Subic is becoming RP’s leading convention center

With its outstanding facilities, Subic Bay Freeport is now becoming the country’s center for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) as more than 300 delegates from local and foreign tourism industry sectors converge in the Freeport for the Subic Bay Freeport is now becoming the country’s center for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitionsPhilippine MICE Conference.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano cited Subic during the opening of the MICECON 2010 Thursday as both a MICE hub and a gateway to Northern Philippines , an emerging international and regional destination with rich and diverse attractions for such activities.

“Subic opens up a new world for MICE since it offers a very wide array of both man-made and natural facilities for corporate guests who mostly comprise this $300 billion global market, just one percent of which can add $3 billion to our consistently growing tourism dollar receipts,” Durano said.

The foreign participants are expected to contribute to that goal by spreading the good news about Subic and the Northern Philippines when they return home to their respective countries and clientele.

The local participants, on the other hand, are poised to step up and adapt their marketing and product development efforts according to specific global requirements, especially with MICE now becoming a very popular business tool worldwide.

The staging of MICECON 2010 in Subic is intended to develop and market the North as another MICE destination outside Manila,” Durano earlier said.

This is the first time that a MICE event is being held north of Manila. Previous MICE events were staged in Cebu, Boracay, Davao, Bacolod, and Batangas.

Slated at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center up to Sunday (Feb. 7), MICECON 2010 also brings guests around the freeport and along the Subic-Clark corridor, including Balanga town in Bataan , now a popular destination for birdwatching.

“This tour of North Philippines will all the more highlight Subic’ complete amenities for MICE activities as these complement those of its neighboring localities,” said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza who welcomed the guests during Saturday’s opening ceremonies.

Arreza was referring to SBMA’s luxurious hotels with a total of 1,662 rooms and its 1,876 housing units in a serene and well-maintained environment with jogging and hiking areas, playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts and convenience stores, all approximately 15-minutes drive away from the central business district and situated amidst dense foliage and expansive greenery, and surrounded by such amenities as marina, beaches, golf greens, eco-tourism, watersports, car and go-kart racing, skating, bowling, cycling, motocross, duty-free shopping, casinos, restaurants, videoke bars and other amusement and business facilities.

“Moreover, the SBMA maintains a large pool of qualified and English-speaking workforce, mainly from the city of Olongapo and the nearby provinces of Zambales and Bataan,” Arreza added. By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT - Manila bulletin