Subic Bay, SBFZ, ex Naval Base

[Karl Welteke]

Projects in the Subic Area 2018

I like to walk in the Subic Bay area and sometime I come across some projects that interest me and I take pictures. These pictures are from my Sep. and Oct. 2018 walks.

I share these 5 images; they are uploaded to my Photobucket account, as the server. Because of Photobucket’s quality of service not all pictures may open.




Z317. A Google Earth image of the projects I encountered on my walks in Sep and Oct. 2018 in the Subic Bay area.



Z318. One of 14 images (in the album), including a GE area image, of a new recycling plant for electronic equipment. It is located at the intersection of the Dizon Mine Road and trail between the Mangahan Valley and the Matain River areas.
This is a Taiwan investment; they had about 4 Taiwanese there who did not speak English or Filipino. The workers were from the near Tibag Village who told me communications went by body languages. One thing I did not like, the work site straddles the trail from Tibag to Mangahan, and you could not find it anymore.



Z319. One of 14 images (in the album), including a GE area image, of a new recycling plant for electronic equipment. It is located at the intersection of the Dizon Mine Road and trail between the Mangahan Valley and the Matain River areas. That looks to me fire is involved in this recycle process.



Z320. One of 8 images, including a GE area image, of a new ecological recycling plant. It is located in the Matain River Valley about 1 km in-valley from the Naugsol Village. It existed a few years but doesn’t seem to operate yet.



Z321. On top of the Kalaklan Ridge overlooking Subic Bay someone is building a large structure but so far only three walls have been constructed. I don’t know who is doing it or what it is going to be. Note, we can see Grande Island straight ahead and the Hanjin Shipyard can be seen at right.

If you are interested there are a total of 46 pictures uploaded into these 2 albums, take you pick:


Uploaded to Photobucket:
s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Philippines/No%202%20Phil%20Events%20Group%20Albums/2018%20SB%20OC%20BB%20ZAM%20Events/Projects%20Subic%20Area%202018?sort=9&page=1


Uploaded to Facebook:
www.facebook.com/karlwilhelm.welteke/media_set?set=a.10215435820642393&type=3&uploaded=48

[Karl Welteke]

Cruise Ship Tourism is picking up in Subic Bay


Zo001. The cruise ship World Dream treated its well-wishers with its signature light show for the third time as it leaves the Port of Subic. (photo from Subic Bay Freeport facebook page)
A great picture of Subic Bay, one does not get a night view very often, thanks

Look up the picture and read that news in this URL:

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2019/01/cruise-ship-tourism-in-subic-makes-good.html

The picture above is credited to this URL:
www.facebook.com/SubicBayFreeportZone/

[Karl Welteke]

RTC granted Hanjin’s petition for rehabilitation.



Zo002. Hanjin shipyard at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone at busier times, this picture and this head line came from this URL:

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2019/01/rtc-grants-hanjin-petition-for.html


This is a great picture of the former US. Marine Corps Green Beach Training Area, in the Agusuhin Valley, the Agusuhin Village was here which is now the Hanjin Shipyard, on the Redondo Peninsular. I used to walk around there freely after the SBMA took over the administration of the former Naval Base but the shipyard stopped that!

In this picture we see 6 large ships being worked on outside the two dry-docks and there at least 4 more in the dry docks. The ships construction starts in the dry docks and then the ships are finished along those piers as shown.

[Karl Welteke]

The ex Subic Bay SRF Diving Locker 2019-03-25

This is about the ex Subic Bay Ship Repair Facility Diving Locker

My last duty station was in this unit, the Ship Repair Facility (SRF) Diving Locker, 1989 to 28th Feb 1991. When we turned over the Subic Bay Naval Facilities in Nov. 1992, the Recompression Chamber continued operating to treat diving accident victims to 2004, I believe, by a Philippine entity.

Since then the building stands abandoned. But I was able to have a peek 2019-03-25. It looks sad. I was unable to look in the compressor room but I speculate the 4 compressors are still there.

I found a backdoor open and even found some light still on. I uploaded 45 pictures into this web page:
philippine-sailor.net/2019/03/26/the-ex-subic-bay-srf-diving-locker-2019-03-25/

Here are 5 sample images:




Ze145. This is the ex Subic Bay SRF Diving Locker, at this end we stored our Oxygen bottles etc. The building next to it was used by us also. I entered the ex Diving Locker via that building, 2019-03-25.




Ze152. This is the recompression chamber in the ex Subic Bay SRF Diving Locker, 2019-03-25




Ze154. This is the air flask room in the ex Subic Bay SRF Diving Locker, it seems all the pipes are gone.




Ze159. This is the upper deck of the open water training tank area in the ex Subic Bay SRF Diving Locker, 2019-03-25. We are looking north passed the entrances to the lounge and head.




Ze187. A Google Earth image about the former SRF Diving Locker area.

[westernaus]

Thanks karl for a look at your former workplace HQ .It is a darn shame to see such valuable equipment like that and not maintained and not in use and the pilfering of equipment, even including stuff in the heads.It brings back memories of the USN base I worked on which was a Nav Com Base .I parted the base in 1992 when most of it was shut down .At a later date I worked at the Australian Navy Base ,Western Australia .

[Karl Welteke]

NLEX spending P1.6b to expand toll road in Subic

The project is expected to be completed in 16 months starting this month.

From: SUBIC BAY NEWSLINK

subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2019/04/nlex-spending-p16b-to-expand-toll-road.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SubicBayNewslink+%28SUBIC+BAY+NEWSLINK%29



Zo036. Subic Expressway Tunnel, credit: SUBIC BAY NEWSLINK

[Karl Welteke]

Recompression Chamber in Subic Bay



Zo036. This is the recompression chamber located in the structure of the Mango Valley Hotel in the SBFZ.

Recompression Chamber is also called decompression or hyperbaric chamber. We all know that the former Navy recompression Chamber is not in operation, but I looked at a civilian one in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). I do not know whether it is in operation, has treated anyone and I lost the business card they gave me. I think they call themselves Boardwalk Divers. (I’m in Sorsogon now for a month) Here are the pictures of this visit. Maybe you would like to visit them.

I uploaded 13 images into this Facebook album:

www.facebook.com/karlwilhelm.welteke/media_set?set=a.10216107896043858&type=3

[Karl Welteke]

Subic Bay 2019 April the 1st.

On this day I decided to take a joy ride on the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), the ex-Naval Base Subic Bay. I started the drive on the Argonaut Highway near the Subic Power Corporation, drove around the air field of the former Cubi Point Air Station, now the Subic Bay International Airport and ended the drive at the former and present Head Quarter of the former Base and now the present SBFZ. I think the pictures are ok and I decided to upload them in high resolution.

I chose to present 16 images here in the forum but I uploaded 34 images, all in high resolution, into this Flickr album:



U057. 01SBFZ190401 this is one of seven shots of the former Ship Repair Activity (SRF) and the former Supply Depot (NSD).



U058. 02SBFZ190401 this is one of seven shots of the former Ship Repair Activity (SRF) and the former Supply Depot (NSD).



U059. 03SBFZ190401 this is one of seven shots of the former Ship Repair Activity (SRF) and the former Supply Depot (NSD).




U060. 04SBFZ190401 this is one of seven shots of the former Ship Repair Activity (SRF) and the former Supply Depot (NSD).



U061. 12 SBFZ 190401, L. to R. The former Naval Station. This is one of 3 images, zoomed in, shot left to right of the SBFZ harbor area from the former Cubi Point Air Field. USS Wasp (LHD-1) is a United States Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ship, and the lead ship of her class. She is the tenth USN vessel to bear the name since 1775, with the last two ships named Wasp being aircraft carriers. She was here for an annual exercise with the Philippine Military.



U062. 14 SBFZ 190401, L. to R. The former Naval Station. This is one of 3 images, zoomed in, shot left to right of the SBFZ harbor area from the former Cubi Point Air Field. This image shows two Philippine war ships and the former Naval Supply Depot (NSD).



U063. 15 SBFZ 190401, The former Cubi Point Naval Air Station Leyte Wharf area. The left ship occupies the Leyte Wharf, the former carrier pier. That area is now a bulk grain port. To the right is new Container port. A hill behind the former Navy fuel pier was carried here as landfill and so the former Officer Beach at and the actual “Cubi Point” is no more.



U064. 16 SBFZ 190401, The former Cubi Point Naval Air Station Leyte Wharf area. Left of the Leyte Wharf, the carrier pier, our MWR only kept small recreational sail boats here. The area has become a small yacht harbor. A new 4 lane highway goes around this end of the Cubi Point Airfield to connect to the Container port.



U065. 17 SBFZ 190401, The former Cubi Point Naval Air Station Leyte Wharf area. This is a wider view of the area.



U066. 19 SBFZ 190401, L. to R. The former Naval Station. Zoomed in! This is one of 6 images shot from left to right and shot from near the former Leyte Wharf carrier pier of the Subic Bay and former Naval Station. This is an odd ship, is painted gray, maybe has colors around the stack but I don’t know what it is.



U067. 21 SBFZ 190401, L. to R. The former Naval Station. Zoomed in! This is one of 6 images shot from left to right and shot from near the former Leyte Wharf carrier pier of the Subic Bay and former Naval Station. This pictures centers on Kalaklan Point.



U068. 23 SBFZ 190401, L. to R. The former Naval Station. This is one of 6 images shot from left to right and shot from near the former Leyte Wharf carrier pier of the Subic Bay and former Naval Station. This pictures centers on the former purpose of the former Naval Station. The amphibious ship and the fleet oiler are moored along the Alava Extension Wharf, which is where our liberty started after working hours.



U069. 25 SBFZ 190401, The former Cubi Point Naval Air Station Leyte Wharf area. Notice all the containers, that area was the tarmac area for the carrier air planes. I believe these containers are empty and abandoned, they were moved from the Manila Harbor to here to get them out of their hair in Manila. This are also served as a vehicle race track after we left but that is history also.



U070. 26 SBFZ 190401, This is one of 5 images, of the USS Wasp and a MSC Oiler along the Alava Extension Wharf. This area is special to me, my type of small Navy ship tied up inside the wharf; also this is the area of the former enlisted men boat landing where I stepped ashore here in 1962 and I liked this place ever since! USS Wasp (LHD-1) is a United States Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ship, and the lead ship of her class. She is the tenth USN vessel to bear the name since 1775, with the last two ships named Wasp being aircraft carriers. She was here for an annual exercise with the Philippine Military.



U071. 31 SBFZ 190401, This is one of 2 images, in front of the present SBFZ Head Quarter Building which was also the head quarter of the former Naval Base. This area has a newer and higher Flagpole for the Philippine Flag. It has markers and memorials to the WWII Hell Ships, the 12 Philippine Senators who voted against extension of the Base Agreement and also here is a memorial remembering all the 1000s Filipino volunteers who helped convert this former base into a great commercial enterprise. This area is special to me, my type of small Navy ship tied up inside the Alava Wharf; also this is the area of the former enlisted men boat landing where I stepped ashore here in 1962 and I liked this place ever since!



U072. 33 SBFZ 190401, that building is a parallel building to the former Bachelor Officer Quarter (BOQ); it was built after our departure. The sad part is that the building is sitting on the former small tennis court where the Japanese guards kept over 1000 US and other Allied prisoners (POWs) for many days without adequate water and food. The wounded were taking separately and were never heard of again. This is part of the Hell Ship story Oryoku Maru that got sunk in WWII more or less a few hundred feet from the present Alava Extension Wharf.

[Karl Welteke]

Subic Bay Naval Base early 1980s

5th set with 3 original images.

These are mostly aerial shots of the Naval Station Subic Bay and a few other shots from the greater Naval Base from about 1981 to 1983. They are all from U.S. National Archives. I downloaded these images many years ago and it is about time I do something with them. I think they are very interesting for people with interest to Subic Bay.

I added comparable images from Google Earth for you to compare the changes that have occurred under the new management of the former base, which is now the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

These pictures are available at high resolution in this Flickr album:

www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157671843428567


There are about 19 shots and here is the 5th set with 3 images:



Ze346. This is the Cubic Point Naval Air Station Barracks and Administrative Facilities in 1982.



Ze347. This is the Cubic Point Naval Air Station Barracks and Administrative Facilities in 1982. The Leyte Wharf and area has become a grain port. The officer Club was used 1996 for the APEC Meeting and President Clinton was here. The Officer Beach is gone and is now a Container Port. The whole former base is now called the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) and is managed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). The barracks rooms are rented out as apartments.



Ze348. The USS Midway CV-41 is entering Subic Bay in 1982 with the profile of the mountains behind Olongapo City.




Ze349. This is a Google Earth image of the geography around Olongapo City.



Ze350. Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger is visiting Cubi Point Naval Air Station in 1982. He helped President Reagan make America strong again.



Ze351. The former Secretary of Defense has visited the Philippines before. Here is a picture of some of the officers of General MacArthur’s intelligence Staff, can you spot him-he is in the middle of the front row. This picture came from the father of the webmaster of these web pages, the father an Australian enlisted man was also part of that intelligence staff:

corregidor.proboards.com/posts/recent

corregidor.org/

(Weinberger is third from the right of the front row - Ed)

[chadhill]

Thanks for posting these, Karl. Brought back lots of good memories. Patty and I were there from May '85 to May '88.