ‘Cloud 69’.
The other three sat in a fuddle on the beach beneath
a coconut frond canopy and watched intently while
they chatted casually.
On the way further down the coast a welcome break
was taken at Magpupungko Beach, where a
set of inviting crystal clear deep rock pools
languish at low tide amid the limestone outcrops. Ideal for diving from ahigh and swimming in paradise. It is another magic place
on this enchanted island.
By late afternoon the Tuason Boys were back
at their favourite spot, amongst the surf at
‘Cloud 9’. The Aussie boys amongst other nationalities, were already out there catching the
waves, and the Siargao surfers did not hesitate to take the plunge. As the sun sank behind the coconut trees the long shadows of
the twenty or so surfers danced like a puppet
show from Indonesia as they crouched and
flew along the rolling waves. But this was in
another magic place, in the heart of the Philippines. While the spirit of the surfer was sifting the surf, the soul of Siargao island was
casting its magic shadow over the land. As
the sun finally disappeared and darkness took
over, the surfers reappeared on the land and
filtered to their lodgings and homes close at
hand, already dreaming of another typhoon
and another conquest of the surf. Somehow
it is reassuring to know that paradise is very
much alive and kicking amid the glistening
waters off the north-east coast of Mindanao.
Local resident and his pet dog returning from market, Siargao Island,
Mindanao. Photo by Kevin Hamdorf Tel # 252 7821.
Airline
Etiquette
APARTMENT FOR RENT
Furnished, quieet and secure, one
bedroom apartment with kitchenette in Upper Cubi, less than 5
minutes to airport. Includes:
private entrance, cable TV
hookup, power, parking, water
and garbage removal. Maid
service available for laundry/
ironing if requested. $375.00 per
month. For further information call:
Days 252-3180 Evenings 252-7425
1. Be courteous to the crew and fellow passengers. One rude person in a small area
makes for a very unpleasant trip for everyone.
2. If there is no room in the overhead compartment for your carry-on luggage, put
your bag in the foot space in front of your
legs. If you have a hang-up bag, ask the
flight attendant where it should go.
3. Do not bring an overstuffed carry-on
bag that won’t fit in the assigned space.
Bring only important, necessary items with
you.
4. Do not lean your seat back any farther
than absolutely necessary. Most airlines
have so little leg room that your head will
be on another passenger’s lap.
5. If you must recline your seat, be sure to
put it in the upright position when food is
served. The person behind you will appreciate it.
6. If the person next to you spills a drink,
offer them your napkin, and press the call
button for the flight attendant. Your seatmate will have his hands full.
Beach-Bound
Essentials
Just the thought of relaxing on the sand is
enough to get most of us daydreaming.
And by the time you’re actually headed
for the shore, who can think about packing? But the beach is an outdoor destination with features — like that pesky sand
— that make certain items suitcase essentials. We’ll trust you to remember the obvious, like clothes and sunglasses, but here
are a few must-pack picks that will make
your trip more pleasant.
7. Be considerate of the passenger in front
of you. Do not bump or kick the seat. Don’t
slam the tray table. Use care when removing items from the seat pocket.
A mesh tote is the perfect beach bag.
Unlike canvas (a veritable sand trap!) the
holes in mesh allow sand to slip out while
keeping in your shirts, hats, books, sandals,
and more.
8. On long flights, be quiet when the cabin
lights are dimmed. You may want to have
a loud conversation, but other people are
trying to sleep.
Two bathing suits per person, if you’re
staying more than one day. You’ll thank
us when you don’t have to struggle into
wet nylon.
9. Keep the volume down on personal entertainment devices such as CD players and
videogame players, or use headphones.
Bug spray. What’s worse than a sunburn?
A sunburn and itchy mosquito bites.
10. Please demonstrate good hygiene. Airplanes are stuffy. Take a shower, and put
on clean clothes before getting on board.
The person next to you will be grateful. —
Fellow Travelers in Queen Creek, Ariz.
Plastic bags will be useful for bringing
home wet, sandy clothes. Bring your own
zip-top bags for food to avoid paying convenience store prices.
Success (This
(
definition was
written in 1904 by Bessie
Anderson Stanley)
He has achieved success
who has lived well, laughed
often and loved much; who
has enjoyed the trust of
pure women, the respect of
intelligent men and the love
of little children; who has
filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has
left the world better than
he found it, whether by an
improved poppy, a perfect
poem or a rescued soul; who
has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or
failed to express it; who has
always looked for the best
in others and given them the
best he had; whose life was
an inspiration; whose
memory a benediction.
Rather fail with honor than
succeed by fraud.”
—
Sophocles
How to rid your PC of adware—once and for all (free)
Jason Parker, Contributing Editor, ZDNet Downloads www.zdnet.com
Given that the economy’s in a bit of a slump,
many software companies are finding creative
ways to make money. One of the strategies
they’ve discovered: adware.
Fortunately, there are some great programs you
can use to keep adware off your computer.
These downloads search your system for any
secret software that has already taken residence
on your hard drive. If they find any, they’ll let you
remove it, so you can be sure your privacy’s intact.
Ad-aware, scans your hard drive and displays
a list of what it found. You then select the items
you’d like to remove from your system. What’s
more, it not only keeps you safe from adware, it
also keeps your pocket book safe, too: It’s free!
(Free/Windows)
Don’t let advertisers spy on you! Use this download to remove adware—and other pests—from
your computer for good.
Bldg. S-8722, Tabing Ilog Rd.,
Subcom Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Telefax: (047) 252-3335
[email protected]
computer repair * maintenance * networking * desktop
publishing
systems analysis and design * software development * internet
web development * parts * radio * TV * VCD * amplifier * DVD * beta
Want to help our Olongapeno
animals? To assist the local
animal rescue group in
Olongapo City, we are asking
for your help in donating any
Cat or Dog food or supplies
(litter, bedding, bowls,
leashes, brushes). Dr. Tuliao
has been supporting the
medical needs of this group
for several years i.e. spay/
neutering, vaccinations and
all other medical care.
There are currently 120 cats
and dogs in need. Adoption
to good homes is also
available. Any form of
donation to these services
would be appreciated.
Please drop off any supplies
you wish to donate to this
cause at the Chamber office,
Building 866, Waterfront
Road.
Photo by: Kevin Hamdorf
Adware generally comes bundled with other
applications you download. It launches advertisements on your computer and/or causes popup ads to appear in your browser. Sometimes it
even sends your personal data and information
about your Web-surfing habits to third-party companies. And since adware often installs itself
surreptitiously, you may not even know it’s there.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jose A. Saddul, Jr.
President (Asian Armoured)
Tel # 252 7571
Michael Wilson
Vice President
(Subic Int’l Hotels, Inc)
Tel # 252 3854
Dr. Ning Ridon
Corporate Secretary (Pista sa
Barrio)
Tel # 222 4436
Gary Mendoza
Treasurer (RCM Manufacturing)
Tel # 252 9073
--DIRECTORS-Sean Chen (SBDMC, Inc)
Tel # 252 3456
Jose Francisco Fausto (RCBC)
Tel # 252 5025
Jeremy Simpson
(Exquisite Box Company)
Tel # 252 3896
--STAFF-Susan Dudley
Executive Director
Tel # 252 3180
Cecile Sibya-Aguilar
Executive Assistant
Tel # 252 3180
NEW MEMBER
Company: MARCKKI SHIRT SHOP
Representative: Helen Grace C. Vibar
Alternate Representative: Luisito E.
Vibar
Type of Business: T Shirt printing &
making / Garments
Address: 59 Hansen St., East Tapinac,
Olongapo City
Phone #: 047 224 3905
Cel #: 0917-401-1813
Email: [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Company: CITY SERVICE
CORPORATION
Representative: Gonzalo Gonzales
Type of Business: Janitorial and
Maintenance Services
Company: POLARMARINE, INC.
Representative: Michael Henry B.
Williams
Type of Business: Assembly of Tank
Cleaning Equipment for ships
Company: CRESTEC PHILIPPINES, INC.
Representative: Kyoichi Meno
Type of Business: Trading &
Manufacturing of Packaging Materials:
Carton Boxes, User’s Guide Manuals,
CD-ROMS
Company: LEEMING PLASTIC
CORPORATION
Representative: O. Wu Chang
Type of Business: Plastic Product
Manufacturing
Company: HATCH ASSOCIATES, INC.
Representative: Ian M. Moller
Type of Business: Engineering &
Environmental Consultancy Firm
Address all editorial
comments, suggestions
and material to the
Editor, Susan Dudley.
SBFCC, Building 866,
Waterfront Road,
Subic Bay Freeport
Zone
Tel # 252 3180
Fax # 252 3190
Email:
[email protected];
[email protected]
http://
www.subicchamber.org
SBFCC news letter is
produced monthly for
SBFCC and its members.
Information contained
herein was carefully
compiled and checked
to be as accurate as
possible. SBFCC cannot
and does not guarantee
the correctness of all
information furnished
nor the complete
absence of errors and
omissions. No responsibility
will be assumed.
For more information, please call: (047) 252 2375 or fax us at (047) 252-2010
Subic Telecom: Bldg. 60, Sampson Avenue, Subic Bay Freeport Zone