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.    

By Rachel Magday   NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines – House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) party-list Rep. Leila M. de Lima has filed House Resolution No. 413 asking Congress to investigate alleged illegal exploration by Woggle Corporation in Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya. The measure also seeks review and possible cancellation of the company’s exploration permit issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR‑MGB). The filing was an offshoot of a meeting in which former Nueva Vizcaya Governor Ruth R. Padilla personally visited Rep. De Lima’s office to hand over documents showing strong opposition from Dupax del Norte residents. Padilla told De Lima that locals say they were not properly consulted and did not give written consent for the exploration. During the meeting, De Lima committed to call a formal legislative inquiry so communities can be heard and officials can be held accountable. In August 2025, DENR‑MGB granted Woggle—reported to be an affiliate of FCF Minerals Corporation—a 3,100‑hectare exploration permit in Dupax del Norte, reportedly for gold and copper. Residents and local groups say the company began work without proper consultation, citing tree uprooting and other actions they call illegal. The Sangguniang Barangays of Oyao, Bitnong, Inaban, and Munguia all in Dupax del Norte passed resolutions opposing the project and asking for an investigation and possible cancellation of the permit. On August 18, 2025, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Nueva Vizcaya adopted Resolution No. 2025‑5734 asking the DENR‑MGB to cancel the permit for alleged environmental and procedural violations. Residents, religious leaders, lawyers, and environmental groups have held protests. On October 10, 2025, Regional Trial Court Branch 30 in Bayombong issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in favor of Woggle, barring residents from maintaining barricades on access roads; the TRO was extended to October 30, 2025. HR 413 also notes the court ordered the Philippine National Police to enforce the TRO, and there are reports of heavy‑handed actions against the protesters and indigenous groups. “The water, land, homes, livelihoods and future of our people in Nueva Vizcaya are at risk,” De Lima said when she filed HR 413. “No amount of profit can replace the lives and livelihoods of affected communities.” With HR 413 filed and De Lima’s promise to call a legislative inquiry, the House is expected to review the permit’s validity, check compliance with environmental and consultation rules, and consider steps to protect residents and the environment.