By Rachel Magday   NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines — The province of Nueva Vizcaya was recognized as a Regional Winner in the Provincial Category at the 2025 SubayBAYANI Regional Awarding Ceremony held at Meynard’s Resort and Convention Center in Tuguegarao City on October 30. The province was also named a National Finalist, underscoring its continued success in effective and efficient infrastructure governance. Representing the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya at the ceremony were Assistant Provincial Engineer Noel V. Adducul; personnel from the PPDO; Engr. Cesar A. Senteta; Engr. Jophel B. Lacuesta; and Mr. Raffy Ian P. Pagala, who accepted the award on the province’s behalf. The infrastructure project recognized for its sound implementation and results is the upgrading of the Jct. Nat’l–Bua–Bulala–Muta–Macabenga Road in Kasibu— a three-kilometer undertaking with a total budget of P73 million. Implemented in two phases in 2019 and 2020 through the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP), the works included concrete paving, stone masonry headwalls and slope protection, metal guardrails, warning and chevron signs, and white thermoplastic pavement markings. According to Provincial Engineer Jerry A. Tan, the entire provincial road section from Brgy. Bua in Kasibu to Brgy. Macabenga in Dupax del Norte was fully concreted in 2022 after the provincial government allocated more than P166 million to complete over 10 kilometers of concrete road, further improving connectivity along the route.   The upgraded roads are already producing measurable economic and social benefits. Farmers in Kasibu and surrounding barangays can now transport produce more quickly and at lower cost to the Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal (NVAT), reducing spoilage and improving market returns. Residents and students enjoy safer, shorter trips to schools, markets, and health centers, while more reliable public transport and reduced vehicle wear have improved everyday mobility and supported local commerce by shortening travel times between upland communities and town centers. “Our message is simple: infrastructure in Nueva Vizcaya is built right, monitored closely, and meant to serve our people,” Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito said. “This SubayBAYANI recognition shows that when we follow standards and demand transparency, farmers earn more, students travel safer, and communities thrive.” The SubayBAYANI Awards, the DILG’s flagship recognition program, honors exemplary local governments for excellence in infrastructure delivery and spotlights tangible community gains achieved through sound governance and citizen-centered innovation.

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE (CIAC-PAD(——The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) have formally signed a partnership agreement today to develop one of CIAC Flagship Projects, the Clark National Food Hub, and a major step forward in the transformation of the aviation complex into the Clark Aviation Capital. The ceremonial signing is a result of the series of coordination meetings and deliberations on the terms between CIAC and FTI relative to the development of the project. Present during the event were Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Bases Conversion and Development Authority Chairman Hilario Paredes, BCDA President Joshua Bingcang, CIAC President and CEO Joseph Alcazar, CIAC Directors Glenn Albano and Victor Manuel, FTI President and CEO Joseph Rudolph C. Lo, Transportation Assistant Secretary Donald Mendoza, and representatives from Clark National Food Hub Task Force and from the New Business Ventures Unit. “This partnership aligns squarely with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize agricultural development and strengthen the agro- and agri- logistics value chain—particularly in advancing the nation’s aquaculture and agriculture industries,” Alcazar said. It will feature state-of-the-art facilities and services integrating modern food storage warehouses, cold storage units, processing facilities, administrative offices, research and quality control, international shipping, marketing, and trading for both domestic and export markets. According to Alcazar, the collaboration covers the development, operation, and maintenance of a wholesale food hub that will serve the Clark Freeport Zone, New Clark City, Metro Manila, and the regions of Northern, Central, and Southern Luzon, while also providing direct access to global markets. Envisioned as an integrated and centralized hub for food distribution, storage, and processing high value agro–and agricultural products, supporting both local and export markets. The project aims to strengthen national food security and enhance the Philippines’ competitiveness as a food exporter by improving logistics, cold chain systems, quarantine processes, and compliance with international trade and safety standards Alcazar expressed gratitude to FTI for its partnership, emphasizing that the initiative marks a major milestone in promoting sustainable agricultural growth and ensuring a more efficient food value chain nationwide as well as improving the country’s food security. CIAC serves as the aviation and land development arm of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), while FTI is a government-owned or -controlled corporation and a subsidiary of the National Food Authority (NFA) which engages in supporting the agricultural sector by providing facilities for food processing, storage, and distribution, linking producers with consumers, and promoting price stability.              

Subic Bay Freeport, Philippines —The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) passed the Stage 1 audit for the ISO 45001:2018 standard, also known as the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS), on October 20. SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño lauded the efforts of the OHSMS Team headed by Dr. Solomon Jacalne, Manager of the Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD) and OHSMS management representative, for creating the OHSMS for SBMA. “The SBMA is already certified in two international standards—the ISO 9001, the Quality Management Systems, and the ISO 14001, which is the Environmental Management Systems. As we strive to provide better services for our stakeholders, we are now into complying with the ISO 45001 standards,” Aliño said. He added that the documentation for ISO 45001:2018 is an additional certification to strengthen the SBMA’s operations. This is in addition to Republic Act 11058, also known as “An act strengthening compliance with occupational safety and health standards and providing penalties for violations thereof,” and Joint Memorandum Circular no. 1 s. 2020, also known as the “Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards for the public sector of the Civil Service Commission, Department of Health, and Department of Labor. According to Jacalne, the ISO 45001:2018 standard is to provide a framework for managing OH&S risks and opportunities. The aim and intended outcomes of the OH&S management system are to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses in workers and to provide safe and healthy workplaces. It is critically important for the organization to eliminate hazards and minimize OH&S risks by taking effective preventive and protective measures to improve OH&S performance. “It basically aims to reduce risks in the workplace and improve employee safety and health as it develops proactive measures for health and safety,” Jacalne shared. During the Stage 1 audit, Jacalne said that SBMA managed to pass the audit conducted online by the DQS Certification Phils. Inc. with a few opportunities for improvement (OFIs) findings. DQS Certification Phils. Inc., which has been certifying the SBMA compliance since 2018, is a subsidiary of the DQS Group based in Germany, operating in more than 60 countries. Meanwhile, during the “Talakayan sa Freeport,” a media forum organized by the SBMA Corporate Communications group, safety and preparedness were tackled by Fire Chief Ranny Magno, PHSD Medical Services Division Chief Dr. Arlene Cesa, and Law Enforcement Department (LED) manager Col. Alfredo Agustin, Jr. “When we talk about safety, it’s a way of life. If we practice it, we develop a culture of excellence among the workforce in SBMA. It’s not just a document; it must be put into practice,” Magno said. Meanwhile, Cesa said that the hardest part of the documentation will be monitoring and maintenance of the process. She said, “We should normalize preparedness, not only for calamities and disasters, but in our daily lives as well. Preparedness should impact our lives, not only in our workplace but in our families, as well.” Currently, the SBMA OHSMS team is preparing for the face-to-face Stage 2 audit in November.