US donates drones, Starlink unit to SBMA to aid in disaster response
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) received Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones paired with a Starlink Mobile Internet unit from the United States (US) to augment the emergency response capabilities of the freeport, and its fire and law enforcement departments.
Eduardo Jose Aliño, SBMA chairman and Administrator, said the six drones and corresponding Starlink unit, valued at P300,000, that they received on Nov. 21 from the US Embassy in Manila will be used not only at the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone but also when the agency sends a contingent to areas that require emergency response support.
The US Embassy has also provided comprehensive training to SBMA personnel for the effective and proper use of the drones.
According to lawyer Von Rodriguez, SBMA chief of staff, a number of US military personnel are currently at the Subic Bay Freeport, a former US naval base close to the West Philippine Sea (WPS), in relation to the annual “balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises, the bilateral training exercise between the US and Philippine armed forces.
These personnel handle the logistical needs of Cerberus, a US private equity firm that acquired the debt-laden Hanjin shipyard in 2022 and invested over US$40 million to make the shipyard operational again.
“They are handling Cerberus’ logistic requirements. That’s why they are always seen as military operations, but it’s not, they are just logistics. They help with the importation of their equipment, mostly for humanitarian purposes,” said Rodriguez in a press briefing Wednesday.
Cerberus is one of the biggest source of revenue at the freeport since the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) between the US and the Philippines was forged in 2014, said Alino.
Strategic locations
He added the revenue generated by the freeport from the facilities used under the agreement has so now reached almost P200 million.
The Subic freeport is not part of the Edca sites but the US and the Philippines have several other agreements that grant the US access to public utilities, services, and facilities, including ports.
In nearby Zambales province, the US also donated a communications and monitoring tower for the new facility of the Philippine Coast Guard being built in Mount Calib-ungan in Barangay Porac in Botolan town.
The strategic location offers extensive radio coverage for easier communication with Philippine Coast Guard vessels, especially those conducting patrol operation at Scarborough Shoal in WPS and other nearby areas.
