SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Newly appointed Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño is expected to use his business acumen to spur further growth and drive operational efficiency in the Subic Bay Freeport, the preferred location for close to 1,500 foreign and local companies and business establishments.
Aliño, who replaced former Pandan, Antique mayor Jonathan D. Tan as SBMA chief, took his oath of office before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Friday. He was former chairman and president of the S.T.A.R. Group of Companies, a major player in integrated supply chain services and port operations, before he was tapped by the President for the Subic job.
This bodes well for Subic, a former base for the United States Navy whose core business asset is its seaport, observers here noted.
Aliño’s vast experience in providing strategic leadership and direction to various enterprises and bringing about successful collaborations with industry partners and stakeholders is also seen to be a plus factor for his new role as head of the Subic agency.
The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) earlier pointed out that there is a need for the SBMA to “focus more on streamlining its operations [and] promoting growth, increased economic activity, and trade.”
The Subic agency also has to prioritize its most important mandate—that of generating investments and employment opportunities, the SBFCC said in a statement after the Covid 19 pandemic curtailed some business activities here.
Aliño, a devout Catholic, graduated from De La Salle University, BS Mechanical Engineering, and a self-made industrialist, could address these concerns with his vast experience in leadership and management.
Starting his career as a sales engineer for Far East Wires and Cables Corp. in 1972, he soon rose to a senior position in the Filinvest Manufacturing Group before joining the Bulk Indenting Services Corp. in 1983 as director for vessel operation. From there transitioning to senior positions in various firms involved in trading, cargo handling, and manufacturing.
Image credits: Presidential Communications Office