Subic airport conducts emergency exercise

The Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) recently conducted a full-scale, multisectoral "airport emergency exercise" as part of the airport’s emergency preparedness plan, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza said.

"We have gathered the support of local government units, other government and non-government entities concerned in this event as the SBIA gears up for better world-class services, particularly in times of emergencies," he said.

Arreza said the exercise, organized by the SBIA’s Emergency Operations Office, is in partial fulfillment of the SBIA’s manual on airport emergency preparedness plan.

Retired Gen. Marcelo Santos, SBIA general manager, said the exercise was held in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Communications-Air Transportation Office (DOTC-ATO), and participated in by various government agencies and organizations.

The full-scale emergency drill was also participated in by Subic town in Zambales and Olongapo City as well as the police, Coast Guard, PNP Maritime Police, non-government organizations, investors, the SBMA, and rescue groups, Santos said.

He said the airport emergency drill was aimed at evaluating, assessing and updating rescue effectiveness, inter-agency coordination and communication flow in the event of an air disaster in the area.

"This emergency manual will serve as a set of guidelines for the airport rescue organization which will later be formed. With this in place, the ATO will be able to award the SBIA its license to accept aircraft in an emergency situation," Santos said.

"The airport is providing jobs and earnings to local communities around it. This is why we should always ensure the safety of the airport and the airplanes that use them by being prepared to respond during unwarranted events to save as many lives as we can," said Jose Reyes Jr., director of the ATO’s Philippine Rescue Coordination Center.