The SBMA Board of Directors

Last issue, I presented on this same page the Subic Chamber’s letter to President Aquino requesting to reconstitute the SBMA Board of Directors. Looks like the President heeded our call. On January 10, we were treated to great news―the appointment of six new Board members! Together with two existing directors, it follows that there will now be a quorum to conduct business since the SBMA Board has a total of 15 members.

Here’s the official pronouncement during a press briefing by Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte:

As you may all know, the President mentioned last Thursday that there would reorganization in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. And today, we would like to announce the appointees as members of the Board of Directors.

First, Benjamin Antonio III as a member of the Board of Directors representing the private sector; Philip G. Camara representing, again, the private sector, Ramon Sesdoyro representing the private sector; Norberto J. Sosa, again representing the private sector; Gerald Sam O. Del Rosario representing the business and investment sector; and lastly, Francisco H. Licuanan representing the business and investment sector in the Board of directors of the SBMA.

Briefing Room, 2/F New Executive Building, Malacañang, Manila
January 10, 2011; 12:00 hrs. EST

And so we celebrated the announcement and welcomed the new directors. Here’s a news clipping from the Philippine News Agency:

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Top executives of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) have expressed relief over the appointment by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III of new directors to the SBMA board, saying this would put the Subic agency back on track.

“This is good news. Now we can get back to work and resolve some unfinished business,” said SBMA administrator Armand Arreza after the appointments were announced by Malacañang recently.

Arreza said that a lot of pending matters have already accumulated before the SBMA board ever since Executive Order No. 2 (EO 2), which revoked the appointment of some directors, took effect in July 30 last year.

“But now, we have a quorum, so we can do business again,” Arreza added.

Following the new appointments, Arreza said that investors in the Subic Bay Freeport have likewise welcomed the arrival of the six new SBMA board members.

According to SBFCC president Danny Piano, business locators in Subic are thankful that President Aquino heeded their request to fill the void left by the unseated board members.

Piano said that the SBFCC wrote to President Aquino two months ago, requesting that the SBMA Board be reconstituted immediately. “We hope that the new directors can hit the ground running, and that they would help boost Subic’s status as a premier investment center,” Piano added.

The good news was quickly doused with cold water four days later, however. Former SBMA Chairman Francisco Licuanan did not accept the SBMA Board appointment. It was unfortunate that there seemed to be some miscommunication between Malacañang and Mr. Licuanan’s appointment to the SBMA Board. As it happened, Mr. Licuanan declined the position because he was not consulted about it and because he has other commitments.

The Subic Chamber is saddened by this turn of events. The SBMA Board again lacks the number to constitute a quorum and cannot, therefore, conduct valid business.

We are not expecting Malacañang to fill up the entire Board because of a pending case against EO 2. We are, however, hoping that President Aquino, busy as he is, will find the time to appoint one or two more directors.

Potential investors and current locators at the Subic Freeport, while dreadfully affected, do understand the situation and have been quietly patient since President Aquino’s EO 2 proclamation more than five months ago.

I really hope we don’t have to wait much longer.

UPDATE Feb 7: We sure did not wait that long. Three new directors were appointed, namely: Francis Garcia, Bienvenido Benitez, and Roberto Garcia.