Ang Pahayagan

Gone early but not to be forgotten as his legacies and achievements done as top man of state run agency, whose main mission was to develop more industries and generate employment to locals with Central Luzon.

Bobby as he was called by his associates and friends grew up in Naga City, a Bicolano who carved a name in the motoring sector as former president of Motorlite Battery. An alumnus of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Bobby initiated out of the box management style to SBMA, he was an on hand manager and looked closely at the financial state of the agency, yes he and his batch of board of directors, inherited an organization that never tested being in the rated. A government unit given the task of self generating enterprise, SBMA under its charter was exempted from receiving appropriation of the national government.

Moreover, very few remember that Bobby was named specifically by President Aquino as chairman-administrator of the former US Naval Complex. He was voted by his own peers when there was vacancy on the top post. Aside from it, Garcia also took charge of the newly completed twin containers terminals funded by JICA.

While project was started by the Payumo regime, Bobby and company assumed the liabilities of the JICA funded projects, hence when first called to pay his courtesy to President Aquino at Malacanang, Bobby was met frontally by Cesar Purisima, then Finance Secretary to confront him that the Philippine government may face default payment on the JICA loan. It took a while for SBMA to find lease holder for the containers port, it took time for ICTSI of Enrique Razon to finally offer to operate the new terminals.

Now, I understand that aside from the regular business activities, Bobby priorities the promotion of the Port of Subic as the Maritime hub of the region. Together with Boj Locson, twin president of ICTSI Subic and Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC) to promote the business of the Port of Subic.

The group was assisted by Art Tugade, president of the Clark Development Corp. So when the port congestions of the Port of Manila and MICP, broke out, Subic became the choice alternative port of choice by shippers and cargo forwarders.

SBMA held two Maritime Summit events to bring to Subic international shippers, import-exporters and other allied business. The rest is history as more and more cargo trucks flying the main highways of Subic.

One time while both Bobby and I were drinking coffee, he noticed several container trucks waiting for the traffic light to turn green. He commented, “the fruit of our efforts.”