Bataan Freeport: 20k workers, 93 companies and still counting

MARIVELES, Bataan – The concerted efforts of the municipal, provincial and Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) officials, have resulted to the dramatic increase in the number of companies and employed skilled workers in this industrial town.

The start of the success of the former Bataan Economic Zone (BEZ) was when then Second District Congressman now Governor Abet S. Garcia authored a bill that eventually became a law – Republic Act 97281 or the Freeport Area of Bataan Act of 2009 converting BEZ into Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB), a consolidation of House Bill 5344 and Senate Bill 2118.

Since its enactment into law, FAB has been generating thousands of jobs. Increasing the number of companies from 39 to 93, its workers had ballooned to more than 20,000 from 13,007 in 2010.

Constantly coordinating with AFAB authorities to ensure the smooth flow of investments and influx of investors, Mariveles town Mayor Jesse I. Concepcion had also initiated a thorough screening of applicants ensuring that only those physically and mentally fit applicants are hired and at the same time inculcating into their hearts and minds to love and value the Ecozone.

Nowadays, Gov. Garcia proclaims with great pride that the Freeport Area of Bataan is the fastest growing freeport zone in the country.

The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) chaired by Atty. Deogracias Custodio reported last week that the increasing number of foreign locators in the Freeport will benefit local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as it expects to lure more global investors, with the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) Economic Community (AEC), which will transform ASEAN into a single, liberalized market.

Aside from bringing more investments and job generation, AFAB believes that the investors will also help SMEs in the province, downplaying concerns that the formation of the AEC and liberalization of the ASEAN market will only marginalize local enterprises.

“We see that SMEs would find niches in at least serving the bigger players to also experience the benefits of liberalization, which in the case of the FAB is to cater to the higher end products at the right price,” said Custodio. “For instance, as a result of the manufacturing activities inside the FAB, these are SMEs already looking at supplying zippers and other components for the high-end bag products. Similarly, small and medium sized packaging companies are already in high demand, and although Chinese locators still source packaging from China, as demand grows, it would be more feasible for local suppliers to participate”, Custodio added.

Custodio likewise stressed that the Authority wants to assure that the multiplier effects of investments in the freeport will not only benefit the human capital pool, but also other sectors and the whole local economy as a whole.