Ang Pahayagan

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The long-time dream of a housing project for workers in the Subic Bay Freeport is expected to be realized soon, as the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and private sector partners broke ground for a P1.1-billion dormitory complex here on Wednesday, March 19.

The five-building project is set for construction in a one-hectare lot at the former George Dewey High School complex, an area conveniently near industrial parks, a school, and a shopping center. It will house some 6,000 workers employed by various companies operating Subic.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño, who led the groundbreaking rites with Isuzu GenCars General Manager D. Edgard Cabangon and RDBT Construction Corp. CEO Rafael Demacio Tecson, said the dormitory project is in response to President Marcos’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program, which seeks to provide affordably-priced homes to Filipinos.

 “To me, this is the first step towards the realization of a strong, comfortable and peaceful way of life for our Freeport workers, the same as the dream of our dear President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for every Filipino in the country,” Aliño said in his message during the groundbreaking ceremony.

“This is why I cannot hide how overjoyed I am today,” Aliño added.

Aliño signed a memorandum of understanding with Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar in May last year for the establishment of employee housing here Subic.

Isuzu GenCars’s Cabangon said the collaborative project between his firm, the SBMA, and RDBT Construction will be the first of its kind in Subic to offer large-scale, affordable, accessible, and decent housing facilities to workers, employees, and even students of nearby schools and colleges. 

He said that building the dormitories close to factories and industrial areas would not only improve the workers’ efficiency, but would also help companies and employees reduce the cost of living, as well as help ease traffic congestion, reduce the number of vehicles and commuters on the road, and thereby contribute to a greener and more sustainable environment. 

The project, said RDBT Construction’s Tecson, will comprise five buildings, including four dormitory blocks and an administrative building, all of which will rise at five stories. Each dormitory block will have 188 units, for a total capacity of 6,000, he added.

Tecson said each dormitory is designed for eight occupants, and will be shared by four people at a time. The dorm layout would allow residents to take turns using the shared bath, toilet and lavatories without overcrowding, he added.

Meanwhile, the ground floors of the dormitory buildings will be used for laundry services, 24/7 convenience store, coffee shops and restaurants, and other commercial spaces providing essential services for the workers throughout their stay. 

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Group Renato Lee III said the dormitory project is a testament to both investor confidence in the SBMA and the agency’s readiness for the influx of jobs in the zone. 

“I have no doubt that we will be able to generate more investments in the coming years. When you generate investments, you generate jobs. But what is crucial here is not just Subic Freeport being investment-ready, but employment-ready as well,” he added. (Taktikom News and Features)

TOP 📸 : SBMA Chairman Eduardo Jose L. Alino (left) shares a light moment with Isuzu GenCars general manager D. Edgard Cabangon and Ayta leader Tata Casoy Cosme after the groundbreaking rites for the Subic workers’ dormitory project on Wednesday. (Ang Pahayagan / JUN DUMAGUING)