Subic Bay, SBFZ, ex Naval Base

[Karl Welteke]

SBMA’s first lady administrator and CEO assumes post

SBMA, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority administers the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which is the former Subic Bay Naval Base.

Posted: 15 Jan 2017 11:04 PM PST
Lawyer Wilma “Amy” T. Eisma assumes her post as the seventh administrator and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

The few paragraphs and the picture in this entry are from this URL: If you are interested in the whole story this URL is for you!

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2017/01/sbmas-first-lady-administrator-and-ceo.html



V557. SBMA's new administrator Atty. Wilma T. Eisma holds the SBMA flag after it was passed on to her by her predecessor Roberto V. Garcia during the SBMA's flag ceremony Monday (January 16). (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

The above URL has one more picture.

[Karl Welteke]

Subic Bay commemorates the 100th birth anniversary of Olongapo's first mayor


SBMA, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority administers the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which is the former Subic Bay Naval Base.

Posted: 17 Jan 2017 01:18 AM PST
Olongapenos and Subic Bay volunteers gathered in this free port Tuesday (January 17) to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mayor James Leonard (Jimmy) Gordon, Olongapo's first elected mayor.

A few paragraphs and the pictures in this entry are from this URL: If you are interested in the whole story this URL is for you!

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2017/01/subic-bay-commemorates-100th-birth.html



V558. The Gordons stand before a statue of their father, the late Mayor James Gordon, at the Tappan Park inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)



V559. Philippine Red Cross Governor Senator Richard Gordon leading the tour of the bridge of the M/V Susitna as SBMA Chairman Martin Diño looks on. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

The Tappan Park was and still is located across the street from the Subic Bay Chapel. That is the street that comes from the Spanish Gate and was (pre war) the Olongapo Main Street.


Mayor James Gordon was born on January 17, 1917 of an American father, John Jacob Gordon, and a Filipina mother, Veronica Tagle Gordon. He was Mayor of Olongapo City from December 30, 1963 to February 20, 1967.


Instead of electing American Citizenship and residing in the United States like his four brothers, he chose to stay in the Philippines as a Filipino Citizen. He raised his children as Filipino Citizens and brought them up according to Filipino values;

A program followed shortly at the Riviera wharf where the M/V Susitna, the newly acquired ship of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is docked.

[Karl Welteke]

Hanjin Heavy delivers first Philippine-made VLCC


Posted: 17 Jan 2017 09:09 PM PST
Subic Bay Freeport – Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction – Philippines (HHIC-Phils.) last week delivered the first Philippine-made Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) to its owner after being recognized as the country’s top sectoral exporter by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) last December during the National Export Congress.

These two paragraphs and the picture in this entry are from this URL: If you are interested in the whole story this URL is for you!

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2017/01/hanjin-heavy-delivers-first-philippine.html

SBMA, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority administers the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which is the former Subic Bay Naval Base.





V560. Named as the M/V Gener8 Hector, the vessel sailed out the waters of the country’s premier Freeport measures 333 meters in length with breath of 60 meters and dead weight of 299,019 metric tons.
It was ordered and jointly owned by Gener8 and Nagiva8 based in the United States of America and Singapore, respectively. The ship was delivered to its owner last week, marking the first biggest ship made by Filipino shipbuilders in the country. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

business.mb.com.ph/2017/01/17/hanjin-heavy-delivers-first-philippine-made-vlcc/



V561. A picture of the Korean Shipyard Hanjin at Green Beach, the former US Marine Corps training area on Redondo Peninsular. This picture came from one of my many albums about this Hanjin Shipyard:

The picture was shot 2007-10-27 and the description of the picture says:
The north east end of the shipyard where we started our walk. The dry dock can be seen but it is not a clear shot of the ship being build inside.
This was just the beginning of construction of ships, now they work on about 8 to 12 ships at a time.

s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Philippines/Korean%20Shipyard-Redondo%20Mt/Korean%20Shipyard-Redondo%20Mt%20area%20No%201/Via%20Quina%20Bucsan%20Ridge%202007%20Oct%2028?sort=9&page=1

[Karl Welteke]

USS John S. McCain Arrives in Subic Bay

Posted: 22 Jan 2017 09:28 PM PST

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) arrived in Subic Bay Monday (Jan. 24) morning for a brief port call that highlights the strong community and military connections between the Philippines and the United States, January 23, 2017.


The McCain crew will participate in a series of community service projects and sporting events during the crew’s visit to the Philippines.



V582. USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) arrived in Subic Bay Monday (Jan. 24). This picture and story came from the SubicNewsLink news service with this URL:

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2017/01/uss-john-s-mccain-arrives-in-subic-bay.html

[Karl Welteke]

President Duterte visits Japanese escort Flotilla in Subic

This paragraph and these three images came from this News article; click on it and read the whole story:

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2017/06/president-duterte-visits-japanese.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+SubicBayNewslink+(SUBIC+BAY+NEWSLINK)

President Rodrigo Duterte visited on Sunday, June 4, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Escort Flotilla One comprised of helicopter carrier JS Izumo and guided missile destroyer JS Sazanami berthed here in Subic Bay Freeport for a four-day port visit to the Philippines.

The 3 pictures presented here are much larger in the above URL, from the SubicBayNewslink:




Z013. [1] President Rodrigo Duterte is escorted by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño and Administrator Atty. Wilma Eisma during the chief executive's tour aboard the biggest Japanese helicopter carrier JS Izumo docked at the Alava Port in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)




Z014. [2] President Duterte poses with his officials and the visiting officers and crew of the JS Izumo. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)




Z015. [3-4] The helicopter carrier JS Izumo (DDH-183) (top) and the Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami (DD-113) (bottom) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Escort Flotilla One, both docked in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a four-day visit to the Philippines. (RBB/MPD-SBMA)

Note from Karl: I failed to notice the ships in Subic Bay and report them, belated, from the SubicBayNewslink:News service.

[Karl Welteke]

Subic Bay 2017 from the hills by Karl

Recently I took some pictures from the hills down of the Subic Bay area. I am uploading the pictures in high resolution. Some duplicate images, which I have marked up for your orientation, are of lower resolution. This is not a high priority project so the pictures will be uploaded slowly.

I uploaded 8 images of the SBFZ from Kalaklan Ridge; the pictures are numbered 002 to 009, including 3 duplicates, which are marked up. This is the URL:

www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157685558669995

In this forum presentation I only uploaded the three low resolution duplicates which are marked up for your orientation.



Z080. This is one of the marked-up duplicate and low resolution images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the former U. S. Naval Base. They were shot from the Kalaklan Ridge.



Z081. This is one of the marked-up duplicate and low resolution images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the former U. S. Naval Base. They were shot from the Kalaklan Ridge.



Z082. This is one of the marked-up duplicate and low resolution images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the former U. S. Naval Base. They were shot from the Kalaklan Ridge.

[Karl Welteke]

The Cubi Point Officer Club.

I a recent forum entry the Cubi Point Naval Air Station Officer Club was pointed out and a friend sent me this You Tube video:



The friend is Filipino Officer and Gentleman, a dear friend and a West Point Graduate; thank you Sir!

Here are two Screen shots from that video:



Z086. Screen shot from the above video. When I served in the Navy, they called my part of the Navy-Black Shoe Navy- and we called the Navy aviators -Brown Shoe Sailors-or Air Dales. The officer and chief petty officer also had the additional brown shoes in their sea bag to make them stand out!

Cubi Point Naval Air Station was deeper in the Subic Bay Naval Base and we Black Shoe Sailors had no reason to visit it, our gate to the Olongapo Liberty was in the other direction. But I believe all of us heard about the famous or infamous Cubi Point Officer Club.

Well, the above video tells us, when we turned over the Subic Bay Naval Base in 1992, the air Dales packed everything up and transferred it to Pensacola, Fla. Then the bar was recreated as the Cubi Bar Cafe at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla. There were too many memories, it had to be preserved.

The Cubi Point Officer Club still stands today, inside it is a wreck. Around the perimeter of the club area condominiums were built for the present Cubi Point residents. The club was used for the 1996 APEC Meeting and President Clinton was here.



Z087. Screen shot from the above video. Famous or infamous Cubi Point Officer Club, well, I don’t know? I had heard about a catapult the pilots rode in the club and if you did not arrest your flight you landed in the drink. The above video is silent about this matter.

The answer to that question may be in the below URL:

The Legend of the Cubi Cat
By: Art Giberson
www.subicbaypi.com/sub_stories_cubicat.htm

[Karl Welteke]

Subic Bay 2017 from the hills by Karl


Recently I took some pictures from the hills down of the Subic Bay area. I am uploading the pictures in high resolution. Some duplicate images, which I have marked up for your orientation, are of lower resolution. This is not a high priority project so the pictures will be uploaded slowly.


I uploaded 11 images, this 3rd July, of Olongapo City and the SBFZ from Kalaklan Ridge; the pictures are numbered 010 to 020, including 2 duplicates, which are marked up. This is the URL:


www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157685558669995


In this forum presentation I only uploaded the two low resolution duplicates which are marked up for your orientation, and a picture of a very new sign that SM Malls will build a big one in addition to the small one they already built just outside the former Naval Base Main Gate.



Z099. This is one of the marked-up duplicate and low resolution images of Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the former U. S. Naval Base. They were shot from the Kalaklan Ridge.




Z100. In this place used to be the Olongapo hospital, later a convention center and museum were added. This sign was only placed here in June 2017, so it seems that SM is going to build a mall even though they got a small one just outside the SBFZ Main Gate.



Z101. This is one of the marked-up duplicate and low resolution images of Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the former U. S. Naval Base. They were shot from the Kalaklan Ridge.

[Karl Welteke]

Bob Hudson made an entry in the Battle f Bataan Facebook Page.

This is the URL, I believe you cannot look at it less you are Facebook member or sign in some other way, so sorry, that not all can look at this entry about the Oryoku Maru and the tennis court where the 1000+ POW were kept in inhuman condition. Many pictures have been added:

www.facebook.com/groups/bataanbattle/permalink/10153510506437232/



Z102. This is Bob’s first picture and comment: Recent photos from the National Archives may have at last revealed the famed Tennis Courts the men who survived the sinking of the Oryoku Maru were taken to. The rectangle in question is same dimensions of a tennis court, out in the open / unshaded and near some buildings which may have been a sports club of some kind.



Z103. I added this picture and comment: An entry I made in the Battle of Bataan
The Oryoku gun is lifted out of the drink in 1952. In back one can see work on Cubi Point Naval Air Station has started.
This image came from Paul Daudet of Grants Pass, Oregon who was a crew member of the USS Mender at the time of their salvage work1952, to cut away part of the Oryoku Maru superstructure to make the waters navigational. He had sent this image to Sgt Holub, the web master of www.subicbaypi.com/ who let me use it.
I was a US Navy Deep Sea Diver for 28 years. I was stationed in Subic only 1 ½ times but as a WESTPAC (Western Pacific) Sailor (1960-91) we were in and out of Subic often. I often heard from diving comrades that in the 50s we flattened out the Oryoku Maru to allow the big ships to come in.
Got the same problem as Chad, only 1 picture, some time ago I made an album about this Oryoku Gun and will present it in the next entry.
Re: diving on the ship now, is practically not possible; the Oryoku Maru rests on the bottom of the busiest spot of the Olongapo Harbor. You really would have to a real important cause to get permission to dive there.
Chad, again a super job from you, Bravo!



Z104. The Oryoku Maru Gun at the Manila Ave Gate at the former Subic Bay Naval Station in 1953 and I said this: Note: Then and still in 1962, we were paid in scrip money, not the real thing and you could only use it on Base. Therefore we had to change it to Peso before we left the Base.

I established this album about the Oryoku Maru Gun in Subic Bay!
The Oryoku Maru gun has been placed in front of the American Legion Post #4 on Magsaysay Drive in Olongapo City many years ago and is still there now. Before that the gun stood guard at the Manila Ave Gate and bridge, which did not exist anymore when I arrived in Subic in 1962. We used the new Main Gate and bridge to Magsaysay Drive. A new bridge has been built there after the US Navy left Subic Bay and it is called the Rizal Gate and Bridge. Manila Ave. in Olongapo has been renamed Rizal Ave. The membership row in American Legion Post #4 is becoming smaller and smaller and one day it will have to shut down, what will become of the Oryoku Gun then? All Sailors and Marines who went on Liberty in Olongapo seen this gun and I got to admit, then, I and perhaps many other Sailors did not realize or take the time to comprehend what great tragedy happened right here in our beloved Base in Dec. 1944.

Then I linked this album about the Oryoku Maru Gun:

s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/SBFZ%20Ex%20Naval%20Base%20Subic%20Bay/SBFZ%202009/Oryoku%20Maru%20Gun%202009%20and%20older?sort=6&page=1

[Karl Welteke]

Subic Bay 2017 from the hills by Karl


Recently I took some pictures from the hills down of the Subic Bay area. I am uploading the pictures in high resolution. Some duplicate images, which I have marked up for your orientation, are of lower resolution. This is not a high priority project so the pictures will be uploaded slowly.


I uploaded 37 more images, this 27th July, of Olongapo City, the SBFZ, the bay and Barrio Barretto from Kalaklan Ridge; the pictures are numbered 021 to 058. This is the URL:


www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157685558669995



In this forum presentation I only uploaded 11 sample images and they are much smaller than in the album:







Za016. (-026 to 028). This is one of three images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) Hotel and Entertainment area, much of this area was used by the former U.S. Naval Station Subic Bay and the U.S. Naval Base Public Works Center (PWC) up to 1992. All pictures were shot on or about the 26th of July 2017.










Za017. (-029 to 031). This is one of three images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) International Airport, the Bulk Grain Port (ex Leyte Air Craft Carrier Wharf), the new Container Port (past location of the former Officer Beach and geographic point Cubi Point) and the new facilities in the former Naval Magazine. Much of this area was the former U.S. Naval Air Station Cubi Point, part of the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay up to 1992. All pictures were shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. Where the Officer Beach used to be, now the Container Port was the actual point Cubi Point which is now gone, less we place it at the north end of the new Container Port.








Za018. (-029 to 031). This is one of three images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) International Airport, the Bulk Grain Port (ex Leyte Air Craft Carrier Wharf), the new Container Port (past location of the former Officer Beach and geographic point Cubi Point) and the new facilities in the former Naval Magazine. Much of this area was the former U.S. Naval Air Station Cubi Point, part of the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay up to 1992. All pictures were shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. Where the Officer Beach used to be, now the Container Port was the actual point Cubi Point which is now gone, less we place it at the north end of the new Container Port.







Za019. (-032 to 038). This is one of seven images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) covering the Kalaklan Gate area. This was part of the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay up to 1992. All pictures were shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. Notice the new bridge, many new hotels and entertainment places, service companies such as the hospital, car repair shop, gas station etc.







Za020. (-032 to 038). This is one of seven images of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) covering the Kalaklan Gate area. This was part of the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay up to 1992. All pictures were shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. Notice the new bridge, many new hotels and entertainment places, service companies such as the hospital, car repair shop, gas station etc.








Za021. (-041). This is one of eleven images with bay views of the Subic Bay which was once part of the U. S. Naval Reservation established early last century. It is now within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay. This picture was shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. This is a view from above Barrio Barretto towards the new Container Port and the former Naval Magazine. The former Aircraft Carrier Wharf Leyte has become a bulk grain port and the Officer Beach, which was also the geographic Cubi Point has become a container port.








Za022. (-042). This is one of eleven images with bay views of the Subic Bay which was once part of the U. S. Naval Reservation established early last century. It is now within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay. This picture was shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. This is a view from above Barrio Barretto towards Grande Island, the former Fort Wint; it is now a resort but is under renovation at the moment. The two ships are iron ore transfer ships, big ships come from Brazil with the iron ore and it gets trans-loaded it to smaller ships which take it to Red China ports.








Za023. (-047). This is one of eleven images with bay views of the Subic Bay which was once part of the U. S. Naval Reservation established early last century. It is now within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay. This picture was shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. This is a view from above Barrio Barretto towards Redondo Peninsular, which is separating the Subic Bay from the South China Sea. In front is Baloy Beach of Barrio Barretto, across the bay is the Korean Shipyard Hanjin, located at the former Green Beach. In back is Mt. Cinco Picos.








Za024. (-049). This is one of eleven images with bay views of the Subic Bay which was once part of the U. S. Naval Reservation established early last century. It is now within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), the former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay. This picture was shot on or about the 26th of July 2017. This is a view from above Barrio Barretto towards Redondo Peninsular, which is separating the Subic Bay from the South China Sea. In front is the Barretto Bay or Cove, across it is Baloy Beach. Behind it is what we sailors called Snake Island.








Zao25. (-050). This is one of five images of the Half Moon Beach area which is half way between the Kalaklan Gate of the SBFZ and Barrio Barretto. In recent years the beach was a private beach and was called Kale Beach, and then Olongapo City took it over and passed the management to another private enterprise which gave it a new name. This view shows Ocean View Resort, the white building, the area to the right of it has been developed as residential area. Halfmoon Beach has a new floating entertainment complex which is in view.








Za026. (-057). This is one of five images of Barrio Barretto from what I call the South Ridge-line; it is part of the Kalaklan Ridge which separates Barrio Barretto from Olongapo and SBFZ. This is Down Town Barrio Barretto, part of Olongapo City. Before the war it was the Naval Rifle Range, in 1945 it became a Naval Supply Depot. Sometime later it was turned back to the Philippine authorities and is now a popular tourist destination. We also see the Redondo Peninsular with Mt. Redondo, the north end of the Subic Bay bay, Matain Village and the Santa Monica Subdivision.