Ocean Adventure operator: No quarrel with SBMA

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines — The operator of marine themepark Ocean Adventure has assured the public that it is committed to its businesses at this freeport.

“We did not come here to quarrel with the SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority). We came here to do business,” Robert Gonzaga, president and chief executive officer of Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc. (SBMEI), told The STAR.

The SBMA served a pre-termination notice to SBMEI on Sept. 27, saying the establishment failed to comply with its lease contract and committed certain violations.

Gonzaga said the SBMA did not exhaust all its options before issuing the foreclosure order. He also lamented the SBMA practice “to make locators volunteer to change their contract, revise or rewrite contracts or break up.”

Gonzaga said SBMEI leased a 500-hectare property, of which 400 hectares are being maintained as forest and part of the bay.

He said 80 hectares of the remaining 100 hectares, where the Ocean Adventure Park, Camayan Hotel and Beach Resort and Water Park are located, have not been developed because the SBMA failed to approve the master plan that they submitted since 2010.

SBMEI along with Subic Coastal Development Co., the parent company of Moonbay Marina and Brighterday Subic Ltd. Inc. (BSLI), which operates the All Hands Beach, had earlier called on the SBMA to implement the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act in Subic.

BSLI said SBMA should respect not only the ”sanctity of contracts” but also previous compromise agreements entered into with former administrations.

Edward Fernandez of Moonbay Marina said SBMA is making business difficult for investors because they could not get the necessary permits.

Fernandez said Moonbay  still encounters difficulty in securing the necessary permits despite payment of its arrears amounting to P37 million.

 “It is useless to go through the process of renegotiation as the SBMA now wants 10 percent of the revenue share and five percent of the gross revenue share aside from paying the rent,” he said.