Life after the bases: the Subic model
Friday, 20 November 2009 04:02 by Mar-Vic Cagurangan | Variety News Staff
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Conclusion
GUAM recently forged a memorandum of understanding with Olongapo City, sealing the sister-city ties between two jurisdictions with economic experiences fueled by U.S. military bases.
“It is a bane and a boon; it is positive and negative,” Philippine Sen. Richard Gordon said of the military presence. “But I don’t believe in the ‘victimization’ attitude. I saw the bases as a boon; I turned negative into positive.”
Gordon, who is running for Philippine president next year, was mayor of Olongapo City, and is credited with turning the former U.S naval base at Subic Bay into a prosperous free port zone.
During the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the early 1980s, Gordon conducted a study detailing a contingent plan to convert Subic Bay into an economic zone in the event that U.S. bases pulled out. “He didn’t believe me, so I just put the study on the shelves.”
In 1991, the Philippine Senate voted to reject a renewal of the military bases agreement between the two nations. The Senate’s action was followed by a Mount Pinatubo eruption which buried the Subic Naval Base in Olongapo City and Clark Air Field in Angeles City under tons of ash. This hastened the departure of U.S. military personnel.
The base closures prompted Gordon to revive the plan, which eventually came to materialize. Using a $350,000 grant from the United States as seed money, Gordon turned Subic Bay into a multibillion dollar investment destination creating 97,000 jobs.
“I wanted to make Olongapo City a model city. I wanted to build a second city—a city within the city,” Gordon said.
He did.
Gordon became the chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, which runs the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the Philippines' first successful military base conversion through volunteerism.
Economic model
Senator Eddie B. Calvo believes Guam must look beyond the horizon and explore the opportunities beyond the troop buildup.
“Guam now has a choice,” said Calvo, author of the legislative resolution that established the sister-city relationship between Guam and Olongapo City. “We can settle for the $15 billion investment and watch the boom end, or we can raise new industries and make Guam the focal point of Asian and American economic interests.”
While looking at the Subic model for the island, Calvo believes Guam’s future and “its shared path to prosperity with the Philippines” hinges on so much more than the military buildup, which will attract more than 15,000 skilled workers from the Philippines to build Guam’s capacity.
“Guam’s economy has the potential to grow beyond the $15 billion military investment,” Calvo said, adding that Guam can cash in on its position as “America in Asia” to develop new industries and expand its economic base.
Skeptical
Frank Campillo, outgoing chairman of the Guam Chamber of Commerce board of directors, sees the economic opportunities that lie ahead but is skeptical about how local government leaders handle the processes of change.
“Will we seize this opportunity? Will we be able to shed those thoughts that many continue to harbor as victims of something? Will we be smart enough to manage this opportunity and make something of this entire process so our children will have a better future?” he asked.
“I am a bit gloomy,” Campillo said, “with some of the processes and ineptitudes that we see in many areas of government today and the low expectations for change that our community seems to have with this government.”
More questions nag him: “Will our current and, more important, future political leaders be able to shed away their differences and work together to make the best of this potential?”
GPS
For Gordon, confronting challenges is a matter of having the right attitude and leading people in the right direction.
“Before we started rebuilding Subic, I asked for volunteers to start the process. I gave them a vision. I put them on a value mode. What the country needed was not a change in men, but a change in men’s attitude.
His spiels inspired over 8,000 people to volunteer.
“Guam can overcome its challenges,” Gordon said. “If you put a vision in front of people and set before them a value mode, you can make things happen. You can have a GPS for Guam: Guam Progress System.”
Showing posts with label Olongapo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olongapo. Show all posts
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A tale of three cities
A tale of three cities
Thursday, 19 November 2009 04:07
by Mar-Vic Cagurangan | Variety News Staff
First of a two-part series
IT is the best of times, it is the worst of times. Such juxtaposition commonly characterizes Guam, El Paso and Olongapo City, which all have faced the challenges to beat the bane and reap the boon of military presence in their communities.
Dealing with the requirements and impact of the corresponding population surge that comes with military expansion requires flexibility. But, obviously, the situation calls for more than the right attitude toward major transformation because it also brings with it confusion and uncertainties.
“The impending military buildup has excited many inside and outside our community, but many also fear the impacts this buildup will have on our social, cultural and environmental resources,” said Frank Campillo, outgoing chairman of the Guam Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.
“I am not one who dismisses the fears but I also believe that the future opportunities outweigh the potential adversities,” he added.
Guam is tasked by the United States to accommodate 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa under the still uncertain $15 billion armed forces relocation agreement with Japan. With no firm commitment from the federal government that the cost of building infrastructures will be federally subsidized, Guam is left scrambling for resources to meet the demands of the population explosion.
*Early planning*
El Paso stands apart from Guam in the aspect of preparation, which promptly commenced when the Pentagon started planning the Bases Realignment and Closure process. “We did some impact economic study ahead of time. We believe the revenue growth from sales and property tax revenues will be enough to pay for physical infrastructure improvements,” according to Bob Cook, CEO and president of El Paso Regional Economic Development Corp.
As far as federal aid is concerned, Cook said, El Paso has nothing to complain about. “We’re getting great deal of federal assistance; we’re maybe getting 20 to 25 cents on the dollar that is required to meet at the military buildup,” he said.
El Paso, a county in Texas with a population of 736,000, hosts Fort Bliss, home to a U.S. Army post. With the transfer of 20,000 soldiers from different military installations across the U.S., El Paso’s population is projected to increase by 54,000. The armed personnel buildup is about 75 percent complete. Full relocation completion is scheduled between 2012 and 2013.
Adequate infrastructure
“We’re actually doing quite good on the physical infrastructure,” Cook said. “Essentially, our study indicated that we have had the capacity in most infrastructure items like water sewer, electricity and natural gas. We can handle the growth fairly easily.”
The county recently adopted a $1.5 billion transportation improvement plan. “About 25 percent of this transportation investment is related to the buildup,” Cook said.
The weight of the military expansion is mostly felt in the healthcare sector. But this area is also being taken care of, according to Cook. El Paso has stepped up its recruitment of medical and health professionals by adopting a program to offer debt payment incentives medical students.
“If we do nothing for the next four years, we would have a shortage in health personnel of about 4,000,” Cook said. “So were taking steps right now to make sure that we don’t have large gap four years from now.”
Generally, El Paso’s local community is “responding very well to the military buildup,’ Cook said.
Bases closure
Olongapo City is a different story. Located in the province of Zambales, Philippines, the city’s economy was once largely tied to the Navy’s presence in Subic Bay. The Subic area tarted as Spain’s arsenal and ship-repair facility in 1885. Following the Spanish-American war, Subic Bay became a U.S. Navy and Marine base, and grew to become a major military installation until it was shut down in 1991.
By this time, the reverse challenge for then Olongapo City mayor Richard Gordon was to overcome the impact of the U.S. bases’ closure. (To be continued)
Thursday, 19 November 2009 04:07
by Mar-Vic Cagurangan | Variety News Staff
First of a two-part series
IT is the best of times, it is the worst of times. Such juxtaposition commonly characterizes Guam, El Paso and Olongapo City, which all have faced the challenges to beat the bane and reap the boon of military presence in their communities.
Dealing with the requirements and impact of the corresponding population surge that comes with military expansion requires flexibility. But, obviously, the situation calls for more than the right attitude toward major transformation because it also brings with it confusion and uncertainties.
“The impending military buildup has excited many inside and outside our community, but many also fear the impacts this buildup will have on our social, cultural and environmental resources,” said Frank Campillo, outgoing chairman of the Guam Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.
“I am not one who dismisses the fears but I also believe that the future opportunities outweigh the potential adversities,” he added.
Guam is tasked by the United States to accommodate 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa under the still uncertain $15 billion armed forces relocation agreement with Japan. With no firm commitment from the federal government that the cost of building infrastructures will be federally subsidized, Guam is left scrambling for resources to meet the demands of the population explosion.
*Early planning*
El Paso stands apart from Guam in the aspect of preparation, which promptly commenced when the Pentagon started planning the Bases Realignment and Closure process. “We did some impact economic study ahead of time. We believe the revenue growth from sales and property tax revenues will be enough to pay for physical infrastructure improvements,” according to Bob Cook, CEO and president of El Paso Regional Economic Development Corp.
As far as federal aid is concerned, Cook said, El Paso has nothing to complain about. “We’re getting great deal of federal assistance; we’re maybe getting 20 to 25 cents on the dollar that is required to meet at the military buildup,” he said.
El Paso, a county in Texas with a population of 736,000, hosts Fort Bliss, home to a U.S. Army post. With the transfer of 20,000 soldiers from different military installations across the U.S., El Paso’s population is projected to increase by 54,000. The armed personnel buildup is about 75 percent complete. Full relocation completion is scheduled between 2012 and 2013.
Adequate infrastructure
“We’re actually doing quite good on the physical infrastructure,” Cook said. “Essentially, our study indicated that we have had the capacity in most infrastructure items like water sewer, electricity and natural gas. We can handle the growth fairly easily.”
The county recently adopted a $1.5 billion transportation improvement plan. “About 25 percent of this transportation investment is related to the buildup,” Cook said.
The weight of the military expansion is mostly felt in the healthcare sector. But this area is also being taken care of, according to Cook. El Paso has stepped up its recruitment of medical and health professionals by adopting a program to offer debt payment incentives medical students.
“If we do nothing for the next four years, we would have a shortage in health personnel of about 4,000,” Cook said. “So were taking steps right now to make sure that we don’t have large gap four years from now.”
Generally, El Paso’s local community is “responding very well to the military buildup,’ Cook said.
Bases closure
Olongapo City is a different story. Located in the province of Zambales, Philippines, the city’s economy was once largely tied to the Navy’s presence in Subic Bay. The Subic area tarted as Spain’s arsenal and ship-repair facility in 1885. Following the Spanish-American war, Subic Bay became a U.S. Navy and Marine base, and grew to become a major military installation until it was shut down in 1991.
By this time, the reverse challenge for then Olongapo City mayor Richard Gordon was to overcome the impact of the U.S. bases’ closure. (To be continued)
Monday, November 16, 2009
Guam, Olongapo now ‘sisters’
Guam, Olongapo now ‘sisters’
Monday, 16 November 2009 04:27
Varitey[sic] News Staff
(Legislature)-- Guam and the City of Olongapo now have a strategic and official relationship. Guam Speaker Judith T. Won Pat, and Olongapo City Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. signed the memorandum of understanding establishing the relationship last Friday.
“I am so excited about the future we have with Olongapo City,” said Sen. Eddie Calvo, author of Resolution 170, which allowed Guam to enter the sister-city relationship.
“Not only do we have so much in common with Olongapo City, but many of our people can trace their ancestry there and to the Zambales province. This is a remarkable partnership, and one that will only strengthen our sisterhood with the Philippines.”
Our two communities will use the relationship to enhance Guam’s workforce, sustain economic development and promote trade. The resolution stressed the Guam military buildup and how Guam and Olongapo can help each other to maximize opportunities presented by the buildup.
Calvo presented to Gordon the symbolic key to the island of Guam shortly after the signing of the memorandum, which marked the first time the legislature has entered the island into a sister-city relationship.
Monday, 16 November 2009 04:27
Varitey[sic] News Staff
(Legislature)-- Guam and the City of Olongapo now have a strategic and official relationship. Guam Speaker Judith T. Won Pat, and Olongapo City Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. signed the memorandum of understanding establishing the relationship last Friday.
“I am so excited about the future we have with Olongapo City,” said Sen. Eddie Calvo, author of Resolution 170, which allowed Guam to enter the sister-city relationship.
“Not only do we have so much in common with Olongapo City, but many of our people can trace their ancestry there and to the Zambales province. This is a remarkable partnership, and one that will only strengthen our sisterhood with the Philippines.”
Our two communities will use the relationship to enhance Guam’s workforce, sustain economic development and promote trade. The resolution stressed the Guam military buildup and how Guam and Olongapo can help each other to maximize opportunities presented by the buildup.
Calvo presented to Gordon the symbolic key to the island of Guam shortly after the signing of the memorandum, which marked the first time the legislature has entered the island into a sister-city relationship.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sister-city ties to be signed
Sister-city ties to be signed
Friday, 13 November 2009 04:24
Varitey[sic] News Staff
(Legislature) -- Guam and the City of Olongapo will enter into a historic sister-city relationship today at 10 a.m. in the legislature’s public hearing room.
Speaker Judith Won Pat, and Mayor James “Bong” Gordon of the City of Olongapo will sign a memorandum of understanding making the relationship official.
The sister-city relationship was made possible through Sen. Eddie Baza Calvo’s Resolution 60, which received a bipartisan support.
Stronger ties with Olongapo City seek to open the door to increased tourism, cultural exchanges, work-force development and business investments.
As the island gears up for the impending relocation of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, local leaders focus on what the territorial government can learn from Olongapo City, once host to the largest US military installation and is now a booming site for the Subic Bay Free Port Zone.
Guam considers the Philippines as the primary source of manpower to fill the labor gap when the military buildup starts kicking in.
Friday, 13 November 2009 04:24
Varitey[sic] News Staff
(Legislature) -- Guam and the City of Olongapo will enter into a historic sister-city relationship today at 10 a.m. in the legislature’s public hearing room.
Speaker Judith Won Pat, and Mayor James “Bong” Gordon of the City of Olongapo will sign a memorandum of understanding making the relationship official.
The sister-city relationship was made possible through Sen. Eddie Baza Calvo’s Resolution 60, which received a bipartisan support.
Stronger ties with Olongapo City seek to open the door to increased tourism, cultural exchanges, work-force development and business investments.
As the island gears up for the impending relocation of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, local leaders focus on what the territorial government can learn from Olongapo City, once host to the largest US military installation and is now a booming site for the Subic Bay Free Port Zone.
Guam considers the Philippines as the primary source of manpower to fill the labor gap when the military buildup starts kicking in.
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